Only, my eyes on you
Mizu's attention lay on the window that faces the neighboring apartment complex. It is more accurate to say she was star gazing but Syan didn't pay enough attention to detail due to his frantic search efforts, the last thing he wanted was to lose the IC rail card at the time it is needed.
She found herself captive by the waxing moon and all the sudden tears start to flow, slowly pooling, drop by drop, in the back of her right hand. In a fleeting thought he searches in the depths of a fleece jacket pocket, the one he wore last time when buying groceries, 'Pinpon he exhales at last but her silent mourning doesn't go unnotice. One crisis after another while the clock keeps ticking. Syan at that moment didn't get the meaning of the raw emotion she is displaying but he would come to, later in their journey home.
- It is cold… Little by little, Mizu recomposes her bearings as the tears dry.
- You, wear this. Syan made the wrong assumption but still it was nice gesture, bemusing Mizu a bit with the dark-ish lilac fleece jacket.
- Is this yours? She couldn't help but to come-hither look at him as she wears it.
- … He felt wronged by that sly expression.
.
.
.
For a while now, the two of them where on the apt.'s entrance waiting for the cab service. Syan is on the verge of pacing back and forth as he contemplates how is he going to come out of this mess alive 'no formal clothing, will probably arrive late and not to mention how I am gonna deal with her (not thinking about money here). On the general surroundings, in the concrete cracks of the sidewalks, slowly from there a dark grey haze exhumes. The transparent fog beckon over him, wherever he walks to, he feels lightheaded at night time as he senses something watching him far and near, on every corner, in every turn.
- Something's bothering you. Mizu, absentmindedly, says. The weight on her words makes him lose his cool, revealing a worry expression. – It's okay though, I think.
- Tomorrow we are attending an important person's funeral, my whole family will attend it, if I were to mess up, I couldn't bare the shame after it nor. My. Wallet- So that's how it is, realization dawns on her face.
- Don't worry too much, you'll see that everything will be… The cab claxon cries at that instant.
The cab driver couldn't have appear any different from your typical Osaka hooligan as his head peeks by the driver's window – I been waiting for a while here, for you two to notice.
Syan was the first to act. He asks the driver to open the trunk and lefts his bag inside. Mizu feels wronged all together by that rude interruption, pouting her lips while taking the backseat.
- Where we dropping? Syan looks in pain at the taxi driver's words while Mizu ponders if this is for real.
- Take us to the Tokyo station, Hayaku. The driver flinched reaction was sure to happen with the young gal's mannerism.
- If you let me keep off the taximeter, I assure you we will arrive in less than expected. With a grin the hooligan proclaims. Hearing those "reassuring" words, Syan can't help it and sighs:
- Hai! Hayaku. The sound of an innocent lament.
Popularly it is said that to wait for luck is the same as waiting for death. How truthful those words are when you are at mercy of a speed demon, who's behind a cab's steering wheel.
.
- That will be ¥1'100. This mofo went from monday to sunday in less than 7 minutes. Syan's usual 20 minutes, 380-yen ride turned into a roller coaster gone wrong, he guesses that red lights for this mister means 'you can speed up now'. As the two disembark and he pays up with a ¥2'000 bill all the while stealing glances at Mizu, 'no signs of a humorous mood' as her usual expressions are. This kind of attention seems to bother Mizu as she 'KEEP THE CHANGE' and slams shut the cab's door. 'Fuck- While picking up the travel bag he wonders if he is enough of a friend to tell her 'cool it.
.
.
Autumn's cold nights at the Tokyo station have at bay a lot of floating emotions: family members arriving or departing, blue and white collar workers doing "their best", lone wanderers in search of something; there is a lot of parallel stories, but often interconnected, and in the eyes of strangers these two surely are the rendezvous couple, travelling just before the end of the year.
- mmm, my pass seems to be dry. – just keep close and don't make a sound. At the ticket gates a pair suddenly acts all lovey-dovey and the line behind them takes notice. A Chinese traveler couldn't resist and had to advert his eyes "Dàbiàn dog food!". This kind of behavior is typically frown upon and they seem to be doing it on purpose as the woman keep hugging tightly the man's back, all the way to whispering sweet words to her lover's ears.
Mizu swiftly swipes her card on the scan reader 'Bingo as the two make their way inside. Only the police bouncer notices this delinquent behavior, but his stoic strut indicates he wants nothing with these two.
- I know we are going to your house but still, do you want something to eat? Looks like he wants to repay favor, and 'he is hungry ugh.
- We can wait, there is dinner at my house. He doesn't look convinced. – We're boarding the line to Higashi-Ōmiya. like I said, my house is on the way. Even if her house where just in front of his apartment, he pretty much suspects that she is gonna take her precious time arranging her baggage, like his mother does; She takes it to the extreme when it comes to family trips.
- I will be staying a couple of weeks in Ouchi-juku, I still don't unders… in his thoughts, an Ox snort starts to loudly resonate, amply like a cave's echo. Mizu's eyes shine briefly before giggling and putting up, what it seems to Syan, a fake smile.
- I just have a fancy for rural areas, the free lodging is good enough reason, neh? Her carefree reply seems to exuberate something about him, with a narrow gaze, as they keep walking to the boarding line at the platform.
- I have a word for you. This meeting is extremely serious and we must look the part. Syan ultimately adds, his gaze guilty of something, also it didn't go unnoticed.
.
Today's crowd is numerous, like, Friday usual numerous and from the flanks of the meat waves they pass through to the train cart. Syan's luck is on a streak as he quickly finds a pair of unused seats UNTIL a obese madame and her travel purse cat, that are big enough to occupy three seats, take their spot.
- I'll be damned – Don't linger over it, come here. Mizu took the initiative as she leads him into a small spot besides the train's wide window. The city lights at night dazzles their panorama: a spectacle of white, orange and yellow. Syan feels uneasy inside this tumultuous multitude as he's nature leans on the pacific, calm type. Wanting to distract himself he turns his sights to the outlook of the city 'the night is a strange world'. In the space between his thoughts, he admires her ecstatic disposition while traveling on the train 'she has unstrained in here, of all places imaginable' he ponders while seeing how her face betrays amusement, her relaxed stance leaning on the passenger separator; the tired out eyes and the pale blue hand dragging him close to her.
- You look dead tired. She chuckles while frowning, examining his hands closely. She has been doing that lately 'are my hands that handsome?' – You too, I hope you're a well cook. At that moment, he witness a coy smile.
End of chapter three