If The Destiny Could Be Chosen

Chapter 7

The green bus that travels around the city with the unit number 1709 coincidentally stops at this stop today. This bus is hardly ever boarded by people but sometimes it carries many on weekends and Mondays.

"Shoot, we're at the bus stop! Listen, when can we hang out again?"
"Let's see. What about the day after tomorrow? I have practice, but I'll be free in the afternoon."
"Yay! I found a café with good reviews on Tabelog I would like to go to. Maybe I'll make reservations!"

It was afternoon, and I'd been listening to that sickeningly sweet conversation on the bus for a while. The voices were coming from the back seat. I'd been staring out the window; I felt a little awkward about looking back at them. As I watched the water droplets flowing backward in complicated patterns, I was oddly impressed.

Couples actually do have conversations like that. I'd never truly understood the demand for foodie apps before, but apparently Tabelog really was a thing for city dwellers. I didn't know you could make reservations at cafés, either.. My eyes went to my smartphone. My blue dot was slowly getting closer to the red flag icon at my destination. In ten minutes.

An electronic chime sounded, and the monitor beside the driver's seat displayed the words Stop Requested.
"Okay, Haru, see you later!" someone chirped. When I saw the black-haired girl who was getting off the bus, I did a double-take-she was really similar to Fuji from the back and there is something about her. She was an elementary school girl, she wore a high school backpack while holding an IPhone 12 pro max in her right hand. So she was the girl who read Tabelog behind?

"Ooh, lucky me!" A long-haired girl, also in elementary school, boarded the bus and took the first girl's place. "I thought I might get to see you, Haru." she said, running happily toward the back seat.

My eyes followed her involuntarily. "What the-?!"

The kid sitting on that back seat with his legs crossed, and he couldn't have been more than ten or so.
"Hi, Ayane," he said, giving the girl an elegant wave. He took her backpack with a smile, like a gentleman escorting a lady. He had a silky short bob, sharp eyes, and childlike but symmetrical features; he seemed rather princely. Did this kid have a girlfriend for every bus stop? The bus set off again, and I tore my eyes away from them. Behind me, I could hear them flirting.
"Hmm? Kana, did you curl your hair?"
"Oh, you can tell? Yes, just a little. Nobody else noticed it today, but of course you would, Haru. So? What do you think? Does it look good?"
"Yeah! It looks great-kinda grown-up, like a middle schooler." The girl gave a little chuckle.

It was embarrassing just hearing how happy she was, and I started to feel excruciatingly awkward. This kid was in grade school, but he probably had multiple girlfriends, and on top of that, those girls were making reservations at Tabelog cafés. The guys who get all the girls start so young.

"He is popular." I muttered while getting off the bus.

As I walked into the corridor of the supermarket, my mind started thinking of the girl who had left the bus earlier. She had long black hair and a sharp toned voice. Her eye color is barely noticeable but I bet it's brown.
That must be the girl I dreamt of days ago.

I entered the supermarket and the AC which prevents the cold air inside from going outside blows my hoodie off my head. It's noon and the rain has stopped. I bought an umbrella and placed it on the trolley.

When I was about to take some packs of instant noodles, I didn't notice another person's hand that was about to pick the same pack of noodles too. A fair white moisturized skin with silky fingers, When I looked to the right, it was Fujii.