Infinity, Taken Literally

Discovery 4

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Neo glances between Reki and the ice cream truck. Typically, he would be all for ice cream, but being here with Neo made his stomach churn with something akin to horrible anticipation.

"You ask that as if we're actually on a date."

Neo sighs. "Aren't we?" Stuffing his hands into his pockets he turns away.

"Have you forgotten the way you blackmailed me to come?" Reki follows a step behind, suspiciously watching his every move.

"Don't get too hung up on the details." As they slowly walk along the edge of the park, Reki takes note of everyone around them instead of acknowledging Neo. Thankfully, despite it starting to get late, there are still groups of people around.

"You can say that." He scoffs, realising Neo is waiting for a response. After a moment of silent walking, he stops and turns to look at Reki. He resists the urge to fold in on himself and away at the calculating look. He was not going to be afraid.

"Why don't we start over?" Neo's face changes to an award-winning smile and he gestures next to him. "I admit that my methods were wrong, so let's get to know each other." The smile doesn't falter when Reki makes no move to stand next to him like asked. The smile is so obviously fake, hiding unknown intentions. Reki knows that he should find a way out of this as soon as he can. He'd promised Langa that he would.

"Are you saying that I can ask you any question I want?" The smile drops for a millisecond, so quick that he almost thought he could've imagined it, before growing twice in size.

"So long as you return the favour." Hesitantly, Reki takes a step forward so they're walking side by side. Neo's smug look almost makes him regret doing so.

After a minute of thoughtful walking, Reki glances up at Neo, who's as calm and collected as he usually is. "Where are you from?" Nice and simple start, even though he doubts he could scare Neo off with a question.

"A few miles North of here." Neo doesn't offer any other elaboration. "How did you and Langa meet?"

The question strikes him as odd. Langa was almost the last person that Reki had expected Neo to want to talk about, especially given their rivalry. "He came to Okinawa a year or so ago, needed a job and I wanted someone to skate with. It's been like this since." Neo hums thoughtfully. "How long have you been in Okinawa?"

"I used to live here a few years ago, me and my," Neo pauses, considering the next word hesitantly. "Family, pass through here every ten years or so. Although I've never met anyone as interesting as you, here before." Reki's step falters, Neo doesn't look any older than anyone else in their class. Although it's plausible for him to come through Okinawa every couple of years, he speaks of it in a way that a child would, which he would've been.

"How old are you?" Reki splutters. The way Neo talks is almost as if he's a lot older than he looks.

"That's two questions." Neo flashes a toothy grin.

"I didn't realise we were playing twenty questions."

"Your other friends, who're they?"

"Who?" Reki blinks in confusion, wishing he had brought his board for something to do other than walk. This conversation was getting confusing fast. Every time he asks a question, Neo already has an answer and one of his own.

"The five from the other day."

"That feels like more than one question." The sharp look he receives in return stops any more complaining. Reki pushes it to the back of his mind in return for getting answers to his questions. "Joe owns a local restaurant and Cherry is a famous calligrapher." Using their S-names feels safer than their actual names. "Shadow works at the flower shop in the middle of town and Miya is a middle schooler." A quick glance up confirms that Neo is silently thinking over this information, such an intense look on his face that makes it already feel like Reki has revealed too much so he quickly moves on.