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The door opened with a soft chime. The sound got lost due to the cruel wind's howl but the two young adults didn't mind. The sound of their almost paralleling heartbeats drowned out almost everything else they were hearing. seem to parallel each other in this moment.
The duo walked inside the restaurant, with a slow vehemence. As if they were walking through water. Well, they challenged each other with a dumb race to get here but that's besides the point. They were tired but it excedes physical reasons.
This building didn't shake with a booming and sorrowful voice. The lone customer eating donned a jacket but they didn't seem to hail from a technology advanced society that look akin to aliens.
They were in home sweet Canada.
If Dumpty's Diner was all dark and neon colors, then The Hub proudly proclaims its antithetical themes through warm and neutral tones. Min-gi loved it at once. He slumped down in the first vacant chair he saw. "Just wow."
The lightbulbs cast orange shadows over them. It feels so warm. The chairs, the diner booths were all painted a mahogany tint. He let out a sigh of relief.
Ryan gave a small smile and settled in the seat across him. When they got off the train, Dumpty's materialized first. What a moment it was seeing the place where they spent their childhood discussing their dreams and eating (tolerating) Canadian dishes. Perhaps it's also just the train's final prank on both of them because the two companions have just... had enough of that place.
It's time to turn over a new leaf with what's to come...
"Sooo what do you think?? Ryan rubbed his hands to thwart of the cold. Canada was cold. Right.
"I'm tired," Min-gi replied, linking his arms over his eyes. Ryan let out a huff. Min-gi only realized too late that his best friend has partially kneeled down beside him and flicked the top of his head. "Thanks for your consideration."
"You're welcome," Ryan settled on the seat infront of Min-gi, gaze still locked on him. They were off the train. Finally. It's wild. Ryan was accustomed to walking around that crazy ... other dimension thing so being back at a diner close to his house seemed too good to be true.
"What now?" Min-gi's muffled voice inquired. He unlinked his arms and leaned closer to Ryan even if there were only the three of them here at this hour.
"I carry you back home to sleep," Ryan replied, a matter of factly.
"Harhar."
"Come onnn you did it once when I skinned my knee."
"We were six!"
"I'll repay you with the strength of my guitar muscle—"
"Please don't," Min-gi raised a defeated hand. "But.. hmm.. maybe that's not a bad idea."
Ryan made finger gun gestures towards him, in agreement. "We can order take out if you want."
Min-gi tilted his head, quizzically. "You have cash?"
Ryan rubbed the back of his nape. "I know the owner and they wouldn't mind."
Min-gi pursed his lips and squinted his eyes. He doesn't trust him but then Min-gi shurgged his shoulders. "I'll take your word for it."
Ryan clapped his hands in victory. "Yes!" Min-gi smiled at the light in Ryan's eyes.
Ryan is grateful for the lift in Min-gi's mood. It's the 1960s and two young Asian kids have decided to be musicians at a country with this industry.
Who knows what the future will bring? Little do they know is that there are plenty of people like them. People who will discover their music and realize, that they're not alone. Suddenly, it doesn't seem so bad. As Ryan opened his guitar case and Min-gi turned on his minisyth. The familiar melody they played inside the bathrooom that fateful started to come back.
Like how Ryan and Min-gi's strong certainty that their place is with each other;
Chicken Choice Judy is going to make its place in the world.