Chapter 48: Unraveling the Mystery

"Stop calling me Kacchan, I told you that, call me Vesper," I said, my voice laced with a mix of frustration and amusement as I jogged to catch up to Oslo. He was already a block away, his long strides eating up the distance. Oslo didn't slow down, but I could sense a hint of a smile on his lips. "Sorry, Vesper," he called back over his shoulder, his voice low and teasing. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "You're not sorry, you're just not used to it yet." As I caught up to him, I noticed that his expression had turned serious again. His eyes were fixed on some point ahead, his brow furrowed in concentration. "What's going on, Vesper?" I asked, falling into step beside him. "You can't just dump a cryptic message on me and then take off. What's happening?" Oslo's gaze flicked to mine, his eyes searching. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of uncertainty, but it was quickly replaced by his usual calm demeanor. "I just need to take care of something," he said, his voice neutral. I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What kind of something?" Oslo sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Just...just trust me, okay? I need to go." I frowned, sensing that there was more to it than he was letting on. "Vesper, come on. You're my friend. If something's going on, I'm here for you." Oslo's expression softened, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of the old him, the one who would share his deepest secrets with me. But then, his mask slipped back into place, and he shook his head. "Not now, Vesper. Just...just let me go, okay?" I hesitated, unsure of what to do. Part of me wanted to push him, to try and get to the bottom of whatever was bothering him. But another part of me knew that sometimes, you just had to give people space. As we stood there, frozen in indecision, Oslo's phone buzzed again in his pocket. He pulled it out, his eyes scanning the screen. "I'm sorry, Vesper," he said, his voice tight. "I really need to go." And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk, wondering what was really going on with my friend.