A Night to a Decade of Faith
Tags: late night walks; burnout; autumn stuff idk skkssks you'd get what i mean if you'd give it a read :>
Summary: hiro struggled with a lot of things, getting into sfit was just one. surviving it was another. a walk, he reckoned, would help with his mental state. however, little did he know, a soul would come to give him clarity... and also a little patience for a decade of waiting
Word Count: 2737
College—my, Hiro thought it was going to be just easy. He thought that it was just all about finessing your output, and with the simplest one, he could easily impress his professors.
But he was wrong. It was far from being easy. High school always had his name as the top student—the best student, actually. Which got him to accelerate and advance further than those who are of his age. It was simple to get on top of everything. College, however—the exact opposite.
He feels like he's behind of his game. No matter how hard he studies, no matter how hard he grinds, it just doesn't feel as if he's excelling anymore. And as someone who wasn't used to this sort of feeling, he feels kinda trashy to say the least.
And it was one of those days, where burnout got the best of him.
7 o'clock, his clock read. The cursor on the screen blinked, waiting to be moved by his hands that kept running through his hair for more than he could count. Frustration bubbled down from within, and he feels the need to lash out.
Sighing heavily, he tried to look at it from another angle, however, the more he looked, the less he found coherency. Out of frustration, he pushed himself out of his swivel chair and up the stairs to his room.
His project was actually due tomorrow, and because of midterms from last week, he felt really burned out and empty of any sort of brilliancy.
All this is too tiring, he thought of himself.
But he didn't want to fail.
Not finishing that project would mean jeopardizing his midterm grades, and he doesn't want that to happen. But he also just couldn't find it in himself to go and actually start it out because there were no ideas coming.
And so, in a quick spiral he went, going through a lot of things at once before actually grasping the full meaning of his thoughts that kept plaguing his mind.
Too absent minded, he dragged himself out of bed, grabbed his jacket, and made a beeline to the front door. He didn't bother saying goodbye to his Aunt, who was still busy manning the cashier despite the late hour.
The cold city air immediately greeted him, with the soft buzzing of the cars zooming in the distance, and the occasional honks of mad drivers in the street—yup, this was San Fransokyo.
He held his jacket closer to his body as he turned to a random direction. The city was still pretty much alive at this hour, with some of the streets clogged with vehicles rushing to get home, or to wherever their destination may be. Strangers pushed passed him, yet he was pretty much a walking corpse in the middle of a lively crowd, he let them.
He was reaching a point in his walk where his brain shut down all the thoughts. Mindlessly, he continued to wander on to a city where his inner musings were drowned with the humming of the evening life. Only then did he found himself in the middle of a silent road, dimly lit with street lamps and quaint lanterns hung in ununiformed directions.
For a moment, he was worried that he stumbled on a way to the cat alley where he used to go bot fighting. However, upon further inspection, he noticed that it was not the same. Sighing, he was about to try and trace his way back home when his stomach grumbled in hunger. Which then reminds him he didn't eat anything for lunch, and also dinner.
And so, off he went to look for a diner, only to slap himself on the forehead because he didn't bring any change with him. Well, he couldn't entirely blame himself, his mental state wasn't on the most optimal.
Footsteps sounded from behind him, and on instinct, he turned to see a cute looking girl in a black leather jacket approaching him.
She held a cup of takeaway from an open shop nearby, the smell wafting unto Hiro's nostrils, causing his stomach to churn. Letting out a discreet sigh, he just turned around and tried to mentally retrace his footsteps.
The smell grew closer and closer, and Hiro's mind only circled unto that, grasping it like it was the only coherent thing around. He mentally slapped himself for only focusing on the food instead of trying to remember the path that he took for him to get here.
"You lost?" A soft voice questioned. He turned, only to see the same girl that he had seen a moment ago.
"I—" he was speechless, embarrassed even. Because the idea just sunk in, he got lost in his own city. And it's pretty poetic, too.
With a soft smile, she immediately got her answer, "No one stumbles here unless they're actually sure that this is their stop. You new here?" She tilted her head to the side, sending him a questioning look.
"I actually live here but—" his statement was cut off when his stomach loudly grumbled, embarrassing him in front of the cute girl in front of him. She hummed before offering him the treat she had.
One by which he, hesitating, gently accepted from her grasp.
"Uh, thanks."
She smiled, the most charming he ever saw someone smile for possibly his whole life. "Anytime, now let me help you find your way back. Trying to navigate this area is quite of a pain if you ask me, you might get even more lost. You're from the main, right? Looks like you kinda wandered a bit too far out because the city's kind of a walk from here." With that, they begin walking back, retracing Hiro's steps.
"Uh, thanks," he uttered, digging in on the food she had with her.
"You're welcome. You okay, though?" She asked, hugging her jacket closer to her body as the cold air blew passed them, softly shaking the lanterns that contributed the soft glow of the area.
"M'fine," he answered simply, looking down at his shoes.
Her gaze lingered a bit before turning back to the road, "Doesn't look like it," she uttered. "You seemed kinda lost. Although, if you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I won't pry."
He let out a breath, white vapors escaping unto the atmosphere formed, "Just kinda burned out," Hiro replied, "but that doesn't matter anyway."
She guided him to a turn and into an open road, "Hmm, high school?"
He opened his mouth to reply, eyeing both sides of the road before crossing along the pedestrian, "College."
With that, she paused and threw him a gaze, her mouth slightly parted in shock from the unexpected information, "Okay, first off, I wasn't expecting a kid as young as you to be in college."
He only slightly chuckled at her response, he got that a lot so he was used to it. "Well, my brother forced me to go to college actually. "
She hummed, the tone a bit disdainful. "He sounds kinda boring," she commented, to which Hiro only laughed at.
He refuted her statement, "No, no. The opposite, actually. But sometimes, he could get a bit... protective?"
"Hmm, what does he do then?" The both of them paused in front of a stop light, waiting for the lights to go red.
"He actually studies at SFIT."
"Wow. I take back what I said. He sounds cool," she smiled, "And where do you study, then?"
"SFIT," he casually replied before crossing the road, almost leaving his companion behind, the latter with wide eyes.
This kid's a genius, she mentally remarked as she caught up with his long stride.
"Okay, wow. I heard it's hard getting in there?"
"Well, I'm not sure with the other programs but with robotics, you just have to think of a good invention that'll impress the judges and the professors—"
She felt something inside her head, something that resembled the sound of a lightbulb lighting up, "You're in the robotics program?"
"Uh, yeah."
Aw, he's cool, she thought.
With a smile, she spoke in awe, "Okay, wow. Like how do you get your life sorted just like that?"
He threw her a side-glance, "What do you mean?"
She gave a little shrug, "Like, you people actually know what you want to do in life, huh?"
"Well, actually, about that... It took me a while to know what I want to do in life. But it only took my brother's convincing and tour around the lab to get me to decide," he replied.
"And what about you? What do you do? You know, you're not supposed to be talking to strangers. I could've murdered you," he teasingly said.
"I like to take my chances. And says you! I could've poisoned you," she teasingly retorted.
"But you didn't."
"Some poison takes time to react with the body," he almost stopped in shock. Upon noticing his slowly blanching features, she laughed. "Oh my gosh, chill! I didn't, and why would I be leading you to a crowded place then?"
"But yeah. I really don't know what I want to do in life. I don't feel like I belong to anything. Dropped out of high school because of those bullies, and also, because of my teachers and stuff. And yeah, I'm just literally floating around, existing..."
"You'll eventually find out what you want to do in life. Just give it time. I'm not entirely sure with mine but well, here we are."
"Do you love what you do?"
"Yeah, don't get me wrong but it's just really stressful to always be up my game all the time. I also have other responsibilities aside from just being a student," he sighed, pulling her back from almost hitting a lamp post, "okay, careful there."
"Close call, thanks."
"But yeah, you get it."
"Well, when was the last time you had fun?" She asked.
"I don't remember," he replied.
"Well, that's exactly what you need—I know a place! C'mon, it's gonna be great!"
With that, the two of them changed directions. How they managed to establish a slither of trust and bond in that small moment, they don't know. But they were sure that they were comfortable with each other.
He made a mental note to always put spare change in him before leaving the house—either mentally or physically not okay.
And so, their little adventure began. He could say that the feeling was a bit cliche—as if out of a fictional bestseller that sat in bookstores. He couldn't find the words to describe what it felt like running down the dimly lit streets whilst laughing at corny jokes and random memories. She was one of a kind, and that's when it all made sense—she really didn't belong to anyone.
She is a free soul.
She belongs to the stars, the skies, and the dimly lit streets of July. She was the piece of summer that giggled in the early autumn evening. She was a beautiful soul, and that, in and of itself, is a high compliment.
From licking ice creams in the late hours, laughing at kids in the convenience store, and reminiscing about late summer ventures, to ultimately questioning what they want to do in life.
"I have a lot of ambitions, actually," she told him. The two of them sat on a bench, eyeing the full moon that slowly rose from behind the tall buildings of the city. She looked at the bag of chips that she grasped, skimming through the wrapper absent-mindedly. "But I really can't bring myself to continue on with schooling."
It was late, and Hiro knew that his project was waiting at home. But he couldn't have the heart to tell her about that mere fact. Nor does he even have the will power to get himself to stand up from that bench.
It was a beautiful evening, and he doesn't have the conscience to ruin it for himself, nor for her too.
"Then, why not? I mean, we only live once. You gotta go and chase those ambitions," he replied.
"Well, I'm thinking it's kinda impossible? I mean, it's all crazy to me. And I really don't know if I can get myself to continue on... with it," she hesitated a bit.
"Well, you really wouldn't know if you won't try," he looked at the street, "I got to a point where I almost gave up trying to get into SFIT, but sometimes, you just got to look at another angle and give it another try."
A smile ghosted her lips, one that was bordering on in between bitterness and nostalgia, "Hmm, you're right. But aside from that, I don't think there's a path for someone like me."
"Then make one for yourself," he replied with a cheeky smile.
She returned it, but it was accompanied with the feeling of new found clarity.
"Hmm, yeah. Why haven't I thought of that?"
Her companion only shrugged.
Her phone then rang, signaling her that it was time to leave.
"Ah, that's my que," she said, crestfallen, "But hey, don't stress out too much with your academics. Trust me, you're doing great. Oh, and just hit me up if you need someone, 'kay?"
And from that, goodbyes were exchanged.
Yet sometimes, when you're having too much fun, you forget to exchange names.
...and contact numbers.
~
The next morning, Hiro woke up to the sun shining directly on his eyes. Noticing that he fell asleep on his desk, he opened his computer immediately, slightly panicking and trying to remember if he, indeed, finished his project.
And he did.
And it was all thanks to...
...what's her name again?
He racked his brain for any sort of information about her, but he couldn't seem to remember anything about her.
Then, it all sunk in.
Was she even real?
Groaning, he slouched on his chair, he wasn't even sure anymore.
And so, from that day on, he continued to live his life, but not without even wondering about her; Was she okay? Did she go on to pursue her ambitions and make a way for herself? A path carved with a shovel of uncertainty—either she stops or she continues on. He wondered if she ever came back to school.
And with each wondering came the feeling of slowly losing her into nothing but a memory of yesterday. He didn't want that. He wants nothing of that.
With every leather jacket he sees on the streets, he makes sure to stop to look, silently hoping that he'd see the same smile that she offered him in that chilly autumn evening. With every smile people offered him, he knew that she was different, as it spoke millions into just one grin. He tried to look for her, really, that people around him almost dubbed him as the crazy one trying to hunt something down that had little to no identity. Nothing but a soul.
He tried to locate where he once found himself lost, but she did, in fact, say that it was hard to locate even for locals. He reached a point where he just decided to let things be. There will come a time where their paths will cross, and that's for sure.
He couldn't help but sometimes feel insane. She might be a fever dream for all he knew, all was uncertain. But it's the faith that had him clinging on to the memory that she left, it was faith that had him clinging on to the sound of her laughter that rang late at that specific evening. It was the small sliver of faith that got him to claim that no, he wasn't crazy.
He laughed at his own analogy, a free soul.
She did resemble one, because she appeared only for a moment of fun before disappearing God knows where.
A decade onward did he begin to once again question his own sanity.
The same laughter that rang through the silence of the cold convenience store played with his ears. Blinking, he straightened up, despite the heavy box of robotic parts he was carrying back to the lab, and looked around.
And again, it went.
He was sure he wasn't insane...
Frantically he searched for a sliver of familiarity.
He was totally crazy for holding on to this for more than a decade but he didn't care. He was hoping...
"You lost?"
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