Once we were done relaxing and enjoying the park view, Death and I finally stood up from the bench. A recognizable scene that only occurred once a year in our high school appeared in its place in the blink of an eye.
"What's up with all of this?" Death gestures at the memory.
A whirlwind of sights, sounds, and excitement engulfed us as we stood in the middle of a crowded school hallway. The once-ordinary hallway had transformed into a bustling and vibrant carnival of festivities.
Brightly colored banners and streamers adorned the walls, adding a splash of cheerful hues to the otherwise typical corridors.
The air was filled with the delicious aroma of freshly cooked treats from the numerous food stalls that lined the hallway. The smell of fresh popcorn attracted people, and the cotton candy machine spun fluffy, colorful goodness.
The walls were adorned with beautiful artwork from the school's art club, and handcrafted trinkets and ornaments were displayed on wooden tables.
The gaming stalls were buzzing with energy as students competed and cheered each other on. They played in hopes of winning prizes displayed on shelves behind the booths. Cheers and laughter filled the air as winners celebrated their wins.
"This memory was none other than my first high school festival," I proudly said.
"The what now?" Death frowned.
"You haven't seen a high school festival before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I think I saw something similar when I was in Japan…" He looked down, thinking deeply.
"You went to Japan?!"
"I've been to every single place in the world, Evangeline." Death deadpanned like I just said something insurmountably stupid.
"Oh wait…" I suddenly realized who I was talking to. I also realized that I did say something stupid. "Right. Japan has a high suicide rate, so you probably always go there."
"I was there before I picked up your soul."
"Really?!" I gasped. "I love Japan! How was it?"
"Same old, same old." He shrugged. "I'm not allowed to tell you about my previous clients. So don't bother asking."
My face scrunched up in a mix of frustration and confusion, forming creases on my forehead. My gray eyes narrowed slightly as my eyebrows furrowed.
"Anyway," Death said, returning to the topic. "What's the occasion?"
"It's the school's anniversary," I replied. "So they held this event for a week every year to celebrate the school's foundation."
"What exactly do you do to celebrate it?"
"As you can see," I spread my arms, letting him see the stalls that he can see without me doing the action. "It's where all the clubs compete with each other."
"Why?'
"Reasons."
He raised his eyebrow. "Really?"
"For fun, I guess." I shrugged. "I didn't care much about it."
"You sounded so proud when you introduced it." Death pointed it out.
I shrugged again.
"I just wanted to sound like I cared about school festivities." There was a pregnant pause. "I don't."
The younger me reflected my (the present me) calm energy. We found the me of the past in the crowd, standing before the hallway entrance.
If I were a regular student, I'd probably be pushed around. But I wasn't, so people gave me a wide berth as if I were a person with a contagious disease.
I gave a deep sigh, closing my eyes.
'I'm starting to question my decision to attend school today.'
I was curious about how the booths and stalls were set up, so I decided to go.
But after the realization that everywhere I looked, there were people everywhere, and my social battery started getting drained without even talking to anybody.
The younger Evangeline headed outside the building, and we followed the me of this memory.
I was in the parking lot, preparing to leave, when I heard someone calling my name from afar.
"Evangeline!"
I didn't turn around, purposely ignoring the voice.
"Evangeline!"
I still didn't.
"EVANGELINE!" The voice shouted even louder, causing people to stare at them.
'Of course, who else would it be?' I finally stopped walking, turning around to face the annoying caller. 'He keeps appearing at the most random and crucial times.'
"Will you stop screaming?" I glared, crossing my arms in annoyance. "Everyone's looking at us."
"Sorry, Evangeline." Klaus laughed wearily. "I was just trying to stop you from leaving so soon."
"How did you know what I was trying to do?" My tone was accusing. "Are you stalking me again?"
"Educated guess." Klaus smiled, ignoring my accusation. "Now come with me."
He extended his hand towards me, and before I could react, I was being pulled back towards the school building against my will.
My eyebrows furrowed together, clearly unimpressed by Klaus' sudden intrusion.
"What are you plotting this time?" I questioned, my tone tinged with annoyance.
Klaus's smile grew wider as he replied, "A test of courage!"
"But I just want to go home and eat in peace," I whined.
Klaus chuckled.
"It'll just take a few minutes, and then we can find somewhere to eat. Sounds good?"
I couldn't help but wonder why I was going along with Klaus' whims. Despite my initial reluctance, something about his friendly demeanor made me hesitant to refuse.
"Why am I just going along with whatever Santa says?" I mused aloud.
"Because we're friends!" Klaus grinned.
"You're friends?" Death just couldn't resist the opportunity.
I nodded with a sigh.
"Yeah. Begrudgingly. He keeps finding me during lunchtime or after classes to hang out. At first, it was just constant greetings in the hallways, and then he joined my lunch table."
Returning back to the memory, the younger me's frustration was evident. But I finally relented after a few meters of getting dragged into the hallway.
"Fine!" I groaned. "I'll go with you!"
"Even though Klaus was a bit pushy at first," I said. "Klaus' presence wasn't entirely unwelcome. I don't mind his company."
"Who do you prefer more, Klaus or Boss's company?"
I blushed, looking away.