Every plan has a central idea, and all actions are taken to make that idea a reality.
My main goal was to maintain a low profile among those around me and avoid standing out, keeping the original plot as close to its intended direction as possible.
To achieve this, I avoided much direct contact with Connie and Doug, and for about three months, this seemed to have worked.
Perhaps it would have continued to work if I had not been so stubborn.
My curiosity about my blood, my dependence on stimulating activities, and my outbursts toward Priyanka all led me, directly or indirectly, away from my central focus, which was to remain discreet.
This made me conclude that I was the biggest problem in my own plans. That problem worsened when I discovered Priyanka's secret plan to get me closer to Doug and Connie.
Any attempt to avoid it would have failed, and there was no point in pursuing such plans.
So Plan B emerged to compensate for the earlier mistakes and to improve what was already working.
Every time I became too involved in a conversation and said more than necessary, misunderstandings could arise. A clear example was Doug, whose thoughts I could not even read.
Sometimes, even with succinct speech, there were exceptions, like the psychologist Angela, who assessed me as a critical case even though I avoided revealing any information.
However, it is worth noting that she was a crazy psychopath; normal people probably would not think so much about it.
So I would keep my dialogue as succinct as I always had.
The main goal of Plan B was simple: keep things as they were, without making anything worse or better. The difference this time was that I would not simply ignore the Maheswarans, but actively work to keep things steady.
The reason was that I had already dropped the ball. Avoiding contact now, after a connection had formed, would be too abrupt and would only draw unnecessary attention.
Integrating in a nonjudgmental way was the only viable option.
But to do that, I had to correct Doug's warped perception.
The best way to clear up misunderstandings was to have an open and honest conversation.
This did not mean I would reveal my circumstances to Doug, but that I was willing to mix some facts with lies to make my account sound truthful and my argument convincing.
To me, this restaurant had already become a battlefield.
The reason I had joined Connie and made a mountain of fried food was to overload both Connie and Doug's digestive systems and make them sleepy.
This would decrease their attention spans and make it easier to insert ideas. The root of this thinking came from a documentary I had seen long ago.
When people attempted to hypnotize others, they sought to establish a relationship of trust and safety to implant ideas into the subconscious.
I had no real knowledge of manipulation or hypnosis, but I was willing to extract any useful information from my mind to make the plan work.
With full stomachs, their expressions gradually grew tired as they ate. Their hand movements and heartbeats slowed, and I could sense their stomachs reaching their limit.
The first step of the plan had been a success; even if they noticed I had put food on their plates, it was already too late.
I felt their eyes on me as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
Now that the first part had worked, it was time to start the conversation. However, only an idiot would jump straight to the main topic.
My goal was not only to tire them physically, but also mentally. To do that, I needed a relaxed, continuous conversation so that once they were in the swing of things, I could bring up the real topic.
After wiping the food residue from my mouth, I took out my notebook and opened the first topic.
[Was the food good?]
I knew it was an abrupt way to start a new topic, but besides asking about the taste of the food, I couldn't think of anything else.
"..."
I held the notebook, waiting for an answer, but only silence came in response.
Realizing this wasn't going anywhere, I deliberately pinched Connie's sides. But her reaction was no less strange; she grabbed my right hand and began scanning it in different directions out of nowhere.
After a few more minutes of meaningless gestures, she finally looked at me, clearly searching for answers.
"How did you do that?"
And with that single question, I finally understood the situation I was in.
It seemed Connie had indeed discovered my little secret.
To be honest, what I did wasn't that big of a deal. The act of stealth wasn't complicated; I simply added small pieces of food that matched the dish she had chosen and hid them on the bottom layer of her plate.
By timing how long Connie and Doug blinked, I would drop these little pieces onto their plates and repeat the process.
The key was how naturally you could move. And to be fair, even if I put food directly on Connie's plate, she didn't seem to mind; she was too immersed in it.
But it was obvious that if I answered Connie's question, she would naturally ask me why I did what I did.
In that case, I needed to give her an answer that would address both her current question and the ones that would follow.
[Was the food bad?]
My question seemed off-topic, but it was very deliberate.
What I was doing was something I often saw politicians do. No matter how precise the reporters' questions were, they would always answer with something not directly related but capable of sparking discussion.
And one thing I knew for sure was that Connie clearly enjoyed the food; her expression of delight was undeniable.
"The food was good..." Connie's expression seemed reluctant when confronted with my question, but curiosity continued to stir in her eyes. "But how did you do it?"
And then she returned to the previous topic.
At that moment, I realized another factor besides the unrelated answers politicians gave: in those cases, they also spoke for long stretches about moral aspects or universal truths, confusing the audience.
However, for me, reproducing this in writing didn't seem very feasible. And Connie seemed far too interested in the subject at hand.
If Connie learned about my methods, she would be more alert next time, preventing me from doing the same thing again.
As a result, I decided to pursue an alternative strategy.
[It's a secret.]
There's nothing more powerful than the word "secret."
I watched Connie's reaction again. She didn't ask any more questions about the trick itself, though the curiosity in her eyes remained.
And then, a new question followed.
"But why did you give me the food?"
That was a good question. I'd be a little confused, too, if someone suddenly slipped food onto my plate.
But I had a ready answer for that one as well.
[You kept looking at my plate.]
[I thought you would like it.]
My answer to that question was the truth.
I hadn't planned on giving Connie so much food; my main goal from the start was Doug.
While I knew Connie might have some misunderstandings about me, none of them seemed as critical as Doug's.
For the most part, she treated me like a normal person. Of all my relationships, the one I had with her was probably the most ordinary.
But the moment I gave Connie some food, her eyes lit up with anticipation, and her feet bounced back and forth on the chair like those of an innocent child.
Her mood was usually reclusive and depressed. She was a quiet child who spent most of her time buried in books. So seeing that side of her was surprisingly interesting.
Before I knew it, I was piling most of the fried food onto Connie's plate, waiting to see how she would react.
Watching her eat so eagerly, even I, who had no functioning taste buds, felt a kind of pleasure in simply observing her.
'It's strangely healing.'
Even in my past life, I had a habit of watching children play with their families. I always felt that seeing children smile made me feel more alive, as if their energy somehow rubbed off on me.
The reason I liked children was because of how honestly they expressed their likes and dislikes. After I became a salaried employee, I often saw my bosses buying gifts for their children and showing off pictures of their families.
Although I never told anyone, I was quite envious of them. Grandma's health was increasingly precarious, and I wasn't prepared to be completely alone after her death.
But at the same time, I had never experienced that long-awaited "romance." I never saw people in a romantic way, nor did I have a very inviting appearance.
So even if I wanted children, it would have been an extremely difficult task.
In the end, I died before my grandmother, choking on an apple. Now I didn't even have the "tool" to produce a child.
But seeing Connie happily eating, I was able to visualize that old desire again.
"I see..."
Her face flushed at my response, probably embarrassed at having her intentions discovered.
She went back to poking at her food here and there without actually eating it, and Doug stroked his belly, seemingly reaching his limit.
No sign of conversation seemed likely anytime soon.
Seeing the scene before me, I couldn't help but sigh internally.
'I guess I'll have to change the plan a bit.'
I glanced at Doug once again. It was still difficult to look at him, but I suppressed those strange impulses and started a conversation.
[Did you like the food?]
Doug looked a little surprised by my sudden words, but quickly composed himself.
"Oh, the food. I really liked it."
He said this while patting his belly, his face slightly sweaty. He had eaten so much that he could hardly touch what remained on his plate, which was still half full.
Doug's reaction, however, felt exaggerated. I could see inside his digestive system that there was still room for more food.
His external and internal reactions did not match.
[I can give you more.]
I offered Doug more food, but the gesture was not well-received. His face immediately darkened as he swallowed hard.
"You don't have to, haha. Your feelings are enough," he said, wiping his sweat with a cloth.
For some reason, he was trembling, staring at my hands. I wondered what was going through his mind. Both Connie and Doug seemed unusually interested in my hands.
I didn't recall such habits being mentioned in the original. However, I had other priorities to focus on.
Connie's embarrassment and Doug's exhausted face didn't seem ideal for a healthy conversation.
'Maybe I overdid it a little...'
Because of my curiosity about Connie, I had lost control of my plan a bit.
And I wasn't exactly talented in the art of manipulation or political speech. In the end, perhaps my plan had been flawed from the start.
So I decided to make a small adjustment.
Instead of indirect and delicate strategies, I would adopt a more direct and efficient approach.
[I have a question.]
Rather than hide my intentions from Doug, I decided to confront him head-on.
Faced with the abrupt change of topic, he scratched his head a little before answering rhetorically.
"A question, you say?"
[Yes. Can you answer it?]
"Hmm... I don't see why not."
His expression was part expectation, part curiosity, while Connie simply watched like a spectator, fading her presence as she sensed the change in atmosphere.
There hadn't been much conversation before this, but the mood wasn't too bad.
With both pairs of eyes on me, I calmed my mind and wrote the words that had bothered me for so long.
[Why are you so angry?]
That was what I most wanted to know. Why did his expression, when looking at me, reveal such complex feelings?
And why was he forcing such a pitiful smile? I could understand sadness or pity, but the emotions Doug was showing went far beyond anything so superficial.
Was this anger directed at me, or someone else? What was he thinking? I knew it was an abrupt approach, but no method worked better for me.
I simply stared at Doug, waiting for his answer.
Whatever it was, I was willing to correct his distorted vision at its root.
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Author's note
The next two chapters will be released weekly. You might have noticed in the author's notes but I was a little exhausted last month, and thanks to that, I couldn't write for some days.
This arc may seem a little worse because of that; it is less balanced than the others due to the rush I had to write it and mental fatigue. I had to stop for a while to rest. Still, thanks for still reading <3
Have a good day ❤️
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