Aftermath

As expected his exams had been a disaster. Míngzé had gone to every one of them, but each time he left with a horrible feeling. Earlier that year one of his teachers had asked him if anything was going on at home and if he needed more time. Back then he had said ‘no’, while the right answer had been ‘yes’. His last exam was finally over, but instead of going home he went to grab a coffee in a nearby coffeeshop.

A voice sounded, one he now recognized all too well.. Míngzé’s first instinct was to stand up and walk away. That would make everything easier, at least for him. He had to force himself to stay seated. Running away did not help anyone, if anything it would make things only worse than they already were. Besides, he still had to pay his bill.

With a forced smile he looked up at Djodie. “Go ahead,” he told her with a stiff nod. Was there really nowhere else she could sit down? Míngzé didn’t think it was that busy. He sat straighter in his chair and took a deep breath. This was the moment where he should ask her how she was doing, instead he grabbed his coffee and drank. He’d been too hasty when drinking, causing him to choke on his drink. With a loud thud he placed down his coffee on the table as he started coughing. “Sorry—” he said hoarsely through his coughing. One had he used to tap against his chest, hoping that would ease everything.

This was awkward. Like he needed any more of that in his life. His throat burned because of the coughing, but luckily it was not anything too bad. Djodie told him to breathe through his nose, but Míngzé waved it away. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice hoarse. Even this he couldn’t do. A few more coughs and then it was finally over. Míngzé leaned back in his chair, feeling like he could sink through the floor of embarrassment.

Míngzé rubbed his still burning throat, but at least the coughing had stopped. “Yeah, no I’m doing fine.” Fine, not good, because that is not at all how he felt. To prove he was indeed fine, he shot her a tiny smile. “How about you? After last time—” he started, but his voice trailed off. The disaster that had unfolded last time. Míngzé hated thinking about it. He wanted nothing more than to bury it among other painful memories. An apology laid on his lips, one he did not manage to say out loud.

Míngzé forced another smile to his lips. What she said to him made his chest tighten a bit. It was not like he’d done much, if anything. “We were mostly lucky that the other man and Sāng were there,” he spoke while trying to keep his voice casual. Who knows what might have happened if those two hadn’t been around.

“I never asked, how exactly did you end up on the ice?” Míngzé looked towards Djodie, doing his best to make eye contact. Everyone knew it was dangerous to step on ice, especially now when it was still thin. Even then it was not a wise choice to go on there alone. Míngzé felt uncomfortable simply thinking about it and what could happen. To hide this discomfort he grabbed his coffee and drank.

The haunter. Involuntarily he clenched his jaw at the memories. How could he forget? The thing nearly attacked him, or at least tried to. “I remember.” With the warm coffee in his hands he had at least something to remind him that was all behind them. That they were no longer in that forest.

He hummed softly as he considered her words. “You should be more careful, and not simply trust everything you see or hear— perhaps even feel,” Míngzé said, ending with a soft sigh. It was part of the reason why he ended up there, a faint feeling. How he hated this, but there was no escaping it was there? He had researched it a little bit, but for now he’d come back empty handed. A way to destroy affinities, remove them from one's person. Yet, at the same time, he could only feel it grow stronger.

It had been a hallucination that had drawn her onto the ice. She did not go into much detail, but Míngzé could only assume that it had been very convincing. Why else would one follow something in the depth of night? He was not one to judge really. There was so much going on inside of him, making it difficult to distinguish between what others could observe and sense, and the aspects that were visible only to him.

Míngzé softly shook his head. “No need to apologize, it’s not your fault.” Something tricked her and that was what caused it all. He stared down at his coffee, moving the cub between his fingers, his jaw clenched. SIlence lingered in the air.  “I should be the one to apologize,” he sighed softly. “There was more I could’ve done, but didn’t.” At least, that is what he kept telling himself. No matter what others had told him, the feeling remained.

Djodie tried, he had to give her that and he appreciated her for doing so. Telling him that he anchored her and brought her back from the hallucination, giving the idea that he had indeed made a difference. While in fact he knew very well what he’d truly done.

Míngzé took a sip from his coffee. If he hadn’t been there that other guy would’ve saved her anyway. “Perhaps keep your hiking trips during the day. Or ask for some company.” It was safer during the day, especially with the countless pokémon lurking in the shadows around them.

We’re all okay.

At least that is what Djodie called it. Míngzé definitely did not feel okay, only physically maybe. If that was all she meant, then yes, he agreed. “Yeah, we are,” Míngzé said instead, a smile on his lips. “Were you able to get home safely?” He had no clear memory of what had happened after they were all safe. At some point they were all in the car together, but everything had become a blur.