Chapter 106: 106 | The Person Beside You

Jason lasted exactly eleven minutes.

Then he checked his phone.

Nothing.

He put it down.

Three minutes later, he picked it up again.

Still nothing.

Jason stared at the screen.

"This is ridiculous."

Sarah looked over from the kitchen.

"What?"

"I'm checking my phone too much."

She laughed. "You think?"

Jason dropped the phone onto the couch.

"I'm not even waiting for a message."

"You are."

"I'm not."

"You've checked it four times."

Jason looked at her.

"You counted?"

"I was curious how long you'd last."

Jason pointed at her. "That's evil."

Sarah smiled. "And yet you love me."

"Unfortunately."

She threw a cushion at him.

Jason caught it.

"Violence. This relationship is becoming toxic."

"Keep talking."

Jason grinned.

For a few seconds, things felt normal.

Then his phone vibrated.

His smile disappeared.

He reached for it.

Sarah noticed immediately.

"Vivian?"

Jason looked at the screen.

No.

It was a message from Kyle.

Kyle: Bro, you coming out later?

Jason stared at it.

He almost laughed.

Of all the people who could have messaged him right now, Kyle had chosen the worst possible moment.

Jason: Maybe. Why?

Kyle: Need to talk to you.

Jason frowned.

Jason: About?

Kyle: In person.

Jason's expression changed.

Sarah noticed.

"What?"

"Kyle wants to talk."

"About what?"

"He didn't say."

Sarah's smile faded slightly.

"That's convenient."

Jason looked at her.

"You think it's suspicious?"

"I think everything is suspicious right now."

Jason couldn't argue with that.

His phone vibrated again.

Kyle: It's nothing serious.

Jason stared at the message.

That somehow made it worse.

Jason: That's exactly what someone says when it's serious.

Kyle: 😂

Jason: What do you want?

Kyle: Come to the basketball court around five.

Jason hesitated.

Then he typed.

Jason: Fine.

He locked his phone.

Sarah watched him.

"You're going?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Jason shrugged. "Because if I keep sitting here staring at my phone, I'm going to lose my mind."

"That happened five minutes ago."

"True."

Sarah smiled.

Then she became serious.

"Jason."

He looked at her.

"Don't start investigating everyone just because the system told you someone is close."

Jason went still.

She didn't know exactly what the system had told him, but she understood him well enough.

"I won't."

"Promise?"

Jason hesitated.

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

He sighed.

"Okay. I won't."

She smiled.

"Good."

Jason leaned back.

But inside his head, one thought refused to leave.

Someone in his social circle.

That meant Kyle.

Daniel.

Maya.

People from school.

People who knew Sarah.

People who knew Vivian.

People who knew him.

The problem was that there were too many possibilities.

And Jason hated not knowing.

---

At almost exactly the same time, Vivian walked through the school gates.

She could feel people looking at her.

Not everyone.

But enough.

She kept walking.

Her phone vibrated.

She stopped.

Unknown Number.

For a second, she simply stared at it.

Then she opened the message.

Unknown: You came back.

Vivian's stomach tightened.

She looked around.

Students were walking past her.

Nobody seemed interested.

Vivian typed.

Vivian: Who are you?

The reply came quickly.

Unknown: You already know.

Vivian stared at the screen.

Vivian: If I knew, I wouldn't ask.

No reply.

She waited.

Thirty seconds.

A minute.

Then another message appeared.

Unknown: You should ask Jason who was with him that day.

Vivian's eyes narrowed.

Jason?

She typed immediately.

Vivian: What day?

No response.

Vivian looked at the message again.

Who was with Jason?

Her mind immediately began searching through memories.

School.

Friends.

Restaurants.

The gym.

Everywhere she'd seen him recently.

Then one memory surfaced.

A day she'd almost forgotten.

Jason had been with someone when she first saw him.

A guy.

She couldn't remember his name.

Vivian frowned.

She opened her gallery.

She began scrolling.

Photos.

Screenshots.

Random pictures.

Then she stopped.

There.

A picture she'd taken with Sarah weeks earlier.

In the background, Jason was visible.

And beside him—

Someone else.

Vivian zoomed in.

Her expression changed.

She recognized him.

Not clearly.

But enough.

She had seen him before.

Several times.

At first, she thought he was just one of Jason's friends.

Then she remembered something.

That person had been around during the period when everything between her and Jason had started becoming complicated.

Vivian's heart began beating faster.

She took a screenshot.

Then another.

She didn't message Jason.

She didn't call Sarah.

Instead, she put her phone away.

If the person sending these messages wanted her to panic, she wouldn't give them that satisfaction.

She continued walking.

---

At five minutes past five, Jason arrived at the basketball court.

Kyle was already there.

He was sitting on the edge of the court with a bottle of water beside him.

Jason approached.

"You said it wasn't serious."

Kyle looked up.

"It isn't."

"Then why did you make me come all the way here?"

Kyle stood.

"Because I wanted to ask you something."

Jason folded his arms.

"Okay."

Kyle hesitated.

Then he asked,

"Are you and Sarah okay?"

Jason blinked.

"That's what you wanted to ask?"

"Yeah."

Jason stared at him.

"We're fine."

Kyle nodded.

"Good."

Jason waited.

Kyle didn't say anything else.

Jason frowned.

"You dragged me here to ask whether I'm okay with my girlfriend?"

Kyle shrugged.

"Basically."

Jason shook his head.

"You're an idiot."

Kyle laughed.

"Probably."

Jason started walking away.

Then Kyle spoke again.

"But seriously."

Jason stopped.

Kyle's voice was different now.

"People are talking."

Jason slowly turned.

"About what?"

Kyle looked uncomfortable.

"About you."

Jason's stomach tightened.

"What are they saying?"

Kyle lowered his voice.

"They think you and Sarah are having problems."

Jason frowned.

"Why?"

"Because people have seen Vivian around you."

Jason's expression hardened.

"Who?"

Kyle shrugged.

"Students."

"Names."

"I don't know."

"Then why tell me?"

"Because I thought you should know."

Jason studied him.

Kyle looked genuinely concerned.

Not nervous.

Not suspicious.

Just concerned.

Jason couldn't tell whether that made him feel better or worse.

"Who started it?"

Kyle shook his head.

"That's the thing."

"What?"

"Nobody knows."

Jason stared at him.

Kyle continued.

"It just appeared."

Jason's eyes narrowed.

"When?"

"A few days ago."

"Before the messages?"

Kyle nodded.

"Probably."

Jason's mind began moving.

Someone had started rumors before the anonymous messages.

Which meant the person behind them had been watching for longer than he'd realized.

His phone vibrated.

Jason pulled it out.

Nothing from Vivian.

Nothing from Sarah.

Instead—

System.

[Phase Four Progress: 6%.]

Jason froze.

Kyle noticed.

"Everything okay?"

Jason locked his phone.

"Yeah."

Kyle frowned.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Jason looked at him.

Then asked,

"Who told you about the rumors?"

Kyle scratched the back of his head.

"Daniel."

Jason went still.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

Jason's mind immediately returned to Vivian.

Daniel.

The guy who had asked her out.

The guy who had gotten angry when she rejected him.

The guy who had seen her with Jason.

The same guy Vivian had suspected.

Jason's stomach tightened.

"What exactly did Daniel say?"

Kyle thought.

"He said people were talking about you and Vivian."

"Did he say who?"

"No."

"Did he seem angry?"

Kyle shrugged.

"Not really."

Jason stared at him.

"Did he say anything else?"

Kyle hesitated.

"He said something weird."

"What?"

Kyle looked toward the court.

"He said…"

He paused.

"'Jason should be careful. People don't forget being embarrassed.'"

Jason's expression changed.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"Did Daniel explain?"

"No."

Jason stared at the ground.

For the first time, Daniel felt less like a possibility and more like a real lead.

Then another thought hit him.

"Where is Daniel now?"

Kyle shrugged.

"Probably at school."

Jason checked the time.

6:02 PM.

He almost turned around.

Almost.

Then the system notification flashed in his mind.

[Host must not interfere with the Third Party.]

Jason stopped himself.

No.

He couldn't simply confront Daniel.

Not yet.

If Daniel was innocent, Jason would make everything worse.

If Daniel was guilty, confronting him could warn him.

Either way, it wasn't smart.

Jason exhaled.

"Thanks."

Kyle looked confused.

"For what?"

"For telling me."

Jason started walking.

Kyle called after him.

"Jason."

He turned.

"You really okay?"

Jason smiled.

"Yeah."

Kyle nodded.

Jason walked away.

His smile disappeared the moment he turned his back.

Daniel was a lead.

But something still bothered him.

Why would Daniel tell Kyle?

Why not confront Jason directly?

Why spread rumors instead?

And why had the anonymous messages started around the same time?

Jason pulled out his phone.

He opened his messages.

Sarah.

He typed.

Jason: Where are you?

The response came quickly.

Sarah: Home. Why?

Jason: We need to talk.

Sarah: About Vivian?

Jason: About Daniel.

There was a pause.

Then—

Sarah: Come over.

---

Vivian didn't go home.

Instead, she sat alone on a bench behind the school library.

Her phone was in her hand.

The photograph was still open.

She zoomed in again.

The person beside Jason.

She recognized him now.

She was almost certain.

But certainty wasn't enough.

She needed something concrete.

She opened her contacts.

Her finger hovered over Jason's name.

She didn't press it.

One of their rules.

No secrets.

But another rule mattered too.

If one of them became uncomfortable, say it immediately.

Vivian wasn't uncomfortable.

Not yet.

She was suspicious.

That was different.

She opened the anonymous conversation again.

Unknown: You should ask Jason who was with him that day.

Vivian stared at it.

Then she typed.

Vivian: Why are you telling me this?

The response came after almost two minutes.

Unknown: Because you keep trusting the wrong people.

Vivian: Who should I trust?

Unknown: Look beside him.

Vivian's blood ran cold.

She looked around.

Nobody.

The school was almost empty now.

A few students were leaving.

Vivian stood.

She suddenly felt exposed.

Her phone vibrated again.

Unknown: You were right about Daniel.

Vivian froze.

Unknown: He isn't the one you should be worried about.

Her breathing slowed.

She stared at the message.

Vivian: Then who is?

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Then—

Unknown: Ask Jason about his friend.

Vivian's eyes widened.

She immediately knew what that meant.

One of Jason's friends.

Not Daniel.

Someone closer.

Someone who had access to information.

Someone who could watch them without looking suspicious.

Vivian's hand tightened around her phone.

She finally opened Jason's contact.

She was about to call.

Then stopped.

No.

She needed to think.

She needed to know exactly what she was asking.

So instead, she opened the photograph again.

She zoomed in.

The guy beside Jason was smiling.

Vivian stared at his face.

And then she remembered.

He had been there when she and Jason first started getting close.

He had been there when Sarah had first started noticing something was different.

He had been there when the rumors started.

Vivian's eyes widened.

"Oh…"

She whispered the word.

Then her phone vibrated.

Unknown: Now you see it.

Vivian immediately stood.

Someone had been watching them.

Not from a distance.

From inside.

---

Jason arrived at Sarah's apartment twenty minutes later.

She opened the door.

"You look serious."

"I am."

She stepped aside.

Jason walked in.

"What happened?"

Jason sat down.

"Kyle told me something."

Sarah sat opposite him.

"What?"

"Daniel has been talking about us."

Sarah frowned.

"What did he say?"

"That people are talking about me and Vivian."

Sarah's expression tightened.

"Daniel."

"Yeah."

"Do you think it's him?"

"I don't know."

Sarah studied him.

"You're thinking about confronting him."

Jason immediately shook his head.

"No."

She looked surprised.

"No?"

"No."

Jason leaned back.

"I almost did."

"But?"

"But Vivian needs to handle this."

Sarah nodded slowly.

"Good."

Jason rubbed his face.

"I hate this."

"I know."

"I don't even know who to trust anymore."

Sarah looked at him.

"You can trust me."

Jason smiled faintly.

"I know."

She reached over and took his hand.

"Then start there."

Jason looked at their hands.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then—

Buzz.

Jason's phone vibrated.

Both of them looked down.

A message.

From Vivian.

Jason opened it.

Vivian: Jason, I need to ask you something.

Jason: What?

A pause.

Then—

Vivian: Which of your friends knew about me before Sarah did?

Jason's expression changed.

Sarah leaned closer.

"What did she ask?"

Jason turned the screen toward her.

Sarah read the message.

Her face slowly changed.

"Why would she ask that?"

Jason didn't answer.

His phone vibrated again.

Vivian: And Jason…

Vivian: Don't lie to me.

Jason stared at the screen.

He suddenly remembered the system's warning.

The person responsible was already within his social circle.

Not near his social circle.

Within it.

Someone who knew him.

Someone who knew Sarah.

Someone who knew Vivian.

Someone who understood how all three of them interacted.

Jason slowly looked up.

"Sarah."

"What?"

"I think Vivian found something."

Sarah's expression hardened.

"About Daniel?"

Jason shook his head.

"No."

His phone vibrated one final time.

Vivian: I think I know who we should be looking at.

Jason's heart began pounding.

Then another message appeared.

Vivian: It's someone you've trusted for a long time.

Jason stared at the screen.

And for the first time since the anonymous messages had started, he realized the person he was looking for might not be someone he barely knew.

It might be someone he had never thought to suspect.

[Phase Four Progress: 11%.]

Jason slowly lowered his phone.

The system had accepted the clue.

Which meant Vivian was getting closer.

And so was he.