Station 7

"I don't know either." He shrugged. "Mind if I come in?"

"I-I'm actually heading out... Buy some food and stuff," she lied. She bit her lip, feeling guilty of what he said. She didn't know why suddenly didn't like to be alone with him or even welcome him to her home.

"Great! I can come with you."

"Um…" she played with her hands. Maybe she'll go to the mall today.

"Well, of course, if only you want me too."

"I-it's fine. Tara."

They walked in silent to the express station. Fey felt really awkward and she didn't know why.

"Sorry for the last time." Basag ni H sa katahimikan. Napaangat ang kaniyang tingin.

"Okay lang. Pasensya na rin. Masyado 'ata akong nanghimasok sa'yo e kakakilala pa lang naman natin."

Tininigan nito ang kaniyang mga mata. There are lot of emotions in his eyes she couldn't name. Magsasalita pa sana si H nang dumating ang tren.

They ride the express to the Mauve Demesne. She thought that she might see some new clothes there and some of the things she didn't find on the Verdant Mall. They entered different boutiques to search for clothes and other stuff she never had the time to buy before.

After that, they go to the Verdant Market since they offer fresh food at a lower price. Mauve Demesne import food from there that's why the price on the other demesne is higher.

"Have you entered the Survival?" She looked up at him while paying for the grocery.

"Um, nope."

Tumango lang siya saka nanahimik. Awkward.

They walked their way out in silence until H spoke.

"Zaddie are we good? If it's about last time, I'm really sorry I acted that way. It's just that…" She saw pain in his eyes. Like the pain he is bearing was too much.

"I understood. Let's just forget about it, okay?"

A smile creeped to H mouth. "Yeah."

+++

"You're late again."

She instantly looked up and saw Brio leaning on the wall. A smirk was playing on his lips. She prepared herself. Brio will tease her again. It's as if making her uncomfortable made Brio's day. "Did you oversleep?"

"Nope. I'm out… with a friend."

Brio looked at her amused. "So, Is this friend a she?" She shook her head no.

She was about to enter the door when Brio didn't leave his post. He was looking at her with a smirk and a malicious look. "What?!"

Napatawa si Brio habang napapaiing. "By the way, Gusto sana kitang samahan magpractice ngayon kaso may pupuntahan ako. Will you be okay here, shorty?"

Tiningnan niya ng masama ang lalaki. So papanindigan talaga nito ang pagtawag sa kaniyang shorty?

"Don't call me that."

"I'll call you whatever I want, shorty. Anyway, okay ka lang ba rito? Pwede ka namang umuwi, kung gusto mo."

"Okay, lang. Saka sayang rin, nandito naman na ako, e."

"Yeah, sayang nga naman pamasahe mo. Don't worry, next time sagot ko pamasahe mo. Baka maging kasalanan ko pa pagnaghirap ka." Hindi niya naiwasang irapan ang nasa harap.

He was shocked but instantly covered it with an amused smile. "Aba! Umiirap ka na ngayon!"

Napapailing itong lumapit sa kaniya saka ginulo ang kaniyang buhok. "I'll go now. Tell me about this boyfriend of yours,okay?"

"We're just friends."

"Yeah, yeah, you'll pro'ly end like that anyway. Bye!"

Pinanuod ni Fey umalis si Brio bago pumasok sa loob ay nagsimulang mag-ensayo.

Palubong na ang araw nang lumabas si Fey. Pagod na pagod na siya sa pag-eensayo at parang gusto niya na lang umuwi. Habang naglalakad ay palinga-linga siya sa paligid. Inoobserbahan ang mga ginagawa ng mga kapwa niya wayfarer.

"Hi."

Gulat siyang napalingon at hindi inaaasahan kung sino ang makikita niya.  Binigyan niya ito ng tipid na ngiti. "H-hi."

"Pauwi ka na?"

Marahan siyang tumango. "Ikaw?"

H shrugged. "Hatid na kita."

"Wala ka bang gagawin?" nagsimula silang maglakad papuntang estasyon ng tren.

He didn't answer, instead he asked her. "Hmm, kumain ka na ba?"

Umiling lang si Fey. "Samahan muna kitang kumain kung gusto mo. I'm a bit hungry anyway."

"You sure? Baka may gagawin ka pa ha." Fey just want the awkwardness she felt totally. Maybe if she'll hang moe with H it will gone.

"Nah, it can wait."

H brought her to a Thai Restaurant. H told her so. It's actually her first time in a Thai restaurant so when the menu was given to them, she didn't know what she'll order.

"Um, kagaya na lang sa'yo," she said.

"First time?"

"Oo, e."

He gave her a smile. "Don't worry, masarap 'yung in-order ko."

Natahimik sila.

"Nakita mo na ba 'yung buong Ludovia?"

"Hindi pa. We just ascend here and I'm a bit busy in training."

Napatingin si H sa mga mata niya. Hindi niya mawari pero may kakaiba sa mga titig nito sa kaniya.

She was playing with her hands when their food came. Agad niyang inilapit sa kaniya ang pagkain at excited na tinikman ito. Ni hindi na nga niya naisip si H na nanonood na pala kung paano siya kumain. Nakangiti ito. Tila aliw na alin na nagustuhan niya ang pagkain.

She slowly brought her spoon to her plate and blushed. "B-bakit?"

Parang doon lang nahimasmasan ang nasa harapan. Nag-iwas ito ng tingin sa umubo.

"Nothing… I'm going somewhere later." Tumingin ito sa kaniya na pasubo na ng kinakain. "Baka lang gusto mo sumama… Kung hindi ka pa lang naman pa—"

"Okay."

"Talaga?"

Tumago lang siya bago uminom. After eating, she felt full unlike earlier. Maybe she can wander more.

+++

Gabi na ng makarating sila sa palasyo. Men in white can be seen anywhere. Few Wayfarer are wandering around in other shade of fashion. If there's one thing she had noticed when she's looking for her clothes, it's that they have almost every shade of fabric except white. Like white clothes are for Ovelus only. The closest Wayfarers can get is light grey.

"Let's stay here for a while."

"Why?"

"Kailangan nating intayin na umalis sila."

She looked at him intently. "H… what are we doing?" She played with her hands.

He gave her a reassuring smile. Like what they are about to do is normal and she have nothing to worry about. "Did you trust me?"

She didn't know. They just met and see each other for a short time. She didn't even know him well but…

Tinikom niya ang bibig at tumango na lang. He smiled at her and tucked some strands of her hair behind her ears.

Fey followed H as he walked silently, looking around if someone was aware of their existence in that place at night. They made their way to the side of the castle where they met before. As they walked to the hallway, they heard footsteps, so H instantly dragged her behind one of the pillars at the hallway with him. The footsteps stopped, as if the owner of it was searching for a movement to its surroundings.

Her heart was beating so fast because of nervousness. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She even placed her hard to her mouth, afraid she might produce a sound that might cause them to be caught.

After few moments, they heard the echoes of footsteps faded. If only she has a breath, maybe she already heave a deep sigh.

Nang mawala ang kaba niya ay doon niya lang namalayan kung gaano kalapit ang katawan niya sa binata. Hawak pa rin siya nito sa may siko at nang magtagpo ang kanilang paningin ay agad siyang napaiwas ng tingin. Hindi niya tuloy namalayan nang iaangat nito ang mga kamay saka pinunasan ang kaniyang mga pawis.

"Is this your first time sneaking?"

Is this her first time? Hindi niya maalala kaya nanahimik na lang siya habang nakaiwas pa rin sa mga mata nito. Also…

He was… too close…

He held her chin up so that she's facing him.

"Don't worry okay? They won't caught us. Not when you're with me." H gave her a smile. "C'mon, Zaddie. Loosen up."

Binitawan siya nito at tumingin sa paligid. "H?"

"Yes, Zaddie?" hindi ito nakatingin sa kaniya. Tinitingnan nito kung may bantay ba o wala sa daraanan nila. "Tara, doon tayo."

Pumasok sila sa isang maliit na pintong gawa sa kahoy. Pagpasok niya ay agad na isinara iyon ni H kaya naman dumilim ang buong paligid. Agad siyang napahawak sa kasama dahil wala siyang makita sa lugar kung hindi kadiliman at munting liwanag na dala ng kanilang Soulcule.

"H…"

Naramdaman niyang kinapa ng kasama ang kamay niya saka may iniabot sa kaniyang matigas na bagay. "Zaddie, pahawak muna nito. Kunin ko lang .yung lighter."

Nakakapit siya sa balikat nito habang hawak naman ang kung anong bagay na mahaba at matigas.

Sa ilang iglap lang ay biglang nagkaroon ng liwanag. Napapikit pa siya ng mag-adjust ang paningin sa paligid hanggang mapagtantong sulo pala ang hawak niya.

"H."

"Yup?" kinuha nito sa kaniya ang sulo at naunang maglakad.

"Why do you keep on calling me Zaddie?"

"Ha?" tanong nito na parang hindi naintindihan ang tanong niya.

"You keep calling me Zaddie. But my name is Fey."

H froze on his spot. He's looking at her, as if she said something she shouldn't. He was frowning Until it's like something dawned to him.

Umubo ito. "Y-yeah. Sorry."

Binaybay nila ang makipot at madilim na daan kung saan ang tanging tangkaw lang niya ay ang sulong hawak ni H. Lumiko, dumiresto at kung saan-saan sila lumusot hanggang sa may makita siyang liwanag sa dulo.

They hurriedly walked towards the light and as they entered the door outline, a hallway welcomed them. They march to the end of the hallway that brought them to a circular dome with a lot of passages around it. The ceiling is made up of clear glass, allowing them to watch the stars from where they stood.

In the middle was a miniature of the Ludovia which was covered by a huge glass. Ludovia is a land which was divided into three, producing a Y shape of flowing water. The right is where the Verdant Demesne while buildings was on the right. Th castle was located on the upper part standing in good condition although it looked old.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Tango lang ang nasagot niya. She never thought a miniature could be so realistic like this. It got every details in the right place.

"I'll show you something."

H tap a button on the stand below the miniature. The glass suddenly produced a blue pointer. H approached it and place his right hand on the pointer. With his other hand, he make a pinching movement making the miniature's appearance bigger.

"Wow…" Fey cannot contain her amazement.

"How come Ludovia, a place for afterlife, can have something like this?"

"Well, isn't being able to have an almost mortal living life afterlife is astonishing enough?"

Tumingin lang siya sa kasama saka muling pinagmasdan kung paano minaniobra ni H ang miniature. They are like traveling through the miniature and she can see some familiar places she had been.

"We met here."

She saw the lake where they met. She smiled at the thought. "Yeah."

"Now, look at this."

H draw a triangle, then on the top of that is an inverted one. After that, the miniature became dark. Like it shows the night mode unlike earlier where everything is bright. She can even see the light from lamppost on the sidewalk.

H maneuver the pointer until the miniature show the top of the dome they are in. He pinched and Fey couldn't help her mouth being open.

"Oh my gosh, that's us!" she said with her wide eyes.

She looked at H who's smiling, focusing on what he was doing. "Look at the ceiling and wave for me."

Fey instantly face the ceiling and waved. When she looked back at the miniature, she saw herself waving before it looked to the miniature. It's like it's only delay for a few seconds but its as good as live!

She watched H swiping left and right. Panning and pinching the on the glass to control the miniature and go to the castle's different room. She's not even sure if they are violating anything but she never let it bother her.

But one thing is for sure. They are violating something under the code of privacy. They even saw a man taking his clothes! Fortunately, H was fast to maneuver the miniature.

He laughed when he saw her blushed. "Sorry about that."

"L-let's just stay on the public places please."

After their unusual 'traveling', they cautiously made their way out, careful not be caught. Its already dawn when they got out of the castle. She didn't know she'd enjoy looking through the places specially that that night was unexpected.

H insist to walked her to the station that will bring her to the Verdant Demesne to which she didn't want to argue because she doesn't have the energy anymore.

The smile on Fey's face couldn't be erased even though she felt exhausted of standing the whole night. She really did enjoy that sort of travel. She's not even nervous they might get caught on their way out.

"Thank you for the…" she looked at the horizon where the sun started to rise. "day?"

He chuckled. "Anything for you."

She surpassed a yawn as the express started to come to her sight. "I better be leaving. I need to get some rest."

"Yeah, me too."

The express stopped in front of them. The station was deserted in passengers. Maybe they are about to wake up.

H called her name. "When will you enter the Alpha Survival?"

"The day after the next schedule."

"Can I come with you? Well of course if only you want too…"

Fey smiled at him. "Sure." She planed it with Brio. That's why they have a goal to make her prepared before that day.

The express door opened. She was about to enter, when H called her name again.

She turned to him waiting for him to say a word, but nothing came, instead he smile. Binigyan niya rin ito ng ngiti bago siya pumasok.

The door was closing when she heard it. "Bye!"

She approached the nearest window and waved at him. Until she can't see him no more.