Chapter 7

• I had just gotten out of the shower when I received a message from him. The clock read 6:12 PM, and I was supposed to be at the designated address by 7:30. I put on a pair of casual jeans and a white t-shirt, then threw a black jacket over it. Just as I was fixing my hair into a bun, another message came through:
• Nicolas: Don’t dress like a total nerd. You won’t need it!
• Eliza: Got it!
• I let my hair down, ran a brush through my long black locks, and put on some minimal makeup. Ignoring the glasses on the table, I headed downstairs to the kitchen, where I found my grandmother and aunt preparing dinner.
• "I'm heading out," I announced.
• My aunt was the first to turn around and comment. "Is that really you, Eliza? Fitted clothes, styled hair, and makeup? Are you going out with a boy?"
• "I'm meeting up with a classmate," I admitted. "But it's not what you think."
• "Eat something before you go," my grandmother said.
• "Thanks, but I'd rather eat when I get back. I don't plan to stay out long. Aunt, can I borrow your map?”
• Yeah... unfortunately, Siram was so outdated that online maps weren’t even an option. After confirming that the address wasn’t too far, I decided to take a walk through the night—I had some extra time. I wrapped a large scarf around the lower half of my face, put on a pair of black wool gloves my grandmother had given me last year, and stepped outside. The cold wind hit me, but the chill actually helped me relax.
• A few people greeted me as I walked by. It was a calm, pleasant night. As I waited at the crosswalk for the right moment to cross, a black sports car pulled up. I couldn’t see the driver, but I gave a small nod of thanks and walked across. A strange feeling crept over me, like I was being watched, but the sensation vanished the moment the car sped off after I passed. Maybe I wouldn’t be recognized as easily as I had feared.
• Just as I was about to pull the map from my pocket to double-check the location, I heard a familiar song playing softly not too far away. I put the map away and followed the sound, which led me to a charming two-story house. Peeking through the curtains of the window where the music was the loudest, I saw what looked like a studio, with the whole band rehearsing.
• Nicolas was at the center, playing the guitar and singing. Liam stood next to him, also on guitar and doing backup vocals. Behind them, Jonathan was on drums, Maxsuel on bass, and Annie was beside Liam on the keyboard. And to think I had assumed it was Liam’s band…
• I wasn’t sure if I should ring the front doorbell or wait for the rehearsal to finish. Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed the music had stopped—and Nicolas was looking straight at me. I had been caught!
• His bandmates looked confused as he set his guitar on the stand and dashed out. A few moments later, the front door swung open, and he called out excitedly:
• “Come on in! You’re early.”
• “Sorry for interrupting the rehearsal,” I said as I walked past him. The inside of the house was elegant yet cozy.
• “Welcome to my place! Make yourself at home.”
• “Thanks!” I replied, though I didn’t follow him right away. I hesitated, unsure about showing up as my normal self in front of the others. As if reading my mind, he tried to reassure me.
• “Don’t worry, no one will recognize you. You don’t have to keep up the weird nerd disguise anymore.”
• “You recognized me,” I countered, locking eyes with him.
• He took a deep breath, stepped closer, and gently removed my scarf, placing it on the coat rack near the entrance.
• “I’m probably the only one in the clan who has actually seen you in person, and what finally made me realize it wasn’t just your profile—it was your scent.”
• “My scent?” I asked, confused.
• “I was in the second row at your concert that day. When the crowd stormed the stage, I got pushed forward and got a close look at your face—and caught your scent. When I sat next to you on your first day of school, I noticed that oddly familiar smell,” he chuckled. “Which, I admit, annoyed me at the time, and I didn’t understand why. Everything clicked during that incident. Without the glasses and with your hair down, your features stood out more. You were so close that I couldn’t help but catch your scent more intensely, and it was the combination of those two things that finally made me realize who you are. Even now, even after seeing Lisa in person, I wouldn’t have recognized you if not for your scent—so you don’t need the disguise.”
• He laid everything out openly, without hesitation or deception. I hesitated for a few seconds, still unsure. The truth was, I had created a completely different profile for Lisa. I wore a long, blonde wig with curled ends, in contrast to my natural long, straight black hair. I also wore heavy makeup to alter some facial features and make myself look older, along with brown contact lenses to hide my greenish eyes.
• “Okay,” I answered simply. As Eliza, I always kept a serious, monotone tone, while Lisa allowed my wolf’s cheerful and spontaneous personality to shine. Maybe he had a point.
• “Eliza, I...” He stopped mid-sentence when he heard footsteps approaching.
• “Nicolas, where did you go? The guys are waiting. What the...” Maxsuel trailed off as he fully took in my appearance, looking utterly stunned. My heart pounded in my chest as I wondered if I had just been recognized.