"What book are you looking for?" asked one of the librarians who was already familiar with the presence of a young girl with light brown hair in the library. The girl turned towards the librarian and gave her sweetest smile.
"A book about how to make a friend!" exclaimed the girl, her eyes shining. The librarian looked at the girl with a puzzled expression; she never thought there would be someone needing a book guide just to make friends.
"Haha, are you serious? I'm not sure if there's a book like that, but if you need a book that can help develop your social skills, we have one; the shelf is over there near the row of mystery novels," she replied kindly, pointing towards the shelf at the back on the left. The green-eyed girl stared in the direction indicated. She nodded slowly and gave a brief nod of her body.
"Thank you for your help," she greeted, waving her hand and walking towards the shelf indicated by the librarian. Her steps were light, her lips humming a tune; she was so excited to find that book. She had been trying to make friends for a long time, and it always ended in failure. She wasn't good at adapting, nor did she understand the world of popular or trendy clothing. Even the clothes she was wearing now were considered outdated and no longer worn by anyone.
This year, the girl turned sixteen, and in one more year, her school days would be over. Her journey through school wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Her classmates only talked to her about schoolwork or to remind her of her duties. The girl often felt envious when she saw her peers hanging out or visiting each other's homes after school hours.
"Is this the bookshelf? Hm?" she asked herself, her brow furrowing. Besides books, she found something else there—a cellphone from recent years. The small black phone was lit up with numerous messages on the screen. The girl picked up the phone along with the book; she intended to return the phone to the library attendant.
"The owner must be really worried. Could they have been so focused on reading that they forgot to put their phone away?" she thought to herself. Before she could put it away, the phone lit up again, this time due to an incoming call. The girl hesitated, not daring to answer. It would be impolite, in her view, to answer a call not intended for her, especially considering it wasn't her phone. After a few moments of silence, the call repeated and continued like that four times.
The girl started getting confused. She couldn't find the librarian, and the phone kept ringing. Many people were looking at her with cynical expressions. Reluctantly, she decided to answer the call.
"Uh... hello?"
"Hello! Finally answered! Hey, um... did you find the phone on the bookshelf?"
A voice came from behind the rectangular object, a friendly male voice with a relieved tone. The girl didn't know why, but she also felt relieved hearing it.
"Yes, that's right. I found the phone near the row of books. I intended to hand it over to the library attendant, but I couldn't find them, so I decided to answer the call. Um, sorry," she whispered to avoid being overheard by people around her. She had already caused enough commotion for those nearby.
"Is that so? It's fine, my instinct tells me you're trustworthy, hehe. Can I ask for a favor?"
The girl looked around, placing the book she had intended to borrow back on the shelf before stepping outside her beloved library. The sunlight greeted her immediately, causing her to squint her small eyes.
"A favor? What kind of favor? Do you want me to deliver this phone?" she guessed. Laughter could be heard from the other end, a crisp laughter as if amused by her guess.
"No need, no need for delivery. I'll be the one to retrieve the phone, probably not today, not tomorrow either. So, I'm asking for your help to hold onto my phone. When I contact you later, just answer, don't hesitate. The same goes for messages you might receive; I've already secured them for important matters."
His voice sounded calm and confident as he explained to the girl, while she simply listened silently. She thought this might be her chance to have a new friend.
"Alright, I'll keep it safe, don't worry. My name is Chairey, what's your name?" Chairey asked with a bright smile. Her heart raced because she was going to have a new friend.
"My name is Rei. Nice to meet you, Chairey. Are you still in school, Chairey? Where do you live?"
"Final year, I'll graduate in six months. I live in my late foster parents' home, not far from this library. Ah! I'll send you my complete address through a message. Where should I send it?"
Chairey's steps halted as she looked left and right on the road alternately. She was waiting to cross the street, considering the library was situated on the edge of a main road and she had to cross it to get back to the road leading to her home. Rei's laughter resounded once again. Chairey felt puzzled by her conversational partner. She didn't feel like she was joking with Rei or telling a funny story.
"Why are you laughing?" Chairey inquired, feeling confused.
"Funny! Chairey is really funny! Haha, don't send your address, it's dangerous. Would you give your home address to every stranger you meet? What if I have malicious intentions?"
This time, Chairey laughed at Rei's words. She crossed the street leisurely with a faint smile on her pretty face.
"Not like that, but you have a reason to know my home address. I also have instincts; you aren't a bad person. Besides, if Rei had bad intentions, you wouldn't have told me this and wouldn't be laughing. I know Rei isn't a bad person," she expressed softly. There was no response from the other side for a few moments, until later.
"Rei?" Chairey called out, making sure they were still connected on the phone.
"Oh! Sorry, someone talked to me just now. I'm glad to be seen that way, but don't send your home address until we meet in person. Because the name Chairey is too complicated, I'll just call you Rey, okay? By the way, are you on the road? It's dangerous to talk while walking, hang up and let me know when you're home. We can talk again once you're home, alright?"
"Alright! Goodbye, Rey," she concluded before pressing one of the buttons on the phone. Chairey quickly stored the phone in her small bag, afraid it might get lost. Now her eyes were fixed on the array of ice creams arranged behind the glass display of the shop.
"Chocolate mint, large size to go."
"Okay!"
Chairey liked eating ice cream. She liked rain and reading books. There were many little things she enjoyed that made her happy. She didn't know about her biological parents, nor did she know about her past. However, those thoughts never bothered her much. Chairey felt her life was complete; she just needed a friend, and everything would be perfect. Unbeknownst to Chairey, she was about to leave her simple life behind due to the decisions she was about to make.