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Monday. 4:30 pm.
Shoulder-length purple hair tied in a bun with messy bangs brushing over her face, sparkling emerald green almond-shaped eyes, and always wearing the same choker every day—those were the descriptions of the beautiful girl who sat across Asa on the subway train. The same girl who also always boarded the same passenger car as her every day after school. Asa had even grown so used to the stranger’s routine that she could recite it by heart, such as she got off one stop earlier than Asa’s stop, always read a manga titled ‘Buzzsaw Man’ during the ride, and occasionally chatted with whoever sat beside her.
Asa certainly was fascinated by the beauty of the girl, and she would like to get to know her. If only she could muster up her courage to even do the most basic thing, such as saying ‘hi’, that is. As frustrating as it was, Asa didn’t even think the girl had noticed her even if they always rode on the same train every day.
Tuesday. 4:30 pm.
The same train car, same time, just another day, and there she was again, sitting across from Asa with her legs crossed and her favorite manga in her hand. The girl laughed loudly as she flipped to the next page, despite being in a public setting. It surely irritated Asa, as her behavior had no regard for her surroundings and disrupted the peace.
Asa would call her out on it for the sake of her own peace and everyone else’s.
However, instead of doing so, she drifted into a lovely daydream as she began to silently observe from across how the girl’s delicate fingers flipped through the pages, and her eyes lit up as a soft giggle slipped out. Even things as small as noticing the ring on her choker swayed each time she laughed—oh, how she wished she were the one resting in her lap with those fingers gliding through her hair, her playing with the ring thingy on her choker, and being the reason behind that smile. So much bliss, she could almost die.
Huh– Wait– Was she smiling at me just now?
Asa was so lost in her imagination that she wasn't aware that the girl had noticed her staring in real time, even going so far as to give her a friendly smile. But, instead of taking it as her chance to talk to the girl, apologize or anything, she quickly looked away from her.
Wednesday. 4:34 pm.
Asa was fidgeting with the starfish keychain that she had unattached from her schoolbag, looking more nervous than usual. The same girl who always boarded the same train as her let her hair down this time. How lovely, Asa thought. Before she realized it, she had unconsciously stared at the girl yet again.
Gah! The keychain slipped from her hand and dropped onto the floor as she flinched, startled by the old lady beside her falling asleep on her shoulder. Perhaps this was the universe’s doing because the keychain dropped near the girl’s shoes.
“You dropped this,” the purple-haired girl kindly said, handing Asa the keychain from her own seat.
“Y-yes, that’s mine. Thanks,” replied Asa, awkwardly taking the keychain.
And, of course, she had a gentle voice as well. Just perfect.
Thursday. 4:32 pm.
Today, for some reason, the train was more packed than usual. Asa had to stand since she lost the battle of securing a seat on the train against a middle-aged woman. Asa didn’t mind standing, it wasn’t a big deal… If only she weren't facing the girl with the choker, for whom she had feelings.
Like her usual routine, the girl sat with a different volume of ‘Buzzsaw Man’ in her hand and her legs casually crossed. Normally, that crossing leg habit would irritate Asa, especially on a crowded train since it hogged space. She usually would have confronted anyone for this kind of selfishness.
Not this time again.
She let it pass only because it was the girl she had a crush on specifically. And since Asa was standing right in front of her, the girl’s dangling shoe would occasionally nudge Asa’s leg, sending little sparks through her.
“Hey!”
The purple-haired girl suddenly raised her voice, seemingly pissed off at Asa's direction, which immediately snapped Asa out of her little bubble. Asa was panicking inside. Her mind was racing as she kept trying to figure out what she could've possibly done to trigger the girl's anger.
"Get your hand off her!" Her hand swatted the hand of the middle-aged guy behind Asa who was trying to cop a feel of Asa's behind. "Fucking pervert! Get out of here!" She proceeded to yell at him while fiercely staring directly into his eyes until the guy left the scene in shame.
The girl then turned to Asa, her gaze softening, and asked her, “Are you okay?”
“I– uh… yeah, I’m fine, I suppose,” Asa stuttered, looking a bit shaken after realizing what was about to occur if the purple-haired girl hadn’t prevented it. “Thank you… for that.”
“Here, you can have my seat,” the girl then stood up and let Asa have it. “If the guy comes back, I’ll protect you!”
How kind of her to go that far for a mere stranger like Asa. Although this interaction ought to motivate Asa to converse with the girl, she still couldn't bring herself to start a conversation due to how much distress she was in.
“Do you like sea creatures?” the girl suddenly asked, taking a fondly glance at Asa’s shark whale plush bag charm.
That simple question snapped Asa out of her discomfort. Her eyes sparkled, and her expression quickly turned into a determined one.
"Yes. I do find marine life in general interesting. That includes the shark species," she said and continued to ramble on about shark facts for a good two minutes.
Asa tended to excessively talk about the things she deemed interesting, the ocean was one of them. If she’s intrigued by something, she would read everything about it, thus broadening her knowledge. Due to this behavior, her classmates often saw her as obnoxious or pretentious because of the way she presented herself. After realizing she had unnecessarily info-dumped on a girl whose name she didn't yet know, she averted her gaze and sat with awkwardness overflowing within her.
"Why did you stop? I was enjoying the shark facts," the girl said, slightly pouting.
Asa looked up with a surprised expression. “You don’t think I was being annoying?”
“Oh god, no!” the girl exclaimed. “I love learning about new facts. It’s cool to know that sharks can sense electric fields and that there are 500 species of them out there!”
This was the first time Asa truly felt validated. Not looked down upon, nor being pitied.
“Tell me more facts about sharks or the ocean in general! I’d love to hear ‘em all!” The girl added.
As requested, Asa happily continued talking about ocean facts and other things she’s interested in as well, and the other girl listened to all her fun facts diligently.
“Oh, I’m sorry… I hate to interrupt, but my stop is already here,” the girl said. “Before I go, may I ask what your name is?”
“Asa,” she simply answered with a sincere smile plastered on her face.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Reze! I’ll see you tomorrow, Asa!” she said, cutely waving on her way out of the door.
At last, Asa finally acquired the girl’s name, Reze. Truly a fitting name for a cool girl like her. Feeling she already made progress, Asa’s desire to be close to Reze grew within her.
Friday. 4:15 pm.
Asa was unusually excited walking to the subway station today. She was dreading going home during school, and rushed to the station as soon as the end of school bell rang. So excited that she even reached the station earlier than she used to. But Reze wasn’t there yet. Maybe Asa was just way too eager, and so she waited.
Up until almost their usual boarding time, 4:30 PM, Reze was still nowhere to be seen. Asa waited anxiously while occasionally stealing glances at the staircase to see if she would spot a certain purple hair in a messy bun walking downstairs.
Their usual train had boarded, and yet Asa was still by herself waiting on the platform.
She sighed. “Maybe she has some occasion today,” Asa figured.
A bummer since Asa was genuinely looking forward to talking to her again. This situation almost felt like she had been stood up by her date, not that she would know exactly how that felt. She had never gone on a date to begin with.
But she would be lying if Reze didn't raise her hopes and everything since she even said that she would see Asa again today. Oh well, maybe she had an urgency. Or she thought Asa didn't matter. Whatever. It wasn't as though they magically became best friends based on the one and only real interaction they had yesterday, so why did Asa’s heart ache a little when Reze didn’t show up?
The next week on Monday. 5:30 PM.
Here Asa was again, sitting on the bench, waiting for Reze to show up at the usual platform. On her right hand dangles the plush keychain of the character Buzzsaw Man from Reze's favorite manga as she stared at it. She thought it would be nice to give her a little something as a 'thank you' for saving her from a creep the other day.
Though it had been an hour more than their usual boarding time since she waited, Reze still hadn’t shown her face yet.
6:30 PM.
Asa didn't know what devil possessed her to willingly wait for a girl she barely knew for two hours. The clock had struck 6:30 PM, and she was still loyally waiting on the same bench for Reze. There was also a heavy rain pouring outside, and she could hear thunder rumbling from inside the station. A crowd of people stormed inside to take shelter, making it harder for her to seek Reze in a sea of faces.
The announcement for the next train had been made, and Asa finally gave up waiting. The adults working in the orphanage where she lived, along with her cat, were probably wondering why she hadn't come home yet, and she didn't want to cause any trouble for them.
As Asa stood up from the bench to queue in line, her sidelong glance caught a glimpse of the familiar purple hair in a bun with messy bangs. Her uniform was soaking wet, but it seemed like it didn't matter to her because she was laughing without a care in the world as she jogged down the stairs. Asa's gaze lit up when she finally spotted the girl she was looking for and was about to approach her until she noticed Reze wasn't alone.
The sparkle in Asa’s eyes disappeared when she caught sight of a scrawny, blonde-haired guy caught up right behind Reze, soaking wet and laughing as well. Her stomach dropped as she witnessed the guy catch Reze and walk alongside her with her hand linked in his arm. On the other hand, she was holding a bouquet of flowers. Asa’s heart shattered into even more pieces when she recognized who the guy was.
Denji Hayakawa. The reckless boy from her school whom she always found annoying.
The train had arrived, and the happy couple went inside, walking ahead of everyone else. Meanwhile, Asa sat back down on the bench with a hollow feeling inside her chest and the Buzzsaw Man character's plush keychain still dangling in her hand. How could a stupid bag charm compete with a bouquet of flowers?
To Reze, Asa was simply another stranger she talked to on a subway train, but unfortunately, she would never know how much she impacted the other girl. Just as Asa finally stepped forward, the girl slipped away from her reach despite being so near.