(POV: Sophia)
---
It started with a simple accident.
A harmless little mistake.
But in our defense, LEO SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT HIS NOTEBOOK UNATTENDED.
Earlier That Day…
We were in the library, working on an assignment that none of us actually wanted to do.
Well, technically, Ethan and I were working.
Ava? She was scrolling through her phone and occasionally pretending to contribute.
Leo? He was—well, Leo.
He had finished his work ages ago and was now scribbling something in a notebook, completely focused.
Ava, noticing, tilted her head. "What's that?"
Leo didn't even look up. "Notes."
I narrowed my eyes. "…Notes for what?"
Leo flipped a page. "Things I need to keep track of."
Ethan, now intrigued, leaned over. "Like what?"
Leo simply said, "Stuff."
Suspicious.
But before we could interrogate further, Leo's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then calmly closed his notebook and stood up.
"Be right back."
And just like that, he left, leaving the notebook on the table.
Big mistake.
Ava was the first to move. "We're looking."
Ethan and I exchanged glances.
We knew it was a bad idea.
But also?
There was no universe where we weren't going to look.
Ava grabbed the notebook and flipped it open. The first page made no sense.
[March 3rd – 11:45 AM – Confirmed: The pigeons in the park have a hierarchy.]
[March 5th – 2:30 PM – Need to remember: That one café secretly serves off-menu dishes.]
[March 6th – 6:00 PM – Reminder: Chef S. still owes me a favor.]
We all stared at it.
Ethan blinked. "Is… is this a joke?"
I flipped to another page.
[March 10th – 8:20 PM – Avoid eye contact with the alley cat near the bookstore. It has beef with me.]
Ava gasped. "Leo has BEEF with a CAT?!"
Ethan pointed at another line. "What's this about a favor? What chef?!"
We kept flipping pages.
And it just kept getting worse.
[March 15th – 5:10 PM – If someone asks if I can 'do that again,' the answer is no. It was an accident the first time.]
[March 20th – 1:00 PM – Important: Do not let Ava near my spice collection. Suspicious behavior detected.]
Ava clutched her chest. "HE STILL REMEMBERS THAT JOKE."
I was still reeling from the fact that he had an actual documented feud with a stray cat.
Ethan flipped to the last page. "…Okay, this has to be the most suspicious page of all."
[March 25th – 9:30 PM – Meeting went well. Shouldn't be a problem.]
[March 26th – 2:45 PM – Payment received. Unexpected bonus included.]
[March 27th – 7:00 PM – 'Next time, pick a more discreet location.' Noted.]
We all stared at it.
Ava slammed the notebook shut. "LEO. WHAT. THE HELL."
Ethan whispered. "Is our friend… a secret agent?"
I rubbed my temples. "This could mean anything."
Ava shook her head violently. "No. No normal person writes things like 'payment received' and 'pick a more discreet location' unless they're doing something shady."
Ethan nodded. "It's always the quiet ones."
I sighed. "We need answers."
Right on cue, Leo returned.
And immediately noticed the guilty expressions on our faces.
His gaze dropped to the notebook, now slightly out of place.
Then back at us.
Then back at the notebook.
Then back at us.
Silence.
Leo exhaled. "…You read it, didn't you?"
Ava pointed an accusing finger. "WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?!"
Leo sat down, calmly picking up the notebook. "Nothing."
Ethan gestured wildly. "Oh, sure. Because normal people totally write about 'payments' and 'discreet locations.'"
Leo raised an eyebrow. "…And?"
Sophia groaned. "JUST EXPLAIN."
Leo sighed, flipping through the pages. "…Most of it is just reminders."
Ava narrowed her eyes. "And the payment thing?"
Leo paused. Then, in the most casual tone ever:
"A chef paid me to taste-test his menu."
SILENCE.
I felt my soul leave my body.
Ethan grabbed the notebook and flipped through frantically. "And the 'discreet location' note?!"
Leo shrugged. "He got annoyed because I gave him feedback at the counter instead of a private table."
Ava stared at the ceiling. "So you're telling me…"
Sophia groaned. "You're not a secret agent…"
Ethan buried his face in his hands. "…You're just a professional food critic?!"
Leo tilted his head. "Unofficially, I guess."
I slumped onto the table. "Leo, you drive me insane."
Leo nodded. "Understandable."
Ava pointed at him. "We're still not done with the cat thing."
Leo just sighed. "…It started when I accidentally stepped on its tail."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait, was this last summer?"
Leo nodded. "Yeah."
Ava gasped. "OH MY GOD, ETHAN, DO YOU REMEMBER?"
Ethan clutched his head. "THE ANGRY CAT NEAR THE BOOKSTORE!"
Leo sighed again. "I tried to make peace, but it still hates me."
Ava threw her hands in the air. "OF COURSE IT DOES. YOU'RE ITS SWORN ENEMY."
Leo just shrugged. "…It is what it is."
I sighed. "I hate that this makes sense now."
Leo glanced at the clock. "Class is starting soon."
He stood up, gathering his things, and then—just as he was walking away—paused.
Without turning around, he casually added, "Don't touch my notebook again."
And then he left.
We all sat there, completely drained.
Ethan groaned. "…You know what? I don't even care anymore."
Ava crossed her arms. "Fine. But if I see him exchanging briefcases with anyone, I'm calling the cops."
Sophia sighed. "Agreed."
And with that, we went to class.
Another day, another revelation about Leo's absurd life.
___
End of Chapter 19.