Chapter 4:

As the heavy, metal frosted glass doors swung open and they stepped outside into the dazzling light of the afternoon sun, Jin thought only of Mei as she strolled in small steps that echoed into the street. Her lips were still quivering from fear and the frostbite of the water that clung onto her soaked navy-blue jacket and white, bloused top underneath. "Are you cold?", Jin asked in a calm, gentle voice. He could hear the slight echoing of his voice ring out towards the calm traffic that occupied the main street. Mei nodded slightly, her muscles still stiff from trauma. "Here.", Jin said as he unbuttoned his own navy-blue jacket. He stripped it off of his lengthy arms and swung it around her from the back, draping the jacket over her shoulders. Mei held the front gig line with both of her thumbs and pulled it closer to her chest for warmth. Even though it was only Spring and the sun was out, the air was still unrelentingly cold, biting at everyone despite their dressings. "It's cold out.", he says. "Let's head home. I'll walk with you until we reach your house." Mei nodded and gave a light, "Mmph.", as her sign of consent. Jin reached his right arm around her shoulder and brought her close as they embarked on their journey home. 

The street was still quiet, but there were plenty of people out. As they walked, Mei hung her head down at the sidewalk, guided by Jin's arm. "Just tell me when I should change direction, okay?", Jin spoke softly. He felt her head nod slightly against his arm. Jin wasn't bothered by the cold or the bystanders that often looked his way as he walked with a dripping wet senior middle school girl. The only thought that was running through his mind was Mei's smile only earlier that morning. It had only been a brief and coincidental encounter, but even then he could tell that her behavior had vastly changed. Her sweet smile had left her pale face, and her cutesy stride had been reduced to a slow, light-stepped descent. 

As his thoughts shifted to the event he had witnessed in the locker room, he felt Mei tug lightly on his white undershirt with her left hand. He looked down at her to meet her gaze, softly looking up at him with her hazel eyes interlocking with his. "W-What is it?", Jin stuttered. "I live over there.", Mei said as she extended her finger. Her voice was almost as soft as a whisper and she was still trembling. Jin looked up and followed her finger down the road, somewhere over on the left side as the street bent. "Got it. I'll walk you there.", Jin said, looking back down at her. He thought she blushed, but couldn't confirm it since she looked back down quickly. "Mmph.", she hummed. Jin took that as an, "okay", and kept guiding her. He noticed that he was now only walking one step at a time, taking shorter strides so she could keep up. 

He looked around as they kept walking. The amount of cars had lessened, and pedestrians were occupying the other side of the street as they commuted uptown. The only people on his side of the road were a few other students walking home from school and a few individuals walking into the stores that lined his left side. Jin recognized the area, it was similar to his. He picked out a few landmarks that stood out to him. The fish market on the left side of the street near the bend, and the hotel across the street on his right. This was without a doubt, his street. The one he walked up earlier that morning, every morning to commute to school. As he reached the bend of the road, he noticed his alleyway across the street. He had been using it as a shortcut from his apartment building, since it was rural and was much quicker than walking the bend.

"Hey, Mei?", Jin asked. "Hm?", Mei responded. She sounded more cheerful now, and her voice wasn't shaking anymore. "How much further is your house?" Jin asked, looking down at her. "Oh, hmm…", Mei trailed off as she thought. She was taking longer strides now, and was wearing his jacket as if it was an extra coat she had brought along. His right arm was still around her shoulder, which he unintentionally tightened his fingers into the soft skin on her arm. "Ah!", Mei let out a soft gasp almost immediately. "J-Jin… Can you please let go of me?", she asked. "Y-Yeah, sorry.", to which he replied. Her voice didn't sound hostile, it was more docile and slightly embarrassed. "A-Anyways. I live through there.", Mei pointed at the series of smaller apartment buildings in front of them on the other side of the road. "Behind those buildings?", Jin asked. "Mhm!", Mei hummed cheerlily. "That one, to be exact.", she pointed further up, behind the buildings in front of them. Jin followed her finger to a taller building, around the same height as his. "Whoa!", he said in astonishment. The building stood connected to surrounding apartment complexes around the same height, some with colorful balconies and others a sleek shade of glass and windows. Her building was a modern black with walnut wood balconies that towered over the smaller series of buildings. 

As Jin's eyes glazed over the details of her building, he noticed his as well. "Oh, you can see where I live from here.", Jin said with a neutral tone out of familiarity. "You do? Where?", Mei asked as she looked up at him. "That building, there.", he pointed at his building, a sleek, black, older building that was also lined with glass-paned windows that was to the right of Mei's. "On the 32nd floor." It was connected to only one other complex of the same housing unit, but the left side of the building was connected to a hotel that went a ways before connecting to Mei's. "We sure do live close together.", Mei said as she gazed up at his building. "Yours looks cool." Jin gave out a light laugh at her comment, still gazing up at the skyscrapers that lined the horizon. "I guess so.", he responded. 

The two stood there silently on the sidewalk staring up at the towers until Mei spoke up. "Hey, wanna go to a park?", she looked back down at Jin. "A park?", Jin looked down towards the smaller buildings and shops in front of him, then at the street, pondering about what she might be thinking. "Sure, but what would we do?", he asked as he turned his head towards her. "Who knows? We'll find out when we get there.", she said with a cute grin and sparkling eyes. "Let's go!", she says cheerily as she grabs hold of his left hand. Jin was about to protest until she started marching onwards, leading him from the front. "Hey, I'm coming!", Jin said for her to let go. He was getting heated up and could feel blood rush into his face. Mei looks back at him and laughs. "Yeah, I know.", she says, looking back towards the front. She was still holding his hand as she walked, and held it tight until they got there.