The Fading Moon Chapter 6: The Words He Couldn't Say

Read chapter 6 of The Fading Moon by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The days following the summer festival felt different. Mike noticed it immediately. The city was the same. His job was the same. His apartment was the same. Everything around him remained unchanged. Yet something inside him had shifted. And he knew exactly why. Jessika. Ever since the fireworks festival, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Her smile. Her laughter. The tears she tried so hard to hide. Most of all, the sadness that appeared whenever she thought nobody was looking. Mike found himself remembering that moment repeatedly. The way she had stared at the fireworks. The way she had whispered: "They disappear so fast." Those words refused to leave his mind. It felt like she wasn't talking about fireworks at all. It felt like she was talking about herself. The thought unsettled him. Because the more he thought about it, the more he realized something. He knew very little about Jessika. He knew her favorite drinks. He knew she loved the moon. He knew she enjoyed annoying him. But he didn't know her family. Her past. Her dreams. Or the reason sadness always followed her like a shadow. And for the first time, he wanted answers. Three days later, Mike was leaving work when he spotted Jessika sitting on a bench outside the station. At first glance, everything looked normal. She was reading a novel. Her backpack rested beside her. The evening breeze played with her hair. Yet something seemed wrong. Very wrong. When Mike got closer, he noticed how pale she looked. Her usual energy was gone. Even her smile seemed weak. Jessika noticed him approaching. "Hey." Mike frowned. "Are you sick?" She blinked. "What?" "You look terrible." "Wow." "I'm serious." Jessika laughed softly. "I'm fine." Mike sat beside her. "No, you're not." For a moment she looked away. Then she forced another smile. "I'm just tired." The answer didn't convince him. Not even slightly. Still, he chose not to push further. Not yet. Instead, they sat together watching people pass through the station. The evening sky glowed orange as the sun slowly disappeared behind Tokyo's skyline. It should have been peaceful. Yet Mike couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong. Eventually Jessika stood up. "Come with me." Mike sighed. "There it is." "What?" "The random adventure." Jessika smiled. "Let's go." "Where?" "You'll see." "I hate that answer." "I know." Ten minutes later they were walking through a quiet neighborhood Mike had never visited before. The noise of the city gradually faded behind them. Small houses lined the streets. Trees swayed gently in the evening breeze. Everything felt calmer here. Almost peaceful. Eventually they arrived at a hill overlooking the city. At the top stood a small shrine. Old. Silent. Beautiful. Mike looked around. "This place is nice." Jessika smiled. "It's my favorite." The answer surprised him. For some reason, he felt honored. As if she had shown him something important. Something personal. They climbed the final steps and sat beneath a large tree. The city stretched endlessly below. Thousands of lights illuminated the darkness. The view was breathtaking. For a while neither spoke. Then Jessika suddenly asked: "Do you ever think about the future?" Mike laughed. "All the time." "Really?" "Mostly because it scares me." Jessika looked surprised. "The future scares you?" Mike nodded. "What if nothing changes?" The words escaped before he could stop them. "What if ten years pass and I'm still exactly the same?" Jessika listened quietly. "What if I wake up one day and realize I wasted my life?" The confession felt strange. Mike rarely talked about himself. Especially like this. Yet somehow talking to Jessika felt easy. Natural. Safe. Jessika looked toward the city lights. Then she smiled. "I don't think that'll happen." "Why not?" "Because you're already changing." Mike looked at her. "What?" "You smile more now." The simple statement caught him off guard. Jessika continued. "You laugh more." Mike remained silent. "You