Project: Socialize

After the movie was over and the three of us left the movie theater, I followed behind Loyd as he led us through the streets of Nocsinis. The ambient noise of the busy streets provided a stark contrast with our leisurely stroll. The stream of pedestrians rushed towards the train stations due to the start of rush hour. They walked at a fast pace as they tried to make it to the station on time to catch their daily commute train home.

"This place seems kinda nice," Loyd said to us as we approached a restaurant.

I looked in through the wide windows and into the restaurant. This place appeared quite modern and clean, similar to the other restaurants of Palisia. It would also appear that this place was quite popular with students as evidence by the numerous tables occupied by people around my age dressed in different high school uniforms.

"This place is ranked quite high online," Loyd explained to us.

The three of us entered the restaurant, and were immediately greeted by a waitress in uniform.

"Welcome," the young waitress, probably a high school student who's working a part-time job here, said in an energetic voice. "How many?"

"Three," Loyd responded with a friendly smile, which elicited a faint blush on the waitress's face.

"Please follow me." The young waitress then led us over to a booth by the window, and we sat down in the arrangement of me sitting next to Loyd with Muria sitting opposite to us. "Please use the tablet to order." The waitress gestured with her hand at the tablet that was secured to the table by a white cable.

"Thanks." Loyd maintained the same friendly smile as he saw the waitress off. "So what do you wanna order?"

I reached out my hand towards Loyd, gesturing for him to hand me the tablet so that I could order. Loyd stared at my outreached hand for a second, and then he seemed to have noticed my intent. So he then placed the tablet in my hand.

I took the tablet and began looking over the menu. I first went to the drinks section, and placed an order for the recommended carbonated melon juice, which was 25 Vil. I then went to the entree section, and ordered a omelette that was 85 Vil. After finishing with my order, I held up the tablet with one hand towards both of them, waiting for either one of them to take the tablet from my hand to order.

"Go ahead," Loyd smiled as he gestured for Muria to go ahead and order.

Hearing Loyd's decision, I held the tablet up towards Muria, who accepted it. She began swiping through the menu, searching for food items that she would like. Then, when she's finished, she handed the tablet to Loyd, who quickly placed his order.

Not too long after, the waitress returned with a platter containing our drinks. Muria had ordered a milk tea and Loyd had asked for soda. Then, with our drinks on the table, came the segment of the day that I feared the most.

"It is quite sad," Muria said. "I admire the main character's dedication...How he waited for his first love for thirteen whole years..."

"What do you think?" Loyd looked over towards me as I looked out the window while sucking on the straw.

"Huh?" I wasn't prepared for the sudden interrogation so I tried to come up with something on the spot. "I like the art style."

"That's it?" Loyd appeared quite surprised. "What did you think of the story?"

"It's...stupid, I guess," I said.

"How so?" Muria appeared quite annoyed by my answer.

"Like it's stupid that she didn't wait for the train to pass, and judging by the fact that she has a fiancee already, she's already moved on from that relationship," I reasoned. "So, just like the title of the movie, Six Centimeters per Second, that is the speed that their heart is distancing...When the past becomes a figment of one's memory, one tend to try and recall that memory, and in the process, he or she tend to beautify it, making it seem better than what it was before. I think it is because of this, the guy cannot move on even after thirteen years."

"I get your point," Loyd nodded while maintaining that smile on his face. "We used to be the best of friends, but after being away for a few years, I realized that you've become much more colder."

"Like what Loyd said," I continued on. "Speed is distance divide by time, and distance and time washes away everything. One day, that sharp pain of love that tormented someone will become dull, and that dull pain will one day become almost nonexistent because you get used to it. I think that is how time cures physical and emotional conditions, just get used to it. Once you get used to the pain, you won't feel it anymore."

"I don't know why but that sounds super pessimistic..." Loyd said with a bitter smile.

"I can't believe such reasonable words can come out of your mouth," Muria appeared quite satisfied with my answer. "It seems you actually understood the beauty behind the film."

That is right. Time and distance washes away everything. It dulls all sorts of pain, from physical to emotional pain that torments one to the point that they could not rest at night. Or that is what time and distance is supposed to do. I've moved away from that place of hurt, and four years have passed. Convert that to days and that will be one thousand and four hundred sixty days. Into hours and that will be thirty-five thousand and forty hours. However, this pain still bothers me even today. I don't know whether it is because of the gravity of the pain or its just that the theory itself is inaccurate. But, the one thing I do know is that my desire for revenge is still the same as the day that it started burning. My dear mother...how dare you destroy my home...

I rested my face against my right hand as I stared out the window and watched the city. The sun has started to set, dying the world with an orange hue. I watched as the people outside walked at a brisk pace towards wherever they were headed. Because it was a weekday, most likely they were heading home. However, what awaits them after a long day of work is the awful rush hour commute of Palisia.

The food that we ordered soon arrived, and naturally, the conversation shifted from the movie onto the food. What Loyd talked about was mostly the ordinary socializing topics, which were subjects that I'm not that interested in. However, since I'm unable to escape from this situation, I listened in so as to pass time.

After finishing my food, I took out my phone and opened up the internet browser in search of some interesting news. I ignored the look of defeat Loyd had on his face as he stared at my phone with a defeated smile on his face, and continued on with what I was doing.

"Alev," he said, "it's not the best time to use your phone..."

What are you? A professor that researches wild animals that sends ten year old kids off to explore the world with a pet?

"Sorry," I sighed and slipped my phone back into my pockets.

Then, with nothing to do, I found myself staring at Muria as she delivered food to her mouth with a spoon. I was impressed with how elegant she made eating seems. Her every single action seemed to define what elegance was. However, she noticed me staring and lowered the spoon back onto her plate.

"May I help you?" She asked in a stern voice as she wiped her lips with the napkins provided.

"Nothing," I calmly responded.

Her azure eyes glared at me, but there was nothing she could do about it. There's no law prohibiting me from staring at her. Maybe it would be illegal if I wasn't sitting in the same booth as her and was hiding behind the corner of a nearby wall. However, since I'm sitting directly opposite to her, it would be quite natural. Muria seemed to know this fact so she didn't advance further with her interrogation of me. However, she seemed to be quite annoyed by me, which was evident by that annoyed look on her face.

Beside me, Loyd suddenly laughed out loud.

"What're you laughing at?" I looked over at him from the corner of my eye.

"Nothing," he said with a smile. "It's just that I'm quite jealous of you for having such a nice relationship with Muria."

"Please excuse me for my rudeness but are you blind?" Muria began addressing Loyd's observations. "How can anyone even say that our relationship seems to be nice?"

"It's not something you see," Loyd explained. "It's something you feel. Like to me, the two of you feel like you're quite close. Like Alev, you won't feel reserved when talking to Muria, would you?"

"Hmm..." I leaned back on the backrest of the booth chair and looked up at the ceiling. "Come to think of it...she's the only person that I could speak to normally in class..."

"That sounds quite disgusting," she said with a look of disgust on her face.

I sighed and shook my head. "I don't even know why it's like this. And don't say that I'm disgusting. You're the one that would speak to me first most of the time."

My sudden rebuttal of Muria's words elicited a blush on her face.

"T-that's not—" She stuttered as she tried to come up with a defense for herself. However, she was cut off by Loyd.

"I think it's because you view her in a positive light," Loyd pointed out. "After knowing you for so many years, I can tell when you want to get close to someone. I think you want to become close with her."

"Me?" I asked, bewildered by his absurd assumptions. "Impossible."

"That is correct," Muria cleared her throat. Her face was still somewhat red from earlier, but it was slowly returning to normal. However, it was still quite obvious due to the fact that her skin color is on the lighter side. "I'm way out of his league."

With my half opened eyes, I glared at her.

You don't have to say it like that! Well...she is right about that though...Muria is way out of my league, we belong in totally different worlds. In most people, if not all, Muria's the type of person that would go on and become successful in life. As for me, people will expect me to be rotting at the bottom of the social hierarchy after I finish with school. Therefore, I can totally understand where she's coming from. However, it still hurts to be told that out front. Like...can't she say it in a more euphemistic manner?

"But if what Alev said was true," Loyd grinned as he looked over at Muria with a sly look on his face, "you still strike up conversations with him first."

"That is charity," Muria immediately responded without much thought. "It is my form of helping him cope with the misery in his life. I would feel guilty if someone committed suicide when a simple action on my part could save him."

I suppressed a strong urge to laugh as I heard what Muria said. She's panicking right now. I don't know why but she is panicking right now. What is she so afraid of that she's panicking? This isn't like her. Usually, she wouldn't speak like this to anyone other than me. So what happened? What caused you to waver?

"I think that's enough for today," I pressed the button on the tablet to summon the waitress to deliver the bill.

"Alev..."

Loyd appeared quite disappointed as he looked over at me, and Muria remained silent. She looked out the window, possibly to calm herself after that brief episode of panic. To be honest, I should've let that go on for a bit longer. Seeing her like this is quite refreshing, but I didn't want her to feel too threatened. Therefore, I decided to end the scene.

"Loyd," I said to him. "You pay and I'll transfer you the money for my meal."

"Sure," he said after sighing.

"I'll do the same," Muria added in.

Alright, now that's over...

I leaned my body on the backrest of the booth seat and relaxed. I then took my phone out from my pockets and checked the time.