Clutching his backpack, now torn open, the young man flashed Sundori a radiant smile. It was like a gentle breeze on a bright morning, refreshing and unexpected. "Thanks for stepping in. How did you manage to take down someone that big? It's incredible! Do you have some sort of secret power?" he marveled, his tone light and full of amazement.
This guy was clearly outgoing and cheerful. Sundori felt herself warming up to his lively nature.
Sensing Sundori's silence, the young man introduced himself. "I'm Julian. Running into you today has been the highlight of my day. I wish we could chat more, but my stop is almost here. Could I get your number to call you later?" He said this as he pulled out his phone, hopeful.
"My number? He's asking for my number?" Sundori was taken aback. It had been 30 years since a man had shown interest in contacting her. The very notion sent a tremor through her heart, a delicate flutter that whispered of new beginnings.
The shock hadn't fully worn off. Her life had been a fortress of solitude for the past two years her interactions confined to the bare necessities of work. It felt risky, even inappropriate, to share her contact information so freely.
As the train pulled into Julian's stop, he made no move to leave. His eagerness for her response was clear—he was waiting for an answer.
"Isn't this your stop?" Sundori asked.
"I don't mind riding a few more stops to keep talking. It won't cost me anything extra," Julian replied with a chuckle. His laughter was infectious, thawing the frost around Sundori's heart.
After a brief hesitation, Sundori introduced herself. "I'm Sundori."
"It's been an honor, Miss Sundori. I'm really thankful for your help today," Julian responded, placing a hand over his heart in a gesture of gratitude.
"Should you grant me the kindness of your number, I'd be eternally grateful. A more fitting token of my appreciation awaits." His humor was a balm, easing the awkwardness of the request.
"Alright, please give me your phone and I will type my number in." Sundori said, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness she hadn't felt in years.
She entered her number into Julian's phone and handed it back. Almost immediately, she received several emoji-filled messages from him, each one bringing a smile to her face. Julian's sense of humor was undeniable.
Julian started chatting again, this time, introducing more about himself: "I am a chip engineer at Macdia International. I was on my way to the company actually. Although it is Sunday today, I still got work to do. Poor me! We are very busy lately to meet some deadlines. I don't why that thief would pick me as a target. I've got nothing in the backpack. The most valuable item in it is a sandwich. That's my lunch! If he took it, I would definitely fight hard. That's my lunch. I hadn't eaten all day."
What a coincidence. Sundori also worked at Macdia International. It was also one of the possible companies that Sundori suspected of as the target of the news from yesterday.
Seeing no response from Sundori, Julian attempted to lighten the mood with laughter. He did not understand why Sundori was so cold. Maybe she was just shy. Normally it was easy for Julian to get someone talking, as he was indeed a lovable human being. But not in front of Sundori.
Sundori, meanwhile, struggled with her own barriers, her recent years of solitude making it hard to engage freely. Besides, there was a lot going on in her head at the same time. She tried her best to remember every detail of the big guy, was surprised to know that Julian was her colleague at a company that might be a target in an important national security event or conspiracy, while this good-looking young man just asked for her phone number, the first time ever in her life.
Regaining her composure, Sundori responded to Julian, "Being a chip engineer sounds impressive. Are you focused on the hardware side or more towards software?"
Julian's enthusiasm was palpable as he replied, "Oh wow, you're familiar with chips! That's quite a niche area for most. I'm primarily involved with the software aspect." It was clear he was thrilled at the prospect of finding common ground with Sundori.
"I'm actually with Macdia too," Sundori revealed.
Julian's excitement surged, his eyes widening in astonishment. "Oh My God! We're colleagues! How is it that we've never crossed paths at work?"
As Julian expressed his surprise, Sundori's mind briefly wandered. Someone might be targeting Macdia employees, especially engineers, that could be the root for the leak. Should I look into this Julian guy?
Almost as quickly as the thought appeared, Sundori dismissed it, chiding herself mentally. She needed to break away from her instinct to probe and scrutinize, especially off the clock. "None of my business," she reminded herself silently.
Noticing Sundori's momentary headshake and sensing her internal conflict, Julian looked puzzled. Sundori caught the confused look on his face and quickly smoothed over the awkward moment with a smile. "I'm in the administrative department. I hardly get the chance to interact with the engineering teams," she explained, offering a plausible reason for their paths never crossing at Macdia.
Julian made no effort to conceal his desire to get closer to Sundori, engaging her with vivid conversation. "Ah, the admin department! I know Melinda from there. She was asking me about dog food for her puppy, Dan, just when we were all swamped with the monthly budget review," he shared with an easy smile.
Sundori recognized Melinda's name; they worked in the same department. Yet, Sundori hadn't engaged in personal conversations with Melinda or knew about her puppy. In fact, Sundori realized she hadn't engaged in casual conversations or formed personal connections with nearly anyone, not just in the past two years but nearly her entire life. Nearly.
Despite this, Julian's openness and lightheartedness were refreshing to Sundori. He seemed carefree, almost childlike in his innocence and joy. Before she knew it, Sundori found herself drawn into Julian's world, and they ended up staying on the train for another stop together.
"But, I am pretty sure I have never met you in the admin department. Are you new?" Julian asked.
Sundori wasn't new; she had been at Macdia for two years. However, it made sense that Julian hadn't noticed her. She usually kept to herself, focusing on her work and limiting her interactions to strictly work-related conversations. She explained to Julian that she wasn't new but focused on internal administrative tasks and rarely had the chance to interact with other departments, given the size of Macdia.
As they passed three stations beyond Julian's intended stop, Sundori urged him to get off. Julian, however, was reluctant, saying each stop was too crowded and promising to get off at the next one. He then inquired about Sundori's destination, seemingly eager to prolong their time together.
Sundori could not be sure whether Julian was just wanting to keep her company, or there could be some other intensions. With more than ten years of field work and ten more years of training, Sundori had learned not to trust anyone easily and not to disclose her agenda. She could not help herself by always assuming the worst and prepare for it. "I'm just wandering around. No specific destination. But don't let me keep you or delay your work," she told him.
Julian brushed off her concern with a smile, "No worries, I'm not in a hurry to get back to work, especially on a Sunday." This guy is always smiling.
Julian seamlessly continued the conversation, not giving Sundori a chance to express any reluctance about him staying on the train longer. "San Jingo is always so warm, isn't it? It hardly feels like there's ever a winter here. I'm originally from North Pingo, where the winters can be quite harsh. I moved here a few months ago and I'm still adjusting to the climate here. How about you? Where are you from originally? You don't seem like you're from around here," he said, ending his observation with a light-hearted laugh.
"Why do you think so?" Sundori was genuinely curious.
"Well, I know girls here. They are always on heels, their nails polished, and they prefer to be protected by men, not the other way around."
Alright, he is a playboy. Sundori was momentarily taken aback, her mind labeling Julian as a playboy, which, surprisingly, saddened her. Why did this revelation about Julian affect her? She pondered.
"Don't take me wrong, I don't have a lot of experience with girls, I am just very good at observing." It seemed Julian was able to see through what Sundori was thinking. His words caused Sundori to blush. Why he explained this to me?
Looking around the train, Sundori saw that Julian's observations weren't off mark. Most women onboard were indeed dressed fashionably, their appearances polished and refined, a stark contrast to her own utilitarian style.
Sundori's hands, marked by the calluses of a life far removed from the ordinary, silently spoke of her unique experiences. Each callous was a testament to battles fought, whether against formidable opponents, amidst the adrenaline rush of gunfire, or in the quiet concentration required to breach digital fortresses. Her hands were tools of precision, strength, and intellect, capable of influencing outcomes in both physical confrontations and virtual realms. In contrast, the concept of manicured, unblemished nails represented a foreign, almost alien luxury to Sundori. For her, the absence of split nails wasn't a sign of grooming but a rare occurrence.
"So, was I right? You're not from here?" Julian prodded gently.
Sundori nodded. She was born and raised elsewhere, a hometown that she valuably remembered. Could she still call it her hometown? She barely remembered that village and had never gone back since she left.
Julian's keen observation skills brought another smile to his face. "See, I'm good at observing!" he remarked, not pressing further on her origins.
Shifting the conversation, Sundori suggested, "Let's get off at the next stop and catch the train back to Macdia. I don't have any particular plans today, and I can head in that direction too."
Julian readily agreed to her suggestion. Internally, Sundori rationalized that she proposed this plan out of necessity—to check on the situation with the "big guy". Yet, deep down, she couldn't ignore the possibility that she also wanted to spend more time with Julian, an unexpected companion who had inadvertently stirred a spectrum of emotions within her.
On their way back to Macdia, Julian couldn't help but voice his admiration for Sundori's swift handling of the stout assailant once more. With a modest tilt of her head, Sundori acknowledged his praise, attributing her success to the self-defense classes she had attended. "It was more about being in the right place at the right time," she demurred. "The element of surprise was on my side, not to mention a good deal of luck." Her words attempted to cast the encounter as a fortunate coincidence rather than a showcase of skill.
Julian, with a knowing smile, seemed to peer into the humility behind her words, recognizing the understatement for what it was. Yet, as they delved further into the day's unexpected altercation, Julian's conviction waned. He pondered the mugger's poor choice, given the apparent lack of valuables in his backpack..
"Perhaps my backpack simply fell apart on its own," he mused with a hint of self-deprecation, a light frown creasing his brow as he contemplated his own overreaction: "I have been working too much lately, perhaps I just overreacted."
Sundori couldn't help but silently chuckle at Julian's rationalization. A Tumi backpack, renowned for its durability, wouldn't just succumb to spontaneous damage, especially with such a clean cut. "You silly boy," she thought, her amusement softly painting her features with a smile. Julian caught this brief display of joy and mirrored it with a broader grin of his own: "You have a beautiful smile," he commented, just as the train drew to a halt at the Macdia station, where Julian was supposed to get off.