[A/N: Chapter soundtrack: Refused - New Noise]
Mai placed her hand on her chin in deep thought.
"It can't be that simple. And they don't look like they grew here somehow, either. They just look like... shards, like fragments of something bigger. That loud crash from earlier..."
"As if someone just..."
"Smashed up a huge glass art installation?" A stranger's voice offered.
In an instant, Mai's calm exterior shattered.
Eyes widened to the size of saucers, she gripped the edges of the shard tightly, her spine instinctively straightening as if a bolt of electricity had gone through it.
Mouth agape, she looked much like a startled cat.
The stranger's words had clearly turned her usual composure upside down.
She whipped her head around to see who it was.
On her side of the glass, atop a shard much smaller than theirs, there was an average looking guy sat cross-legged at the ankles.
The young man casually swung his feet back and forth. It was as if he were sitting on a park bench, rather than on a precarious piece of glass high in the sky.
A little older than Hio and Mai, he looked like a model with his plain white shirt, open collar and blue jeans - the type Mai would see straight out of a foreign college catalog.
But with his back perfectly straight and his hands resting lightly on his knees, he reminded Mai more of a prince carved from stone.
Beyond the young man, she found it hard to see anything. The wind whipped through the stranger's short brown hair as his amused, deep green eyes met theirs.
Hio and Mai both stared back at the guy with wide but equally un-amused eyes.
Mai, on the other hand, looked a bit more taken aback than Hio.
"What- What are you?" She asked the stranger.
He looked mildly confused at her question.
Who could blame him?
His puzzled expression said it all, as if he had no idea how to answer it.
Leaning out over the edge of the shard slightly, he stared down into the void below.
"What am I?" The words echoed through his lips slowly. A moment later, he looked back at the pair with a dazzling grin on his face. "Just a man," he said.
Mai's eyes widened as she suddenly looked a little sheepish.
That was really stupid.
Realizing her blunder, she put a hand over her face.
"Wh-Who are you?" She finally whispered, her ears pink with embarrassment.
Peeking at the stranger, she hoped he didn't seem too weirded out by her awkwardness.
But he only laughed a bit, entertained, yet seemingly understanding.
"Nice to meet you Mai, my name is Peter Inch," he said.
***
Hio scrutinized Peter, eyeing him carefully. "How do you even know her name?" He asked. "And aren't you a bit too quick to jump in on our conversation?"
Peter's eyes shifted to look at Hio.
Hio swallowed, suddenly wishing he hadn't spoke.
He froze, feeling as if the newcomer had turned him to stone, just with his eyes alone.
"Oh, is that a bad thing to know?" Peter asked as he smiled a bit more, "to know one's name?"
What's his deal? Hio couldn't seem to get a good read on this Peter guy.
He just keeps staring at me. Is he looking for a fight, or what?
Oblivious to Hio's turmoil, Peter simply shrugged. "But you're right, I did know that already, didn't I."
"And to answer your question... Hio." Peter continued, a sly grin spreading across his lips.
"Tch." A vein throbbed in Hio's temple.
"You and your little girlfriend are quite the loud couple. It's a bit off-putting." The newcomer finished.
Girlfriend? Hio opened his mouth to protest, but Mai spoke first.
"Little? Girlfriend?"
Mai looked Peter in the eyes and if looks could kill, he would be dead ten times over. Such was the nature of the death stare aimed in his direction.
Unbeknownst to her, she squeezed a shard in her hand, oblivious to the small cuts forming on her palm.
Meanwhile, Hio grinded his teeth together. Why is everyone pissing me off today?
His eyes darted away from Peter to look at Mai. "Oi, I know I'm not the best-looking guy around, but that's going too far!"
Peter looked at Mai's closed fist.
Blinking for a moment, he burst out into laughter. "You have a bit more spunk in you than I thought. My apologies."
Laughter subsiding, a laid-back smile took over. "I just can't help it. I can't resist getting people together." He said with a shrug.
Spreading his hands wide, he brought them together with a playful clap. "Guess I'm a bit of a matchmaker that way."
But Mai was more concerned at how Peter seemed very laid back.
She lowered her clenched fist, a crease forming on her brows. "Why are you so relaxed in this situation? What is that attitude? Don't you care?"
"Me? Why should I care?" He waved a hand dismissively. "It's not my problem."
Mai stared at him in silence. "You're just weird," she decided.
"That's fair." He shrugged.
"But it is very mysterious." Peter's eyes shifted to the dark void.
The wind blew, pulling out his brown hair in the air a bit. He quickly ran his hands through his hair, letting it settle down as he looked back to the pair.
"Anyway, I was here before you both came along. Sorry for interrupting your conversation. I didn't mean it like that."
"You asked a question: Where did all those shards come from, and I felt compelled to give you an answer."
"So?" Hio looked at Peter from the side.
"Hrm?"
"He means, are you the reason why the shards appeared?" Mai added, staring at Peter.
The young man put his finger up to his lips in thought. "You know," he said.
However, whatever he planned to say next was interrupted by a monstrous shriek.
To Be Continued...