I woke up this morning and had breakfast. Everything was normal until I went to the bank.

I enter the bank and robbers attack us. I get away from the bank robbery but then encountered my childhood friend.

Somehow I ran away from her and decided to have a peaceful meal and leave this city.

But the worst was still to come, I guess?!!

I sigh. Not really but in my mind. It is a long and depressing sigh.

Because, I am currently sharing my table with my ex-wife.

Why? I scream in my mind. Why did this happen to me? Did I do something wrong or is someone plotting against me?

I hold my head and become even more depressed.

But I hadn’t noticed something, yet.

My ex-wife is staring at me. Really carefully looking as if appraising me.

But I don’t think, she will recognize me. She never had an interest in me. We seldom talked even though we were married.

So I don’t have worry about her recognizing me.

I just have pull this off somehow.

I breathe and calm down.

I have yet to introduce myself, right?

Then let’s do it.

I extend my hand.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kanehaya Akito.”

That’s my alternate name. I use that alias. My real name can’t be disclosed as it can cause trouble for me.

She looks at me and thinks. No, you normally won’t be able to tell but I know her.

She is currently thinking whether to take my hand or not. But I keep my hand.

She then slowly takes my hand and shakes it.

“Likewise. I am Kusanagi Mona.”

She says. Her hands are cold. Like a ice woman, she is staring me to death.

I would have frozen from that but I have evolved. I experienced different things and gained somewhat of an immunity towards those.

I let her hand go. But she isn’t stopping.

She is staring a hole through me.

I pretend not to notice it.

I almost forgot something and was in a daze when someone called me.

“Mr. Kanehaya, your order is here.”

With a voice that would freeze me, she told me.

“Oh….sorry for the trouble.”

I sober up and prepare to start eating.

I am putting on my handkerchief when she asks me a question.

“Are you married?”

That’s a weird question. I don’t think I have the air around me that tells me I am married.

“Uhhh…..it’s complicated. I was married. But we got a divorce 5 years ago. So, I am basically a single guy.”

I tell her the truth.

“But how did you know?”

I ask her.

“You have a ring on your left ring finger. So I guessed that.”

She is pretty sharp. But I think she got even sharper.

“This….is to mislead people. If they see the ring, they would think I am married, right? Keeps me safe from troubles.”

I tell her the reason. I wonder why, but whenever I am with her, I start talking like an idiot.

Like I would spill everything to her. But I stop.

We ate our lunch. As usual, she had a light meal.

She hasn’t changed. Her looks are the same.

But maybe she has matured a bit. There’s this alluring aura around her.

I finish eating and ask for my check.

“Oh…let me pay.”

“Eh?!!!”

I am shocked. She asked me to let her pay for me.

“Nononono….. I can’t let you do that.”

I object. I can’t let her pay for me.

“No, I insist. I have a feeling that this meeting means something.”

“No. I am a traveller. I travel around the world. So I don’t think we would meet again.”

“No. I am not changing my mind. Either I pay for you or you pay for everyone else.”

She gives me an unreasonable condition. When did she become like this?

She was a bit childish and competitive but this is downright stubborn.

In the end, I had to admit defeat and she paid for me.

“I hope we meet again.” She says and leaves.

But she smiled for a second there.

I have never seen her smile. But when she smiles, it’s like a goddess smiling.

Damn! She really was wasted on me. I hope someone musters up his courage and marries her.

I want to see her happy.

I also leave the diner front. I have 30 minutes left before the train leaves.

I should hurry to the station and leave this city.

I feel that something isn’t right here.