Crossroads!

Over the next week, Nyota and Kilo fell into a routine. Their tasks were simple—keeping an eye on the quiet streets surrounding Polaris Academy, reporting anything suspicious, and staying out of trouble. It wasn't exactly exciting work, but it provided time for their minds to wander. Nyota, however, found himself looking forward to something more than the monotony of the patrols.

The two sat in their patrol car near the school, the engine idling as Nyota's gaze remained fixed out the driver's side window.

Kilo, his hand rummaging through the contents of his backpack, glanced over at Nyota, noticing his silence.

"You good?" Kilo asked, breaking the stillness. "You've been like this for days, man."

Nyota snapped out of his daze and turned toward Kilo. "Yeah, I'm fine. Like what? Why wouldn't I be?"

Kilo raised an eyebrow. "Alright, you're just not focused, that's all."

"Yeah? Well, ironic coming from you."

"Wait a minute…" Kilo smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Don't tell me this is about that girl. That'd be hilarious—you don't even know her name, let alone what school she goes to."

"I am not!" Nyota protested, the heat rising to his face. "But now that you mention it, is it crazy to assume she goes to Polaris? She was wearing the same uniform."

Kilo chuckled. "So it is."

Nyota shot him a look, trying to mask the awkwardness. "Whatever. I just hope you're ready to split up later. You remember what the Chief Warrant Officer said? We're supposed to spend time on opposite sides of the school's perimeter. I'll take the north side and you'll handle the south, got it?"

"Uh-huh…" Kilo murmured absently, still fiddling with his bag. A grin spread across his face as he pulled out a can of black spray paint and admired it.

Nyota stared at him in disbelief. "What do you have that for?"

Kilo's grin widened mischievously. "Zteel's insignia isn't gonna make itself."

"Kilo…" Nyota groaned, facepalming. "Not only are you a police officer, but you're on the clock in broad daylight. You can't be serious."

Kilo waved him off dismissively. "It'll be fine, as long as you don't snitch. Besides, nobody's gonna ask questions. I'm in uniform. You just do your thing, and I'll do mine."

Nyota shook his head. "Fine," he exhaled.

Within the next hour, the two would do as planned—Kilo remained close to the patrol car while Nyota ventured to the northern side of the block.

Nyota sat at the northwestern corner of Polaris Academy, near a bus stop, where he passed the hours in a restless stupor. His thoughts meandered through familiar, often painful, territories.

Lunenrane, the quiet coastal town where he'd grown up, seemed distant now, a memory he could almost touch but never fully grasp. His mind drifted to his mother, Nora—her warmth, her advice, the comfort of her presence that was now lost to him. Then, inevitably, his thoughts turned to his father, Orion.

The question that always loomed, ever since the chaos of that night, was whether Orion was still alive. The uncertainty gnawed at him, the fear that one answer would bring closure, but the other, a hole in his heart too deep to fill.

Nyota's mind drifted back to the girl he'd bumped into at the convenience store the other day. He wasn't sure why, but her image lingered in his thoughts. Was it her face? Her smile? Or perhaps it was the subtle fragrance she wore? No, it wasn't just the scent—it was what the fragrance reminded him of that made her so memorable, something intangible yet vivid.

But why did it even matter? He didn't even know her name.

The final school bell rang, snapping him back to the present as students began to filter past him, offering casual greetings as they came and went. He continued lounging, letting the minutes slip by in a haze.

Then, to his surprise, a familiar face approached. It was the same girl from the convenience store.

As the girl approached, Nyota's heart rate quickened, his usual calm demeanor replaced by an unexpected anxiety. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say or do. What was he supposed to say? Should he just wave and keep it casual? Was there a way to ignore the strange feeling in his chest?

He reminded himself that it was just a coincidence. She probably didn't even recognize him the way he remembered her. Still, the idea of speaking to her again—so soon, unexpectedly—left him feeling a bit on edge.

The girl approached with a small, curious smile, her hands loosely clasped in front of her. Nyota stood up, unsure of whether to remain calm or to fidget with something, anything, just to distract himself.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice light and warm, though Nyota caught a playful edge to it. "You're the one from the store, right? I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Nyota hesitated, unsure of what to say next. His words seemed to form slowly, like he was piecing them together at the last moment. "Yeah, uh... funny running into you here again. I mean, we did kind of... run into each other."

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement tugging at the corner of her lips. "Run into? Pretty sure I dropped something, and you picked it up for me," she teased. "But I'll give you credit for being quick about it."

Nyota rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool despite the heat rising to his face. "Well, uh... yeah, I guess that's true."

She crossed her arms, studying him with an amused look. "So, do you just make a habit of helping random strangers in convenience stores?"

Nyota's words caught in his throat for a second, and he could only manage a nervous chuckle. "I wouldn't say that. I just... saw it on the ground and figured you'd want it back."

The girl let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Relax, I'm messing with you. But you're definitely the awkward one."

"The awkward one?" Nyota repeated, feeling both self-conscious and defensive. "I'm not awkward."

The girl raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Sure, you're not, Mr. Nyota," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Nyota sighed, trying to shift the focus away from himself. "Wait, you know my name?"

"Yeah," she said simply, shrugging. "Your friend called you Nyota at the store. I've never heard the name before, so, ironically, it kind of stuck."

Her words sent his mind reeling for a moment, though her teasing smile made it clear she wasn't being entirely serious. "So you were paying attention?" he asked, attempting to recover with a nervous grin.

The girl shrugged again. "I mean, how could I not? You did kind of make an impression." She held out her hand. "The name's Kairi Watson. Most people call me Kai."

Nyota didn't know whether to feel flattered or embarrassed, so he settled for an awkward chuckle before grabbing her hand to return the gesture. "Nyota Atar. Guess that makes two of us." He found himself repeating her name under his breath, committing it to memory.

She noticed but didn't say anything, simply smirking to herself. "Two of us?" she echoed, a curious gleam in her eyes.

"Well, you were kind of hard to forget too," he admitted quietly, hoping the words didn't come out too forward.

Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, but she didn't press him further. Instead, she gestured toward the empty bench at the bus stop. "Bus is late. Looks like I'm stuck here for a while. You mind if I wait with you?"

Nyota hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Not at all," he said, quickly stepping aside to give her room.

As they settled in, the conversation began to flow more easily.

"I'm still curious," she said after a moment. "What are you doing around here? You don't seem like the type to just... hang out at bus stops."

Nyota chuckled. "I'm not, usually. I'm on patrol around the neighborhood, keeping an eye on things."

Kai gave him a skeptical look. "You? A cop? No offense, but you don't exactly scream 'authority figure.'"

Nyota laughed, feeling a little more at ease. "None taken. And you're not wrong. But yeah, I'm with the force—though it's not exactly my dream job."

Kai leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. "Really? Then what's the dream?"

Kai's question caught Nyota off guard, leaving him scrambling for an answer. Before he could respond, the distant roar of an engine broke the moment, drawing both of their gazes down the street. It wasn't the bus. Kai sighed, shaking her head in mild frustration.

"Still nothing," she muttered, settling back on the bench. "Guess I've got time for a couple more questions."

Nyota smiled faintly, the tension in his chest easing. "Alright, shoot."

Kai leaned back, studying him thoughtfully. "Any idea why Polaris's ramping up security around here?"

Nyota shook his head. "Not really. My friend and I were told by a superintendent that this would be our assignment for the next few weeks. No clear end date, just that it's important. Beyond that? Your guess is as good as mine."

Kai nodded slowly, her expression neutral but curious. "Hm, maybe it's just Polaris being thorough. They've got a reputation to maintain, I guess."

"Yeah, probably," Nyota replied, though his tone carried an edge of uncertainty.

She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing slightly. "You know, you look familiar."

Nyota stiffened ever so slightly. "Do I?"

"Yeah," Kai said, her brow furrowing as if piecing together a memory. "You and your friend... and your name too. Wait a second—I remember now! You were in the Inaugural Police Cadet Sparring Tournament! You made it to the final round against the Big Three, didn't you?"

Nyota blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Uh, yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head. "That was us."

Kai's face lit up with excitement. "No way! That's so cool! You guys were amazing! I know the Big Three were the favorites, but you really held your own out there. Nyota, Kilo... and Sage, right? Your friend earlier was Kilo. Where's Sage?"

Nyota chuckled, shaking his head. "Sage? Let's just say he's... busy with janitor duties. They really did him dirty—no pun intended."

Kai frowned briefly, then broke into a grin. "Terrible joke. Not even close to funny."

Nyota laughed. "Yeah, I guess not."

"But seriously," Kai continued, her expression softening. "That must suck."

Nyota shrugged, trying to play it off, but before he could say anything more, Kai smirked mischievously. "Okay, last question."

He braced himself. "What is it?"

"Why were you so awkward at the store?" she asked, her grin widening.

Nyota groaned, burying his face in his hands as her laughter rang out. "Oh, my gods," he muttered.

"It's fine," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm just teasing."

Their conversation paused as the bus finally rounded the corner, its engine rumbling closer. Kai stood, brushing off her skirt. "Well, Nyota," she said with a playful smile. "It's been fun talking with you."

Nyota stood as well, nodding. "Yeah, likewise."

Kai glanced at him over her shoulder as the bus slowed to a stop. "Should I expect to see you here tomorrow?"

Nyota hesitated, trying not to seem overly eager. "I'll be around," he said casually.

Kai's smile widened. "Sure."

As the bus doors opened, she paused, turning to him one last time. "Oh, and Nyota?"

"Yeah?" he asked, meeting her gaze.

Her expression turned thoughtful, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I hope to ask you about your dream again sometime. You never answered."

Before he could respond, she stepped onto the bus, flashing him a grin as the doors closed behind her. "See you around."

Nyota nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah," he said quietly, watching as the bus pulled away. He stood there, watching the vehicle rumble down the street, its taillights glowing faintly against the setting sun.

As the bus disappeared around the corner, Nyota let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His mind raced, replaying fragments of their conversation—the way she smiled, the way she teased him, and the unexpected mention of his dream. He hadn't anticipated that someone he'd barely met could read him so well, or that she would remember a fleeting interaction from a convenience store.

"She's sharp," he muttered under his breath, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. The thought made him uneasy but also intrigued. People rarely remembered him beyond his role in the tournament or his badge. Yet, Kai had seen more—something deeper, something that left him feeling exposed but strangely acknowledged.

He stood there for a moment longer, trying to shake off the strange mix of nervousness and excitement building in his chest. It wasn't like him to get caught up in moments like these, to let someone occupy his thoughts so easily. And yet, she had.

With one last glance down the empty street, Nyota turned away, his mind still circling her parting words. "Your dream…" The way she'd said it felt deliberate, like she wasn't just referring to their conversation but to something larger. Did she mean it that way? Or was he reading too much into it?

Whatever the case, the curiosity lingered. For the first time in a long while, Nyota found himself wondering what tomorrow might bring.