We continued with our shift as usual until it was nine. The two of us coincidentally exited the store at the same time and turned in opposite directions. I took a few steps in the direction of the parking lot where I’d parked my bike while she went her own way. However, only a few steps after exiting the door, she abruptly called out to me.
“Hey, Ran…”
“What is it?”
“About your question earlier today…”
“What question?”
“The one where if I had to pick who I’d want as a boyfriend out of the three options available.”
“Huh? That was still on your mind?”
“I’d have picked you.” She said that coolly like it wasn’t a big deal.
When I glanced back over my shoulder, she was walking away without looking back.
I could have said nothing in return, but something in me made me want to tease her. “Hahaha. You know,” I pointed at her and continued, “you look like a girl who missed her chance at love right now.”
“Shut up. I didn’t miss anything.” She turned around and snapped back at me.
“By the way, don’t go quitting your job because you’re heartbroken or something.”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “I’m not some weak little girl from a shoujo manga who’d go crying if some guy has a girlfriend already.”
The two of us were just joking around as usual.
“You’re right. I totally couldn’t see that happening at all. But can you cry this one time so I can take a picture and send it to Rosa to prove I turned down your undying love?”
She walked up to me then pinched the corner of my eyes and stretched them out. “Why don’t you cry so I can take a picture and send it to that girlfriend you’re so head over heels in love with? Hmph! Turned down my undying love? You have some nerve saying that when I don’t even like you. I only like one person, and that person definitely isn’t you.”
I raised my brows in surprise. It was the first I’d ever heard that there was someone she liked.
“You like someone? That’s quite a surprise.”
“Yes, I like someone. Is there something so strange about that?”
“I can hardly believe it. Is it someone who works here?”
“No.”
“Someone from your university?”
“No.”
“Huh? Neither from work or school? Then where?”
“Oh? Are you curious?” She smiled.
“Just a little. For someone to win you over, it’s pretty surprising. What sort of weirdo must they be?”
“They’re not weird.”
“Really though, who is it?”
“Hmm… well, even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn’t.”
“You couldn’t? What do you mean?”
“I don’t really know them.” Her eyes made it clear she wasn’t kidding.
“You… don’t know them?”
“Yeah.”
“You like someone you don’t know?”
“Yeah.”
“I really don’t get it.”
“They don’t know me either.”
“That’s even more baffling. Are you suggesting you don’t know who they are and they don’t know you either, but you like them?”
“Yeah, is there something wrong with that?”
“Unbelievable. How does that even happen? You must have a few loose screws. If they don’t know you, you’ve never talked to each other, right?”
“Not even once.”
“Have you tried to talk to them before?”
“I don’t know how to talk to them.”
“I’m even more confused than ever.”
“Ah! My bus!”
I looked over to the side where she was looking and a bus was already driving past the bus stop. It was too late to catch it.
“No waaaay… haaaaaah. Why’d you have to say something stupid and distract me? The next one won’t be here for another hour.”
“Ouch. Sucks to be you.”
“It does. Student loans suck. You can only afford public transit and can’t get approved for financing a car without a guarantor.”
“Your parents won’t act as a guarantor for you?”
“They don’t like that I’m doing an arts degree in literature and refuse to support my decision in any way. They wanted me to do a science degree, but I outright refused. Get a real job with a proper degree. Haaaaaah… I can’t even remember how many times they’ve told me that.”
“Hey… you really plan to wait for the next bus instead of calling a taxi?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to waste money on a taxi.”
Honestly, I felt a bit sympathetic toward her when I recalled my own experiences with missing the bus and sometimes having to wait or walk for hours because funds were tight.
“You want a ride?”
“A ride? You mean on your bicycle? No way, I’ll pass. You’d tire yourself out for no reason.”
She still wasn’t aware I’d upgraded.
“Haha, don’t worry about that, I’ve got my license now.”
“What? You mean… you… got a car? How! I can’t even get approved for financing but you’re telling me you did? What’s with this injustice? You’re even younger than me, what’s this extreme sense of defeat and inferiority I’m feeling right now?”
“Well, it was sort of a birthday present. Plus, it was used and really cheap. I could have still afforded it. It would have been privately financed between me and the seller, but somehow things worked out and it was paid in full all in one go.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this envious before in my life.” Yuna shook her head in dismay.
“Well? You want the ride or not?”
“Uh… if it wouldn’t be too much trouble…”
“Then follow me.”
“Sure…”
I led the way and Yuna followed directly behind me. I came to a stop between my motorcycle and the driver’s side of a car. Yuna was… on the passenger side. Haha, it was only natural she’d misunderstand.
“Yuna, what are you doing over there?”
“Huh? What do you mean? This isn’t your car?”
“It’s over here.”
“Over… there?” She hesitantly walked around the car, skeptical as she continued, “But-”
“Oh, I forgot to mention I got a motorcycle, not a car.”
“Huh? A... motorcycle? Doesn’t that mean-”
“Yeah, you have to ride on the back. Is there a problem?”
“On second thought- wha-” Cut off mid-sentence she let out a small yelp as I grabbed her by the wrist l, pulled her forward, and leaned her up against the back seat. I picked up my passenger helmet, pulled it down over her head then strapped it on.
“Huh? Uh?” She seemed a bit flustered.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing.”
“Where’d the cool beauty act go?”
“... shut up… if you’re going to drive me home… just do it.”
I mounted my motorcycle before she meekly sat down behind me and lightly clutched onto the back of my jacket.
I turned the key in the ignition and shifted out of neutral into first gear. As soon as the wheels rolled forward a bit, Yuna, startled, removed her hand from my jacket and clasped onto both sides of my waist from behind.
“Haha, what’s wrong? Scared?” I taunted.
“I’m n-not scared at all. It’s just a motorcycle, no big deal. There’s nothing to be scared about.”
“Alright, then I’ll pick up speed.”
I cranked the handle toward me and quickly accelerated up to the speed limit.
Yuna’s arms wrapped around the front of my waist as if afraid she’d fly off if she didn’t.
“If you’re scared just say so, I can drive slower.”
“I’m not scared.”
“Then you don’t mind if I get onto the highway?”
“I mind. I absolutely mind. That wouldn’t even be the right way to get to my place.”
“Right, right. Just tell me the way to go.”
“Keep going straight. I’ll tell you when to turn. Uh… but it’d be nice if you went a bit slower… if you go too fast you might miss the turn.”
“Haha, right, right. Because I might miss the turn. Sure.”
“I’m being serious…”
“Whatever you say.”
I slowed down to about two-thirds the speed limit.
Yuna’s vice-like grip around my waist slackened and I felt her body gradually relax as she grew accustomed to the slower speed as we drove.
A few minutes of silence passed before she opened her mouth and said, “Make a left at the next light.”
“Alright.”
I changed into the left turning lane and slowed to a stop before the intersection as the light was red.
When we came to a full stop, the side of the helmet Yuna had on tapped against my back. She didn’t move it away and rested it there.
“A drive on a motorcycle at night is strangely calming. How unexpected,” Yuna quietly mumbled to herself.
“It is, isn’t it?” I completely agreed with her sentiment.
“I might be able to write something good tonight when I get home.” Her voice was soft and at ease.
“Oh? A bout of inspiration?”
“Yeah, a little I guess...”
We continued with our shift as usual until it was nine. The two of us coincidentally exited the store at the same time and turned in opposite directions. I took a few steps in the direction of the parking lot where I’d parked my bike while she went her own way. However, only a few steps after exiting the door, she abruptly called out to me.
“Hey, Ran…”
“What is it?”
“About your question earlier today…”
“What question?”
“The one where if I had to pick who I’d want as a boyfriend out of the three options available.”
“Huh? That was still on your mind?”
“I’d have picked you.” She said that coolly like it wasn’t a big deal.
When I glanced back over my shoulder, she was walking away without looking back.
I could have said nothing in return, but something in me made me want to tease her. “Hahaha. You know,” I pointed at her and continued, “you look like a girl who missed her chance at love right now.”
“Shut up. I didn’t miss anything.” She turned around and snapped back at me.
“By the way, don’t go quitting your job because you’re heartbroken or something.”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “I’m not some weak little girl from a shoujo manga who’d go crying if some guy has a girlfriend already.”
The two of us were just joking around as usual.
“You’re right. I totally couldn’t see that happening at all. But can you cry this one time so I can take a picture and send it to Rosa to prove I turned down your undying love?”
She walked up to me then pinched the corner of my eyes and stretched them out. “Why don’t you cry so I can take a picture and send it to that girlfriend you’re so head over heels in love with? Hmph! Turned down my undying love? You have some nerve saying that when I don’t even like you. I only like one person, and that person definitely isn’t you.”
I raised my brows in surprise. It was the first I’d ever heard that there was someone she liked.
“You like someone? That’s quite a surprise.”
“Yes, I like someone. Is there something so strange about that?”
“I can hardly believe it. Is it someone who works here?”
“No.”
“Someone from your university?”
“No.”
“Huh? Neither from work or school? Then where?”
“Oh? Are you curious?” She smiled.
“Just a little. For someone to win you over, it’s pretty surprising. What sort of weirdo must they be?”
“They’re not weird.”
“Really though, who is it?”
“Hmm… well, even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn’t.”
“You couldn’t? What do you mean?”
“I don’t really know them.” Her eyes made it clear she wasn’t kidding.
“You… don’t know them?”
“Yeah.”
“You like someone you don’t know?”
“Yeah.”
“I really don’t get it.”
“They don’t know me either.”
“That’s even more baffling. Are you suggesting you don’t know who they are and they don’t know you either, but you like them?”
“Yeah, is there something wrong with that?”
“Unbelievable. How does that even happen? You must have a few loose screws. If they don’t know you, you’ve never talked to each other, right?”
“Not even once.”
“Have you tried to talk to them before?”
“I don’t know how to talk to them.”
“I’m even more confused than ever.”
“Ah! My bus!”
I looked over to the side where she was looking and a bus was already driving past the bus stop. It was too late to catch it.
“No waaaay… haaaaaah. Why’d you have to say something stupid and distract me? The next one won’t be here for another hour.”
“Ouch. Sucks to be you.”
“It does. Student loans suck. You can only afford public transit and can’t get approved for financing a car without a guarantor.”
“Your parents won’t act as a guarantor for you?”
“They don’t like that I’m doing an arts degree in literature and refuse to support my decision in any way. They wanted me to do a science degree, but I outright refused. Get a real job with a proper degree. Haaaaaah… I can’t even remember how many times they’ve told me that.”
“Hey… you really plan to wait for the next bus instead of calling a taxi?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to waste money on a taxi.”
Honestly, I felt a bit sympathetic toward her when I recalled my own experiences with missing the bus and sometimes having to wait or walk for hours because funds were tight.
“You want a ride?”
“A ride? You mean on your bicycle? No way, I’ll pass. You’d tire yourself out for no reason.”
She still wasn’t aware I’d upgraded.
“Haha, don’t worry about that, I’ve got my license now.”
“What? You mean… you… got a car? How! I can’t even get approved for financing but you’re telling me you did? What’s with this injustice? You’re even younger than me, what’s this extreme sense of defeat and inferiority I’m feeling right now?”
“Well, it was sort of a birthday present. Plus, it was used and really cheap. I could have still afforded it. It would have been privately financed between me and the seller, but somehow things worked out and it was paid in full all in one go.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this envious before in my life.” Yuna shook her head in dismay.
“Well? You want the ride or not?”
“Uh… if it wouldn’t be too much trouble…”
“Then follow me.”
“Sure…”
I led the way and Yuna followed directly behind me. I came to a stop between my motorcycle and the driver’s side of a car. Yuna was… on the passenger side. Haha, it was only natural she’d misunderstand.
“Yuna, what are you doing over there?”
“Huh? What do you mean? This isn’t your car?”
“It’s over here.”
“Over… there?” She hesitantly walked around the car, skeptical as she continued, “But-”
“Oh, I forgot to mention I got a motorcycle, not a car.”
“Huh? A... motorcycle? Doesn’t that mean-”
“Yeah, you have to ride on the back. Is there a problem?”
“On second thought- wha-” Cut off mid-sentence she let out a small yelp as I grabbed her by the wrist l, pulled her forward, and leaned her up against the back seat. I picked up my passenger helmet, pulled it down over her head then strapped it on.
“Huh? Uh?” She seemed a bit flustered.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing.”
“Where’d the cool beauty act go?”
“... shut up… if you’re going to drive me home… just do it.”
I mounted my motorcycle before she meekly sat down behind me and lightly clutched onto the back of my jacket.
I turned the key in the ignition and shifted out of neutral into first gear. As soon as the wheels rolled forward a bit, Yuna, startled, removed her hand from my jacket and clasped onto both sides of my waist from behind.
“Haha, what’s wrong? Scared?” I taunted.
“I’m n-not scared at all. It’s just a motorcycle, no big deal. There’s nothing to be scared about.”
“Alright, then I’ll pick up speed.”
I cranked the handle toward me and quickly accelerated up to the speed limit.
Yuna’s arms wrapped around the front of my waist as if afraid she’d fly off if she didn’t.
“If you’re scared just say so, I can drive slower.”
“I’m not scared.”
“Then you don’t mind if I get onto the highway?”
“I mind. I absolutely mind. That wouldn’t even be the right way to get to my place.”
“Right, right. Just tell me the way to go.”
“Keep going straight. I’ll tell you when to turn. Uh… but it’d be nice if you went a bit slower… if you go too fast you might miss the turn.”
“Haha, right, right. Because I might miss the turn. Sure.”
“I’m being serious…”
“Whatever you say.”
I slowed down to about two-thirds the speed limit.
Yuna’s vice-like grip around my waist slackened and I felt her body gradually relax as she grew accustomed to the slower speed as we drove.
A few minutes of silence passed before she opened her mouth and said, “Make a left at the next light.”
“Alright.”
I changed into the left turning lane and slowed to a stop before the intersection as the light was red.
When we came to a full stop, the side of the helmet Yuna had on tapped against my back. She didn’t move it away and rested it there.
“A drive on a motorcycle at night is strangely calming. How unexpected,” Yuna quietly mumbled to herself.
“It is, isn’t it?” I completely agreed with her sentiment.
“I might be able to write something good tonight when I get home.” Her voice was soft and at ease.
“Oh? A bout of inspiration?”
“Yeah, a little I guess...”
