Somewhere, Waiting For Me
Makotoâs driver hadnât taken her to a bar like she requested, which was only another reason to rate them four-and-a-half stars instead of five. Luckily, she knew that in any city you just had to wander around a little bit before you found one. Truly, it was a universal constant that people living anywhere needed a place to get blasted and forget all their troubles. Makoto wasnât a big drinker, and she still planned on remembering her name in a few hours, but a drink or two seemed like just the thing to work her down from her âtalking to the big holeâ state to something more manageable.
This was... the Cotes Ward, right? It had an Orient Town feel to it, and if Makoto was living here, she could get used to the cherry blossom trees, lantern lights, and scantily-clad women waving to her from their brothels. She waved back, of course- she wasnât a monster.
True enough, it didnât take long before Makoto spotted a dimly-lit bar through the district's layer of mist. The perfect place to both have a drink and get some information. Just a glass or two and-
Her eyes widened and her ears shot up as she caught wind of a familiar scent. Seawater, mixed with a dim layer of ozone and a thick layer of blood and gun oil. Someone she literally never thought sheâd ever see again, someone she just assumed was more or less dead.
She abandoned the bar and moved towards the source of the smell. It was close, and even if it wasnât him, just a chance to see him again- to apologize- was worth it.
She turned a corner and spotted him through the mist. His silhouette, average as it was, was unmistakable to her. On cue, her eyes began to well with tears. âHoly shit, itâs really you,â she said, breaking into a jog. âJack! Itâs M-â
It turns out that running around in the dark in a very foggy red light district is a bad idea, because it only took Makoto a step and a half to stomp on the tail of a lounging cat. The cat yowled and darted off, upsetting the box it had been laying in, which tipped over a trash can, which knocked into two other trash cans, which set off a car alarm somewhere down the street. Also a dog started to bark, as they typically did when more noise was required.
Makoto came to a halt amidst the overturned garbage and sudden cacophony. Eventually, the man down the street would turn to face her, and Makoto could only offer a sheepish shrug in response. âUh... surprise?â
