Chapter 22: First Kiss (1/2)

I can't reply. Not because I feel guilty about something or I want to come up with an excuse of sorts. It's just that I'm in a trance.

Under the starry sky, I observe her and realize just how beautiful she is. I have this indescribable feeling within me. It feels so familiar, yet so new.

I reminisce about the time I arrived in this world and everything that has happened until now.

Realizing that it's unlike myself to just stare at her, I move closer to her and sit on a rock beside the one she's sitting on.

A sweet smell invades my nose and I can tell that it's her natural scent. I wasn't sure of it before, but I'm unmistakably attracted to Nao.

This girl. She never puts on any makeup yet she is so appealing.

Coming back to my senses, I inquire,

”What song are you listening to?”

She grabs her small music player and shows me the screen while saying,

”It's a band called Zhiend.”

”I've never heard of them.”

”It's the band that my brother loved.”, she continues.

Before things start to get gloomy, I ask her,

”May I listen to it?”

She agrees and hands me the media player as well as the headphones. I put them on and play the music. The next moment, I'm hit with a sense of familiarity. Deja vu? No, it's different.

In the song, the soothing voice of a female that seems to be in her twenties sings a slow and calming song.

The song gives off a lonely vibe. It feels as if I'm in a world all alone, surrounded by nothing yet everything.

”How is it?”, Nao's voice brings me back to my senses.

I think for a moment of what to say and decide to go with,

”It's strange. It's as if I'm in some kind of vast space.”

The next moment, excitement covers Nao's face as she laughs and lightly punches my arm saying,

”Owoh! You understand it, don't you!”

She then continues, ”That's right. The music that Zheind makes is vast and downright lonely.”

She tells me that she believes that the reason for this is that the vocalist who's also the composer of the band is completely blind.

I take a good look at her face, as she stares off into the distance with resolve visible in her eyes as she says,

”My dream is to film a Zhiend music video.”

Nao then begins to lightly swing sideways as she hums a song.

Once again, I'm captivated by her. I subconsciously reach out to her face and lightly stroke her cheek. I don't stop there and brush her white her to the side.

In response to my actions, she stops moving and humming, then looks my way. This goes on for a short while before she asks,

”You're not going to tell me about it?”