(Shino's POV)

"Shino?"

I look up, alarmed and a bit panicked and caught a glimpse of red hair and very brown eyes glance at me from the bus drivers seat.

"Tsuboi?" I asked, dumbfounded. He chuckled at my response.

"Aren't you going to hop on?" He motioned me to come closer. I scanned my bus card and took a seat near the bus drivers seat.

I was the only one on the bus at this hour. As the rain poured down, and the bright colorful city lights outside my window, it became a beautiful sight.

"So what brings you here?" Tsuboi broke the silence. I shrugged.

"I'm going to visit my hometown," I mumbled. I couldn't lie about that.

"Weren't you invited to the movies? I mean I was too but I kinda had to do this," Klein continued to make stops at empty bus stops and continued.

"I was," I replied vaguely.

"Does Kazuto know about this?" He asked a bit worryingly. I sighed

"No, and I don't want him to," I couldn't believe the words escaping my lips. But I didn't want him to...

"I told him I had a lot of homework to do today," I responded. I felt so guilty about the lies I've told him, I seem to be confessing all of them to Tsuboi. And it was working, I did feel a bit better, although I didn't want anyone to know, I might as well tell Tsuboi. He caught me.

"Ahh, I see," he replied.

"I didn't know you were a bus driver," I changed the subject.

"It pays the bills. But it is a hard job," he murmured. I lifted a brow.

"How is it hard?"

"You see the people come in. Some, are just ordinary people. But others have a story to be told. You can see by the way they look at you. By the way they're dressed. And what they're holding,"

"I don't understand,"

"Just a week ago I saw a girl about Keiko's age. Its not to pry in other people's business. But that girl. Her expression tells me she's been through a lot. Her clothes tell me she put on whatever she could find at the last minute. And what she was holding told me she was never coming back," Tsuboi spoke, I saw a glimpse of his eyes. They were sad. Just like that day I left his apartment.

"What was she holding?" I asked.

"A suite case," he murmured.

"We don't know for sure if she was running away," I reassured.

"I do," he sighed as he made another stop at a empty bus stop and continued on. The bus was so lonely today.

"But I know you, and I feel obliged to ask. What's your story?" Tsuboi...

I was quiet at first.

"Its my mom. I'm going to visit her at the hospital," I whispered.

"Is she okay?"

"She's never okay. But something bad happened," I mumbled.

"What's that?"

"She slipped into a coma, the doctors notified me. I'm going got see her. And soon will make a decision, to keep her alive in that state. Or let her die," I glanced back at the colorful window, the dew drops of the rain glistened brightly with bright colors.

"This is my stop," I mumbled. This was my hometown. Time sure passed by quickly. I guess it was because I was talking to Tsuboi.

"Promise to keep this a secret," I pleaded, at the bus door, looking back at him.

He sighed and nodded.

"Of course," he responded with a sad smile. I felt guilty I had to lie and keep secrets, making Tsuboi do it made me feel worse.

"Here," Tsuboi handed me a umbrella, and I took it.

"Just in case,"

"Thank you Tsuboi," I smiled gently at him before stepping off, and my smile disappeared. I grimaced. Now I head for the small hospital.

•••

What kind of story would this be if we completely forgot about her mom when I mentioned her so so so many times!

Anyway more to come.

Sorry for the short chapters!

Until Next Time!

-InGameProdigy 🙏