Eternal Beauty | Chapter 18

“She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies…”

— Lord Byron

The cab jostled over uneven asphalt, its worn suspension groaning with every bump. Kei sat stiffly in the back seat, his fingers fidgeting against his lap, tapping an irregular rhythm as if trying to dispel the nerves coiled in his chest. Marin sat beside him, her leather jacket brushing lightly against his arm. She didn’t seem to notice.

Kei stole a glance at her. Marin’s gaze was fixed on the window, her dark eyeliner emphasizing the sharp lines of her profile as she watched the city lights grow brighter with every passing second. Her lips, painted black, curved into the faintest of smiles.

When her hand moved suddenly, Kei tensed, thinking she’d caught him staring. But instead of teasing him as she so often did, Marin reached for his hand and slipped her fingers between his. Her palm was warm, her grip confident.

Kei’s breath hitched. “Marin, I—”

“Shh,” she said softly, her eyes still on the cityscape beyond the glass. “Just relax. It’s okay.”

The cab continued its steady rhythm, the driver humming along to a faint radio tune, oblivious to the quiet electricity crackling between his two passengers. Marin held his hand the entire way, her thumb occasionally brushing over his knuckles in absent-minded patterns. Kei didn’t dare move, afraid the spell might break.

When the cab pulled to a stop, the brakes screeched sharply, jolting Kei from his trance. Marin let go of his hand as she leaned forward to pay the driver, her voice smooth as she exchanged pleasantries. The door clicked open, and the noise of the city rushed in—a cacophony of car horns, overlapping conversations, and distant music.

Kei was in awe. He had been to the city only a few times with his father but to see it at night, it was breathtaking. He blinked as the city surged into him, an eruption of neon that painted the pavement in restless colors. Billboards flickered like artificial constellations, their reflections sliding over passing cars and wet asphalt. The air carried the thick perfume of street stalls—oil crackling, soy and spice riding the heat—blended with the sharp, metallic bite of exhaust. Beside him, Marin slipped into the chaos without hesitation, moving with the smooth confidence of someone who had long ago memorized this nocturnal rhythm.

“Welcome to civilization,” she said with a smirk, slinging her bag over one shoulder.

Kei tried to focus on the city itself, but his gaze kept drifting to her. The lights seemed to catch on her every angle—the gleam of her leather jacket, the shadow of her lashes against her cheek, the confident set of her stride.

Marin glanced back, catching him staring. “You’re going to trip over your own feet if you keep gawking.”

“S-Sorry,” Kei muttered, tearing his eyes away and falling into step beside her.

She grinned, clearly pleased with his reaction. “Come on. First stop’s this way.”

********

The manga store was crammed into a narrow building, its interior lit with harsh fluorescent lighting that made every color on the shelves pop like candy. Rows of neatly stacked manga lined the walls, the aisles bustling with patrons flipping through volumes or chatting excitedly about their favorite series.

Kei relaxed slightly in the familiar atmosphere, the chaotic energy of the store a soothing contrast to the overwhelming city outside. Marin, however, seemed entirely in her element. She strode confidently down an aisle, her fingers brushing over the spines of manga until something caught her eye.

“Here we go,” she said, pulling out a volume with a suggestive cover. She flipped it open and skimmed through the pages, her grin widening. “Think we could pull this off ?”

Kei’s face burned. “W-What are you even talking about?”

Marin turned the book toward him, tapping on an illustration of a couple locked in a dramatic embrace. “Come on, you don’t think this looks familiar?”

Kei stammered, his gaze darting anywhere but the book. “I-I don’t know what you mean!”

Marin laughed, the sound drawing a few curious glances from nearby shoppers. “Relax. I’m kidding..” She tucked the manga under her arm and continued browsing, her demeanor as casual as if she’d just discussed the weather.

They wandered through the aisles for a while longer, occasionally stopping to flip through a volume or discuss a title. A young shop assistant approached them, his green hair an unruly mess and his shirt emblazoned with a popular anime character.

“Cool jacket,” he said to Marin, grinning. “You’ve got a vibe.”

Marin tilted her head, clearly amused. “Thanks. You’ve got…lots of energy.”

The assistant turned to Kei, who was half-hiding behind a shelf. “And you’re just…here, huh?”

Marin laughed again, patting Kei on the shoulder. “He’s shy. Don’t scare him off.”

“I’ll try not to,” the assistant said with an exaggerated bow before disappearing into the crowd.

Kei let out a sigh of relief. Marin nudged him with her elbow. “You’ve got to loosen up, Kei. This is supposed to be fun.”

*******

They found a small café tucked away from the main streets, its sign barely visible under the tangle of vines that crawled up the building’s facade. Inside, the atmosphere was a world apart from the bustling city. Soft jazz played over the speakers, and the air was warm, scented with coffee and pastries.

Marin ordered an extravagant parfait, its layers of cream, fruit, and syrup nearly overflowing from the glass. Kei stuck to a simple iced coffee, his fingers tightening around the cold cup as they sat in a secluded corner.

“Do you ever think about what you want for the future?” Marin asked suddenly, her voice soft but steady.

Kei blinked, caught off guard. “The future?”

“Yeah,” Marin said, swirling her spoon through her parfait. “You’ve got to have dreams, right? Everyone does.”

Kei hesitated, staring into his coffee as though it might hold the answer. “I…don’t know,” he admitted. “Sometimes my dreams are just…confusing. I don’t even know if they’re dreams or nightmares.”

Marin tilted her head, her gaze fixed on him. “What do you mean?”

Kei’s grip on his cup tightened. “It’s like…I want to be happy, to have a normal life. But whenever I try to imagine it, something’s always…wrong. Like I can’t hold onto it.”

Marin didn’t respond immediately. She reached across the table, her fingers brushing lightly over his. “Maybe you’re trying too hard to make it perfect,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to let things happen.”

Kei looked up at her, struck by the rare sincerity in her expression. “And what about you?” he asked. “What do you dream about?”

Marin smiled faintly, withdrawing her hand. “That’s a secret.”

Kei chuckled softly despite himself, the tension in his chest easing just a little.