A TEENAGER BEING OUT THIS late would surely warrant suspicious glances from any passing strangers, but Xiao decides to make a trip into the city downtown anyways. It takes almost two hours to walk there and back, and that's exactly why he decides to go. Anything to stay away from home. Leaving always brings him a sense of weightlessness, as if all of the things that remind him of his pain are suddenly left behind once he steps out of the door.
An hour and three stores later, and Xiao steps back onto the street with a grocery bag in hand, pulling the hood over his head to shield himself from the drizzling rain. The reflection of the city's lights give the illusion that he's standing in another world. Vibrant neon bounces off glass and the puddle-stained concrete, bringing with it an ethereal glow under the moonlight.
He turns to make his way back home. Without a care in the world, he walks with one hand in his hoodie and the other carrying his bag, those golden irises always scanning his surroundings. What time is it now? Midnight? 1am? Xiao doesn't know. The urge to keep track had slipped his mind.
The crowd has thinned now that he's nearing the edge of the city. Less people are out bustling between shops, and it brings a quietness that is unnatural for a place as crowded as this. But things are more peaceful this way. It's unfortunate his inner turmoil is extra stressful tonight. Xiao can't even enjoy the rare opportunity when it presents itself.
Suddenly, he stops, those ever-vigilant ambers landing on the silhouette of a petite girl across the street from where he stands. Like that night in his room that resides so fresh in his memory, a stranger veiled in darkness lingers in front of him. Except in this instance, he knows exactly who the outline belongs to.
Hu Tao stands with her back facing the boy. Though he cannot see her face, he can sense her awe at whatever trinket she is inspecting on the other side of the shop window. Her carefree demeanor is so evident, it can be made out as clear as day from across the dimly lit street and under the ethereal neon lights.
"What is she doing out this late, and so far from home?" Xiao steps towards her.
Suddenly, it all hits him. It's like everything is pieced together through some invisible force guiding his mind towards the answer. Whether it is a nuance in her movements that sets off a memory, or he subconsciously recognizes her under the familiar darkness, something he cannot pinpoint causes him to realize it.
Her strange behavior, her familiarity, her mannerisms: all of it somehow ties back to the stranger in his room all those nights ago. It's like all the pieces of a puzzle suddenly clicked together all at once. He reaches the other end of the street faster than anticipated, and Hu Tao barely notices his presence. Only when she recognizes his identity does she fully turn to him.
