My Sweetest Downfall

See You When I See You

Adeera

I wouldn't ever forget the moon that witnessed him that night.

His clothed back was bathed by the pale moonlight and jet black hair appeared slightly orange due to the streetlamp above. His shoulders slumped heavily like the burden of the world was too much to bear. His steps were heavy, limbs dragging along the pavement before he decided to take a seat at the nearest empty bench.

The night itself was tranquil, accompanied by the cold breeze and the loneliness that came along with the absence of the pedestrians. Despite the sleepiness that clung to my eyelids and the negativity of the day sucking the life out of me, his presence managed to sweep me off my feet.

It wasn't a daily occasion having to meet another soul as broken as me.

I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the coldness of the night seeping in through the thick clothes I wore. I took a moment, pondering, before twirling my heels, heading towards the nearest convenience store.

A cup of hot chocolate and a hot pack were in my grip by the time I exited the store. My gaze scanned the surroundings, noting that he was still there sitting on the bench facing the river. Carefully, I made my way towards him. The warmth of the hot chocolate reminded me of why I did this kind of thing in the first place.

I stopped right behind him. The wind blew harsher and I caught a faint whiff of his perfume. Sandalwood mixed with the coldness of the air, making my heart uneasy and heavy for some reason. I took a deep breath and slowly placed the cup of hot chocolate and the hot pack on the empty side beside him.

He didn't seem to notice it yet so I took the initiative to tap his shoulder, turned around and walked away instantly when he raised his head. Despite the urge to run away from his sight as soon as possible, I tried to maintain the pace of my steps until I was a few streets away from him. A sigh left my lips as I stopped under the streetlamp. A hint of a smile traced my lips, knowing the fact that I gave a small token of kindness to a stranger.

May his day be filled up with happiness tonight, even if it's small.

***

"May I ask why?"

I raised my head, meeting my gaze with a pair of hazel eyes. Mia was written in the name tag on her right chest. Her brown hair was tied up into a high ponytail. Her chin rested on the palm of her hand, gaze unwavering. Some of the hair framed her face, doe eyes bore into my figure.

I gulped down the lump in my throat, not expecting to be stared at like that.

"Pardon me?"

Her thin lips carefully curved into a smile.

"I've been noticing." Her gaze fell onto the rose-shaped tissue paper that was currently in my hand. My gaze followed hers. "You create that and leave it on the table every time you come here. I purposely left it there when cleaning so the next customer would receive it but sometimes when we're about to close, I would be the one to take them home."

A small smile painted my face.

"Which one do you prefer?"

"The butterfly-shaped one. You still remember 'Breathing doesn't mean that you're alive. So find at least something to make you look forward to life.'? I love that one."

It was weird, having someone speak every single word that I poured out my heart out right in front of me. It was as if my emotions were laid out to see so people could judge me on my thoughts. It could be a terrifying thing considering how a stranger could do anything to figure out the complexity of my mind.