Back in the dorm, the room felt quieter than usual. The hum of the city outside was distant, almost serene compared to the intensity of the pro hero interviews.
Taiyashè flopped onto his bed with a dramatic sigh. "Well… that was fun. Five minutes with each pro hero. And what did we learn?"
I grabbed the small whiteboard we kept for notes — sketches, names, and scribbles of suspects. I uncapped the marker and shook it lightly.
"Not much," I said, writing in bold letters across the top:
Pro Heroes — None of a Match
Underneath, I drew a few lines for clarity.
Taiyashè leaned over, squinting. "So… none of them are leaving notes? Safe? Boring?"
"Exactly," I muttered. "They're all careful, polite, professional. Doesn't fit the style of the sticky note at all."
I paused, thinking. "But there's still a slim chance…"
He raised an eyebrow. "Of course there is. What?"
I wrote carefully beneath the lines:
League of Villains — Toga???Other?????
Taiyashè leaned back, tapping the board. "Oh, I like that. Wildcards. Someone clever enough to sneak in, bold enough to leave notes, but… unknown. Could be a villain, could be… just weird."
I nodded, staring at the words. "Exactly. We can't rule anyone out yet. But at least we've eliminated the heroes we spoke to. That narrows it down."
Taiyashè smirked. "Renny-Penny, detective extraordinaire. Who knew five-minute interviews would lead to a full-blown suspect board?"
I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "We have to be ready for anything. Whoever it is… they're clever, bold, and patient. They're watching. Waiting."
The two of us stepped back, staring at the board. Names, lines, question marks, possibilities. The sticky note mystery had grown into a puzzle. A dangerous, exciting, and slightly terrifying puzzle.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, that hidden quirk hummed quietly. Observing. Waiting.
Because whoever left that note… was still out there.