Four Seasons of Summer

[2-2]

Much to my surprise, the taxi stand was not as crowded as I thought it would be. It has been two years since I have been here, and the last time I left it was just past midnight, so the massive crowd was something I couldn't forget.

But it was almost four in the morning now.

There were more taxis than the number of people hanging around the area, and most of the dining area were closed for the day. A group of guys were making a scene nearby but that was none of my concern. What was concerning was the fact that Yui was nowhere to be seen, and I am not a hundred percent sure she would be at home either.

Even though Singapore is a relatively small island, the idea of not being able to reach her does not sit well with me.

I walked out to the main road and another sigh escaped me as I looked up at the starless night sky. It would be morning in an hour or so, and a chilling wind blew lightly over me. Just as I wondered if I should try my luck and head back first, a figure caught my attention from the corner of my eye.

He was standing on the other side, his arms waving wide.

"Shin! Oooooooover here!"

That familiar voice I heard not too long ago surfaced in my head. Even though it was dark, the streetlamp shining above them made his figure stood out all the more.

It belonged to Desmond, Yui's co-host earlier. I would've looked around and thought a little about who he was directing his attention at if he had not called my name.

I wasn't used to someone calling out to me like that at all. Even though there weren't much people around, I could feel their eyes digging into my back. Ignoring them, I ran across the empty traffic towards him. A sour smell soon assaulted my senses.

"Yui?"

I went towards the small, arched back that was straight ahead. Her arm was leaning against the streetlamp while her other hand was pulling her hair back. She was kneeling on the patch of grass, and it did not took a genius to identify where the sour stench came from.

I held my breath and my head in my hands. I have never drank with Yui before, so I won't have known of how much she could take. She did mention she could hold her liquor, but I guess I got the answer in front of me.

"We didn't expect her to be down so quickly." Desmond's voice brought my attention back to him. The stench of alcohol lingered in the air as he spoke. I wasn't sure what kind of face I was pulling, but I made sure to at least smile understandingly.

"We were drinking over at Bang Bang, over thereeeee." He pointed at a random area of the shopping mall. I remembered there being a club behind Marina Square, so he was probably referring to that.

Desmond didn't look like he was doing well either. His face was flushed and his eyes were slightly swollen. His steps were staggering between left and right like he was trying to hold his balance together.

"I'm glad to see you here. Reeeeaaaallly. I wanted to flag a taxi and send her back at the entrance but she insisted on coming back to the Esplanade." Desmond gave a clap, like he has connected something in his head. "...Ah, was she waiting for you?"

The plan we talked about in the morning was to grab some supper before heading back, but it seems like that has gone to dust now that Yui's in this state.

"Yeah. We're supposed to grab supper. But my phone's broke down so I wasn't able to call her."

"No wonder. I guess that's you she was trying to reach earlier. Do you know where she stays? I-"