Chapter 10 - A Nonsense Walk

It’s been a few minutes since we started walking together, and just now, the melon chips are reduced to nothing. Leaving us with nothing to nibble on. Certainly, the person who got the most chips was none other than her, even though I was the one who paid for it.

I let out a sigh and took a glance beside me. As she noticed me glancing at her, she turned her head to me. “Something’s wrong?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing…” I answered, shaking my head.

“Hmmm… Got it.” she said, nodding her head once and turning her head back to the road.

It was peaceful. She was not doing anything other than being quiet and calm as we walked together. I was a bit surprised, knowing that she was mostly lively and absurd. But this time, however, after we finished eating the chips, she stayed quiet the whole time.

This is the first time I’ve seen her act this normal. She usually is not, and that’s what surprises me the most. Honestly, seeing her in this kind of mood is something I wouldn’t mind once in a while.

“Are you going for a ride or something?” I asked.

We are nearing the bus stop just around the corner where some of the students are waiting for their ride. It made me wonder if she was also going there.

“Why are you asking me that?” she asked, turning her head to me.

“Uh… Because we are nearing the bus stop?”

“Oh…” she murmured. “I thought you were going to bring me home.”

I blinked. “For being supposedly a guy, you are acting pretty odd right now.”

She chuckled softly. “I told you already. I am a bot a girl and a guy, right?”

“Even if that was the case. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re inviting me to bring you home.” I paused then looked at her, “Is that what you normally do?”

“Of course not.” she smiled, still looking straight at the road. “You’re the first guy I invited. Shouldn’t you feel honored?”

I chuckled. “Well, I wonder about that.”

“You could say I was trying some new things.” she said, clearing the silence. “I don’t know if that makes sense.”

As she was talking, she felt different than usual, and I couldn’t help but notice it. She was not talking to mess with me, but rather it felt like she was talking to me genuinely for the first time.

I wouldn’t say that I disliked her all this time, but she was definitely annoying, and that is one thing I’m sure about her. But for her to sound like this for the first time, I could tell that this was a totally different side of her I wasn’t expecting.

“Hey!” she called, noticing I was lost in thought. “Did you hear me?”

“I was listening. It’s just I was surprised to see you being this unusually quiet and calm.” I paused, and realized something.”

I remember back when we first met. She approached me while I was playing a game. She stayed quiet and stared at my game. Not saying anything the whole time, and suddenly walked away without saying anything.

“Ah right, you were like this too the first time we met.” I added, feeling in the same mood from her at that time.

“The first time we met?” she asked, looking at me. “When was that?”

I squinted at her. “It’s not like it was years ago. How could you forget about it?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t. I was asking you when was that time that we met.”

“It was just a few weeks ago, right? When you approached me while I was playing a game.”

“Ah, that one…” she muttered.

“What do you mean ‘Ah that one.’?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What? Is there a problem?”

“You sounded like we met way before that…” I muttered, pondering about it. “But, I don’t remember seeing you before.”

“It’s been months since then so I doubt you would even remember it.” she revealed.

“Wait really!?” I exclaimed in surprise, looking at her. “Don’t tell me you’re messing with me right now?”

“I don’t. But then, it doesn’t really count as meeting each other, so I wouldn’t say that.” she revealed, further confusing me.

“I… I don’t get what are you trying to say.”

She exhaled a laugh. “If you remembered your question before, as to why I knew about you even though you don’t know about it. It was that time I learned about your name.”

Even though she revealed that, it still doesn’t make any sense for me to not remember her. Saying that she learned my name made it more confusing, what did she even mean by that?

“I’m still confused. Why did you have to say you learned my name? I don’t remember you at all, and if it was not the case, that must’ve meant that someone told you about my name then?”

“That was not it.” she paused then chuckled softly, “I actually overheard it.”

“You… overheard it?” I took a glance at her suspiciously. “That doesn’t sound very nice Ari…”

She shrugged. “It’s not my fault that I overheard it.”

“Overheard from who?” I couldn’t help but be curious about where she heard it from.

“We’re at the bus stop.” she said, ignoring my question. “I’m going to wait here.”

After minutes of talking and walking together, we then finally reached the bus stop as the long road ended on the highway. I looked at her as she took a seat at the bench, and realized she obviously ignored my question.

Well, it’s not that it was important.

Even though it was the case, a part of me wanted to know where she heard it. Because there must be someone who was gossiping about me. Then I realized,

I doubt that was the case. I was relatively not well known, and no one would waste their time gossiping about me.

“I should get going now.” I said, giving her a small wave before turning to leave.

“Thanks for walking together with me.”

I nodded and smiled as I walked away. It’s been a while since I was able to walk together with someone, and it certainly felt great to bid farewell and meet them again tomorrow. Considering how annoying Ari is, there’s a high chance I will be able to see her again soon.