"Eren!" my name was shrilled, piercing through a large crowd of bystanders; some turning around and probably cursing the shriller for their newly-acquired hearing damage.
Looking over, I see a girl waving frantically and jumping to ascend from within the crowd.
"Misaki!" I waved back. As I made my way through the crowd, I apologized to some people who gave me the death stare; as if Levi's wasn't enough.
When we were within touching distance, Misaki pulled me into a tight hug.
"Ohh, it feels so great to see you again!" she cooed.
I awkwardly hugged back; physical contact like this in front of a whole bunch of people is a bit uncomfortable, don't you think? "I've missed you too!"
She kept her arms clasped around me for quite a long time; this is awkward. "Hey, um, do you wanna go in?" I asked, hoping to break my discomfort.
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, haha, sorry." She gave a flustered giggle.
I opened the door for her and she thanked me with that kind smile of hers. We walked up to the counter.
"I'll have a cinnamon-hazelnut cappuccino, please" she ordered.
"And I'd like a mocha latte with whipped cream and java chips, please." I ordered. Misaki looked at me astonished; I stared back at her, not knowing what I was supposed to do. "Oh, um, did you want me to pay for you?" I nervously fumbled through my wallet.
"No, no! That's not it." She waved her hands disapprovingly and chuckled. She then reached in her purse and pulled out money to pay for her drink; okay, good, I'm kinda on a budget since I'm no longer a lackey at Scary&Sadistic Corp.
We received our drinks and chose to sit down at a booth near the window; I sat facing towards the entrance of the Cafe, and Misaki sat across from me.
"Sorry about the incident at the counter. It just took me by surprise that you still have a sweet tooth." Misaki laughed.
"Oh, yeah; I guess some things we just don't grow out of." I took a sip of my sweet-as-a-cavity overpriced drink.
"It's good though; things like that keep you youthful and cute." Her eyes wandered away.
Is she insinuating that I'm a child? What is it with people reminding me of Levi? I came out here to forget him; geez.
"So, tell me what's been going on over the past two years." She placed her elbows on the table and entwined her fingers, resting her chin atop the backs of her hands while looking at me with her coruscating bluish-grey eyes.
"Oh, well, nothing much, really" Well, except getting rejected from the English department to be drawing Japanese cartoons under the supervision of the spawn of Satan, and being surrounded by a Fujoshi, a goody-two shoes, a deadpan girl that could kick anyone's ass to oblivion, a girl who eats nothing but potato-type foods, and a jackass with the face of a horse. "How about you?"
"Come on, Eren." Misaki pouted. "I haven't seen you in two years, and you moved to a commercial district in Tokyo to pursue your dream career, and you give me a response as if I asked you 'what's up' on a social networking site."
I responded with a shrug and a wry smile.
"Hey, we're only nineteen, I'm not going to judge you if you slipped and went awry from your intended plans; I mean at least you tried to get published, right? I gave up all together and started pursuing the science of senility" She reassured me.
I couldn't help but crack a smile at her remark. "Well, I got hired at the company..."
"That's great!"
"But...I kinda got laid off not too long ago" Or more like a few hours ago.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Her face fell.
I wandered my eyes around the cafe and feigned interest in its scenery. "It's alright, maybe it's for the better."
"I don't mean to peer into a subject that brings you discomfort, but all I want to say is for you to not give up like I did; I don't think anything in life is worth more than fighting for and attaining one's dream." Misaki lectured in a quiet tone.
I looked at her and I saw her timidly eyeing and playing around with her cappuccino. I feel a bit sorry for her.
"So, how about you, little Ms. Psychology and Senile Science; how's your life?" I quickly changed the subject.
She reverted to her cheery self and smiled at me."Well, aside from putting myself in a field that I had no desire to be in, I can't say I haven't learned a lot. Maybe eventually I'll be able to understand how I can collect myself to constantly write until I eventually get published."
"Well, you sure had a lot of great ideas in high school, so just keep going at it; I will too."
"High school, those were good times" Misaki looked looked up at the ceiling as if reminiscing. "The days you me and Katsumi would sit around and discuss our plans for the future like we knew what were were in for." She smiled.
Wait, what did she just say? Katsume? Why does that name sound familiar?
"U-um, Katsumi?" I cocked my head slightly in question.
She looked back down at me wide-eyed. "Yeah, wasn't that his name? The light brown haired kid with green eyes, I think?" She described. "I can't really remember if that was his name or not, because I kept on calling him Katsushi since he disliked sushi; I mean, I've never met a native that could dislike sushi."
I dug in my thoughts. Katsumi, Katsumi, where have I heard that name before? Someone with light brown hair and gree-.
I jolted forward, close to Misaki's face in disbelief. "Do you recall if his last name was Hiriko?" I almost yelled.
Misaki looked panicked. "Wh-whoa, what? Um, yeah, I-I believe it was; it sounds about right" she stuttered, obviously uncomfortable with our proximity.
I pulled myself back against the booth. Katsumi Hiriko. We went to school together, we hung out together, we were supposedly 'friends', and yet now he appeared out of nowhere and disconfigured my life right from under my nose.
Why? What have I done to him? I don't remember doing anything to get him to seek vengeance on me.
"E-eren, is everything okay?" Misaki's worried voice withdrew me from my thoughts.
"Y-yeah, I just can't believe I didn't remember him, haha.." I rubbed the back of my head nervously. "Hey, so, refresh my memory; Hiriko-I mean Katsumi, you and I were good friends, right?"
"Well, he and I weren't very close, but you two seemed to hang out a lot."
We hung out a lot? I didn't even remember his face when I saw him.
"One reason why he and I didn't get very close was because word around class was that he had a huge crush on me; I could never return his feelings, so I thought it would be better if I kept my distance with him. I was always afraid he would brew hard feelings towards you because we hung out so much, but you two always looked like you were having so much fun, so I'm glad that wasn't the case."
So, Hiriko went out of his way, two years later, to seek get revenge on me because he couldn't get Misaki to like him?
He got me fired from my fucking job, over a girl, of an event that happened two years ago in University? Is this seriously the case?
I was seething with confusion and anger, but I couldn't go and create a spectacle of myself.
My mind got swayed, again, by the sound of a bell ringing as the cafe door opened.
"Welcome to Cafe Amor!" the baristas greeted.
I sighed and took a sip of my latte, exhausted from all of today's thoughts and events. Looking back up at Misaki, to avoid rudeness, I noticed something that caught my eye behind her.
Astonished, I choked on my latte.
"E-eren, are you okay?!" Misaki cried rushing over to my side and patting my back.
Behind her, walking through that damned door was my nightmare, today could not get any worse. Levi was standing at the door, eyes gaping at me. If I hadn't overreacted, maybe I could have gone unnoticed, but it's too late for that now.
Our eyes stayed locked for what felt like longer than a Harry Potter marathon.
"Eren!" Misaki cuffed my face and turned me to face her. "Hey!"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, sorry; I just took a big sip and forgot how hot it still was." I lied as I directed my eyes back to where the perpetrator was standing, yet standing there still he was not. Levi had moved to the counter to order his drink. "Expresso, strong, no milk." he ordered as he placed money on the counter.
He's the complete opposite of me, ordering the strongest and most bitter drink on the menu. I was staring at him the whole time, yet not once did he look back at me. It feels weird to not have him constantly monitoring and belittling my every move. I wanted to hear his voice again, I wanted to have him at the least sneer at me even if all it would do is cause me more pain; I desired his acknowledgement.
"I'm sorry, did I bring up something I shouldn't have?" I heard disappointingly question.
I had to get myself together, he was getting to me again. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a bit out of it right now, that's all; with work and life and such." I smiled at her."
The door jingled once more; Levi walked out.
"Again, I sincerely apologize; you invited me here, as a friend, and I'm being more of a disappointment to you."
Misaki smiled at me. "No, don't apologize; you have a lot going on right now, and I get it. I should be the one to apologize for calling you up out of nowhere for the first time in two years, and forcing you to go out with me at this hour of the day."
"I'm glad you did, though, you helped me remember something important."
Katsumi Hiriko, now I know who you are and what it is that you're really after. Ha, well, prepare yourself tomorrow, because I'm definitely going to have the final word.
