"………"
The elevator was moving very slow today in the business office building, particularly at 4:53 PM for Arthur. He was tapping his foot impatiently, watching it slowly pass each floor. 15…14…13…
"Christ, can this elevator move ANY SLOWER?"
And just when the elevator started to speed up, 12….11…10…
It stopped.
"Damn it!" he cursed, right when the elevator door opened and a little boy hoped in with a giant stuffed polar bear in his arms.
A sense of familiarity washed over Arthur.
"Hey boy, have I seen you before?" he asked.
The boy stared at him for a while before shrugging. 9…8…7…
"No, I don't think so. My dad just brought me here for work. He let me run back up before we went home to get Kumajiro-san because I forgot him back on the tenth floor. I'm Matthew!" the boy said, grinning shyly.
"Oh, I see…"
Arthur could have sworn he saw him before. The name was familiar. The face was familiar. DING!
The elevator's doors opened and they walked outside together. Matthew hopped in the car that pulled up in front of them, probably his father's.
"Bye, mister!"
And the car began to drive off.
Arthur raised his hand up to wave to the boy when someone jumped onto his back.
"Artie! Wanna go to the movies now?" Alfred asked, talking his arm and dragging him to the movie theater anyways.
"Yeah, alright, sure…" he responded, turning his head back at the car that just left to glance at Matthew's little head in the back seat.
"What movie do you wanna watch? I wanna see…"
Alfred's words were tuned out as Arthur kept turning his head back to look at the car.
-
Matthew was turned around in his seat, looking back at the odd man that he just met in the elevator who kept turning back to look at him. Did he perhaps see that man somewhere before outside of this building, because it was like he's seen him before.
"Matthieu, what are you looking at? Is something wrong?" his father asked.
He turned around and sat properly in his seat.
"No, nothing's wrong, Papa." he assured him.