I'm not even in the position to laugh. I, myself, don't even have someone I could call my ex.
I've been too wrapped up in the business of practicing my music and dancing out till I run out of energy. And I've spent eighty percent of my life indoors.
Noises from the background made me look back, and I could see two men fighting and breaking bottles over their heads. I don't even guarantee I would return home safely.
"Can you help open this tin?" the voice of a little girl brought my attention. Her little hands were pulling my sleeves for attention. Out of everyone here, she looked the least unbothered, while a grown ass like me is looking for a place to hide. Everybody seemed unbothered, nobody gathered to watch or even turned their necks to look.
I guess they were already used to such background ruckus.
"You look scared!" Nick's gentle voice brought me back to his gaze. He had been staring at me from up close.
"You don't wanna keep that little champ waiting, do you?" he uttered, and I quickly opened the tin for the little girl.
"Where is your mother?" I immediately asked, as I wrapped my scarf over her neck. I was already petrified by the fact that this little girl was here, where the majority of them appeared to be tough-looking dudes.
"I don't have any parents," she smiled and wandered off to the rest of the kids her age.
"They are runaway orphans, you don't have to worry! They're a lot safer than the abusive orphanage they came from," he patted my shoulder. "Besides, those kids are under my watch. Few people in here provide for the kids as well," he added.
I felt stupid for acting all scared. This is his home after all.
He was quite open and plain to even show me his home.
"Moment of truth. I... I think there's a need for me to tell you the reason why I really want to see her," I blurted out, wrapping my arms on my knees.
"Really? Tell me! I've been wanting to ask, but I didn't know how to bring it up."
"You can ask me anything. You don't need to feel shy around me. You're such a nice person, compared to the rest of the people I have met. I'm really glad I met you tonight."
"You've met other people?"
"Well, yeah, but they weren't exactly friendly," I admitted. "Those guys almost beat me up into a potato pulp. Wait... didn't you see them?"
"No, I didn't. When I saw you, I had just stepped out of the store and noticed you tying up your scarf and dusting your dress. That's when I came over to you. Did something happen before that?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I ran into some people. It wasn't a great experience. I almost got my tooth knocked out from my jaw."
"What? Did they hurt you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Some random guy saved me."
"A guy? Do you know him?"
"Yes and no," I replied. "I've seen him before, but I don't know much about him. Funny enough, the first time I saw him was in the same place I first saw Serena."
"Really? That's... quite a coincidence," he mumbled.
"Yeah, it was such a strange moment. I'm grateful he saved me, but..." I hesitated, thinking back. "There's something about him that feels off. He never speaks. Even when I thanked him, he just nodded and walked away."
"You seem really bothered by that, Miwa."
"Maybe I am, but it didn't get to me too much. It's just one of those moments, you know? Like seeing the same stranger on a train during different encounters you cross paths, but you never really know them or talk to them. That's the kind of situation I'm in."
"Yeah, I get that. It's strange how some people can leave such an impression, even in the briefest encounter. Those moments stick with you for no reason at all, but they feel... significant somehow," he scratched the back of his head with a grin. "I... um, Miss, what about the thing you wanted to tell me? The reason you came looking for her? We were about to talk about that."
"Oh my, I completely forgot. I'm sorry. Our conversation drifted too far into a random topic. My apologies for that."
"You don't have to apologize," he interrupted. "You should always feel free to talk to me, okay?"
The look in his eyes was so reassuring. Serena was lucky to have such a gem at her side. I'm kinda jealous to find an empty spot in the list of outsiders who have a hotspot for me. It's just me and my mother. My eyes immediately caught his right hand. He was missing the pinky finger. What kind of job does he do?
I have no negative theory of what he was doing or what might match the personality he showed me.
It must be something positive, and I bet it ain't something worth paying for their labor. In the end, they get peanut change. I smiled when I remembered I'm Miwa the Singer and a winner at that. I should definitely use my money to donate food for them. That would be so damn satisfying, especially just the kids, so they could have enough for themselves.
Maybe most of them here do charcoal business, their hands are proof it might be want brings food to their table.
"Well, it all started at the Singer talent show. That's where I saw her. I was shocked by how authentic she looked. It was like looking at myself in the mirror. The only thing concealed was her eyes, covered with this....golden mask on the left side. But everything else was exactly like mine. The only difference was her hair. It was brown. I don't know if it's a wig."