CHAPTER 3 - A Lily on the Train
May 26th, 2026 - 8:42 AM
Still in shock from what had just occurred, Noho kept walking to the subway station. What even just happened back there? she thought, staring at the address written on the paper in her hand.
"204 Greystone Court," she read aloud. Should I really go to this address he gave me? I mean, what if he's just a creep trying to kidnap me or something? Her mind raced. And then, why did he even fake being homeless? He must be one of those people who pretend to be homeless and trick unsuspecting, kind people into giving them money. What an evil man. But still.
She hesitated, gripping the paper tighter. I can't get what he said out of my mind. 'Potential to change the world?' I'm smart, I know, but changing the world is… a bit far out of my reach, even for someone as intellectually gifted as me. But also, does he have the same views on evil in the world as I do?
Eventually, she arrived at the steps of the subway station. She descended into the station, swiped her MetroCard at the turnstile, and walked through the rotating metal bars. Noho weaved through the crowd of people, navigating the bustling station, and finally found the F train platform.
Exhausted, she collapsed onto a nearby bench and waited patiently for the train to arrive.
"The train comes at 8:50. It's 8:43 now—I guess I have some time," she murmured, glancing at the clock. She looked around the station, observing the crowd. It was packed with early-morning commuters, all trying to get to work on time. "I hope it's not too crowded on the train," she muttered to herself. "I want to sit down—I'm so tired of standing every train ride."
As Noho sat, lost in her thoughts, a sudden voice snapped her back to reality.
"Ello, good day! Do you know if this is the F train platform?"
Noho looked up, startled by the unfamiliar voice. Standing in front of her was a woman she didn't
recognize. "Uh, yeah. This is the F train platform. Are you looking for a different section?"
"No, no! It's okay. This is the correct section, but thank you! May I sit here, please?"
"Sure," Noho replied, moving her backpack out of the way to make space for the stranger.
She doesn't sound like she's from around here. Is she a foreigner? Noho wondered, studying the woman's accent.
"So, where are you headed off to on this lovely morning?" the woman asked in a cheery tone, sitting beside her.
"I'm going to school, and today's my 8th grade graduation."
"Wow, that sounds so lovely! I hope everything goes well for you!"
Why is she being so joyful and optimistic towards me? She doesn't even know who I am? Noho thought. "Hey, so you're not from America, right? Are you here for vacation?"
The woman giggled. "Yes, I'm not from here! I'm from Sydney, Australia. But I'm not really here for vacation—I'm studying abroad."
"Oh, studying abroad? And of all places, you chose New York?" Noho asked, raising an eyebrow.
"What? What's wrong with New York? I heard so many good things about it, like how it's the best state to live in!"
Noho silently cringed. "New York? Best state to live in? Whoever told you that was lying to you. New York is only good if you come here to see Times Square for a day and leave."
"Really? But I heard that people have so much fun here! Did I mess up and choose a bad place?" The woman's cheerful tone faltered as disappointment crept into her voice.
Ahh! Maybe I shouldn't put such bad thoughts into her head, especially since she sounds so excited to be studying here, Noho thought, panicking. "No! It's okay! New York isn't that bad if you just stay away from the… um… bad parts," she said nervously.
"Oh, that's good! I was starting to worry that I made the wrong choice."
Just as she said that, the F train arrived at the terminal with a screeching halt. The doors slid open, and people began piling in, scrambling for seats.
Noho jolted up, grabbing her bag. "The train is here. If we want a good seat, we better hurry."
The two rushed onto the train and managed to secure seats. Noho sighed with relief as she finally had the chance to sit and rest properly. She leaned her head back against the seat, hugging her bag. Turning to her right, where the woman sat, she asked, "So, what's your name?"
The woman, lost in thought, seemed startled by the question. "My name? Oh! It's Sayuri. Sayuri Meadows!" she replied with a smile.
"Sayuri? That's a Japanese name, but you're Australian."
"I know," Sayuri said. "It means 'little lily,' and my mom chose it because when I was born, she said I was very beautiful and that I'd grow up to be a kind and gentle person."
"Oh, well, I guess you do live up to your name. I can tell you're a very kind person."
Sayuri blushed slightly. "What? You think I'm nice? R-really?"
"Yeah, I can tell just by looking at you."
"So, um… what's your name?"
"My name is Noho."
"Awh! That's such a cute name!" Sayuri said, smiling.
Noho looked away, a little embarrassed "Mhm.."
For a while, the train ride was silent. Noho's thoughts drifted to her graduation. She was happy to be leaving 8th grade behind and moving on, but a part of her felt sad. She loved school because she was smart, picked up things quickly, and was liked by all her teachers. But she also didn't like school. She had only one friend, and in classes where she didn't have someone to talk to, she often ended up working and sitting alone.
She didn't mind it much. She was far more advanced than her classmates and often grew frustrated trying to understand why others weren't as quick as she was in subjects like math and science.
Every time I got forced into a group project with a bunch of braindead lowlifes, they never understood what we had to do and always messed up their part of the project. I had to do all the work just to make sure we didn't fail, she thought bitterly.
Sayuri's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?"
Noho blinked, startled. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"There's a strong vibe of… distressed energy radiating off of you. I can feel it. Are you worried or sad about something? Is it your graduation?"
"You can… read my emotions?"
"Well, kind of. I've always been good at noticing and observing people—how they feel, even if they don't show it."
"Oh… that's a cool power to have."
"Haha, well, it's not really a power, but it's something useful. Most of the time, I can tell how people are feeling based on their body language and expressions, even if they have a straight face."
"Wow! Really? That's actually kind of cool. Okay, then, can you tell me how that man sitting across from us is feeling?" Noho said, pointing to a man sitting with his legs crossed, texting on his phone.
"Hmm… let's see…" Sayuri analyzed him for a moment before saying, "He seems a bit angry or annoyed—maybe upset about something."
"Oh wow," Noho exclaimed. "You really are amazing!"
Sayuri giggled. "And I can tell that you're very happy and surprised right now."
The metro train suddenly came to a halt at another station, and the doors slid open.