STRANGERS FOR YEARS, THREE NIGHTS AS FRIENDS

˗ˏˋ A NEW FRIEND? 'ˎ˗

As the sun sets, the sky takes on ombre hues of orange, red, and hot pink. The brilliant globe slowly lowers, and the hues begin to fade. There was no cloud in the sky, and everyone on the ship had either gone to their rooms or was still wandering about the different floors. From what it had been before when all floors were empty, it was busy with citizens trying to find their rooms.

A gleaming orb shines brightly in its place now after the burning star settles down. The main lobby continues to play its jazzy songs, along with a few classical pieces. However this time, not many people were there to see it.

The blue navy waves rock against the ocean regularly and mild gusts of wind blow through the cruise, boosting the chilly temperatures outdoors.

Passing through the busy diner was quite a struggle for the detective. Considering how the only possible way to get to the top of the main deck was through the bustling diner, that meant he had to squeeze through different tables abruptly. It wasn't that hard to avoid conversations or questions as he did, and luckily, it didn't take a while for him to reach the main deck.

Whooshh!

A chill sent up his spine while he mumbled, "Is the fall always this cold? Maybe it's just the sea..."

Seven's pale figure shook slightly as he made his way to the railing that followed around the cruise's deck. He leaned against the railing while goosebumps crawled up his arms. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt on this trip may not have been the best decision.

How did Seven not notice? Everybody was wearing long-sleeved garments after all.

He hung his head low, watching the ocean waves continue their activity. There were no fish in sight, but Seven wouldn't have noticed if there were. In the dark blue navy ocean, he couldn't see anything. Knowing that...it was unsettling, considering how he hadn't been on a cruise in a while.

Or perhaps he worried too much about it, overthinking everything like always. Of course, from this height, one cannot see into the gloomy seas. Seven was kept on his feet throughout the day. He second-guessed himself and considered everything suspicious or overall weird.

The gentle breezes danced through Seven's tangled raven locks. His gaze remained focused on the sea, and he paid no attention to anything else. Was I sent here to locate something or to protect something, he wondered.

The black-haired boy was so focused that he didn't notice the main deck door creaking open. A stranger had entered the main deck, and they, too, didn't notice Seven. The stranger's laced coat ruffled as they made their way to the white, chalky railing, unconcerned about the frigid winds.

Standing in front of the white railing, they removed their coat. The material inside the coat was pretty itchy, just like the fancy clothes the stranger wore. The stranger's thin body was revealed when they let the cover fall over their shoulders.

Finally, Seven got out of his mind and gave the random individual on the right a side-eye. Even though he was only a few meters away, he could hear their frigid shutters and breaths.

Before sitting down, the stranger turned around with their back to the railing. There was silence at first but Seven kept an ear out, even though he knew it wasn't polite to listen in on other people's conversations.

"...Why," The stranger began to mutter audibly, "are my parents really the only way of my existence being noticed? Am I even treated as an actual human being?"

Continuing to mutter negative words under their breath, the stranger clenched their fist hard. Their nails dug tightly into their palms, crimson possibly streaming out. Then suddenly, the voice in their tone grew louder and louder.

"Oh please, at this point, I don't think anyone can notice you. Not even your goddamn parents!"

...

Seven was strangely silent in response to those sentences. He kept listening to what the stranger had to say. Then he turned his gaze to the night sky and murmured to himself, I shouldn't be allowed to even hear this. I mean, maybe this whole message could be used as blackmail, but still.

He slowly walked away, ignoring the newcomer, and headed straight for the exit. But, before he could continue, a coughing fit caught up with him. The coughs that came from his mouth were quite loud. Loud enough to get the stranger's mind out of the gutter.

Cough! Cough!

The skinny figure immediately whipped their head around to the coughing noises before hastily stepping up to help Seven. Their eyes were filled with concern as they shook their arms around the coughing figure. "Are you okay?! Do you have asthma? Do you need an inhaler?!

"No–" Seven responded by waving his hands, expressing that he did not want any help. Several hard coughs could be heard before the black-haired man raised his head to look at the stranger. From up close, it looked like they were really beaten up. It kind of scared Seven.

"Sorry," he apologized, clearing his throat, "it was just one of my regular coughing fits. I don't have asthma. Thank you for your concern," Seven said in a blank, monotone voice.

The stranger let out a sigh of relief, thankful that one of the guests on his cruise wasn't hurt. And if one of them were to be hurt, he would never forgive himself. Even if it wasn't his fault. "That's good..."

The stranger's face scrunched up as he glared at the pale man because of Seven's awful posture. He'd never seen somebody with such a poor posture before. It nearly made him laugh.

His eyes caught another glimpse of Seven's back posture. "Erm...sir? Is your back okay?"

"Huh? It's always been like this." Seven rubbed his nape awkwardly, "Don't worry about it," he added like it was a comment.

Seven looked at the shorter man, becoming even more worried by their appearance. Despite his baggy, elegant attire wrapped in lace, his face showed that he wasn't taking care of himself. Seven broke eye contact with him by rolling his eyes.

...He looks so weak, he thought to himself before the shuffling of clothes pulled him back to reality. From there, Seven observed the shorter man pin up his hair. It looked perfectly brushed, unlike his.

A few words escaped out of their mouth, which Seven himself couldn't even catch. They were too inaudible. And not even a moment later he saw the man's lips curl up into a smile before reaching out his hand for a handshake.

"Apologies, allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Prosper."

After hearing their introduction, Seven finally recognized who this 'Prosper' was. It was the guy who ran with that other stranger to the elevator. How could he forget?

As he nodded in response, Seven shook hands with Prosper before he could introduce himself. A monotonous tone was laced with his words. "Prosper, huh? That sounds like a magical name...I'm Seven."

"Oh, thank you," Prosper let out a small chuckle. "Nice to meet you."

Cold wind gusts blew through their hair and into the chilled air. It seemed hard to believe that this fall night would be frigid. The cruise was pressed against soft ocean waves which caused distant splashes. Tonight marked the first night of our trip to the unknown.

Nobody knew where the cruise was journeying to.

The night sky was cloudless, save for the big light ball hovering above. Its soothing illumination brightens the deck and shines the dark, dreamy sea beneath, which hides mysteries.

Time was ticking and Seven had only two nights left to figure out the mysteries of this cruise. With the help of low hope and endless searching, there was a chance that it could never be solved. Or maybe some new friends and a few changes could glint that low hope.

It was all a mystery.