Welcome to the Innocent World

"Let's eat something—I'm starving after all that cardio in there," I said, rubbing my stomach as the growl echoed loud enough to hear over the faint hum of traffic outside.

The sun beat down on us, hot and unrelenting, a sharp switch from the dim, sweaty chaos of the Electro Club we'd just left behind.

Afa giggled, her voice light and teasing as she started to reply, "Yeah, sure, let's eat—" But before she could finish, her phone buzzed sharp in her hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. She glanced at the screen, her brow quirking up as she saw the name flashing there.

"It's my dad," she said, holding it up for a sec like she was debating whether to answer, then swiped to pick up the call.

Curious, I watched her as she turned her body away from me, stepping a couple paces to the side for some privacy. I yawned, stretching my arms over my head, my jaw cracking as the exhaustion settled in, and tried to catch what she was saying.

Her voice came in low mumbles, half-lost in the warm breeze rustling through the street.

"Yes… Yes… Ohh, they're here already? … Sure, I'll be there! … Okay, okay…" The words tumbled out quick, her tone shifting from casual to a little rushed like she was working through something.

Then she hung up, the call ending with a soft beep, and turned back to me, letting out a long, dramatic

"Sighhhhh…" She pressed a hand to her forehead, rubbing it like she was annoyed or maybe just tired, her lips pursing into a thin line.

"Everything okay?" I asked, my hands shoved into my pockets.

"Yeah…" she said, dragging the word out as she dropped her hand, her gaze flicking up to meet mine. "Just have to go back to my dad. I forgot I've got a meeting to attend with him." She sighed again, softer this time, her shoulders slumping a little as she glanced around the street, the sun glinting off the pavement.

"Ohh, okay then," I said, nodding easy. "No problem. Have a nice day and all the best for the meeting." I flashed her a grin, shrugging like it was no big deal, though I could tell she wasn't thrilled about cutting our time short.

"Yeah, I'm sorry…" she muttered, her lips thinning again as she looked around, her eyes darting to the cars rolling by, then back to me. She shifted her weight, scuffing her shoe against the ground, like she didn't really want to walk away from my side just yet.

"Oh, come on, Afa, it's okay," I said, stepping forward with a laugh. "We enjoyed a hell of a lot in there—more than enough for one day." I opened my arms and pulled her into a hug, wrapping her up tight, her smaller frame fitting against me as the sun warmed our backs.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, her voice softening as she smiled up at me, her arms sliding around my waist to hug me back.

"It was wild." Her grip tightened a little, her cheek pressing against my chest, and we stood there like that for a solid minute, just breathing, the noise of the street fading into a dull hum around us.

"Thank you, Austin," Afa said, her voice soft as she looked up at me, her arms still lingering around my waist from the hug.

"No need to be thankful," I replied, grinning down at her as I squeezed her shoulder one last time. "Let's just enjoy our lives, huh?"

"Yeah…" she said, her smile widening a little.

We broke apart then, stepping back from the hug. She tilted her head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and asked, "So, when are you gonna check out that underground place?"

I leaned against the low wall again, crossing my arms as I thought for a sec. "By evening, I'll head over there," I said, shrugging casual. "Gotta see what's up with it."

She nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line, her brow furrowing just a touch.

"Be safe…" she said, her tone shifting to something quieter, almost serious, her eyes flicking up to meet mine.

"Don't worry," I said, laughing it off as I flexed an arm playfully. "The hero of darkness is strong. Ehehe." I winked at her, keeping it light.

"He sure is…" she replied, her smile creeping back as she rolled her eyes a little, playing along.

Then she stepped back, turning to go. "Bye bye, take care," I called after her, lifting a hand in a lazy wave as she started down the street.

She glanced back over her shoulder, waving from a distance. "Bye bye! Eat properly—you'll need strength for tonight!" she shouted, before she turned the corner and disappeared into the crowd.

I stood there for a sec, blinking after her. "What is she, my mother now?" I muttered to myself, scratching the back of my neck. "And what's gonna happen that I need strength for?" I let out a long "Sighhhhhh…" shaking my head as I turned the other way. "Weird girl…" I said under my breath, a half-smile tugging at my lips as I started walking back toward the hotel, the sun glaring down on the pavement ahead.

Curiosity itching at me, I fished my phone out of my pocket, the screen lighting up as I swiped to John's call log and message chat. Nothing—no calls, no texts, just a blank slate since yesterday night.

"Is he still sleeping?" I mumbled, picturing him sprawled out somewhere, probably wrecked after getting wasted and going all night with those girls at the club. I scrolled through the empty chat again, frowning. "Guy's a ghost."

"I'll go eat alone, I guess…" I said, scratching my head harder as I shoved the phone back into my jeans, my stomach growling loud enough to back me up.

The hotel loomed a few blocks ahead, its glass doors catching the sunlight, and I picked up my pace, already tasting the food at the restaurant in my mind—something hearty to recharge after the wild morning.