I didn't even realize it until Arin had completely disappeared from sight. Snapping out of my daze, I quickly picked up the bag in my hand and tucked it into the scooty's compartment.
Just then, a voice pulled me back to reality.
"Beta, what time is it?"
I turned to see an old woman standing nearby, her frail figure wrapped in a shawl.
"4:45," I answered, glancing at my watch.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Could you drop me off at this address?" She held out a small piece of paper.
I sighed, already feeling late. "Aunty, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Maybe you can ask someone else?"
She simply looked at me, her gaze unwavering.
A small pang of guilt crept in.
"Alright… let me see where you need to go." I took the note from her hands, scanning the address.
For a brief moment, I hesitated. Should I take her? What if she's a thief? But come on, Aira, she's just an old lady… You should at least show some humanity.
I exhaled. "Alright, get on. I'll drop you off."
She climbed onto the back of my scooty, holding onto me tightly as I started the engine.
"Please, God, let us reach safely. I really don't want her to fall off," I muttered under my breath.
As we rode through the dimly lit streets, her voice broke the silence.
"What's your name?"
I stiffened slightly. Should I really tell her? What if she's some hacker and uses my name to hack my account or something? No, Aira, stop overthinking. You're being ridiculous.
"Aira," I replied.
"Hmm… strange name," she murmured.
I blinked. What the heck?
What's so weird about my name, old lady?!
I forced out an awkward chuckle, pretending not to care. "Haha…"
By the time we reached her destination, I let out a relieved sigh and stopped the scooty.
"Here we are. You can go now." I gestured toward the house.
But something about the way she lingered made me uneasy.
Why did it feel like this wasn't just a simple ride…? Just as I turned to leave, the old woman suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist.
"You will meet the one you are destined to meet… but that doesn't mean he will be yours forever, nor that he will only bring you happiness."
Her voice was eerily calm, carrying the weight of something I couldn't quite grasp.
And then—without another word—she stepped inside the house, vanishing behind the door.
I stood there, frozen.
What… did she just say?
Who was she talking about?
A strange chill ran down my spine.
Was she some kind of fortune teller? A mystic? Or just a senile old woman rambling nonsense?
Meet someone… but not for a lifetime?
I shook my head, scoffing at my own thoughts. Ugh, old people say the weirdest things.
Still, as I climbed onto my scooty, I couldn't resist glancing back at the house one last time before speeding away into the night.
Even after I reached home, her words kept circling in my mind like an unsolved riddle.
I barely tasted dinner, my thoughts tangled in the cryptic message she had left behind.
Later, as I finally retreated to my room, exhaustion settled over me like a heavy blanket.
I shut my eyes, willing my mind to silence.
Forget it, Aira. It's just another strange encounter.
And with that, I let the weight of the day pull me into the depths of sleep.