chapter twenty-seven – think freddy krueger...but ten times worse

March 22, 1986

"Reefer Rick!" Dustin yelled as he roughly knocked against the door before ringing the doorbell a few more times. He ignored Steve's protests against his choice of words as well as how loud he was being and continued.

Irene rolled her eyes and stepped back from the group, clutching her sweater tighter as a chill from the lake swept past her. She could hear the faint whispers of water lapping against the shore and walked further away from the house to get a better look at the lake in the moonlight. Down toward the water, she could see that a fairly large boathouse-shed was perched between the trees. She could also see that the light outside of it was on and the hairs on her neck rose – a feeling of familiarity bloomed in her chest and it clicked.

"Guys..." Her voice wavered against the wind and Max was the only one who turned her attention. She nudged Robin and like a ripple effect, one by one, they all looked toward their friend who was pointing her flashlight forward. Irene looked back at them, "He's in there."

"And you're sure?" Steve questioned skeptically but followed behind the rest of his friends anyways. He pushed aside his sour feelings for the sake of staying focused so that they could find Eddie and hopefully figure out if something was back in Hawkins. He knew the answer though. They all did – they just refused to believe it until they had concrete proof.

"Saw it in a vision when I first met Eddie; he was sitting on a boat in some shed."

"That could literally be anywhere, Rena." Dustin retorted only to receive several eyerolls in response.

"It's the only other lead we've got." Max bit back and Irene gave her a small thankful smile.

"Rick's the only person Eddie knows who lives this close to the lake. He used to throw a lot of parties in the summer and everyone would swim and drink." Irene explained as they walked down toward the door.

She couldn't believe it; she couldn't believe that somehow Eddie had gotten mixed up in the one mess she was trying her hardest to shield him away from.

Guess you didn't try hard enough.

The signs were there and she had the vision to prove it, but she pushed him away instead and tried to act like everything was fine. She tried to keep her friendships intact and pretend like danger didn't lurk in the murky depths of their future. And yet it was all for nothing.

Steve scoffed beside her and before he could respond with something quick-witted and spiteful, Robin was already making her way through the door and asking if anyone was home.

The wooden floorboards creaked beneath them and now Irene could perfectly hear the water swishing just inches away. The air was stale and it was freezing as they investigated with their flashlights. As Irene lingered near Robin and Max, Steve had begun to roughly poke at the tarp covered boat at the center of the shed.

"What are you doing?" Dustin hissed.

"He might be in here." Steve responded curtly, continuing to poke with the oar in his hand.

"So take the tarp off!"

"If you're so brave why don't you take the tarp off?" The two's bickering slowly faded and once again the cloak of silence fell over the five as they continued to roam the room, looking for any clues that would indicate the metalhead was there or had been at one point in time.

Irene couldn't think clearly – her hands felt all clammy as her stomach tied in knots. She was running out of time and as her friends searched and searched she fought the inner turmoil of wanting to make sure Eddie – someone who, whether she liked to admit or not, she deeply cared about – was safe but also desperately wanting to warn Fred so that he won't meet the grim fate she knows looms over him like gray clouds on a stormy evening. She felt trapped.

Steves scoff could be heard from across the room, "Ah, I know you think you're being funny Henderson but considering the fact that everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slighte–" He was cut off by the sudden movement of tarp being thrown to the side before he was shoved into the wall, jagged glass pressed daringly close to his neck.

The mystery man proved to be none other than Eddie Munson himself.

Irene froze as the entire encounter took place; Dustin's calls for Eddie to "stop" became muffled and hazy.

She stood in her spot on the other side of the room as Robin and Max rushed forward only to be pushed back by Dustin's extended arm. She was so wrapped up in trying to find Fred that she never really acknowledged the feelings that tugged at her stomach when she thought of the peril that Eddie had found himself in. Seeing him now – in a state of total fear – only solidified in her mind that he'd been dragged into the clutches of darkness that their town was drenched in and it was practically all her fault.

A sudden clang pulled her out of her daze and slightly shook her as Steve let the oar in his hands fall to the ground, only to cause Eddie to grip the collar of his jacket tighter and hold the broken bottle in his hand even closer to the brunet's neck.

"He's cool. He's cool." Dustin reiterated sternly, hand now held outward toward Eddie as if he were a scared animal that they were trying to prove to that they meant no harm. Steve whispered shakily in agreement, "I'm cool man, I'm cool."

"What are you doing here?" The question came out coarse and shaky, almost as if Eddie were sure no one outside of the police would come looking for him. His thoughts were a jumbled mess and he swore that he was teetering on the brink of insanity – not only because of what he saw last night – but also because there was a small sliver of him that prayed they were there to help.

He wanted to foolishly believe that the curly-haired freshman who somehow found him holed up, terrified, at his dealers boathouse was going to put the pieces together and make sense of all the fucked up shit he'd witnessed. But he felt delusional for thinking these people – anyone for that matter – might actually believe him.

What if it was just a ploy to get him to come out so the cops could throw him in the hole for eternity? A ruse they were playing in order to get him to talk and then laugh in his face before calling him crazy? It's always the freaks that pull shit like this, right?

"We're looking for you." Dustin answered honestly, yet the senior couldn't help but feel like it was still a trap.

That is until a familiar voice softly broke through the thick silence.

"We know you didn't do it." Eddie froze and Steve immediately noticed the way his brow twitched at the sound of Irene's gentle tone and he hoped that she'd be the key to getting the metalhead off of him.

Dustin looked owlishly over at Irene, searching her face to hopefully get an idea of what her motives were. He didn't expect her to speak up so soon, especially since she practically glossed over everything that had happened since being found in the middle of the road. He'd had it under control (so he thought) thus far and now that she was involved the situation could go one of two ways. However, he wasn't anticipating all hell to break loose just yet.

Eddie gulped, "Why should I believe any of you?" The question was completely justified — he hardly knew any of the people standing there. Sure, he and Irene had established some kind of friendship and Dustin was a hardcore ride-or-die member of Hellfire, but none of that mattered in the grand scheme of his troubles — for all he knew they were there with malicious intent especially since Steve fucking Harrington, his #1 public enemy since middle school, was there too. None of it made sense.

Nothing since the night before had made sense.

"Just..." A soft sigh floated between them from Irene as she stepped forward,  "Let go of Steve and we can talk about it–about everything." Eddie finally let go of the collar of Steve's shirt and slowly turned to lock eyes with her; something about her tone made it seem as though they knew what happened to him – or at least, something along the lines of it. The other three rushed to the aid of Steve, making sure he was okay in the aftermath of the slight chaos – Dustin kept his distance but watched his two friends as they reached out through the darkness.

There was an ache that bloomed in Irene's chest as the sight of Eddie's big brown glossy eyes. He looked like he'd been through hell and back. He looked frail, like a child who'd lost everything, and maybe that's the way it was, she thought. This was it for Eddie – the pinnacle of it all for the proclaimed 'town freak.' How was he supposed to come back from this?

"You swear you're not bullshitting me." He whispered shakily, fully turning to her. His bones ached and his hands trembled at his sides even though he was trying with all of his might to look brave in front of the group.  He took one good long look at her face, her eyes, and he saw sincerity radiate from them – it eased his nerves, comforting him in the calamity.

It was just them.

"Cross my heart, Ed." She whispered, taking another step toward him, and any ill feelings that she'd harbored – that both of them clung to about each other – had momentarily floated away into forgotten memory.

He finally tore himself away from her soft gaze and squeezed his eyes shut, roughly knuckling them to make sure for the last time that he wasn't actually dreaming and that someone – someone he knew – was willing to hear him out. His sneaker clad feet stumbled backward until the backs of his legs hit a crate and his body slowly slid down the wall of the shed. Mumbling to himself he held his head in his hands and didn't notice Dustin looking eagerly at Irene, motioning his head toward their friend. She shook her head and eyed him as if to say what more could she do and in return the freshman threw her an eye roll. Slowly he moved toward Eddie before he was crouched down at eye level, Robin at his side.

Her voice was the first that broke through the barrier of silence that fell between the group, "We want to know what happened."

"You won't believe me." Eddie muttered hopelessly, letting his self-doubt get the better of him. All of it seemed far too good to be true.

"Try us." Max retorted softly as her shoulders lifted in a half shrug. He looked at her and noticed the same gleam of  sincerity in her eyes like Irene's and his face slightly softened in wonder. There was a voice in the back of his mind that echoed warmly, sounding oddly like his uncle, this is your chance kid, don't waste it.

Eddie was a keen storyteller, that was for sure. Nevertheless, his expertise in recalling cryptid tales didn't fail to make a chill run down everyone's spine that was there listening to him recount what happened the night Chrissy died.

His eyes hadn't looked up at the group since he started talking, "Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh...And she just like, hung there – in the air. And her bones...Uh, she..." The words immediately escaped him as both fear and nausea swirled inside of his stomach at the memory. He shut his eyes, trying desperately to swallow down the sob that crept up his throat.

"Her bones started to snap. It was...It was like there was something like, inside her head, pulling." Irene swallowed thickly and rubbed her clammy hands against her overalls. "I...I didn't know what to do, so I...I ran away. I left her there."

Silence fell between the six of them and Eddie was quick to scoff at the lack of reassurance – not that he was looking for it, but the way things seemed to be going he assumed at least one of them would come forward and finally make him feel a little less alone.

"You all think I'm crazy, right?"

"No," Dustin whispered confidently. "We don't think you're crazy."

"D-don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds." Eddie wailed frustratedly, averting his eyes from the five.

"We're not bullshitting you."

"We believe you."

"I meant it when I said we know you didn't do it." He let out the breath he'd been holding on for too long, shaking his head in distrust and disbelief.

"Look," Dustin chimed in gently. "What I'm about to tell you might be a little difficult to take."

"Okay."

"You know how people saw Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours."

"Like ghosts and shit?"

"There are some things worse than ghosts." Max slightly shivered as she spoke.

"These monsters from this other world...we thought they were gone," Dustin's eyes reached Irene and both of them could tell that fear had found a permanent home in them too. "But they've come back before and that's why we needed to find you–Rena thinks they're back again."

"And if they are, we need to know."

Irene tugged roughly at her ear and droned out the others as they questioned Eddie about what he saw that night – her mind wandered to Fred and the fate that would soon befall him. Would it be as gruesome as Chrissy's? She was trying not to panic over the lack of details – considering Eddie was adamant that there was nothing you could see or even touch that were there that night. In her mind she kept replaying her vision over and over trying to decipher what it meant – what significance did it hold beside Chrissy's death. Are the two linked? What if I'm too late?

"...She couldn't move. It was like she–she was in a trance or something." Eddie's voice echoed against the walls of Irene's mind and she was brought back to the moment; forcing her to put a pin in her dwelling over Fred's future. The response made her ears perk up and she was once again fully invested in the conversation.

"Or under a spell."

Eddie looked up at the freshman and couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth but whispered them anyway, "A curse."

"Vecna's curse."

"Who's Vecna?" Steve questioned.

"An undead creature of great power." Dustin explained lowly.

"A spell caster." Eddie echoed.

"A dark wizard."

"Think, Freddy Krueger...but worse." Irene finally spoke up, whispering ghostly as all eyes turned to her. She stared down at the floor,  "Vecna is one of the most ruthless villains in the realm of DND; he's malicious and wicked, taking pleasure in the pain of his foes. He's tactile and analytical; oftentimes five steps ahead of his opponents and...he will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"How do you know that?"

She briefly revisited memories of playing with her brothers and cousins in their California home, but shook her head as her lips drew into a thin line,  "That's not the point."

"Okay, then what is the point?"

"We need a plan." She sighed, "And to find Fred too and make sure he's okay. If something is back – something this powerful – we can't risk any more casualties." Her eyes quickly glanced over to Eddie who was messing with the rings on his fingers. "We can't just wait for all hell to break loose to go in guns ablazing, not this time."

"I say we just wait it out for the next couple of days, we don't even know if Fred is even linked to Chrissy or Vecna." Steve slumped his shoulders and Irene drew her eyebrows together.

"Wait it out? You've got to be joking, right? Did you not just hear Eddie's entire story like five minutes ago? Also, why else would I have had those visions?!" Steve rolled his eyes.

"Yeah well, you also had a vision that splitting up in a secret Russian base would lead us to safety and how'd that end up?" He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her – as if to say 'got ya there.'

"Oh my god!" Irene threw her hands in the hair, "You're still on that? I said I was sorry! What do you not get about my visions being only fragments of a possible future?!"

"Yo! Cool it with the hocus pocus talk!" Robin interjected between the two, turning to Steve first, "We already made amends about what happened that night," then she turned to Irene, "And he's not saying your visions are wrong, he meant to say, before he started talking out of his ass, was that we should gather more evidence before jumping to any conclusions, for all we know Fred isn't a part of whatever is going on and it's greater than we can comprehend right now so we need to slow down and just stop arguing like children so we can figure out what the hell we're going to do and stop confusing Eddie even further!" The teen rambled before stopping to fully catch her breath, the rest of the shed stood silent for a moment.

"So what now?" Max's voice was the first to break through the tension.

"We go home?" Dustin questioned softly and then swallowed thickly when he realized his words wouldn't reach all of them. Robin and Max stood from their spots, shuffling towards Steve who was already at the door. Irene looked over at Eddie as he slumped further in his spot, his head now in his hands as quiet sniffles could be heard. She then reached for Dustin's hand just as he readied himself to leave too and looked at him pleadingly.

Her voice was soft, "I'm not leaving him," she protested and Eddie was quick to turn his glossy eyes up to her. There was a familiar feeling that grew inside his chest as she looked at him – like she had almost everyday since that night in her living room. Without saying it, he knew that regardless of her own worries and quarrels – regardless of the words she said that she never meant back in his van and in the school hallways – she'd sit with him in that boathouse until the roof caved in. She was there and she wasn't going anywhere.

"Your mom, Irene. Did you forget who she was or something?" Robin questioned and her concern was validated when they all remember that Sofia Vasquez was now leading the case in bringing justice to Chrissy's death – the case against Eddie.

Irene stood, a hopeful gleam in her eyes as she heaved a big breath, "Well lets hope we don't get caught."

The execution of their plan (which they quickly put together on the way to Irene's house) was proving to be a lot more difficult than expected. Especially when they found her moms car parked in the driveway, earlier than Irene had predicted – she figured it was because of the fear and worry that accompanied motherhood whenever disaster struck.

They toppled out of the car, after being squished in the back the entire ride, and Irene instructed Eddie to hide behind the rose bushes near the front of her house and wait at her bedroom window before saying her goodbyes to her friends.

"Drive safe and meet back here tomorrow morning!" She yelled to the four as she jogged up toward her front door and went inside.

When she shut the door she was instantly engulfed in a bone crushing hug by her mother and her eyes scanned the clock that sat beside their couch, 10:45. Guilt ate away at her as she hugged back.

"¿Dónde has estado? Dios mío, Irene, realmente me asustaste. No es seguro ahí fuera ahora mismo. ¡¿Quieres darme un infarto?!" Sofia questioned frantically as she checked her daughter's face for any markings or signs of distress. She refrained from mentioning Eddie and the accusations that lingered in the air regarding him.

"Mooom," Irene whined as her mother licked her finger and then wiped off the dirt that was on her daughter's face. "Estaba con Steve y Robin, te dije ayer que saldría con ellos. Perdón por no registrarme o volver a casa antes."

Sofia smacked her lips, "Well, discúlpeme, I didn't think you meant all day and I stopped by Family Video but no one was there so naturally, as a mother does, I got worried."

"Oh–I–Um–Their shift ended earlier than expected and we decided to hang out at Steve's house." She stammered, moving her body toward the kitchen to shove some snacks into her backpack for the stowaway outside her window. "You know the real nice ones across town?"

Sofia's face softened, but there was still a hint of doubt that ghosted her mind, "Okay, mi hija. But no more running off for the time being, especially with all the crazy stuff going on right now. No puedo perderte a ti también." She whispered and watched the way her daughters' back stiffened. She wanted to eat her words – to take them back because they both knew the weight that they really held (the unspoken wishes that weaved themselves between each syllable).

Neither had really acknowledged, or spoke aloud about, how Mateo's death had truly affected them and their relationship. It had just become some unexpressed pact between the two that they'd protect and watch out for each other even more than when he was alive; Sofia would do everything in her power to keep Irene safe (so she could grow into her old age and simply live) and Irene vowed to never let her mother go childless no matter how hard she had to crawl out of whatever hellish realities she'd find herself in. She just couldn't do that to her mom, but there were days where the weight of her brother's sacrifice suffocated her.

There were days where she wished she never reeled her brother into her mess – days where she'd rather trade never talking to her brother because of his long standing grudge against her over bringing him along to solve a mystery that left no one victorious.

Sofia took a step forward into the kitchen, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder as she turned her body to face her. Both of their saddened brown eyes were illuminated by the yellow refrigerator light as they looked at each other. Two women torn by the trials of life, trying their hardest to exist amongst all the suffering – to find meaning in the never-ending loop of chaos.

"Hey," She cooed. "Te amo más que a nada, más que a la vida misma." Irene smiled softly and hugged her mom again.

"Yo también te amo." A gentle warmness blossomed in her chest as her muffled voice whispered against her mothers curls.

The two then said their goodnights and Irene rushed to her room, swiftly locking the door behind her. Eddie was still crouched behind the flower bush, hand now oddly in his mouth, whilst she pushed her window up for him.

"What are you doing?" She questioned quietly.

"A damn thorn poked me!" Eddie hissed as he showed her the small cut on his hand in between his thumb and index finger. He wasn't too keen on waiting outside beside the rosebush for what felt like an eternity. He was grateful he didn't have to spend another night cramped inside a boat underneath a tarp that offered no warmth, but jesus he didn't think he'd be left behind like a dog on a cold night.

"Well get in, I'll get you a bandaid." She instructed, holding out her hand to help him up onto the windowsill. He was halfway through when she turned her back to grab some neosporin and a bandaid from her vanity. Then he practically fell into her room, sending some things on the bookshelf by her bed to the floor as his body made a loud thwump! sound against the carpet.

Her eyes doubled in size as she stared down at him, rushing to pick him up before shoving him in her closet at the sound of her mother drawing near. Before her mom could even place her hand on the door, Irene was already swinging it open looking at her bashfully.

"What happened?" She questioned, trying to look over her daughter's shoulders into the room.

"I just fell...off my bed." Irene answered coolly, however she looked anything but composed. Her mom raised a quizzical brow at her and peered into her room one more time. She caught a small glimpse at her open window but didn't say anything.

"Okay well...be careful. Goodnight."

"Night." The teen said shakily, trying to calm her breathing, as her mom walked down the hallway.

The moment she shut the door she let out a huge sigh before trudging to her closet. Eddie gave her a sheepish smile as she grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and guided him to her vanity. He sat down as she rummaged through one of the small drawers and took in all the decorations that made her room look like it was hers. Whenever they'd hang out at her house they typically stood in the living room and on occasion they'd sit in the backyard as Irene tended to her mom's garden or painted, so this was his first time ever getting to see what she liked to call 'her haven.'

As expected there were a few Linda Ronstadt posters clinging to the cream colored-walls as well as Led Zeppelin and an ABBA one that looked brand new. Her wall had been adorned with pictures of her and her family when she was younger – some of her friends that found their way between the spaces alongside the coolest looking art pieces. To his surprise, and if he were to be completely honest, delight, there was a Black Sabbath poster right above her nightstand and he could see, tucked in the mirror of her vanity, that she still held onto pictures of him too. The picture of her he'd kept in his wallet since their first date practically burned a hole in his jeans.

There was a silence that crept between them, nestling in both of their laps as they tried to put together something to say — what would hopefully mend the bond and poof away the tension that swam between them.

"You know I didn't mean what I said back at school, it was wrong – I'm sorry." Irene muttered as she gently grabbed his hand and squeezed a drop of neosporin on the cut. He clenched his jaw at the initial burn but melted underneath her soft touch. The comment took him by surprise but it was a sentiment that meant a lot. Deep down he knew she didn't mean it – he knew she was protecting the kids like she had countless times and he couldn't entirely be mad at that. She shouldn't have ever made the comment in the first place but her apology was a testament to the fact that she was constantly growing and shaping herself into a better person. She wasn't perfect and she didn't try to be.

"I just–I was frustrated and upset. I know the kids mean a lot to you and you do a fairly good job at looking out for them and I get that you play this part of the guy who doesn't care what people think knowing damn well you do — all those boys do, especially Lucas – but I just wish you could've put your pride aside to see him. That game meant a lot to him. He actually scored the winning shot." She rambled as her fingers reached for the package of bandaids.

"Shit, really?" Eddie asked softly and Irene nodded, a warm kind of pride radiated off of her. "His sister was the one to defeat Vecna that night. Damn, who would've known the Sinclairs were badasses?" He chuckled and Irene thought of the perils that the siblings faced over the summer – strength burned brightly in the core of Erica and Lucas Sinclair, that she was sure of.

"Yeah..." She trailed, staring down at their hands. By now she'd already finished putting the flowery bandaid on and was simply holding onto his ringed fingers, feeling the warmth that emitted from his calloused hands.

She didn't know what to say or even how to say it. The apology was halfway out the door but now she had her secret, that she blurted out hours ago in the shed, to tell him – the real reason why she pushed him away. To be entirely honest, she wasn't ready to let him fully in. The situation called for transparency and honesty between all of them, but Irene had spent years hiding her truth from people because of the repercussions, because of the fear that followed and she wasn't ready to just leap into the unknown again.

She tried spontaneity with the group she'd spent fighting for her life with over summer but even that proved to have issues – and she practically waited until they were staring death down in the face to tell them.

Eddie looked up at her and studied her features. Her brow was furrowed and she looked like she was in deep thought as she fiddled with his rings. He just wished she'd talk to him – open up like she had in the countless letters he kept stashed in the cupboard of his nightstand. He didn't mind getting lost in that vast mind of hers; she didn't have to hold it all in by herself for the sake of everyone else.

"I'm sorry about calling you selfish, it's not true." He whispered and her eyes instantly caught his which were brimming with sincerity. He laughed almost bitterly, "You were right – I wouldn't get it. I still don't." In his mind he recalled the mention of visions but refrained from saying anything – she looked just as exhausted as he did and not only that but, he was glad they weren't entirely reveling in all the horrors that occurred within the span of twenty-four hours.

She let go of his hand and walked over to her bed, flopping down on it, "I don't either; newcomers don't really get a proper introduction into...this." They shared quiet laughter before silence enveloped them again. Irene could hear Eddie stand up and walk toward her before the bed dipped and he was now sitting on the edge.

"Are you sitting on my bed with dirty clothes?" She questioned playfully as her eyes fluttered closed and felt the bed instantly spring back up beside her.

"I-Um–Uh–" Eddie stammered with reddened cheeks and she couldn't help but laugh heartily. He exhaled and chuckled at her sleepy antics, feeling butterflies erupting in the pit of his stomach at the sound of her joy.

"The showers across the hall," She grunted as she hoisted her body up. "I'll start it for you, just follow me." They walked swiftly and stealthily to the bathroom and soon enough Eddie was being comforted by the warm water that the Vasquez home had to offer. When he was finished and got out he didn't even notice that Irene had come back in and placed a clean pair of, what he assumed was her brothers, pajamas as well as a spare toothbrush on the counter.

She showered after he'd tip-toed back into her room and made himself cozy on the spot on the floor that she made beside her bed. And then soon enough they were both laying in silence, the only light was from the streetlamp outside the house and it illuminated Irene's face as Eddie looked up at her.

"Rena?" He called quietly. She hummed in response, eyes still closed, looking peaceful in the most beautiful way possible. Those sour feelings evaporated from his heart and all he held for the girl he was lying beside was admiration. "Thank you."

She opened her eyes one last time and looked at him softly, "I'll always look out for you Eddie." Then her body rolled to the other side and quiet snores could be heard from her after about an hour. Eddie fell asleep soon after and luckily wasn't plagued by gruesome dreams.

AUTHORS NOTE!

ah god, who's cutting onions?! alrighty my dears, it's here and I don't entirely know how I feel about it — as with all of my chapters recently — but im excited for the chaos to ensue, even though its going to be absolutely rip-your-heart-out gut wrenching. I hope you're all buckled in!

what is this? rena and eddie....making amends? is the tension thick in here or is it just me? do we uh, do we need to crack open a window??? in all honesty, I love them too much not to make them slightly make up with one another. however, there will still be some more slight tension sprinkled in here and there...it's gonna be real bumpy. also! I didn't want to let eddie in on renas visions just yet because that girl isn't ready but it was name dropped so our boy is definitely suspicious but for the sake of rena's sanity he doesn't want to say anything — so that's why it isn't fully discussed in this chapter.

it's 1 AM, holy cow! nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! let me know your thoughts and predictions for the rest of the season! <3 sending all the love and hugs.