It didn't take him much effort to spot Sia, but what did annoy him was the group of people she was with.
"Why do I have to drag myself into that?"
Having accepted his fate he approached her but before he could open his mouth, Someone had already spotted him,
"It's Shin, 'been a long time."
Then Followed by others', they spoke to him as if they shared familiar history; which unavoidably attracted Sia's attention
"Yeah, It certainly has. How is it going!" Shin, with no escape left, accepted the high-fi by that somebody.
"I didn't think you came, but guess Wenic was right." Others also joined in.
"If I had known you were searching for me…"
—I would have never come here. Was what he wanted to say.
"Eh, No one was searching for you." That somebody sarcastically replied.
"That's bad for a guy's heart ya know?" Shin complained to the voice —Girl named Ayano— as others laughed at their interaction.
Ayano, was a childhood friend of Shin, he didn't have problems with her but it was the people who she hung with, she was a total gal even more than her past self, and people she hung with had bad habits getting on his nerves in the past. Though It was 3 years ago, and most of the memories that stuck with him were the bad ones.
After laughing some more, Ayano asked, "Now that I think about it, your voice has changed quite a bit." Other gal friends of hers also agreed, " Well you are right this kid seems to have grown quite a bit."
He didn't remember any of their names, but he was familiar with their faces. Still it had been 3 years and he would not let them control the conversation.
He intentionally didn't replied to them, instead continued with,
"Well all that aside, I would say you all have changed quite a bit also."
Intrigued by Shin's remark— The boy they had a timid image of in their mind who they used to tease 3 years ago. Now taller and with a more grown up diction and aura.— flusteredly asked.
"Like what?"
Shin softly filled their intrigue, " You know there are many things actually, like the way you all carry yourself is more refined. It's like I almost can't remember the past and I want to ask you all your names once again."
At the sudden dictionated reply they found themselves lost. The memories of the past they were depending on to act with Shin had betrayed them, utterly leaving them at a loss of words.
Now flustered, their mind and heart didn't know where to stand and accepted Shin's words.
Shin could see the almost red ears of Ayano on the edge of his vision, also Sia with a somewhat weird expression which he couldn't bother to find words for.
"You… Fine, I think I will start," seeing Shin wasn't joking at all with his eyes and tone one of them gave in, somewhat flustered.
"My name is Kayao, It's a pleasure to meet you my Prince" The girl introduced herself adding a bit of sarcasm at the end.
Others followed here lead,
"I am niaki and I shall be grateful for this my Prince."
"It's your knight, Mayako, my Prince."
"I don't think that prince thing was necessary…" Shin, after a pause in a more soft manner, imitating a voice worthy of the prince continued, "It's my pleasure to meet you my ladies."
They all laughed at the little performance they had put with there introductions, and while laughing Shin noticed a bit more flustered Ayano at the corner of his eyes,
"Common Ayano, introduce herself." The knight, Mayako, pushed Ayano with her words.
"Ahh, Well but… Childhood friends shouldn't introduce themselves!" Ayano spoke as if it was some kind of unbreakable rule in her books of how not to act; well all that was to not do the embarrassing thing they did just know.
"Well, you have been his friend since childhood. But that shouldn't be an excuse!" Mayano complained, Kayano and Naiki agreed with a synched nod.
"Well, that's true but that's for ladies who have grown. She has been the same for the last 17 years. Well she is 3 years older than me so it should be 20 years by now."
"Yeah that right!" Ayano agreed as if she were proud of something, almost flaring her nose.
"What are you proud of?"
"What" She had completely missed Shin's joke at her.
"Well nothing," as Shin saw the figure of Sia at the side he remembered the reason he had come here for, "Anyways Guys all that aside, I need to get to the station. I will be leaving now."
"Oh, man I wanted to spend some more time together but, I guess we all know how it is. Which sector?"
"It's Sector 1. I should ask for yours as well but sorry I am on time-limit here." Shin Apologized and then looked towards Sia "I think we should be going now."
Sia, who seemed to have a revelation in her mind, replied, "yeah."
"Sia, you two are you going together?"
"You could say that." Shin replied in her place.
"Yeah it seems so." and Sia confirmed with a nod.
"Anyways Ayano, take care."
"Yeah"
"And, It was nice to meet you all after this long, Didn't think you would change this much. Anyways take care, Mayako, Niaki, Kayako." Shin said his final farewell to people he didn't want to get involved with at first, a genuine gesture of goodbye before he walked away from them,
"Sia, all the Best luck over there!" Ayano gave a thumbs up to Sia with a wink, as if trying to imply something.
Sia somewhat understanding what she meant, acted as if she didn't get anything and replied with simple. " Yeah."
—her tone somewhat sounded annoyed at Ayano's hidden implications.
***
The moon was watching from the sky filled with stars as two people walked, the ambient of night and soft wind were the only sound along with the sound of footsteps walking, that gazed at the ears, in the silence.
The silence was broken,
"You are quite a double faced aren't you."
The words that came were just opposite of the beautiful night, cruel.
Shin, who had been silent till now— The type to act extroverted in front of all the strangers but faced with a person who he couldn't categorise—, Complained
"Those are some cold words you spoke!"
"Sorry, I don't have a strong vocabulary. You are weird, that's what I meant to say." The girl, Sia, corrected herself.
"That doesn't hurt any less but I can't deny that."
He knew his whole personality was like day and night. Though most people have this thing where they act differently towards different situations and people. But Shin was an extreme case, according to her.
"Well Bobby said you are kind of… you know… like how do I say it"
"You don't need to say it. I don't trust his vocabulary so please delete all his words about me." Bobby was very bad at explaining people, Shin had learned it the hard way.
"Well I can sympathize with you. He really makes extreme cases of people with his explanations. 'learned it the hard way many times." Sia emphasized especially at the last part.
"That last part sounds like a pretty bad memory."
"Because they are. Anyways I am ready to re-evaluate you, but there are conditions."
"Anything for that." Shin seriously wanted to avoid people having some extreme and weird image of him in their mind, So he didn't even think before accepting.
"You should do the same for me."
"That's all? Well I was already in the process of it, but…" Shin was about to mention the thing with Wenic but stopped, not wanting to ruin the mood.
"What?"
"Nothing, Just thinking how I should go about it."
"Well you are right, you can't just re-evaluate a whole person. Just as no one can change overnight." She spoke softly.
"Yeah, everything takes time." Shin agreed with her.
But after some silence continued,
"But It all starts with the decision to change."
Shin, Who had not yet looked towards the girl walking beside, just bit back, at the silence looked towards the girl.
"That… Did I say something funny?"
"Umm, No No, nothing, it's just… Oh I remembered something funny. Yeah that's it!" The girl who noticed Shin's attention towards her became flustered.
"You didn't need to emphasize it."
"Sorry, it was just, what you said reminded me of something."
"Well, your smile is pretty, so I will forgive that." Shin gave an energetic reply with a thumbs-up and sparkling eyes.
"Are you hitting on me?"
"No! Wait wait! I was just joking!!" Shin, on having his joke backfired, justified himself.
Which brought upon a soft chuckle from the reserved girl in front of him.
Shin lost in her response, suddenly realised,
"I think we have reached the bridge, let's wait here."
"Yeah, there is no point crossing the bridge."
Just as they reached there, in the road practically vacant of any life, the lights of a car coming towards them could be seen from a distance.
"I think that's him." Sia spoke as the lights somewhat reminded her of what they were waiting for.
"You guys didn't wait too long did you?"
Bobby spoke as he stopped his car in front of them.
"Good for me, I took my time. You are 5 minutes late."
"We just got here, anyways it seems your friend here"
"—Yeah I know, Hop in you guys!!"Bobby already knew what she was pointing at. Shin was the only one who had no idea.
"AtLeast, let me speak…" having lost the mood to continue talking to him, she continued with. "Just leave it"
"What?" Bobby teased her with an annoying voice.
"Shut up." With a cold reply she closed the door as she sat in the backseat.
"Hey, that's not how…—"
"She already has earphones on. Let's go already." Said Shin as he sat next to Bobby.
"Yeah I know. onto the journey then!"
The energetic start of the journey by Bobby resonated with his car as it leapt onto the road.
***
"Somehow we are 30 minutes early, but assuming you nearly got us killed in the said journey of yours, I am not grateful at all."
"That's not my fault! It's… " Bobby thought of an excuse but None came to mind that would sound logical.
"—Well there should be another party for you to push the blame on, but there is not."
As Shin And Bobby had one sided debate over whose fault it was, Sia just couldn't bother to remove her earphones as she watched them from behind.
"Let's wait then. Shall we."
Shin put the bag he had been carrying till now— with which he had left the hotel with— as he suggested.
In front of them laid tracks 3 trains had come till now on the other side before the announcement for the train they waited for was made.
"The train to sector 1 will be arriving in 5 minutes. Routing from sector 3 and 2 respectively."
"Hey Sia, wake up. The train, it's here."
"Whaaa~Don't…" Sia who had fallen asleep on the bench slowly woke up as she rubbed her eyes.
Shin, who had gone to bring a water bottle, came not not long after the announcement was made, just before the train stopped in front of them.
"Well, Shin, this is where we part ways."
"It's Goodbye then."
"Sia, Lemme know if"
Sia got on the train with her bag. "—Yeah I know. Don't worry."
Shin, who had put his stuff on the train, came down to say a final goodbye to his friend.
"You know, I better have you not die on the way. So drive carefully." Said Shin as he extended his hand to Bobby in the air. Bobby accepted it with a hi-five.
"Commonly, I am not that bad of a driver…" Bobby complained, before he continued with a warm " But Thanks, I will take care. You too."
"Yeah." Shin got on the train as he said that and waved his hand.
Bobby, as if remembering Something he had forgotten, said, "Oh, I forgot to say this, but Take care of her." He was about to continue with something but the doors closed.
But through the window he saw Shin give a thumbs up.
With a smile he waved them goodbye as the train started moving, the distance grew, and the train slowly became out of his sight.
———And The Night Before Tomorrow Came To an End.
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