Kenji Watanabe did not know what he was doing with his life. At the ripe age of seventeen, most people would have figured this out, but here he was, sitting aimlessly on a worn-down couch, trying to think about life.
He was awoken from his thoughtless trance by the sound of his phone ringing. He never bothered to change the ringtone, so it remained the default, blaring noise.
"Kenji, my man! Are you up to come down to the Chrysler? Tina has been nagging about how she wants to scale the building or something like that for about a week now. I gave in, but I'm in short supply of emotional support. Please come, bro, I'm begging-"
"Oi, quit yapping, mate; I'll be there," replied Kenji (albeit while yawning) to Matteo, his best friend for about eleven years.
"Come on, man, don't tell me you just woke up," groaned Matteo from the other side of the call.
"Gimme a few; just tell me when to come," Kenji answered, already feeling like returning to his dreamless sleep.
"Around three sounds good, I guess. I and the others already had lunch, and Alia called Myke, so get yourself here quick; you got that soldier?" Matteo questioned him playfully.
"Yessir, I'll be there!" replied Kenji, finally starting to feel a tad bit awake. "Now put down the phone, you little- " The long beep signifying that the call had been cut was heard. Kenji chuckled to himself and slowly sat up. He probably had to brush his teeth.
After about what felt like an hour or so, Kenji exited what seemed to be a dilapidated apartment, perfectly finished off with beige paint slowly peeling off the building, revealing a few cracks in the outer wall.
The walk to the nearest metro wasn't that far, plus Kenji enjoyed walking. In an era where everyone travelled along in their hoverbikes and cars, walking seemed refreshing. Just going at your own pace, not feeling rushed, and always feeling peaceful because of the surrounding nature Not that there was much left of it anyway.
After reaching the Grand Central Terminal, Kenji hopped on one of the trains that were heading towards the Chrysler Building. The trains now seemed to be much different than those before. They were known as hover trains, which travelled many metres higher than normal hover vehicles. The undersides of the trains were made of some sort of sturdy glass, so you could see the city below. These sights were usually pleasant, especially when combined with the rise or setting of the sun.
Due to the train's speed, Kenji reached the station near Chrysler in one minute flat, and he proceeded to walk towards the tall structure. Upon nearing the main gate, he saw his friends waiting for him.
"Kenji, we told you to come at three, dumbass." Alia scowled, while Tina, who was next to her, also frowned. Kenji apologised profusely, explaining that he had lost track of time while admiring the view from the hover train (which wasn't true). Alia rolled her eyes and said they would forgive him this time, but he owed them all ice cream for making them wait. They laughed and walked towards the entrance of the Chrysler building, excited for their adventure. Kenji couldn't help but glance back at the hover train station, already eager to ride it again and take in the breathtaking views.
While they all caught up for a bit, Mykel and Matteo entered the scene holding some bagels and other small snacks. "I bought some in case we get hungry; there aren't many shops here and very little activity to add to it." He said this while stuffing a bagel in his mouth.
"First of all, ew. Second of all, for all that talk about scaling this dump, how are we even going to get in?" Alia asked, glancing towards Tina.
"Honestly, I didn't think that through," Tina replied, as the five silently gazed at the seven-foot-tall barbed wire fence surrounding the humongous building.
