Do I Know You?

Ririko stopped beside him and met his gaze.

"What is it, boss?"

Oswald deliberately lowered his voice to sound more authoritative.

"You won't be working in the restaurant anymore. You'll handle the VIP Room on the second floor."

Oswald tapped his umbrella against the floor like a judge striking a gavel against the bench.

"Just bring the drinks in. You don't need to do anything else."

Ririko folded her arms across her chest.

The people in the second-floor VIP Room were more dangerous... but much richer, too.

That suited her perfectly.

Still, she couldn't let the bird-man see what she was thinking.

"Then I want a raise." She lifted her chin slightly.

The corner of Oswald's mouth twitched.

She actually dared to ask him for more money?

He wasn't some great philanthropist. He had earned every penny through guts and determination!

He was about to give her a harsh lecture about her insolent attitude, but when he saw those sultry eyes, he swallowed his words.

"Two dollars-" Oswald forced the words through his teeth. "More per hour."

Ririko didn't care about such a paltry wage, but getting that miser to spend a little more money still counted as a win.

She reached out and lightly brushed the fringe over his forehead.

"Thank you, then, boss."

Oswald froze as if he'd been electrocuted.

That little tuft of hair rose with her fingertips, then fell back down slightly farther to the right, sticking up like a fledgling with ruffled feathers.

His face went from red to white, embarrassment mingling with anger.

He was the crime boss who maintained order in the Gotham Underworld, the owner of the Iceberg Lounge, the Oswald who could silence everyone present with a single tap of his umbrella.

This woman had brushed his fringe with two fingers as though he were a myna bird, or some insignificant thing she couldn't care less about, whose permission she didn't need...

He wanted to lash out again, but then remembered that she wouldn't listen anyway, and could even come back to life after dying.

In the end, he gave up and turned away, leaning on his umbrella.

[Current infatuation value: 4/100]

Ririko raised her eyebrows.

Apparently, the bird-man wasn't entirely impervious to her charms...

After her shift, Ririko headed toward the Dormitory and spotted Butch standing at the entrance, apparently waiting for her.

"Is your boss making trouble again?"

Ririko spoke irritably.

Without a word, Butch took the Clown Doll from the inside pocket of his coat.

"We found this on you," Butch said, holding out the doll. "It's been cleaned. Here you go."

Ririko took the doll and turned it over.

The movable pivots in its joints had been carefully wiped clean, and it carried a faint, soapy scent of laundry detergent.

She had thought she'd lost the doll when she jumped off the cliff, but now it was back in her hands.

"Thanks," she said flatly.

Butch nodded, then looked down at her.

"Working on the second floor... be careful. Come to me if you have any problems."

"Got it."

Ririko's response was cool.

Butch wasn't a core character, and she hadn't yet determined whether he felt infatuation or jealousy toward her. For now, it was best not to get too close.

Butch didn't linger after that. His tall figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

She returned to her room and placed the Clown Doll beside her bed.

Jerome... where was he now?

She decided that if she ever got the chance to see him again, she would teach him a harsh lesson-

He had told her the door leading to the cliff was an emergency exit. That idiot had never meant her any good!

The next morning, Ririko went to the Staff Preparation Room.

She took a black dress out of the wardrobe.

It was clearly different from that hideously dowdy server's uniform.

The second-floor uniform was also a black dress, but it had a high collar, long sleeves, an ankle-length hem, and a crisp cut.

She took it down, held it against herself, then prepared to go to the changing room to put it on.

A hand reached out from behind her and took another uniform-a man's-from the wardrobe.

Ririko froze in surprise.

Her gaze moved past the men's uniform, and a head of red hair came into view.

Jerome stood beside her, his skin pale, his face lightly freckled, his lips faintly red, and the corners of his mouth tilted upward in a slightly unnatural smile.

The instant their eyes met, they both stared straight at each other.

"What are you doing here?" Ririko's voice was sharper than usual.

Jerome draped the uniform over his arm and tilted his head at her, his gaze rather indifferent.

"Who are you? Do I know you?"

Ririko hadn't expected him to forget her.

She quickly checked the system.

[Core character: Jerome Valeska]

[Identity: Iceberg Lounge employee]

[Current infatuation value: 6/100]

His infatuation value had dropped during their time apart, but that didn't mean he would forget her completely.

Ririko laughed inwardly. That idiot had to be putting on an act again.

"I already know there's a code hidden inside the Clown Doll you gave me." Ririko lowered her voice so only the two of them could hear. "You don't have to pretend in front of me anymore."

Jerome casually draped his tie around his collar. He tied a crooked knot but didn't seem to care.

Then he put on a waistcoat over his white shirt, followed by a black suit jacket.

He remained focused throughout, but his waistcoat was buttoned wrong, and a little of the lining protruded from his jacket pocket.

He was completely absorbed in his own world and hadn't heard a single word she said.

Once he was dressed, he walked straight around her and headed toward the staff cafeteria.

Ririko realized that an idiot had just ignored her.

She was going to prove she was right.

She ran back to the Dormitory, grabbed the Clown Doll from beside her bed, and returned to the staff cafeteria.

There weren't many people inside.

Jerome sat by the window with a glass of cola and a croissant in front of him. He was poking the croissant with his fork over and over, leaving neat, evenly spaced little holes in the flaky crust.

Ririko walked up to him and held the doll out in front of his face.

"This is the doll you gave me. Surely you recognize it."

Jerome's fork paused.

He looked up and examined the doll closely, staring so hard that his amber eyes actually crossed.

Suddenly, disgust spread across his face. He set down his fork and snatched the doll from her.

"My brother Jeremiah gave me this. I hate his stuff more than anything."

He tossed the doll behind him, and it landed squarely in the fireplace.

The fire was roaring, and within seconds, flames had engulfed the entire doll.

Ririko stood beside the table and watched the Clown Doll she had brought out of Arkham curl up, blacken, and collapse in the fireplace, turning into a little pile of melted plastic.

Jerome, however, couldn't have cared less. He picked up his fork again and continued poking little holes in his croissant.

Ririko took a deep breath and said in an icy voice:

"You don't know me... well, I don't want to see you either."

She turned and walked out of the cafeteria.

Jerome's fork paused over the croissant for an instant.

He glanced at the pile of remains in the fireplace out of the corner of his eye, and a chilling, cryptic smile spread across his face.