Ariana
The zoo smells like grass, popcorn, and mild chaos. And we're in the middle of that. Me, Anna and Nathan. Of course it was my idea to come here. To spend a perfect Sunday in the zoo—both of them had scowled at me. But look at us now!
Anna stops abruptly in front of one of the enclosures and points dramatically. "Oh my God," she says, utterly serious. "Ari, we've found Nathan's long-lost brother!"
I follow her finger. And found a mule staring back at us. It has a look on its face like it's judging us.
Nathan groans. "That's not even accurate—"
Anna squints her eyes, still acting serious. "Same vibes."
Nathan reaches out and pulls her hair. "Excuse you," he says, mock offended. "Your laugh sounds like the hyenas over there."
I laugh as the words slip out of my mouth, completely unfiltered. "Honestly Nathan, you do kind of look like that mule."
Silence. Oops
Nathan turns to me slowly. "Oh?" he says, eyes narrowing. "Do I?"
Before I can react, he steps closer and leans down until his face is inches from mine.
"Look properly," he says quietly.
My breath hitches. I forget how to inhale. Or exhale. Or existnormally.
He stares into my eyes. And suddenly I'm very aware of my heartbeat doing illegal things inside my chest. God.. this is not fair!
"HEY." Anna's voice slices through the moment from behind us. "This is not the right place," she says, biting back her laughter.
Nathan and I jump apart like we've been electrocuted.
My face is on fire. I feel totally embarrassed. Realisation hits me a second later and I whirl around, mortified. "Rightplace for what, huh, idiot?!"
Anna smirks. Oh heavens, she smirks!
"Do you really want to know," she says sweetly, "right place for what?"
I lunged at her. She screams and bolts, laughing, running through the path with zero regard for public dignity. I chase her, both of us breathless, laughing so hard, my cheeks hurt.
"Anna stop!"
"No!" She laughs. "I—" And then she suddenly trips.
"Anna!" I shout.
Time seems to be broken for mere minutes—she stumbles forward, but instead of hitting the ground, her body stops falling down midway.
What?
As I look closer, I find two strong arms holding her by her waist. Their movements froze. Both stare into each other's eyes for less than five seconds but as I said, timeseems to be broken. They look eternal.
"Kye Yon?" Suddenly Nathan appears beside me. "What the fuck is he doing holding her like that!" And he was about to go grab him but I grabbed his hood instead and pulled him back.
"Are you insane! Just watch it!"
"What!? That jerk is flirting with her and you tell me to watch!" He looks at me, eyes widened.
"Don't you dare interrupt this filmy scene!"
"I will!" He tries to walk ahead. "Leave my hood Ari!"
"Noo!"
"Ack!"
"...."
I look in front of me as Nathan stops struggling to get free of my hold. Two figures are standing here, crossing their arms and watching us with squinted eyes.
"I think this is a filmy scene." Anna points her finger at me and Nathan.
"Charlie Chaplin's film." Kye Yon says dryly.
"Indeed." Anna nods her head.
Eh? I look at Nathan. He looks at me. We look at his crumbled hood I'm holding. And then jerk away from each other.
"I'm sorry!" I bow a hundred times to him.
"Ah no it's nothing!" Confused about what to do, he bows me back.
"You call these creatures your 'friends'?" Kye Yon points a finger at us.
"At least they're a creature, not some alien like you." Anna glares at him. He smirks. Damn!
Kye Yon walks over to Nathan. "Hey," he says calmly. "Don't you think, a 'jerk' saved your friend today?"
I snort. Anna slaps me on the head. Ow!
Nathan furrows his brows, "What are you doing here?
"Wandering." He replies with his usual expressionless face.
"...." Nathan turns back. "Well then.. I guess we should get going—"
"Wait." Kye Yon looks at him. Then looks away again before saying, "Are you, by any chance... participating in the tournament this year?"
Nathan looks at him in silence. Anna tenses beside me. What's happening?
"And why would you want me to play in an important match?" Nathan's voice colds by a degree I never knew he could.
Kye Yon clenches his jaw. "You're a good player."
"But 'Not good enough to win'. Isn't that what you'd said once?"
They both glare at each other. I suddenly am confused between who's colder than whom.
"I play on the school court because I like basketball." Nathan speaks again. "But I don't like someone criticising my moves to their gold medal ready ones just because I lost once. Thanks for the offer but I humbly decline it."
"Nathan…" Anna starts but he's already halfway toward the exit. She runs after him.
I look up at Kye yon. His face has hardened. His eyes fall onto mine and I flinch at the horrible stare.
"We'll lose if he doesn't play in the tournament. Convince him." And he too, walks away.
"Wait.. me!? How can I convince him?" But he left already before hearing from me.
###
Nathan
"Nathan, pass the ball!"
"Nathan, throw it!"
"We lost the championship for you, Nathan! What were you thinking? Your good moves will do no good if you don't use your brain on the court too! Your moves are good, but not good enough to win! If you can't cope up with your mind, just quit playing already!"
***
His words still sting inside my ears whenever I step foot on the basketball court. The state championship four years ago—we'd lost it because of me. I thought he's right, I should quit playing forever. But then again, my instincts took over me and I kept playing even in the US. Though I've never even thought of playing a tournament again.
It's all my fault.
"It's not your fault." Anna's voice rings just at the right time. "It was never your fault."
I smile. "You've always said that because Song is actually right. And you don't want to admit he's right."
She stays silent for a second then sits down beside me on the sandy beach. "No. That's not it. That match was not long after the accident."
I slightly stiffen at the mention of the incident which she calls an 'accident'.
"You hadn't recovered from the shock. I know the feeling—I had also come second in maths that year. You just can't keep up a steady mind when there's going on a turmoil inside you. You're a human Nathan. And humans are susceptible."
I look up at the sky. It's clear blue like someone's eyes. "You know, the sky reminds me of her."
Anna stares at me for a long time before saying,
"Play in the tournament Nathan."
A deep laughter erupts my throat. "Now you'll play the beat Kye Yon played, huh?"
"Don't be ridiculous." She squints her eyes.
My god she's adorable!
"I'll think about it." I add before she could smile, "Song seems to enjoy being around you."
Aria hugs her from behind just in time and saves me from the slap that was about to land straight on my skull. Anna curses me. Aria gives me an annoyed look.
***
Later in the afternoon, the three of us stand side by side at the beach. Facing the sea.
The wind brushes past us. Waves crash gently. The smell of salt hangs in the air. The sand beneath our feet starts to cool down.
I close my eyes. And I can say that the two of them have done the same.
"Tell me." I say to them. My eyes still close. "Why do we close our eyes when we're happy?"
"For happiness is only felt, not seen." To my surprise, it's Anna who replies. I smile.
And yes, I know there's a lot more she feels than what she shows us.
From my right, the wind faintly carries a soft smell of peaches to my nostrils. It's the same fragrance I've been smelling all afternoon today.
Aria
For some reason, I can't even forget the way she smelled.