THE CITY
Rose. Originating from the Latin name Rosa, it’s an Old English name for a flower known for its frilled petals and bright red color. Although it can be found in other colors as well.
It’s a flower of beauty and romance. The name doesn’t really suit me.
“Rose. Hey Rose!”
I snapped out of thought, looking up.
“You paying attention?”
“Says you.” I lifted my cheek off my palm. “Didn’t I tell you not to yell on the train?”
“I didn’t know how else to get your attention without shaking you. We’re almost at our stop.”
There weren’t many people on the train. Still, I felt embarrassed. “I’d rather you shake me than shout my name.”
“Well, you usually jump when I do so. But I’ll remember that for the next time.”
“Sure you will.”
The train began to screech as it slowed down. The loudspeaker announced our arrival and warned that the doors on the right would open.
“We’re here~♪” she sung. Outside, I could see a sizable crowd gathered in front of the door.
“Are they all waiting to get on?”
“Probably. This train stops by another suburb.”
The doors opened, and we stepped out onto the platform. The station was surprisingly warm, probably because of all the bodies huddled into these tight corridors. Several people lazily fanned themselves with newspapers or their own personal fans. My glasses fogged up immediately, but there was too much going on for me to be concerned.
I wanted to get out of this place. I felt vulnerable being this close to so many strangers. Too many people were within arm’s reach. I brought my bag to my chest and glanced around for an easy way out. However, the only option was to squeeze through the crowd.
A hand grabbed me by the forearm and pulled me forward. Sensing my insecurity, Akiho led us out, firmly gripping my hand as we weaved past the crowd. We repeated the same words over and over; “Excuse me. Pardon me.”
Once we got up the stairs, I was able to breathe better. Still, there were plenty of people walking around.
“Geez, it’s much more busy than I expected,” Akiho sighed. “I suppose it is the weekend.”
“It must be a pain to go through this everyday.”
She shrugged. “You get used to it. I’ll admit, I don’t usually come out here this late at night.”
I looked around once more. The corridors here were much more spacious than downstairs. Perhaps as wide as a three-lane street.
“Pretty spacious, isn’t it?” Akiho grinned. “Unfortunately, there’s always too many people here to run around.”
“Seems like that’s the only thing you think about,” I teased.
Exiting the station, the streets unveiled before us. Immediately, I was overwhelmed by soaring skyscrapers, crowds of people, and a plethora of bright lights. Despite the darkened sky, the streets were still bright as day, as if the sun had been brought down to the ground.
“Well then!” Akiho stretched her arms out. “Since you don’t come here often, where do you want to go?”
“… I don’t know.” Looking around, I saw mostly shops and restaurants. “What do you usually do?”
“Hmm, I eat food and browse through nearby shops.”
“Ah. Well, we could start with the shop browsing part. I’ll follow you, since I don’t know what kind of shops they have around here.”
“Sounds like a plan! We’ll start with this street and loop back around.”
“Remember we don’t have much time until midnight.”
“Two hours is good enough,” she promised.
We started at a nearby department building and made our way up the stack. The first floor had a bunch of stationery items. I found many novelties I had not seen before back at my local supermarket. As enticing as they were, I did not buy anything.
The second floor had electronics. The two of us browsed the shelves briefly, as none of us could really afford anything there. We listened to a few music samples by the audio section before continuing upwards.
The next few floors were all things clothes. I watched as Akiho sifted through the summer clothes sections. From time to time, she would ask for my opinion on what looked best on her, holding up particles of clothing to herself.
I didn’t have much to offer of course, as someone who didn’t pay particular attention to my attire outside of school. Nevertheless, I did my best by providing some color theory knowledge to help her find a good match. Clever thinking, she called it.
“Hey, I shouldn’t be the only one trying on clothing. You try something as well!”
“Eh?! No, I’m fine. I don’t really need new clothes.”
She examined me for a few moments, eyes squinted. I blushed. “Wh-what is it?”
“Maybe something red. To match your name,” she winked.
Sighing, I put my fingertips to my forehead. “My parents already buy me everything in red.”
“I never get to see you in red though.”
I held up my bag in front of her with one hand. It was a sort of pale red. “Plus, you saw me in my pajamas earlier.”
“Outside clothing, I mean,” she quickly corrected herself.
“I don’t wear them. It makes me stand out too much.”
“Don’t worry so much!” she laughed. “I think you’d look pretty in red! It’d match the white garments you’re always wearing.”
Avoiding her eyes, I could feel myself blushing once more.
“Say, I know where to go after this. Somewhere you’ll enjoy for sure.”
I looked at her with some interest, waiting for her to continue. But she left me in the dark as to where we’d go.
“Wait for me. I’m going to check out, then I’ll take you there.”
Akiho turned around, but stopped abruptly. Turning back, she held the two shirts back up. “Wait, did you say the pink one or the yellow one matched better?”