Chapter 2: The First Meeting
More than a year had passed since Rose died. Aria and Jim had made some progress in coping with her death, but the void left by her absence was always palpable, especially when they were together. Aria, now 18 years old, had graduated from high school and applied to the only college in the city to be closer to her dad. She was accepted and was awaiting the start of her classes.
In the meantime, she had also obtained a professional trekking license, following in her mother's adventurous footsteps. She was now qualified to lead treks to the Nebula waterfall, a skill she intended to use to earn some extra income. However, the Nebula waterfall trek was not a very popular choice among travelers, so finding customers was a rare occurrence—sometimes only once a month. Consequently, she couldn't rely solely on her trekking career for financial stability. Therefore, she took up a part-time job at "Happy Burgers," the most popular burger restaurant chain in Papoli City, her hometown, located at the foot of the Meru mountain ranges. The Nebula waterfall trek was conveniently just 50 km away from the city.
Aria, residing a bit away from the main city, commuted 15 KM daily on her scooter to reach Happy Burgers for her shift. On this particular afternoon, she set out for work wearing a raincoat to shield herself from the inclement weather.
After a 30-minute ride, she arrived at work, swiftly parking her scooter and heading for the restaurant's back entrance. Upon entering, she shed her raincoat, revealing her lush, long, dark hair and the casual outfit she wore underneath, along with a backpack slung over her shoulder.
She hung her raincoat alongside those of her fellow employees and proceeded to the locker room. Changing into the Happy Burgers designated uniform—consisting of a collared yellow t-shirt adorned with a cheerful, anthropomorphic smiling burger on the back, maroon pants, and a cap—she stashed her backpack in her locker. She deftly tied her hair into a bun at the back of her head with a hairpin and made her way towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, a blonde guy was idly playing on his phone. Upon spotting Aria, he made a remark with a smirk, "Looking beautiful, Aria. How about a date?"
Aria, unfazed, responded, "Which attempt number is this, Harry?"
Harry, looking somewhat surprised, replied, "Twenty-third. Will you go?"
"Nope," Aria said casually as she continued walking toward the counter, extinguishing any excitement in Harry's expression.
Exiting the kitchen and reaching the counter, Aria greeted the two girls present. One was Cherry, a slightly chubby, dark-haired girl, and the other was Sasha, a brunette. Since the restaurant was devoid of customers at the moment, they were engrossed in watching the news on the TV.
"Hey, guys," Aria greeted them.
Both girls greeted her back, and they all resumed watching the news, piquing Aria's curiosity as she too started paying attention to the television.
On the news, a video showcased a small town amidst heavy rainfall. The news anchor reported, "Experts predict that Artan will once again surpass its own world record this year, receiving a staggering 14,000 mm of rainwater. The increasing rainfall each year poses a threat to the township below the dam. Engineers, however, assure that the dam can endure even if Artan receives 17,000 mm of rainwater annually. Truly an incredible feat of architecture."
Observing the report, Aria chimed in, "Did you know? It's believed that all the Rain Birds flock to Artan to find a mate. That's why it rains so much there."
"Ah, so romantic," Cherry remarked in awe, turning to her best friend, Aria. "Can I find true love there?"
Unexpectedly, a male voice responded, "No need to go anywhere. You can find true love here."
The girls turned to see Harry at the kitchen door, sporting a large smirk. "Not happening, Harry," Cherry responded with an unaffected expression.
"What's the harm in trying?" Harry persisted, the smirk still present.
The three girls collectively sighed, choosing to ignore Harry's comment as they refocused on the TV.
In the meantime, the manager, a middle-aged man, entered the counter area. "Hey, everyone," he greeted, seeking their attention.
Instantly, the employees shifted their focus to the manager, wearing serious expressions. Meanwhile, the manager exhaled with disappointment upon seeing his four employees. He announced, "The delivery of raw materials has been delayed due to the rain. So, the shop will be closed for the first half. We'll open in the evening."
"Does that mean we can leave for today?" Cherry inquired, though she attempted to conceal her happiness, mirroring the sentiment shared by the others.
The manager sighed, and replied, "Yes."
Upon delivering the news, the manager walked back to his office. The four young Happy Burgers staff members were elated, evident from the broad smiles on their faces.
"Do you guys have any plans?" inquired Aria, glancing at Cherry and Sasha.
In that moment, Cherry's eyes widened as she recalled something exciting. "The finals of the inter-college soccer are happening at Papoli University, and our university has made it to the finals after a long time. Let's go there."
"Soccer! In this rain!" exclaimed Aria, displaying her concern.
"Yes, I confirmed it with one of the seniors a while ago. The match is still on. Let's go and cheer for our college," urged Cherry.
"But we have our college induction tomorrow. I don't want to catch a fever," Aria stated, worry etched across her face.
"Ugh… You worry too much, dude," Cherry replied in a persuasive tone.
After some time of persuasion, Cherry finally got Aria to agree. Aria sighed and said, "Alright. I will go."
Given that the team had a day off, they put on their raincoats and hopped on their 2-wheelers in the rain, determined to support their local college.
As they approached the college ground, they were met with a lively scene. The area around the ground was abuzz with people, all braving the rain with their umbrellas and raincoats, fervently supporting their home team.
Aria, Cherry, Sasha, and Harry pressed forward toward a vantage point where they could get a clear view of the game. The ground was a mess of mud and water, with spectators standing amidst the muck, passionately cheering for their respective teams.
As they secured a spot with a good view, they witnessed an intense and aggressive match. Papoli University's team was clad in red, while their opponents sported blue jerseys. The score was level at 3-3, with just 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Every player was giving their all, slipping on the muddy ground, enduring serious tackle damage, and drenched from the relentless rain. Despite the challenging conditions, there was no sign of exhaustion from either side.
As 8 intense minutes passed, the home team seized an opportunity. A midfielder skillfully dribbled the ball through the opponent's defenders and approached the corner point. Unable to enter the penalty area due to a cluster of opponents, he spotted their center-forward and team captain, Holo, with his distinctive wet, shoulder-length hair waving in the air. Holo stood tall at 6 feet with a slim athletic build.
Recognizing the chance, the midfielder lofted a cross towards his captain. The audience and players held their breath, their hearts momentarily pausing in the throes of this exhilarating match. Would it be a goal, or would Holo miss?
Holo made a daring dive, connecting with the ball using his head. The ball surged towards the goal net, while he fell on the muddy ground, skidding towards the iron goalpost pole. All eyes were fixed on the flying ball, including Holo's, who was approaching a potential accident.
The ball bypassed the goalkeeper and found its place in the net, triggering a wave of joyous cheers throughout the crowd. Meanwhile, Holo collided with the pole, but fortunately, he emerged unharmed. He lay on his back, gazing at the sky with a broad smile as raindrops fell, a victorious moment etched on his face.
While the thrilling match unfolded, Holo's attention was suddenly diverted to an enigmatic presence in the sky. It resembled a bird, yet its form seemed crafted from flowing water, akin to a fluid entity taking flight amidst the rain. The outline mimicked a bird's wings and flight patterns, but its essence was translucent and fluid, like water in motion, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. Intrigued, he sat up, his eyes fixed on this ethereal creature, even as his teammates charged towards him, eager to celebrate their hard-earned victory.
Simultaneously, Aria, not an avid soccer enthusiast, also glimpsed the peculiar bird-like figure as she glanced around. Abruptly, the watery bird hastily departed from view.
Thinking it might be a figment of their imagination, both slowly lowered their heads. In that instant, their gazes intersected, Holo's focus locking onto Aria amidst the falling rain. However, all he perceived was a figure standing in the rain, gazing towards him. Aria was momentarily taken aback, surprised that Holo seemed to be looking directly at her.
In this unexpected moment, Holo's jubilant teammates engulfed him, embracing the culmination of their long-held victory in the challenging match.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone