Long Nights

[5] harana

セレナーデ
5. harana
— a sweet, romantic song dedicated to someone special; a serenade.

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10:12 p.m. NIGHT #5.

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NOAH

I slammed the telephone back to its place with a sigh before stepping out of the phone booth. Outside, the streets have come to life in a series of lights and sounds that rushed in its nightly demeanor.

But for the first time since I've arrived in Tokyo, I wasn't there to marvel at the view.

Pushing my cold hands deep into the pockets of my deceased uncle's weary, brown, oversized coat, I kicked a pebble that was in my way, letting it skim over the curb and hit a nearby fire hydrant. A cat who had found solace by it, hissed at me angrily before jumping away.

Great, even animals have a profound disdain for me now.

I huffed out a breath and returned my earphones back to my ears before playing my go-to playlist at full blast volume.

Seconds ago, I had just called my aunt back at home to tell her that I would, in fact, be out late again. She had reprimanded me of course, warned me of the dangers of the night with the pickpockets and criminals that hid in the shady corners of Tokyo.

But I would rather be sacked by a masked man than spend my entire life in that cold home of hers, hiding away and letting my mind roam free until I finally lose it

I didn't want to stay put and think, because thinking would lead to remembering, and remembering would lead to reliving — which was everything I've been trying to avoid for the past three months.

Despite what my aunt believes, I do indeed feel slightly more alive walking lonesome by the streets of this city. It feels like being carried along by the ocean of people, letting the sea of lights take me to somewhere other than reality.

Tonight was rather different though.

With a slight glance at my wristwatch, I then looked up to see the lone bench next to a street lamp at the eastern side of Ueno Park.

Yuuki and I had come to a conclusion that fate would have its strange way of making us cross paths anyway, and so we had decided to precede whatever magnetic force was pulling us together, and meet up here. Just to talk again, keep each other company for the night.

The bench was cold as I sat down, nothing but the comforting music to company me. Ueno Park seemed quieter compared to the other streets and places in Tokyo that I've visited before. It was also more ambient with a line of Cherry Blossom trees gracing its cobblestones. Petals scattered across the ground, and it reminded me of something. Or maybe someone.

"What are you listening?"

I sat up straight in surprise as Yuuki suddenly appeared out of nowhere, seemingly amused at my jumpy reaction. I don't think I'll ever get used to her out of the blue appearances in my life. She was almost like a ghost that apparated every night time, haunting me.

"Where did you even come fro—" My sentence stopped midway when my gaze landed on her and I realized that she wasn't wearing her usual faded white dress that was starting to grow on me.