Pt. 6 - Empty Fridge

Isao felt disappointed when Miya admitted she didn't know who the girl was either. Their conversation had been more confusing than he expected. Miya had assumed he already knew her, but when he explained that the gift wasn't a thank-you, but rather a get-well gesture, her expression had shifted to surprise.

It was clear she hadn't expected this mystery to deepen.

When he approached her during break, Miya looked caught off guard. They weren't exactly friends, and beyond sitting near each other in class, they never really talked. The only reason she had spoken to him that morning was in the hope that he could personally thank the girl on her behalf. But now, they sat in shared confusion, neither any closer to an answer.

The day came and went, followed by the weekend. Any hope of finding her would have to wait until Monday. At least Miya had promised to let him know if she learned anything.

~

It wasn't often that Isao found himself thinking about someone he barely knew. He wasn't the type to concern himself with others, at least, not in any deep way. It wasn't that he disliked people, but he rarely felt the need to go out of his way to get to know them. His naturally unreadable expression and quiet demeanor didn't help either; people tended to keep their distance, unsure of how to approach him.

But he wasn't indifferent. He felt things deeply.

And if someone really got to know him, really knew him, the way his mother did, they'd realize that beneath his silence, he was an open book.

So when a girl he had never met before had simply sat with him in silence, staying even as he cried, offering no words, no judgments, just quiet companionship, he couldn't ignore that.

He wanted to know her. Not just to say thank you, but because he wanted to be her friend. That desire, buried since childhood, had surfaced the moment she reached out.

Now, he just had to find her.

Isao lounged on the floor of his bedroom, his back pressed against the side of his bed, fingers absently drumming against his knee as his thoughts drifted. His eyes wandered to the unopened can of Blue Raspberry Lemonade Soda lying on the bed near him. A second gift from her.

Then, something clicked. Maybe he could encounter her at the vending machine.

That had to be it. After all, he had only started drinking this soda because of her, and there was only one machine on campus that stocked it, the one behind the school.

A small smile inched at the corners of his mouth. He couldn't wait for Monday.

A sudden chime snapped him from his thoughts. His phone signaled a familiar tone, indicating it was a text from his mother.

He dug it out of his pocket and flipped it open, flashing a message from his ma. She wouldn't be home for dinner again. Isao exhaled softly, already expecting the text before he even read it. Something had come up at work, it stated.

Tucking his phone back into his jeans, he pushed himself up with a sigh. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he figured he should eat something anyway. His stomach gave a small, hollow protest as he wandered into the kitchen, swinging the fridge door open.

Nothing.

Well, not nothing, but nothing worth eating. A lone bottle of water, a nearly empty carton of eggs, and some leftovers that had definitely been sitting there too long.

His gaze shifted to the small envelope of emergency money his ma always left on the counter. She probably felt guilty about missing another dinner. He grabbed the envelope, tucking it into his pocket before slipping on his jacket and boots. The convenience store wasn't far, and the walk would at least give him something to do.

Stepping outside, he took in the quiet evening. The Saturday seemed to have disappeared faster than he realized. He glanced up, noticing the sun had faded past the horizon, leaving behind streaks of soft amber light. The night air carried a lingering chill of spring, making him tuck his hands away into his pockets.

The streets were nearly empty, the occasional flickering streetlamp casting pools of light onto the pavement as bugs buzzed around the light. Sounds of churring crickets and frogs can be heard somewhere out of sight, along with the subtle hum of the city close by.

With a slow breath, Isao set off, his mind still turning over the mystery of the elusive girl who had found him in his most vulnerable moment.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd get the chance to meet her.