Haley had noticed it.
That brief glance.
The man had looked at her before turning away, and for a moment, their eyes had met.
There was nothing particularly unusual about being noticed. She was well aware of her own appearance, and she had lost count of the times men had glanced her way, tried to strike up a conversation, or gone out of their way to get her attention.
It had never interested her much.
Most of them were predictable. A smile here, a compliment there, perhaps an awkward attempt at flirting if they managed to gather enough courage.
But this man?
He'd looked at her as though she were little more than another person on the street.
Then he'd turned away.
Just like that.
Haley felt an unfamiliar flutter of excitement in her chest.
How rude.
And yet...
How interesting.
His gaze had been sharp, almost intimidating. For a brief moment, she'd felt as though he'd noticed her, assessed her, and decided she wasn't worth another second of his attention.
It should have annoyed her.
Instead, it made her want to know more.
'Who does he think he is? Hmph~'
The thought came with an unexpected smile.
No one had ever made her feel quite like it.
And, strangely enough, she wanted to see that look again.
The Stardrop Saloon was the gathering place for the residents of Pelican Town. While I couldn't remember many outsiders visiting in the game, it wasn't exactly surprising that they came here.
It had the best food in town, along with an arcade for entertainment.
The Saloon wasn't exactly packed, but it wasn't empty, either. Half the tables were occupied by little groups of people, each caught up in their own conversations.
The sounds of merrymaking, hushed whispers, and buttons being mashed filled the air.
Alongside the wonderful aroma of food, they made me hungrier than ever.
This was the sort of atmosphere a game could never truly replicate.
As we entered, quite a few people glanced our way, but their attention lasted only a moment before they returned to their meals and conversations.
Moving between the tables, I spotted a familiar face.
Her pink shirt, paired with jeans and a golden necklace, made her stand out. Along with her blue hair and wide smile, she was unmistakable.
Emily.
Haley's older sister.
'Those two are both here.'
I recalled that Emily worked for Gus. In contrast to her sister, who hardly ever visited the Saloon, Emily practically belonged here. It was one of those odd details I remembered from the game, though it wasn't something I particularly cared about.
I approached the counter, ready to order whatever looked good on the menu.
After the day I'd had, I wasn't going to be picky. Something filling would do just fine.
Standing behind the counter was a portly man with neatly combed orangish-brown hair and a tidy mustache. He wore a blue vest over a white shirt, complete with a little orange bow tie.
He was polishing a glass when he noticed us approaching.
Gus, the owner and cook of the Stardrop Saloon.
Before I could even open my mouth, however, Gus spoke. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
"Did you do it?"
I blinked.
"...Do what?"
For a brief moment, I genuinely didn't understand what he meant.
Then the confrontation outside came back to me.
Ah.
So the news had already reached the Saloon.
Whether he was referring to what happened yesterday or something more recent, I supposed it didn't matter.
I stared at Gus, my appetite beginning to disappear.
"No," I answered flatly. "But I doubt anyone would believe me, anyway."
The words came out sharper than I'd intended.
Not that I particularly cared.
What was I supposed to say? That I hadn't done anything to Willow? That I had nothing to do with her death?
Would any of that matter to someone who had already heard the rumors?
I let out a quiet breath.
"Forget it."
I pushed myself away from the counter, suddenly finding the thought of eating here far less appealing.
Maybe coming to the Saloon had been a mistake after all.
"Sit."
I stopped.
...What?
I turned back toward Gus, but the man had already disappeared into the kitchen.
I stared at the empty space behind the counter.
'But I haven't even ordered yet.'
For a moment, I considered leaving anyway.
Then I looked at the kitchen entrance again.
What was the man planning?
I couldn't help but be curious, so Mel and I returned to our seats.
Meanwhile, Haley was standing outside the Saloon, deep in thought.
'Ughh, should I go in?'
She'd never liked this place. It was too rowdy, and the atmosphere always made her feel uncomfortable.
'...Emily should be working right now. If anything happens, I'll just stick with her.'
After gathering her courage, she finally stepped inside.
The moment the door creaked open, several people turned to look.
Some were customers from neighboring villages, though she couldn't recall any of their names.
Even the pair she'd been following turned to look at her. Their gazes met hers for a moment before they promptly looked away.
The man's eyes were no longer as dismissive as they'd seemed outside. They were still sharp, but now they carried an air of indifference, as though her presence meant nothing to him.
Haley stared at him for a moment.
Then someone called out to her.
"No, sit here! Join us for lunch!"
She didn't spare either of them a glance.
To their credit, the men were sober enough to behave themselves, and neither tried to force her to join them. Even so, she wasn't particularly fond of this place.
She loved being the center of attention. Being praised for her looks filled her with happiness and pride, but that didn't mean she wanted to entertain just any man who tried to approach her.
Spotting her sister, she quickly made her way over.
Then, without warning, she grabbed Emily and dragged her toward a quieter corner of the establishment.
"Haley? Hey, I'm still working!"
Emily stumbled along, trying to keep up with her sister.
Once they stopped, she turned to Haley with a confused expression.
"What's up?"
It wasn't like her sister to come here, so something must have happened. Maybe it was an emergency?
"Ugh, nothing! Just... is there an empty table where I can sit alone? Somewhere I can see the counter?"
"The counter?" Emily repeated.
"I think there should still be one available, but what's got you so bothered—"
Curious, Emily turned to look.
There were only two people sitting near the counter, and she felt as though she'd seen them before.
"Are you talking about those two?"
"Shhh! Keep it down!"
Emily blinked.
"Who are they?"
"It's the ones from yesterday! No, wait, it's a long story. Can you help me or not?"
"...I guess?"
Emily still couldn't understand why her sister was so bothered, but she decided not to press the matter.
Instead, she led Haley toward a nearby table with a clear view of the counter.
Once Haley sat down, Emily pulled out her notepad.
"What would you like to order?"
"What? I'm not hungry."
"Sure you are! You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Emily said cheerfully. "Come on, it's my treat. It's been ages since you last came to see me work!"
Haley hesitated.
She glanced toward the counter.
Then, as though she'd just come up with a perfectly reasonable excuse for being there, she pointed at the two people sitting nearby.
"Hmm... can I have whatever they're having?"
Emily followed her finger.
"Sure! I'll ask Gus. And maybe I can take a break, too. We can eat together later!"
With that, Emily headed toward the kitchen, leaving Haley alone at the table.
Haley watched her go.
Then she turned her attention back to the counter.
She'd only come here because she was curious.
That was all.
...So why was she suddenly hoping the food would take a while to arrive?