The night enveloped San Fransokyo like a blanket of flickering lights and cold air that caressed the skin with a whisper. From the terrace of the laboratory at the Institute of Technology, Hiro Hamada watched as the horizon blurred under a sky full of stars. His blue sweatshirt was a little wrinkled, as if he had forgotten when he had last taken it off, and his messy hair bore witness to hours of thoughts that had refused to be sorted out. His legs dangled over the edge, and in his hands he held a screwdriver that he turned back and forth, a reflex action to calm himself.
The soft sound of boots echoed against the metal of the floor behind him.
"Here again, genius boy?" GoGo Tomago's voice was firm, but with that characteristic tone that always seemed to hide a hint of concern under a layer of defiance.
Hiro turned his head. There she was, in her tight yellow jacket, arms crossed, and an expression that was a mix of disinterest and subtle curiosity. Her asymmetrically cut black hair gleamed in the moonlight, and the breeze gently moved the shorter strands that framed her face.
"I needed a break," Hiro murmured, his voice sounding more tired than he intended. He looked back at the horizon, trying to avoid her gaze.
GoGo arched an eyebrow as she sat down beside him with the same ease with which she faced any obstacle in life. She crossed her legs, and her boot lightly tapped the ground.
"Since when do you get tired of numbers? That's not like you."
Before Hiro could respond, a cheerful sound interrupted the silent tension.
"Hiro! GoGo! What are you doing up here?" Honey Lemon's voice came like a ray of sunlight in the middle of the night. She appeared in her signature pastel pink dress, covered by her lab coat, long blonde hair flowing behind her. Her smile was bright, and she carried a shiny thermos in her hands.
Hiro felt a knot in his stomach. The energy she radiated seemed to fill the entire space, and it was impossible to ignore. He looked down, praying that no one would notice the slight blush on his face.
"Nothing important. Just… unplugging for a bit." He forced a smile, though he knew it wasn't enough to fool them.
Honey tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Unplugging? You? That doesn't sound like you, Hiro."
GoGo, who always picked up more than she said, glanced at him sideways.
"Maybe the genius finally understood that he can't solve everything with algorithms."
Hiro let out a short laugh, but his heart was pounding. Something about the way they both stood there, so close, so present, made him feel like he was standing on the edge of something huge.
"You know what you need?" Honey said suddenly, pulling a couple of small cups out of the bag she was carrying. She carefully poured the contents of the thermos. "Hot chocolate."
The sweet aroma filled the air, and Hiro took the cup she offered him. His fingers brushed against hers, and it was like an electric shock ran through his body. Their eyes met for a moment, but he quickly looked away.
GoGo didn't waste the moment, and a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips.
"Everything okay, Hamada?" she asked, her tone bordering on mockery but filled with genuine curiosity.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Hiro's voice sounded higher than usual, and GoGo let out a short laugh.
Honey looked at him with concern, leaning towards him a little. Her hair smelled like flowers, a detail that Hiro couldn't ignore.
"You know you can talk to us, right?" she said, her tone soft and comforting.
Hiro hesitated. He wanted to say it all. He wanted to talk about how his heart raced every time GoGo looked at him with those dark eyes full of defiance, or how the simple sound of Honey's laughter was enough to make any problem go away. But the words stuck in his throat, and he only managed to mutter,
"Thank you, Honey."
GoGo stood up, lightly tapping Hiro's head with one of her boots, a gesture that was more affectionate than it seemed.
"Get some rest, Hamada. We don't want your brain to overheat."
Honey nodded with a warm smile, leaving the thermos in his hands as if she knew he would need it later.
"See you tomorrow."
As they both disappeared through the door, Hiro let out a long sigh. He looked at the thermos in his hands and then at the sky. The cold wind did nothing to calm the heat in his chest.
"I'm lost," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant noise of the city.
He held the thermos tightly, as if he could find answers in it. And as the night wore on, a single thought hovered in his mind:
For the first time, uncertainty didn't feel like a problem to be solved, but like a door he wasn't sure he wanted to open.
Hiro stood there, alone under the vast San Fransokyo sky, the city stretching out like an ocean of lights below him. He could hear the hum of cars on the distant streets, a constant reminder that the world kept turning, even as he felt his own was on pause.
The thermos in his hands was still warm, the scent of chocolate enveloping him like an invisible hug. He lifted it to take a sip, letting the sweet liquid fill his mouth. It was comforting, but not enough to calm the chaos in his mind.
Honey Lemon...
He remembered how her eyes sparkled even in the dim light, as if he had caught a piece of sunshine just for her. There was something about her way of being, the way she radiated warmth and optimism, that made Hiro want to get closer. But at the same time, that same light made him feel vulnerable, as if he were under a spotlight, unable to hide his thoughts.
And GoGo...
Her energy was different. Where Honey was light, GoGo was tempered steel, a force that pushed him to be better, to not back down from challenges. He remembered how her dark eyes had scanned him that night, as if they could pierce through every one of his defenses. It was intimidating, yes, but also incredibly inspiring.
Suddenly, the terrace door creaked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"You still here?" GoGo's voice interrupted the silence.
Hiro turned his head, surprised to see her again. She was no longer wearing the yellow jacket; just her tight black T-shirt and dark jeans, which made her figure look even more confident and defined. In her right hand she held a can of soda, and on her face was something Hiro hadn't expected: softness.
"I thought you were gone already," Hiro said, straightening up a little.
GoGo shrugged and sat down beside him without asking permission.
"Honey convinced me to come see if you were okay." You know how she is.
Hiro smiled weakly. Of course he did.
"And are you okay?" GoGo asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
The question took him by surprise. Not because of the words themselves, but because of the tone in which she said it. There was something genuine in her voice, something that was not common for GoGo.
"I don't know." Hiro let out a long sigh and looked down at the thermos in his hands. He twirled his fingers a little, as if trying to find an answer in the texture of its surface.
GoGo remained silent for a moment. Then, she took a sip of her soda and set it aside.
"Look, I'm not good with this stuff, but… if you need to talk, you can. Honey is better at it, but…" Her eyes looked straight at him, unblinking. "I'm here."
The sincerity in her voice made something break inside Hiro. It wasn't a painful break, but a crack in the wall he had built around his feelings.
"It's complicated, GoGo," he said at last, his voice weak. "I don't know how to explain it."
She nodded slowly, not looking away.
"Then don't explain. Just say it."
Hiro gulped, feeling the weight on his chest grow. His words came out in a rush, clumsy.
"It's just that… you two… you and Honey… make everything so different. You make me… feel things I don't understand, and I don't know what to do with it."
GoGo raised an eyebrow, but there was no mockery on her face, just a flicker of curiosity.
"Feel things, huh?" she asked, with a half-smile that was more calm than sarcastic.
Hiro nodded, squeezing the thermos in both hands.
"I don't know if it's good or bad. I just know that… when you two are around, I feel like I can do anything. But at the same time, I feel like everything could fall apart if I say the wrong thing."
GoGo let out a sigh, and then, to Hiro's surprise, patted him on the shoulder.
"Welcome to the club, Hamada."
He looked at her, confused.
"Club?"
GoGo smiled, but her eyes held a softness she rarely showed. —The club of not knowing what the hell to do with what you feel. Trust me, we're all there.
For a moment, Hiro didn't know what to say. But in the silence they shared, something felt lighter. It wasn't a solution, but it was a start.
GoGo stood up, picked up her can of soda, and gave it one last look before she left.
"Don't stay here all night. You have a brain, Hamada. Use it".
Hiro watched as she disappeared through the door, leaving a faint echo of her footsteps. For the first time in hours, he smiled.
Maybe he wasn't as lost as he thought.