They
did end up somewhere close to the centre of Tokyo. The shopping centre was
packed and when he saw her eyes lighting up, he felt a shiver go down his
spine. However, her eyes weren't on the shopping centre She smiled softly and
walked in front. He got curious where she was heading to and trailed behind.
The
place she wanted so badly to go to was a few streets down, in an emptier and
more silent neighbourhood His eyes trailed over every block on the street. The
people there didn't give him a second glance; they were completely uninterested
of what was around them.
“This
place is creepy,” The girl laughed and shook her head. She chose to wait up for
him since the shop she was looking for wasn't too far.
“This
is actually one of the nicest places I've ever been to. Some of my friends live
around her.”
“It’s
too silent. It feels like we’re not in Tokyo any more.” She chuckled and placed her hands into the
small pockets of her thin sweater.
“It’s
here.”
They
stopped in front of a small coffee shop, which looked a bit abstract. The
building looked very old and almost haunted. When they entered, he got a shock.
It was amazingly done inside. It smelled of freshly made coffee and wood. There
was a small portion where the bar was and on the opposite were a few tables. On
the walls, there were pictures of old Japanese and Western indie bands and
different pieces of art. She walked deeper into the building and opened another
door. Nao found himself more and more amazed. The second looked like a
traditional English living room. It has posters with different English
personalities and characters. One wall was occupied by a library, each shelf
full with diverse literature; the rest of the walls were simply covered with
different art objects older customers have brought. There were also a few
cushions and three small coffee tables.
“It’s
nice, huh?” She sat on one of the cushions and sighed, happily. He walked
towards the library and scanned the titles and authors. “This is the first
place I had ever come across when I first came to Tokyo. I was intrigued why
they used United Kingdom as a muse,” Her eyes trailed to the pictures on the
walls. “They said it’s because of music and the impact the English literature
had on the world.” Her eyes also trailed to the new acquaintance. He was
dressed in a pair of black pants, had a white shirt and a colourful cardigan
over it. He looked entranced by the magic of that collection of literature.
“This
place…How could I have not known about it?” She laughed and walked near him.
She touched one book and grabbed it out.
“Sometimes
we choose to ignore the things that look different. This building looks awful
outside, but inside, it leaves you speechless.” He bent his head, thinking.
When
he heard the door open and close, he realized she walked out. He sighed and
took another look at his surroundings. The room was beige. Everything was very
simple but classy and tasteful.
“Are
you still admiring the room?” He got completely stunned when she walked back in
with two recipients in her hands, unnoticed. She placed the cups down on the
table and took her spot back. He also sat opposite her and relaxed.
“How
come I feel like is winter instead of summer?” He stated, amused. She chuckled
and took a sip from her beverage.
“Because
it gives off a comforting feeling, homey even.” She sighed and looked up to
him. “It’s not hot coffee. I know it’s pretty hot outside and here it isn't any
better.” His smile disappeared completely from his face and stared intently
into her eyes.
“Who
are you?” She bit her lip and clicked her tongue.
“You
can call me Nana.” He nodded, though he wasn't sure why she didn't tell him her
real name. “ I'm in my last year of University. I study Business and
Management.” He was a little surprised she gave him details about her life,
even if they weren't that important.
“ I'm a freelancer. I don’t have a job right now.” They both looked into each others’
eyes yet no one spoke another word. It didn't feel awkward. It felt normal,
intense even. However, they both felt it…
I knew that was the first and last time we will
ever meet. I could feel it in my heart and I was sure he did too. It was
unfortunate but looking into his eyes, back then, made me want to learn more
about him and his life. I didn't ask much and didn't tell much either. We
started to talk about usual subjects like books and music but it was obvious he
was trying hard not to ask me about different things, to ask me about what we
had talked about when we just met. Life and reasons; happiness and dreams. But
he didn't because we didn't have the chance to talk about the old times. One
day. It was just a one day meeting.