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That day, the city was completely covered in a snow white veil. Snow had buried the streets overnight so deeply that the familiar outlines of the buildings disappeared, while the rare passersby looked like random spots on a huge sheet of paper.
Katana sat on the steps, looking at the snow covered houses n the clear sky, lost in his thoughts. The steps were not meant to be a place to rest, but who cared? Today, the police officer had been on his feet for too long, listening to other people’s conversations and convincing himself that he absolutely did not want to get home as soon as possible.
In his right hand was a cigarette, which the police officer methodically smoked, inhaling deeply and sending clouds of white smoke into the clear sky. In his left was a worn leather glove that he had taken off. He stared at the sky until he felt someone’s presence beside him and heard a strange tapping sound.
The next hit landed directly on his boot. Katana slowly lowered his gaze. In front of him stood a short man with a cane, dressed in a black coat and a scarf that seemed to have been tied in a hurry. The cane was elegantly white and blended with the snow, still pressed against his leg. The man frowned, trying to move the cane aside.
" i apologize."
Katana looked at the cane, at the man’s attempts to move it so that he could lean on it without fear, then at him.
"you’re apologizing? There’s no need."
Hyperlaser tilted his head to the right.
"Why? It is my fault that I stepped on you with my cane."
"It’s by no means your fault. I was the one sitting in the middle of the road."
Hyperlaser thought for a second.
"u aren’t exactly in the middle of the road. It seems like there aren’t any people here at all. At least, I can’t hear anyone, even though it seems to be rush hour right now."
"Correct."
"Then you aren’t in the middle of the road."
"Then you didn’t find me by accident after all."
"rather, you found me."
Hyperlaser smiled almost imperceptibly, hiding his smirk. Katana didn’t answer, focusing instead on examining his interlocutor’s appearance.
For the first time in a long while, he was looking at someone with such childish curiosity: closed eyes, a serene face, and a small handful of snow on his short gray hair.
Hyperlaser stood completely still. God only knew what he was thinking — the police officer thought. A thought suddenly struck the man that the person in front of him might have gotten lost.
"are you lost?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly and monotonously. Katana raised an eyebrow questioningly. He felt a slight unpleasant burning in his fingers from the cigarette having burned down to nothing while he was talking to the stranger. Damn it. It was the last one in the pack.
The man threw the cigarette butt, or what was left of it, into the nearest snowdrift.
"Don’t worry, I know where I’m going."
"n where is that?"
Hyperlaser remained silent, lowering his head and creating an awkward silence between them.
"alright,” he finally said. "You don’t have to answer."
"I’m looking for a job. I was told that I could find something... suitable for me here." — The blind man noticeably stumbled over his words, and the man found it suspicious n strange.
"what?"
"I don’t know this city very well."
The blind man moved his cane closer to himself and gripped the handle tightly, as if afraid of something.
"I noticed."
"Are you going to help me?"
Katana looked at him in confusion. The question had been asked so... calmly, as if he were simply clarifying something obvious.
"Why should I help you?"
"Alright. I’ll just keep going."
"Which way?"
Hyperlaser turned his head and pointed his cane to the right. Looking in that direction, the police officer saw a frozen river, remembering that people often fell through the ice there.
"You shouldn’t go that way."
"Why?"
"There’s a river there. I don’t want you to fall through."
"I see." — An unpleasant, silent pause hung between them. — "Since u’re asking, I won’t go that way."
Katana couldn’t help himself and let out a quiet chuckle, very quiet. The situation seemed painfully amusing to him. Hyperlaser frowned upon hearing the man’s laughter, thinking that he was laughing at him. Although, in fact, that was exactly what he was doing.
"do you think I said something funny?"
"No."
"Then why are you laughing at me?"
Katana stood up from the step, brushing the snow off his worn coat.
"Because you were calmly about to walk toward the river."
"I would have noticed that I was walking toward the river."
"How?"
"My hearing wouldn’t fail me."
Katana looked at him for another second, as though he were the most stubborn person he had ever met in his life. Then he sighed resignedly.
"Fine. So where do you need to go?"
"...I don’t know."
"You were just proving that you knew where to go."
"I know that I’m going to find a job."
"the address?"
Hyperlaser reached into the pocket of his old coat, rummaged through it, and pulled out a small piece of paper folded several times, holding it out to where Katana presumably stood. He unfolded the paper, read the familiar address, and raised his gaze.
"That’s quite far."
"I can walk."
"Of course." — the police officer folded the piece of paper back to its original state. — "But I think it would be unsafe for u to wander around such a large city without an escort. you’ve already started getting soaked through from the snow."
Hyperlaser ran a hand over his coat, and there really was snow melting on it.
"Nothing serious."
"It absolutely is. Do you know how many people die from frostbite on a daily basis?" — Katana took off his leather gloves. — “Please, give me your hand."
Hyperlaser moved, slightly tensing his shoulders.
"Why?"
"I’m not going to kidnap you."
"I didn’t think you were."
"Then why won’t you give it to me?"
Hyperlaser was silent for several seconds, then extended his slightly frozen hand. Katana took it, examining it. His entire hand was covered in small healed scars and burns. The police officer found it interesting, damn it, even mysterious. The man put his gloves on the blind man and took him by the hand, but not by the palm, only by the wrist.
"Be careful."
"I know how to walk."
"I’m aware."
"Then why are you leading me?"
"Because I’m going the same way anyway."
Katana looked ahead. It was a complete lie. He was absolutely not going the same way.
They walked several blocks in silence. At first, the man walked, putting all his weight on his cane, but then Katana noticed that the cane had almost stopped touching the ground. Hyperlaser held onto his sleeve, seemingly afraid of making it too obvious. Katana looked down at their hands.
"Is this more comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Then hold on."
The blind man said nothing, preferring to remain silent. He was already in an awkward position as it was. A few minutes later, his fingers tightened slightly more around the fabric. The police officer smiled as he watched him.
"You don’t seem to be from around here."
"u’re right."
"Where from?"
Hyperlaser named his faction quietly, as if he wanted no one to hear it. Katana, to be honest, knew little about Blackrock — only that it had a cold climate and was the most advanced faction in the fields of technology and education. The police officer whistled.
"That’s very far away." — The blind man nodded. — 'Why are you here? without an escort too?”
"I... wanted to start over."
Katana decided not to ask anything else, and that was the first thing Hyperlaser appreciated. They walked in silence until the man spoke first:
"You seem to be a police officer?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Your clothes and the tone of your voice." — Hyperlaser swallowed, gathering his thoughts. — "you speak like someone who is used to giving orders."
"and you speak like someone who is used to not obeying them."
Hyperlaser felt an unpleasant burning in his chest. A good hit, wasn’t it?
"Anything is possible."
When they reached the small precinct, Katana held the door open. Hyperlaser stopped, trying to feel out the space around him with his foot.
"We’re here."
"Thank you."
Katana was already about to leave. He glanced over his shoulder to look at his former companion, but Hyperlaser was still standing still.
"Why aren’t you going inside?"
"You weren’t planning on coming here." — Hyperlaser pressed his cane against his chest. — "Then why did you come with me?"
"I felt like it."
Hyperlaser quietly laughed, covering his mouth with the hand that was still wearing Katana’s glove. For some reason, that sound made Katana feel strange. Not uncomfortable, but rather the opposite, comfortable.
"wait here," — he said, walking toward the entrance of the building.
"Why?"
"I’ll talk to my superiors."
"About me?"
"Yes."
"u don’t even know my name."
Katana froze. Damn, the statement was true. He had been helping this man all this time, spending his precious time, and hadn’t even thought to ask his name. Idiot.
"then tell me."
Pause. Hyperlaser quietly said his name. Katana repeated it to himself, just once, so he would remember. It settled pleasantly on his lips, leaving a sweet aftertaste.
"alright, Hyperlaser."
And only then did he realize that he had said his name aloud for the first time. For some reason, it sounded painfully familiar and suited the blind man.
"and yours?"
Katana monotonously gave his own name, as if reporting to his superior. The corners of Hyperlaser’s lips lifted slightly.
"katana."
"yes."
"now I know who to look for if I get lost again."
"you’re planning on getting lost again?"
"you never know what might happen in life."
"well..." — Katana unexpectedly took Hyperlaser’s right palm into his own. — "ten I’ll find you."
The man didn’t answer, merely smiling.
*
Only twenty minutes had passed, though to Hyperlaser it felt like an hour, if not more. But at least the police officer returned.
"u’re lucky. The superiors found a job for you."
"what kind?"
"you’ll be answering phone calls."
"I agree."
Katana smirked, towering over the short Hyperlaser. He felt pleased knowing that he had helped someone in such a difficult situation.
"You didn’t even ask how much it pays."
"You said there was a job."
"What if they pay very little?" — The blind man muttered something about handling it himself, which caught Katana’s interest. — "Do you always agree to everything this easily?"
"No."
"And now?"
Hyperlaser thought for a second, placing a finger against his chin.
"Right now, I trust you."
Katana stopped smiling. For some reason, he had expected any answer but that one.
"We’ve known each other for less than an hour."
"You brought me here."
"You know, I don’t think that’s a sufficient reason to trust me."
"It’s sufficient for me."
Katana said goodbye to Hyperlaser, telling him that he had to return to patrol duty. Forgetting to take his gloves back, he cursed himself the entire way, warming his hands in his pockets.
In the evening, when the precinct had already begun to empty, Katana saw the man again. He was sitting in front of the phone with a mug of hot, fragrant tea. The police officer placed a sugar bowl beside him. The blind man turned his head at the sound, guessing that something had been placed on the table for him.
"I didn’t ask for this."
"I know."
"Then why?" — They both remained silent until Hyperlaser touched the mug with the tips of his rough fingers. — "... thank you."
"u’re welcome."
Katana was already about to leave, taking his precious gloves from the edge of Hyperlaser’s desk and putting them into the pockets of his coat.
"Katana."
"Hmm?"
"Today..." — Hyperlaser fell silent guiltily, trying to find the right words so as not to embarrass himself, fidgeting with the right sleeve of his shirt. It was obvious to the naked eye that he was nervous. — "actually... Never mind."
"do u like starting sentences and not finishing them?"
"maybe."
Hyperlaser smiled, placing his hands on the now-brown wooden table. The table was made of absolutely terrible wood, but it would be a sin to complain about your workplace when you had been hired here... Just like that. In Blackrock, he couldn’t even dream of something like this.
"see you tomorrow."
"see you tomorrow, Katana."
And only after walking out the door did the police officer realize one unpleasant thing about himself.
He really was planning to come back tomorrow. to Hyperlaser.