All my life I walked down a constant road, then I found a fork in the road. I didn't have a choice though, I was forced down the dark path. And now I'm on a pursuit for happiness on this dark, dark road.
xx
The air was oddly warm for an evening in November, noted as she puffed out smoke between her lips. Usually, would be found in Parameku, the diner she worked in up until about an hour ago; but today, she was a disruption to a few passerbys' usual routine. Leaning on the railings that separated the bridge from the river, looked up to the calm blue sky. 'Is that a star or a plane?', she wondered.
Other thoughts buzzed around in her mind, but she tried to block it out with what nature she could find in Tokyo. The river was an awfully rich blue, or so she would like to think. It was too dark to really tell.
The thoughts refused to leave her mind. She accepted them half-heartedly, beginning to worry about her future plans. She hadn't quit her waitress job on a whim; it had been a thought plaguing her mind for months now, and she finally acted on it. What hadn't done to damage control her new financial stance was find a new job, or apply for school to take out loans and gain new credentials for an eventual stabler job. She had also bought a new box of cigarettes, but that was an addiction waiting to be addressed at a later date.
'What was there to live for, anyway?', thought. She put out her cigarette and turned to walk home when she immediately bumped into someone.Startled, barely managed to fumble out a "sorry." Looking up—and looking up some more when she realized she needed a more severe head tilt up, she was met with a glare from a pair of glasses.
"It's alright, I expected that would happen." Said the man.
'Then why didn't you avoid it?' thought, although she contained the thought to herself. Instead, she responded lamely with, "Oh, okay."
There was a thick silence between the two, one raring to leave, and the other staring oddly intently at the other. cleared her throat after about a minute of uncomfortable silence, "Anyway, I should get going home."
"67% chance you quit your job at Parameku today." The man blurted when had quickly shuffled past him.
paused before looking back, slightly apprehensive. It wasn't everyday someone ran into a stranger who revealed they knew something about said person's personal affairs, which hadn't been revealed to anyone yet. She could feel cold sweat forming on her back and her hands turning clammy. This was usually the part where parents covered their child's eyes at the movies, keeping rape or killings a mystery to their little ones. "How did you know something like that?"
"Ah, just as I had thought—you're not aware of who are the regulars at Parameku. I frequent there with a close friend of mine often. I had been watching you since you started, and I had a strong hunch your time there would be ending soon." He pushed his glasses up on his nose. caught a glimpse of his green eyes. They were a rather deep green, coming out to be more teal. She couldn't help but be distracted by the unique color.
refocused her gaze when she heard him continue speaking. "I understand you may be alarmed by the shared aspects it has with stalking, but I can assure you I am not a stalker or fetishizing you in any way. I just like to observe and collect data on my findings."
"That's...nice I guess. I'm going to leave now." readjusted her shoulder bag and quickly walked off the bridge. Feeling the man's eyes burn through her back, it wasn't until about ten minutes of brisk walking that turned around. She couldn't help but feel she just walked away from a moment that could have changed her life.
...
I never thought about the pursuit for happiness, because I was always happy. My family provided all the money for me in the world; I never noticed how exhausted they looked, or how strained their smiles were half the time.
My life sped by like a bad drama. My father died from kidney problems, and my mother pulled through until my final year in high school, when she died from overworking. When I look back, I don’t know how I didn’t notice.
Now, I’m repenting for all my mistakes and I’ve started searching for all the happiness I lost.
...
Princo & Ribbon
January 22, 2018. v3
Princo: I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but I just rewrote it and I guess I'm just gonna roll with this final version.