The first few minutes of the car ride were spent in awe. After all, it was our first time being driven home by a classmate, in a brand-new car, no less. To be honest, the thought of going back to public transportation after experiencing this luxury filled me with a sense of dread that I didn't even know was possible.
The first few minutes of hype died down, and a tired silence settled over the car. It wasn't awkward or anything; everyone was just tired after studying for so long. To think that the next six days were going to be just like today didn't make it any better. So it was no wonder that no one felt like saying anything.
Still, this kind of silence wasn't so bad. Being able to relax with people who shared in your struggles was oddly comfortable.
The first one dropped off was Yu. He gave Mei a small "thank you" before leaving the car and gently closing the door. The moment he was out, he somehow found a second wind of energy and happily ran to the front door.
...Someone's clearly eager to go home.
Luna was the second one to get dropped off, and she reacted the same way. She gave Mei a small side hug before hopping out and bolting to her front door. We made sure that she got inside safely before driving off.
Now, only she and I remained. The silence now carried a slight chill that didn't belong to the summer air.
No words needed to be said. There was a reason why I was the last to be dropped off. And she seemed to realize that as well.
As we approached the intersection that would lead to my house if we took a right, Mei turned the left signal on. A continuous blinking ticked in the car until we turned and the signal shut off.
Throughout the whole drive, Mei continued to don her cheery smile, and I continued to gaze absentmindedly out of the window.
Eventually, Mei parked at what seemed to be an abandoned parking lot. We both wordlessly stepped out of the car. In front of us were two familiar rundown buildings. We navigated the area around them, jumping over fences tangled in overgrown roots until we reached a familiar alleyway.
The sun was still setting, so the alleyway was neither a dull grey nor an inky black. Instead, it seemed to be painted by a hazy orange, almost like a mirage.
We walked down the alley until we reached the vending machine. Mei took her seat where she usually did—behind the shadow of the vending machine and the corner of the wall—while I sat thirty centimetres away from her.
It was only when we were here, in our special spot, that things finally changed.
Mei pulled both knees to her chest and sank her head into them, letting out a deep, tired breath. The cherry smile she had been wearing all day vanished.
I couldn't help but be just a little surprised. While it wasn't a new sight, I was still more accustomed to seeing her smile. In fact, it was the first time I'd seen her like this—or anything similar—since sports day.
Mei seemed to notice my staring as she asked, her voice devoid of emotion, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
I let my expression go flat as I leaned back. "It's nothing. I was just surprised you sighed that loudly."
Mei shrugged. "Well, I've been all over the place the whole day. I don't feel like doing that anymore. Actually…"
Still resting her head in her knees, Mei stretched out a hand to me. "Hurry up. I'm tired."
I couldn't help but flinch slightly over how blunt she was being.
Maybe if it were another day, I would've made a joke about it, but she really didn't seem to be in the mood. Not that I blamed her. Ever since school started, she'd been running around helping people nonstop. Added to the fact that she'd been doing this at least since high school started and would continue to do so for the next five days, she had every right to be tired.
With a small sigh, I scooted closer to Mei until our shoulders brushed against each other and grabbed her hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. She spared me a single side glance before resting her head on my shoulder.
Her head still felt flat against my shoulder, but she seemed to sink a little deeper. Then… the unexpected happened.
—She closed her eyes.
But I wasn't delusional enough to call it trust. She still wasn't telling me anything. And neither was I. Still, it would be a lie to say nothing had changed. Just this once, she allowed herself to be… open.
I rested my head against the wall behind me. I couldn't let her get ahead of me, so I had to do something, too.
I didn't believe in lines like "you did your best!" or "keep up the good work!" So, I had to support her in my own way, and she'd have to deal with it.
I opened my mouth and spoke in as slow and gentle a voice as I could.
"If you want to sleep, I'll wake you up in thirty minutes."
The tone reminded me of my Mother, which sent a chill down my spine, but it was the only way I knew how.
Mei let out a small giggle, the motion shaking her shoulders. "That was funny. Are you trying to be supportive?"
I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn't see. "If it was that bad, then I'll take it back."
She shook her head, her hair brushing my neck. "I never said that. It was just… off, I guess."
"Well, I thought since you're being… open? I thought I'd do the same thing."
"I'm flattered," Mei responded flatly. But in its depths, I could hear a tinge of… playfulness to it—or something like that. "But I don't need it. I'm just going to relax for a little bit before I go home. Do whatever you want—as long as it doesn't bother me."
"Yes, ma'am," I replied sarcastically.
Respecting Mei's wishes, I pulled out my earbuds. I put the right one in first, and as I was reaching for the left one, Mei took it and put it in her own. She didn't ask, so I didn't either.
To be polite, I asked, "Any requests?"
She responded with a flat "No."
I didn't say anything else after that. I took out my phone, and after spending a couple of minutes searching for a song, music finally played in one of my ears.
I usually liked "loud" or "energetic" songs, such as rock, hip-hop, vocaloid—anything with energy.
I knew Mei said she didn't have any requests and was probably fine with anything, but I still chose a relatively soft song. A song that helps ease her, if only a little bit.
As if reading my thoughts, Mei asked, "Are you sure you want to listen to this?"
"I'm sure," I responded instantly.
It was true I chose a song for her, but I still enjoyed it. There was no pity or self-sacrifice; I just met our needs in the middle.
Mei didn't ask anything else after that. She accepted my answer and spent the rest of our time together in silence.
I closed my eyes, letting the music flood half my senses while Mei filled the other.
Before I even realized it, my head drifted off the wall and onto hers. She didn't move, and neither did I. We continued to stay like this until our time together came to an end.
Nothing should have changed. I still didn't know more about her after this than I did before—and yet, deep down, we both knew a new level of understanding had settled between us.