Whispers Under The Moonlight

Chapter 6

It’s been three days since the flock of tourists arrived here at Clair de Lune. And in those past three days, I just spend my time hanging around Hiraya Blend. And just like any other day, I am here again. 

“Good Morning, Hiraya,” I greeted her.

She smiled brightly at me and said, “A pleasant morning to you too, Austin.”

I scanned the whole cafe but to my disappointment, I could not see the person I was trying to find. I just let out a sigh then I faced Hiraya again, while she’s putting up a cup of black coffee on my table, without me asking. 

I am now sitting on one of the stools in the counter of Hiraya Blend. I think it’s too early that’s why there are a very few people that currently hanging around here. Or should I say, I am the only person here at the café, minus Hiraya of course. 

 “Did Feya...” I didn’t even finished asking her my question when Hiraya answered me. 

“My apologies Austin. I didn’t have a chance to talk or even see here this past few days. To be honest, I am worried about her, really, but I could not reach her out,” she explained. 

I let out a long sigh again. In those three days, I did not even saw a glimpse of Feya. I don’t even know if I did something wrong. It seems like she just disappeared without a trace, to point that I didn’t even had a chance a see her or even her shadow. The last time I saw her was when I accompanied Annalise to the head’s house.

“Why don’t you visit her home?” Hiraya said after a few minutes of silence. 

I snapped my head towards her as if she suggested a very bright idea. Well, in this case it is. Come think of it, for how many days that I’m hanging around with her, I couldn’t remember her mentioned where in this village she resides. She just accompany me to the prime spots of Clair de Lune but she did not even bother to tell me where she lives.

Hiraya hummed when she saw the expression on my face. “Austin, based on your expression, I think that you don’t know where Feya lives… right?” Hiraya asked me with a hint of hesitation in her voice. 

“She did not tell me,” I mumbled. I thought she did not hear me but I’m surprised when she let out a sigh. 

“I can’t believe that feisty girl, really. She really has a lot of secret,” she said while shaking her head. Her statement catches my attention. 

“What do you mean a lot of secret, Hiraya?” I asked her, a hint of curiosity is clearly evident in my voice. 

Hiraya sighed again for I didn’t know how many times she did that day while waving her hands. “There are a lot of things that Feya choose not to tell me. I am hurt sometimes because she considers me as her friend but could not even share her worries to me or even a glimpse of her past,” she explained.

Hiraya sat on the stool at the cashier area. She even moved towards my direction to go near me before she started on her story. “Did you know that she just suddenly appeared here in Clair de Lune five years ago?” she asked me that made me even more shock. “And during that five years no one knows where she lives, where she came from before she came here. We welcomed her with open arms and even gave her home. But some of the villagers could not accept that we treated Feya as part of our village. I can’t tell you the reason for now, but some people can’t accept her because they think she’s a really weird person and according to them, there is something different in Feya that they can’t seem to explain,” she said to me. 

I just listened to her because I might know a thing or two about Feya. I suddenly remembered the young woman who talked to me the other day. The woman who asked why on earth I’m always with Feya, even the old man who also says weird things to me. Maybe this time, I will know something about Feya because in those three days that she’s not with me, I realized that I didn’t even know any information about her aside from her name. 

“I just let go and choose not to listen on anything what they say and befriend Feya. The truth is, there were only two of us that accepted Feya wholeheartedly,” she added. 

“If I may ask, who is the other one? Aside from you?” I asked her curiously.

She was about to open her mouth and reveal the other person but then she was interrupted when someone called my name. We both turned our heads towards the voice that called my name. I almost let out a long suffering sigh when I saw that woman whom I helped three days ago, but I stopped myself. 

“It looks like that woman took a liking to you,” Hiraya whispered, clearly teasing me. I just glared at her and looked at Annalise who was currently at the door of the cafe.

In those three days, this woman never stops bugging me. Just like today, and truth to be told, I am starting to get irritated.

She smiled brightly at me when I turned my head at her. “Good morning, Austin!” she said brightly.

 “Morning,” I greeted her back while smiling timidly, just for the sake of courtesy. She smiled at me again and sat on the stool on my left side even though I didn’t invited her. 

“Do you want to go with me? We can tour around the village together. My tour guide said that she will show me the most visited place in this village,” she said, excitedly, but I really do not have an energy to match her enthusiasm.

I really wanted to say no. I just force myself to go with her during the past few days because she didn’t even asked me if I really wanted to go tour the village with her or not. She just pull me hastily and went to the place she wanted to go, making sure that I don’t have time to complain. But right now, I really do not have an energy to accompany her and to go visit the places that I already visited, with Feya.

She was about to pull me outside the café when I spoke. “Sorry, Annalise, but I really do not want to go anywhere right now,” I said. 

Well, not without Feya. I’m comfortable whenever I’m with Feya and I already feel at ease whenever she’s with me while we tour around the village. I am already accustomed on her presence. To tell frankly, I really miss spending my time with her. Even though only three days had passed, it felt like I haven’t seen her for a decade now. 

I saw Annalise drop her smile and her expression was changed into a disappointed one but was changed again when I think she came up with an idea. Idea that I know I would not like. All the things and ideas that she came up with, she would just pull me with her, not thinking if I would even like to spend my time with her. I am so irritated to the point that I didn’t want to see or encounter her anymore but that is clearly impossible since we are staying in one village, a small village to be exact, so no matter how hard I try to hide, I know she would always find me. 

“Okay. I will just accompany you here,” she said. 

“No need to do that. It’s just a waste of your time if you will accompany here, just tour yourself around the village,” I said to stop her on whatever she planned to.

I know I may sound rude and that I didn’t really want to spend my time with her but seriously? She didn’t have any obligations to accompany me here at the café. She has her own plans after all. I didn’t want to ruin it just because she decided to accompany me. And we just knew each other three days ago and she was acting as if we were an old friends that saw each other in this village by chance.

She tapped my shoulder while laughing, she even talked with her happy go lucky voice, “Hey. You sound like you do not want me here. I’m hurt.” She even placed her hand at her chest, acting like she’s deeply hurt because of what I just said. 

I just sighed and tried to explain to her. “It’s not like that Annalise,” I said but truth to be told, what she said is half the truth. “Not to be sound rude, but in my opinion, why don’t you do things that you wanted to do on your own? Not that you will just pull me with you without asking me if I want to tour around. It is also such a waste spending your time here at the café. I am sure that you have many places that you want to check out inside the village, so why not start to explore it now?” I explained to her, direct to the point. 

She think of it for a few minutes before she nodded. “Fine. I will explore the place on my own. I really want you to accompany me though,” she said. 

“Sorry again. I’m really not in the mood today,” I said, sincerely.

“You are wasting your vacation,” she said to me before she let out a sigh. “I’m already famished. I remember, I didn’t had a chance to eat breakfast. Might as well order something from this cafe and eat before I go,” she said, as she changed our topic. 

Because of what she said, Hiraya went near her and entertain her. “We are offering a lot of varieties of foods and beverages. You can choose on our menu,” she said to Annalise.

Annalise just nodded at her and looked at the menu. She looked at the menu for almost a minute but it seems like she couldn’t choose something. 

“I can’t choose,” she said, confirming what I just thought.

“All of the foods in their menus tastes good,” I said to her

Hiraya looked at me and smiled brightly. “Thanks for complimenting my cafe, Mr. Austin,” she said. She even bowed at me as she said that. 

I just shook my head and went to play with her. “You’re welcome, Ms. Hiraya,” I replied to her while waving my hands. We both laughed because of that.

“The two of you are not helping me.” Annalise complained so Hiraya went to her and started explaining the food in the menu.

I just listened to them while sipping my already cold coffee. I forgot that Hiraya served me coffee a while ago because of our deep talk and Annalise’s sudden appearance. 

I just continued to drink my now cold black coffee while listening to Hiraya and Annalise. In the end, she ordered cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, and sliced baguette with jam and butter for her breakfast with one strawberry juice for her drinks. 

Hiraya went inside the kitchen to prepare Annalise’s order. I am left alone with Annalise, again, so she decided to continue our conversation. 

“So, when are you coming back home?” she asked me.  

I fell silence because of what she asked. Come think of it. I already spent a week and a half here at Clair de Lune. I told my mom that I will be here for only two weeks. In just a matter of days, I will come back home. 

“I think this Sunday I will be coming back home,” I told her, but the truth is, I’m still not sure if I would go home already. There are many things that I wanted to know and settle first. And I still want to explore the village after all.

Annalise took out her phone and looked at her schedule. “Oh. We are both leaving the same day,” she said while looking at her cellphone them looked up at me and she smiled. “Hey, why don’t we take a ride home together?” She suggested.

I just nodded absentmindedly at her while looking at nowhere. I really don’t want to go home yet. I still want to spend my time here at Clair de Lune. After all, I still have one and a half month vacation that I planned to spend inside my dorm and really doing nothing. And that plan, I want to change it. I want to stay on Clair de Lune for a longer time. I wanted to interact with the villagers here. I wanted to spend a little more time with Feya. And above it all, I wanted to restore my past self and let go of everything that was stopping me from moving forward. 

There are many thoughts running through my head, clearly forgetting about one of the reasons I went here, to know about the fairies. 

Annalise just talked about stuffs that I did not really pay attention to. I just continued to think if I would extend my vacation here in the village or if I really want to go home. I just let Annalise talk nonstop, without bothering to answer her. I just snapped out of my thoughts when Hiraya arrived with Annalise’s order.

Annalise started to eat and I just stayed silent beside her. I got startled when Hiraya placed a cup in front of me. 

“What’s this?” I asked her curiously

“Coffee,” she said, simply.

I glared at her and said, “I know this is a coffee. But why did you gave it to me? I didn’t order anything.” 

She just wave it off and sat on the stool again. “It’s fine really. It’s much better than your already cold black coffee” she said while pointing the cup that I’m currently holding, before she snatched it from me. “Give this to me,” she said then she came back inside the kitchen.

I didn’t had time to complain and I didn’t had any choice but to drink my newly brewed coffee. I just sip the coffee not minding that it is too hot for me to drink.

“You seem friendly with her.” I heard Annalise commented

I briefly looked at her before I nodded. “She welcomed me here in Clair de Lune. Her and Feya are the ones who warmly welcomed me in this village,” I explained. Then I thought of the change I had when I step foot here in the village. “And I am talking to her for a change. I really do not interact with people when not needed but in this village, it seems like it was so easy to talk with other people,” I said, fondly.

Annalise just nodded at me and continued to eat silently. She did not talk after that that’s why I just enjoyed the silence of the cafe and the soft melody of the piano that was playing on the cafe’s speaker. 

After thirty minutes or so, Annalise already finished her breakfast. I am also done with my coffee. 

“I should get going then,” Annalise said and I just nodded at her. “Are you sure you’re not coming?” she asked and I just shook my head. “Okay then. See you!” she said before she leaves the café.

I was left alone at the café while staring absentmindedly at the cup. I just snapped out of my thoughts again when someone poured a coffee on my mug.

I looked up and saw Hiraya holding a tea pot and pouring a coffee on my mug. “Don’t you think I will have palpitate because of too much coffee?” I asked her jokingly. 

“You need that, especially not that it seems like you planned on staying here the whole day.” She said after she finished pouring coffee on my mug. I looked at her again and sips the coffee that she just poured.

“I plan on waiting for Feya here,” I honestly said to her. 

“If she has a plan on going here,” Hiraya softly mumbled. “Just like I said earlier, I haven’t seen Feya since the flock of tourist arrived here at the village three days ago”

I just sighed and continued to sip my third serve of black coffee. I kept on thinking on how I will see Feya but no thoughts are running on my mind. 

Hiraya put down a paper on the counter and I saw an address written in that paper. “Whose address is that?” I asked. 

“Feya’s,” she said and then she winked. “If she don’t want to show herself to you, just go to her place Austin” she whispered at me. 

I looked at the address of Feya written on that piece of paper. Does it seems like I’m already crossing my boundaries here? Am I invading her privacy because I want to know where she lives? Many questions are running through my head but I really want to see and talk to Feya. I only have a few days left before I would leave the village, and we might not see each other again.

With that thought, I was about to stand and go to Feya’s house but the bell on the cafe’s door rang and as I turned my head towards the door, I saw that familiar face that I badly want to see.

“Feya.”