ikigai | enhypen ni-ki

9

I'm lost.

We're lost... I think.

I excitedly dragged this stranger around thinking i'd find a nice place nearby. WRONG!
I couldn't find any.

I stopped midway and fished out the phone from my pocket signaling him to wait for a bit and he nods his head.

I opened trusty google translate to translate
"I am lost, sorry is there a place you know where we can eat at?" to French and showed it to the man.

He smiles as he reads the text on my phone and nods. Now it was his time to grab me around and drag me around to a completely different street.

Geez! I've been running all this time since this morning and I'm fucking starving. It's already 2 in the afternoon and I have not eaten lunch and breakfast, only coffee. I usually enjoy eating breakfast although I may seem like the author who just completely skips breakfast.

I enjoy having a fulfilling meal in the morning, especially rice and spam my go-to every morning.

We stopped in front of a fancy looking restaurant, very paris-like vibe restaurant just a place where tourists like me would visit. Thank you Mr. you have taste.

We entered, his hands never left his pockets and a server guided us to a table near the window leaving us with a menu. At this point using google translate was a hassle so I hoped he could understand simple English. "You pick"

"Alright"

He nodded and stared back at the menu and at just let him be, but wait. THIS GUY FUCKING SPEAKS ENGLISH AND I HAD TO TRANSLATE?

I looked back at him my mouth wide open blinking my eyes, out of embarrassment and effort to communicate with this dude only to understand fucking English.

He looks back at me from the menu and a smile creeps up his lips.

This bitch.

He gives the order to the waiter and the waiter takes off to get our order.

"You speak English and you didn't tell me?"

He chuckles and places his elbow on the table resting his hand on his palm. "You never asked"

"You know I don't speak French! I completely ruined my pronunciation earlier in front of you!"

"But you still spoke to me in French, I just responded back"

"Okay you have a point" I say clasping my hands together trying to not be embarrassed in front of this dude who is fluent in French and I just spoke a completely otherwordly French in front of this man.

"Why'd you invite me for lunch?" He asks his face still resting on his palms.

"I wanted to befriend someone here. It feels unfulfilling to just visit Eiffel Tower and call it a day."

"When can I ever experience staying here for a month again? Never. So I decided I just do things I wouldn't normally do."

"Like maybe try to make friends with a stranger"

"Or maybe invite a stranger for lunch?"

"And hopefully have that stranger accompany me to different places here"

I smile plopping both my elbows on the table and placing my face between my hands making a flower pose.

"Is that an invitation?"

"If you take it as an invitation then yes it is, stranger" I laughed withrawing my hands from the table leaning back onto the chair.

"I'll decide after lunch" His deep voice kind of echoed in me. It made me feel jittery kind of. I've never socialized with a complete stranger before. I guess there are things i'd do for my job.

Wait.

I'm on a vacation.

I'm not Gai, here.

I'm Ingrid.

"That reminds me Mr. Stranger with great style, what's your name?" I asked and he seemed to be debating whether he should or should not answer that.

The food arrived as he was contemplating, and we settled down to eat.

"Hmm I'm guessing it wouldn't benefit you if you revealed your name to me so at least tell me your nickname? stage name? pen name? a name you'd like to be called for a month?whatever fits."

"I'll start! Hi! I'm Ingrid!"

"Hey, I'm Nyx"