Meet Me In Autumn

5: Silhouettes From Afar

“Katarina Shin! Katarina Shin!”

“Yuna, stop yelling my name every time you arrive and walk in, will you?” Katarina rolled her eyes playfully, her lips curving up, although uninvited. She pouted and , and side eyed the pale girl who just stepped inside the silent café — immediately taking everyone's attention.

Some familiar customers failed to hold their cackles at the girl's entertaining and ridiculous entrance while freestyling into an imaginary upbead music, full of energy as if tiredness, bad days and mood swings were never one of her options.

Kat knows that most of them — loyal customers from nearby buildings and offices, such familiar faces, — are already used to hearing that subtle yell from Yuna around the ending minutes of five in the afternoon, right before the pale girl's shift starts. All those days that they will garner looks of either displease and amusement from their valued customers, Yuna could only bow in apology while giggling loudly.

“What is it now, Yuna?”

“Did you tell Sharon? Did you? Did you? Am I finally out of my secret shell? Am I? Was I?” Yuna asked, eager to learn Kat's answer. With eyes glittering in excitement, she excitedly leaned forward and jumped up the counter that separates her from Kat's space, making half of her body lie above the flat surface.

Kat was quick to scrunch her nose in pure shock and displease. She stepped one of her foot back and leaned backwards, so her face would be away from Yuna's. She then opened her mouth, replying, ready to scold the latter for doing the weird stunt that won't look so good in any eyes in the cafeteria, “Yes, I did. I told her already. Now, maybe move a little back? Stop resting on the counter for God's sake!”

Yuna just beamed a blissful smile, delighted and the most happiest as if she won a lottery. And when she got off the counter with a yelp, sge jumped excitedly with a few shouts to herself. “I thought you'll forever keep your best friend inside a closet, I'm about to file you a case of disowning me whenever you're with someone else.”

“Alright, calm down,” Kat giggled. Yuna will always make the most out of simple circumstances, acting like she was inside an alternative universe full of dramas, and she has to act under the pressure of a spotlight — throwing absurd lines which seems too scripted and sketchy to be true.

Kat always finds her so funny and amusing, though. Every so often, when Kat is on the mood, not too serious and a kill-joy, she also acts and plays with Yuna's impromptu act. And the current situation doesn't count for the times that she responses to make the scene more dramatic and weird in anyone's view. Instead of blowing into the fire so it burns and adding fuel to Yuna's previous flame, Kat just cracked her neck, popping her bones whilst she closes her eyes upon the feeling. Then, she straightly proceeded, “Sharon said she has met you before when she visited this café last winter, though. You were on shift during that time.”

“Ah? So, who among all them pretty ladies was your Sharon?” Yuna's excitement died down, her frown tightening in disappointment, “I'm not a fortune-teller to tell who.”

“Not my problem, man,” Kat grinned. She walked to the other side where Yuna stands. Her grin still so wide, and unlike the usual scene where Yuna would push her off the counter once her shift is over, Kat is now the one who's pushing Yuna over the counter to switch their positions, “now, gear up and stand in place of me, so I can finally go home. Yes?”

“Home my ass, you're just meeting your girl,” Yuna stuck her tongue out, “BOO! I know I'm right, Kat. No arguments. I'm not listening. Ears closed. I have my earphones on with music on the maximum volu–”

“You're not very wrong… well, sort of,” a chuckle, “stop covering your ears, Yuna. Starving customers are stepping in. You prefer not to miss their voices calling for your attention, yeah?”

“When can I meet her? Come on, best friend! Schedule me–”

“I haven't asked yet. I don't know when is she free, and she'll most likely say no.”

“Ask her, ask her, ask her. Come on, come on!”

“Why do you even want to meet her so bad?”

“Simply because she's your friend!” Yuna yelled back, her face almost red out of constant begging. She was also near to downing her knees so Katarina would agree with her dispute. “Come on, Kat. I'll be the one to check her for you, so I would know if she's good or has to be dumped as immediate as possible.”

“Yuna, that's unnecessary. I'm telling you, she's too good to be true— perfect even. Sharon is great.”

“Okay, okay, if you say so…” the pale girl replied sadly, her shoulders pointing down, “I still have to watch for her, and you're not telling me otherwise, Kat. Make me an appointment soon, if not later.”

“Yuna, this ain't business. But okay, whatever floats your boat.”

“Americano, please…”

“Oh, that customer again,” Kat instantly let out a giggle upon hearing the familiar voice.

Her best friend has told her about the other days she has encountered the same girl, and each of those days didn't turn out well. It's either the customer would shout at Yuna for taking so long, or she would complain about her drink — may it be because her Americano has too much sugar or too less for her liking.

Katarina would laugh at Yuna, each time, and will silently thank the heavens that she wasn't the fallen one who got initially destined to deal with a stubborn woman they barely know about. Yuna, on the other hand, upon hearing Kat's subtle giggles and the teasing tone on her breath, she threw the latter a deadly glare, “Shut the f**k up, Katarina.”

“Okay, okay, sorry. Don't be mad. I'm afraid I have to go now, Yuna. See you tomorrow!”

“If you don't bring Sharon the next month, our friendship's over.”

“Are you my friend? Sorry, can't remember.”

“You're so mean!!!”

“Bye-bye! Take care!” Kat deserted with a continuous loud chuckle. She can still see Yuna's lopsided frown and her forced smile from outside the glass door. And it even became more hilarious when she caught a glimpse of Yuna whispering random words, as if chanting a magical curse, once her back was facing the customer.

What an amusing view before she goes off.

Stepping some more, Kat was met by the cold wind hitting her thin sweater and the coldness seeping through the fabric of her cloth. Some other time before autumn ends, the temperature becomes somewhat unbearable at night that she finds it hard not to tremble whenever the wind blows. Today was cold, too, but she can still endure the chill. It's not like winter will be arriving anytime that day, or that week...

After a few turns over some corners on her way from the café, she already saw a glimpse of Sharon standing in one intersection and in front of a lane for pedestrians.

Sharon was busily swiping and tapping in her phone, not even minding the loud siren of a swift ambulance that just went pass her, nor the loud car horns when a vehicle stopped midway down the road because of an engine malfunction. The girl is wearing her usual expression, calm and serene, while one of her feet taps softly on the ground as per usual.

Katarina was about to scream at Sharon and call her attention, her lips automatically flashing a wide smile that is near to tearing her small face. But the curve of her lips instantly tugged itself down into a straight and dismayed line, her enthusiasm vanishing in the thin air when her sight subconsciously but fortunately focused on a weird figure that got caught in her peripheral vision.

It was an odd man standing and hiding half of his frame on one stand on the group of trees situated meters away from Sharon. The man was wearing a neat, corporate attire, and looking like someone with a high status and position in a company. He is staring directly at the girl, exactly on the spot where she currently stands while fidgeting.

A creep...

The scene from the other side of the road sent chills down Katarina's spine, and she didn't know... but sudden anxiousness rushed through her body, a wave of protectiveness coated her system, and her urge to pull Sharon away from that place and bring her into a safer spot intensified.

She realized by that time that there is no way it is a mere coincidence to see that man watching Sharon, hiding himself, so his existence wouldn't be noticed in the girl's oblivion. The way his gaze seems fixed into the girl with his look full of longing… everything is targeted to Sharon.

Kat wonders why the whole atmosphere around the man screams like it's been keeping a broken plea for too long...

Cautiously moving towards the groups of pedestrian waiting for the spotlight to turn red so they can cross, Katarina tried to keep her cool. But she drastically failed as she constantly roams her eyes around the place, trying to look as innocent as possible, so she wouldn't be any suspicious if ever the strange man takes a break from watching Sharon to see if someone already noticed his presence.

When the light shifted to red, Kat stepped in, breaking into the crowd and running to be the first in line as if it was a race. If that was the Olympics, she's sure that she would win a gold.

It all happened too quickly, and when she reached Sharon's spot, she aggressively grabbed the latter's waist, gripping on her side quite too hard. She pulled Sharon into a tight embrace before letting out a rather incoherent whisper out of rush. Fortunately, though, Sharon was fast to pick it up and understand what Kat just said, “Sha… let's move.”

“You're... quite hurting me," whispered Sharon. Kat gulped when she realized she's groping Sharon way too hard, and upon the notice, she listened her grip. “Kat, are you abducting me?”

“Silly,” Katarina laughed awkwardly. “Where do I bring you, if ever I really am? I don't have a secret rest house in one province for a vacation with only the two of us. My house would be too easy to track down since I am the last to be seen with you. I'm not too dumb to show up in broad daylight if ever I'm plotting a perfect abduction for ransom without getting caught.”

Sharon only giggled to Kat's impromptu script about abduction. Once Kat heard Sharon in face, she unknowingly found herself calming down, slowly, after almost having a heart attack when she noticed the odd stalker.

When she spoke again, it didn't come out shaky and incoherent as before. She successfully sought relief beside the girl — and she knows damn well that she can at least give the latter some protection. If she can't, she wouldn't let her hand go, and she'd rather be abducted, too.

“Back... to what I'm previously saying. Sha, I… I saw somebody, a man specifically.”

“Hmm? What about him? Is he handsome, attractive or what? You want to know his name and maybe ask him for a blind date?”

“You know too well that I'm not yet interested in dating, Sharon. I have to focus on saving for my college,” a frown, “he was an odd one, by the way. And he's watching you, I'm pretty sure of that. I even stared at him for minutes, but he didn't back out nor turned away.”

“Where… was he? Can you, like, check if he's… still watching?”

Katarina gulped, but still nodded in response to Sharon's request. She then slowly turned around with a forced smile, pretending to just appreciate her surroundings, “The sky is beautiful today, too, Sha!”

When she's already facing the direction where she saw the man standing before, she pretended to tap on her jeans' pocket and check if it has something inside before looking down the ground then slowly up again to get a little sight of the weirdo who's still peeking from behind a tree. And yes, he was still there like a stone statue.

Kat grabbed on Sharon's arm tightly after turning back to her original direction, and if only her fingers could make a mark under Sharon's thick sweater, it would surely appear and never leave for hours. Nervousness once again flashed in her eyes, and she squealed, “Sha, he's not even moving from his spot, he's stoned as f**k. I think we should ask for help–”

“No! We can just leave him be, I think? It'll be a hassle on both our parts if we report him without much evidence, Kat.”

“You are minding the inconvenience this might cause, more than your very protection? Are you out of your mind, Sha?”

“I mean… ahh, never mind. But I swear it'll be fine, calm down, okay?” Sharon reassured, “what does he look like, by the way? I might recognize him if we're related, so you can stop worrying over possibilities.”

“Tall, thin and pale. He wears a mask, so I couldn't see his whole, but one feature I can pinpoint from the half I viewed was an obvious eyebrow slit–”

“A slit?” Sharon's face turned struck, and Kat never saw her that horrified before, “I… think I've seen him a lot more times before. He's been watching us since then, Kat. I… I pretended it's nothing serious, but learning he's still on the business until today–”

“He's pretty much a stalker at this point, and sure he's here for you,” Kat gritted her teeth in anger. The earlier paranoia all faded away as the thought of protecting Sharon with all her might intensifies, “what if you go home already? Make sure to be safe, lock your gates and all possible entrances. By then, have something you can use to defend yourself nearby. Let anyone inside know about this.”

“I… think that will be a better resort than staying here.”

“I'll walk you to the station.”

“Thank you, Kat.”

“Be safe, Sha. You still have to make sure to meet me every autumn when the leaves that turned red are falling. You have to hold my hand whenever I'm cold and cling on to me, so I'll feel warmer. I'm not letting you leave me hanging, understood? There's no way that I'll let you live in peace and away from me. I swear, even to God.”