Her Memories

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I was telling Glen about what happened last Saturday at the market while we were sitting in the cafeteria, as we always did around lunchtime.

"Ace is a black belt, you know. I didn’t mention it to you before because it seemed like you weren’t interested," she told me, still trying to process everything that had happened.

I raised an eyebrow. "A black belt? That’s... impressive. But, wait, does he actually talk?,"

She couldn’t help but chuckle. "Of course he talks, he's not dumb, but only when necessary. He’s... the quiet type." she explained.

My eyes narrowed, clearly intrigued. "So, you’re starting to notice him, huh? Are you interested now, my friend?" she added .

I made a face at her. "What? No, I’m just... curious, that’s all."

She laughed, clearly enjoying teasing me. "Curious, huh? Well, I’ve got news for you. Ace is the kind of guy who doesn’t bother you unless he feels like you actually want to talk to him. He’s not one to chase anyone, you know? So, yeah, he’s a bit of a mystery."

"Huh. He sounds... different," I said, still thinking about what she said.

"But, you know, he’s actually pretty helpful, and he's kind of generous too, despite being so... distant. He’s an only child, and his dad passed away a while ago. His mom’s always busy with the family business that his dad left behind, so he’s kind of been isolated all these years. I guess that’s why he doesn’t interact much."

I paused, considering her words. There was something about Ace that felt... familiar. In a way, we were similar. Both of us had been through loss and dealt with it in our own ways. It was strange, but I felt like I could understand him more than I had initially thought.

"Sounds like we have a lot in common," I muttered under my breath.

Glen shot me a look. "Well, Ace is a good guy. No girlfriend, by the way. Just like you," she added with a teasing smile.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

"Ugh, seriously? You’re still going on about that? It’s not a big deal."

"Come on, Kira, it’s funny!" she laughed. "But, honestly, you really should consider giving someone a chance. You never know."

I sighed, setting down my sandwich. "I’m just not ready for all that relationship stuff, Glen. I’ve got too much on my plate right now. I don’t want the added responsibility. Besides, I’m still young, you know? I’m focused on other things."

Glen raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything more, we were interrupted by Aren, who walked over with Ace behind him.

"Glen, Mr. Ala’s calling for you," Aren said, looking at her expectantly. He then plopped down in the seat next to me, while Ace quietly took the seat beside him.

"Ah, yeah, okay. I’ll go get those notes Mama asked for. Just wait for me, Kira," Glen said, giving me a quick smile before tapping Ace lightly on the shoulder.

Ace didn't talk, not making much of a sound as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. It was clear he didn’t have much to say, and somehow that made him more intriguing to me.

As Glen walked off to meet Mr. Ala, I found myself glancing over at Ace. He was quietly observing the cafeteria around him, almost as if he didn’t belong in such a crowded place.

I couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of person was he really? And, more importantly, why did I suddenly feel like there was something I hadn’t figured out yet about him?

As I sat there in silence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my world was shifting in ways I wasn’t prepared for.

"Hi, Miss Treasurer," Aren greeted me with his usual easygoing smile. I gave him a small, almost shy smile in return, and carefully continued eating my food, feeling a little bit awkward.

"Ace, same order?" Aren asked his companion, who was sitting beside him.

"Ahh," Ace replied quietly, his voice flat and lifeless. There was something about his tone that made me wonder if he was even really paying attention. Aren stood up and walked over to place their order.

As Aren went off to the counter, I suddenly felt my face flush, a warm sensation spreading across my cheeks. I couldn’t even bring myself to lift my eyes to look at Ace. I hadn’t even formally thanked him yet for what happened last Saturday at the market.

"Ah..." I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice.

I felt the tension between us, the awkwardness, and it made my heart beat a little faster. It was all so sudden, but I knew I needed to say something.

"Uh... I’ll leave if you don’t want me around," Ace's voice broke through the silence, cold and somewhat distant. His words made my brows furrow in confusion.

I looked up at him quickly, caught off guard. "Ah, no—what I meant was, uh... I just wanted to say... thank you for what you did last Saturday."

I felt a little awkward as I stumbled over my words, unsure of how to express my gratitude properly. It wasn’t like me to get so tongue-tied, but in that moment, it felt harder than it should have.

Ace’s gaze softened slightly, and he answered with an almost dismissive shrug. "It’s nothing." He started to stand up, probably ready to walk away, but I quickly stopped him.

"Where are you going?" I asked, my voice a little louder than I meant. There was a brief pause, and we found ourselves staring at each other, almost frozen for a moment.

"I assumed you wouldn’t want me around, so..." he trailed off, looking at me with a faintly confused expression.

I didn’t know what came over me, but something about his words made me feel like I had to correct the situation. "Who said I don’t want you here?" I replied quickly, my voice firmer than I intended. "You can stay. I don’t mind."

For a moment, Ace looked at me as though he couldn’t quite believe what I was saying. It was almost like he didn’t expect anyone to actually want him around. The surprise on his face was subtle, but I noticed it.

"Are you sure?" he asked, still unsure, almost testing my sincerity.

I nodded, feeling a little more confident now that I had said my piece. "Yeah. I’m sure." I gave him a small, reassuring smile, hoping that it would make him feel more at ease.

There was a moment of silence between us, but this time it felt a little less heavy. Maybe I was overthinking it, but I could sense that we were both in uncharted waters. Neither of us seemed to know exactly what to say, but in that moment, it didn’t feel like we needed to say anything at all.

I glanced down at my food, suddenly feeling self-conscious again, but I couldn’t stop myself from stealing a glance at him. He was still sitting there, looking back at me with that unreadable expression, and for some reason, I felt a strange comfort in that silence. Maybe we didn’t have to figure everything out just yet.

For now, we would just sit here—together, but apart—navigating this strange, new space between us.