Not the Best Start, I Guess

[Leo woke up with the first light of dawn. The house was still engulfed in silence, the only sound being the soft chirping of birds outside.]

[He sat on his bed for a moment, taking a deep breath before getting up and preparing his bag. He packed his clothes and a few essential items, making sure not to forget his notebook and pen—the two things he could never go without.]

[After double-checking that he had everything he needed, he cast one last glance at the room, as if trying to imprint its image in his memory before leaving. Then, he picked up his bag and quietly closed the door behind him.]

[Outside, the air was slightly chilly, but the crisp morning breeze fully awakened him. He headed toward the nearest bus station, his eyes following the sky as it began to brighten with a faint blue hue.]

[When he arrived at the station, there were only a few people scattered around, each lost in their own world—some checking their phones, others staring blankly into space.]

[Leo stood at the bus stop, glancing at the digital display showing the upcoming routes. The morning was still early, and the air carried a refreshing coolness. Moments later, the speaker crackled to life as an announcement played:]

— "Route 07 from Silverwood to Northham will depart in five minutes. Passengers, please proceed to Gate 3."

[After confirming he had all his belongings, Leo made his way toward the bus, where the driver stood at the entrance, scanning tickets with a quick, practiced glance.]

[Once inside, he found his seat near the window, hoping for a peaceful ride… but, as expected, it was anything but quiet.]

[Leo leaned his head against the cool glass, wishing he could close his eyes and rest for a while. The journey would take over an hour, and he thought he might be able to get some sleep… but, of course, that was too much to ask.]

[From the moment he sat down, he realized this bus was far from the ideal place to relax.]

[The first thing that caught his attention was the loud, relentless chewing behind him—someone was smacking their gum obnoxiously, as if trying to crush it between their teeth rather than simply chewing.]

[Then came the deep, rumbling snores of an elderly man sitting across the aisle. It sounded as though he had been asleep for centuries, his snores reverberating through every corner of the bus, like an old engine struggling to start.]

[Leo tried to ignore it, but things only got worse when the young man in the seat ahead pulled out his phone and started blasting music—without headphones. The fast-paced beats and blaring vocals made Leo feel like he had stumbled into an impromptu concert instead of a quiet morning trip.]

"Seriously? No headphones?" he muttered, furrowing his brows.

[He focused on the window, determined to tune everything out, but soon realized that his troubles weren't over yet.]

[Midway through the journey, voices suddenly rose in agitation. A commotion had broken out between two passengers in the middle of the bus.]

[One was a young man in a tracksuit, while the other was a middle-aged businessman clutching a briefcase.]

"I told you, don't put your foot on the seat!" the older man snapped.

"And what's it to you? The bus isn't yours!" the younger one retorted stubbornly.

"That's just plain disrespect!"

"And you talk like you're some kind of king here!"

[It didn't take long for the bus driver himself to intervene, warning them that he would pull over if they didn't settle down.]

[Leo sat back in his seat, staring at the ceiling in frustration.]

[Could this trip possibly get any worse?]

[Fortunately, after a few tense minutes, things finally settled down, and the passengers returned to their usual silence—except for the annoying snoring behind him, which never stopped.]

[As the bus neared its destination, Leo checked his watch, surprised to realize he hadn't managed to sleep for even a single minute. Great. A perfect start to my journey... he thought sarcastically as he stepped off the bus in Northham, preparing for the next leg of his trip.]

[Yawning, Leo rubbed his tired eyes as he walked away from the bus. He hadn't gotten any rest, and his stomach was beginning to protest quietly.]

[Deciding to grab a bite before catching his next bus, he glanced around and spotted a small convenience store just a few meters from the station. The sign was a bit old, but the store was open and seemed like a good place for a quick breakfast.]

[As he stepped inside, the cool air from the drink refrigerators greeted him. He made his way straight to the shelves, picking up a few pre-packaged sandwiches, a bottle of juice, and some snacks for the road.]

[Just as he was about to head to the counter, he heard someone whisper excitedly:]

"Isn't that...?"

[Leo looked up to see a store employee staring at him in shock. The young man quickly turned to his coworker and spoke in a slightly louder voice:]

"Manager! Manager! That's Leonardo Silvius! The former employee of Joja Mart and the guy behind the Joja Cola project!"

[Leo froze for a moment before exhaling quietly. Great… I didn't expect this to happen here too.]

[The store manager stepped out from a small office in the corner. He was a man in his forties, wearing a clean apron, his expression showing years of experience in customer service. Upon seeing Leonardo, his eyes widened in surprise before a wide smile spread across his face.]

"Oh, what an incredible surprise! Mr. Leonardo himself in my little store? This is an honor!"

[Leo tried to respond with a polite smile.] "Oh, there's really no need for all that, I'm just—"

[But the manager didn't give him a chance to finish and quickly turned to his employee.]

"Treat him well—no, actually, make his breakfast on the house!"

["No, no, really, that's not necessary!" Leo protested, but before he knew it, he was suddenly surrounded by employees handing him bags filled with food and drinks—without letting him pay a single cent.]

"Can I take a picture with you?" one of the customers asked eagerly.

"Oh, me too!" a woman added, already pulling out her phone.

[Leo felt embarrassed, but he wasn't rude enough to refuse their requests. He stood for a few quick photos, hoping to wrap things up as soon as possible. After thanking everyone, he left the store carrying far more than he had originally planned to buy.]

[He walked to the town square, spotting a wooden bench beneath the shade of a large tree. Sitting down, he placed the bags beside him and pulled out a sandwich, eating slowly while reflecting on his journey so far.]

[He hadn't expected to be recognized here, but he couldn't deny that knowing people still remembered him gave him a small sense of warmth… even if it came with a bit of awkwardness.]

[After finishing his breakfast, he checked his watch, then looked at the road ahead. There was still a long journey to Stardale Valley… and he had to be ready for the next bus.]

[A voice echoed through the small station:]

— "The bus to Blackrief will depart in five minutes. Passengers, please proceed to Gate 3."

[Hearing the announcement, Leo sighed, gathering his bags and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.]

[He made his way toward the bus, expecting the same level of chaos as before. But as he stepped inside, he was surprised by what he saw.]

[The bus was slightly old, its seats worn, and the gray curtains faded, giving it a somewhat gloomy appearance. However, it was nearly empty.]

[There were only four other passengers:]

— A young woman near the window, absorbed in her music through her headphones.— A man in his thirties, looking exhausted as he stared at his phone absentmindedly.— A mother seated toward the back, cradling her sleeping infant in her arms.

[Finally… peace.]

[Leo chose a seat by the window, placing his bag on the seat beside him before leaning back with a sigh of relief. After the noisy trip he had just endured, he desperately needed this peace and quiet.]

[The bus set off, and as time passed, he began to relax. The road stretched endlessly ahead, the blue sky reflecting off the dusty windows.]

[He took the opportunity to lean back, enjoying the calm atmosphere.]

[The journey would take a long time—almost a full day—meaning they would arrive at night or perhaps early the next morning. Finally, he would be able to get some uninterrupted sleep.]

[Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift into thought, but after about three hours, the bus suddenly jolted and began to slow down in an odd manner.]

[Then… it stopped completely.]

[Leo's eyes snapped open, his expression tightening. He glanced around and noticed the young woman had taken off her headphones, looking out the window in confusion, while the man had finally lifted his gaze from his phone.]

[Even the mother seemed uneasy, gently rocking her child to keep him from waking up.]

[Leo turned to look out the window, but all he saw was an empty road surrounded by tall trees stretching into the distance. There was no station, no town nearby… just an eerie silence blanketing the area.]

"What's going on…?"

[His brow furrowed as a small wave of unease crept into his chest.]

[Stepping out of the bus, Leo felt a faint chill in the air despite the sun casting its golden rays over the deserted road.]

[There was nothing but an unsettling quiet, broken only by the distant chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind through the scattered trees on either side of the road.]

[He spotted the mother holding her child's hand tightly while the little boy looked up at her and asked innocently:]

"Mommy, are we there yet? Why did we stop?"

[The mother forced a reassuring smile despite the concern in her eyes and replied in a soft voice:]

"No, sweetheart, we just have to wait a little longer."

[But it was clear she wasn't convinced by her own words.]

[Leo made his way to the front of the bus, where he saw the driver—a burly man with a protruding belly, smelling of engine oil. His white shirt was stained with old black smudges.]

[The man was hunched over the engine, fiddling with something inside the metal casing while muttering to himself in an irritated, unintelligible manner.]

[On the other side, the man Leo had noticed earlier—the one in his thirties—leaned against the bus, holding a cigarette between his fingers. He exhaled the smoke slowly, looking utterly unconcerned with the situation.]

[Leo approached him, casting a brief glance at the worn-out bus before speaking in a calm tone:]

"Looks like our trip won't be as smooth as I'd hoped."

[The man lifted his gaze, his gray eyes carrying a hint of indifference. He took another drag of his cigarette before replying in a quiet yet sarcastic tone:]

"Nothing ever goes as we hope, does it? Edgar."

"Leo."

[They shook hands briefly before Edgar nodded toward the driver, who was still tinkering with the engine.]

"He says the battery's dead, but I've got a feeling that's not the only problem."

[Moments later, a sudden burst of thick black smoke erupted from the engine, shooting straight into the driver's face!]

"Damn it!!"

[The man staggered backward, frantically wiping the soot from his face.]

[Leo and Edgar quickly moved toward the driver. The man turned around, his face now covered in a thick layer of black soot, his eyes burning with frustration and irritation.]

"Damn this cursed luck! Something just exploded in there!"

[Edgar crouched down to inspect the engine closely while Leo stood beside him, observing the situation carefully.]

[After a minute of examining the damage, Edgar stood up, wiping his hands on a dirty rag nearby. His voice carried a hint of frustration as he spoke:]

"It's not just the battery… looks like one of the wires got burned too. Even if we manage to get it started, it won't last long. We'll need a replacement part to fix this properly."

[The driver growled in frustration and kicked the tire hard as if that would solve the issue.]

"Damn it! This place is completely isolated, and the signal here is terrible! Hardly any cars pass by on this road—we're going to have to wait for someone to show up!"

[Leo glanced around, taking in just how remote their location was. There were no buildings in sight, no gas stations, not even a small roadside rest stop. Just a long stretch of road vanishing into the horizon, flanked by endless trees.]

[He exhaled slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he thought to himself…]

"This is going to be annoying."

[Leo looked over at Edgar, who was still leaning against the bus, lighting another cigarette.]

"I'll go check on the others," Leo said in a calm tone.

[Edgar raised an eyebrow slightly before exhaling a puff of smoke, his voice carrying a mix of sarcasm and mild amusement.]

"Doing good deeds? Well, they're lucky to have you around."

[Leo gave a faint smile before heading back toward the bus. He climbed the steps slowly and entered to find the mother holding her child close while staring out the window anxiously, as if trying to estimate how long they would be stuck here.]

[The young woman, on the other hand, remained seated, seemingly indifferent to the whole situation. She had her earphones in, focused entirely on her phone, showing no interest in what was happening around her.]

[Standing in the aisle, Leo spoke in a calm yet reassuring voice:]

"Apologies for the unexpected stop, but there's nothing to worry about. The driver is working on fixing the problem, and we'll figure something out soon."

[The mother looked at him with concern in her eyes, while the little boy stared at him with innocent curiosity. She didn't say anything at first, but her unease was clear.]

[As for the young woman, she didn't even bother to remove her earphones. She simply glanced at him for a brief second before returning her gaze to her phone, as if the situation had nothing to do with her.]

"Mommy, is the bus going to move soon?" the child asked, clutching the edge of his mother's shirt.

[Leo smiled and crouched slightly to be at the child's level before saying teasingly:]

"That depends… do you have any magic powers to make the bus move?"

[The boy giggled and shook his head enthusiastically. "No! But… what if it never moves again?"]

[Leo took a moment, then pulled a small lollipop from the pocket of his coat and waved it in front of the child.]

"That's why you need to stay with your mom and behave. Deal?"

[The boy's eyes lit up with excitement as he eagerly grabbed the candy and exclaimed, "Deal!"]

[His mother finally let out a small laugh, as if a bit of her worry had faded. She then looked at Leo warmly and said, "Thank you… you're very kind."]

[Leo gave her a small nod. "Just trying to make things a little less tense. We'll see what we can do, and hopefully, it'll be an easy fix."]

[She hesitated for a moment before extending her hand.]

"I'm Seraphina, and this is my son, Thomas."

[Leo shook her hand gently.]

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Leonardo, but just call me Leo."

[Before he could say more, a quiet voice spoke from behind him.]

"Is this going to take long?"

[Leo turned to see the young woman finally removing one of her earphones. Her cold eyes met his, and though she had seemed indifferent before, she now looked mildly irritated by the situation.]

"Honestly, I don't know. But hopefully, it won't take too long."

[She tilted her head slightly before responding in a neutral tone:]

"Violet, by the way."

[Leo raised an eyebrow slightly, as if surprised that she chose to introduce herself. Still, he nodded with a small smile and said:]

"Nice to meet you, Violet."

[She put her earphone back in and said dryly before returning to her phone:]

"Thanks."

[Leo watched her for a moment before exhaling quietly and making his way back outside. There was still a long road ahead, but the real question was—how long would they be stuck here?]