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GAZE Volume 1: Part 1
CHAPTER 8: Lost in Rain

CHAPTER 8: Lost in Rain

Axka on his way home, the thoughts of the morning message to Siyanda suddenly filled his head, her lack of reply bothering him. Axka couldn’t resist; he pulled out his phone hidden in his bag to check if maybe she had responded.

His heart sank a little when he saw no new messages, but he tried to stay optimistic. There it was, his message to Siyanda, read but unanswered.

Axka opened their chat and saw:

Siyanda :-]

Last seen at 1:39 p.m.

G’morning, Siyanda ^^! Wanna meet on class break at school today? <

Sent at 6:02 a.m.

Axka paused for a second, his thumb hovering over the screen. Doubt gnawed at him—was I being too pushy? Axka thought to himself, but he couldn’t stop himself. He needed to know. Unable to resist, he quickly typed a message:

Siyanda :-]

Last seen at 1:39 p.m.

You still not home yet? <

sent at 5:35 p.m.

His mind swirled with thoughts of Siyanda’s silence. What if she was avoiding me? Maybe she just forgot? Axka wandered. I should keep walking straight to my home…

The lack of a reply gnawed at him, a quiet worry he couldn’t shake. Despite his efforts to stay optimistic, the unanswered message felt like a stone in his chest. He sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he turned the corner to his street.

As he walked, Axka’s mind kept circling back to Siyanda. He couldn’t help but wonder; Did I say something wrong, or maybe I was just another guy to her—someone useful for her own terms?

The familiar sight of his house brought a small, fleeting comfort. As he approached the front door, the thought of seeing his brothers lifted his feelings slightly. Maybe talking to them would help him clear his head. “I’m home,” Axka said.

Inside, the smell of food greeted him. Takoda was in the kitchen, dishing out rice and a crispy omelette for Mika, who was already seated and digging in. He greeted him with an excitement, “Welcome back, Axka!”

“You’re home earlier than I expected,” Takoda said, his voice casual but masking his worry as he glanced up when Axka entered. “C’mon, let’s eat together,” Mika voiced his urge. Axka took off his bag, and patted Mika’s shoulder, “I’m going to talk with Takoda a bit about our class. We’ll be back, okay?”

Mika, unknowingly of the situation, replied with understanding tone. “Alright, Axka.”

Axka and Takoda made their way to the small veranda, leaning against the railing. The relief in Takoda’s eyes was tempered with a lingering concern. With long overdue question, Takoda asked, “So what happened out there?”

Axka leaned against the railing beside his brother, his eyes briefly flicking to his phone—still no message from Siyanda. With a sigh, he slid it back into his pocket and forced his attention on the conversation. “Yeah, I almost threw some punches, but it’s fine now.”

Takoda’s brow furrowed. “Fine? What do you mean? Did they call it off?”

Axka shrugged, playing it off casually. “Not much really. Caden showed up right before things got ugly. They just backed off—his name still carries weight. He’s always had that effect.”

Takoda blinked, surprise evident in his voice. “Caden? I thought he was out sick”

“He was,” Axka replied, pulling his phone out again and glancing at the screen, still hoping for a reply from Siyanda. “But he showed up just in time. I don’t know how he knew what was happening though.”

Takoda’s concern relieved as he sighed, yet some still lingered. But he tried to keep his tone light. “Lucky timing, I guess. But you should’ve called me. I could’ve backed you up.”

Axka smiled faintly, though his attention was still split between his phone and the conversation. “I didn’t want to drag you into it. Besides, you needed to stay here with Mika. If things had gone bad, the last thing I’d want is for you two to get caught up in it.

Takoda sighed, clearly frustrated. He remembered the risk Axka took when they were a child, a choice he had to make. Takoda showed his cheerful, jokester and carefree all the time yet hiding his own struggles beneath as well. “I get it, but still… I don’t want something happens to you. We can’t afford to lose you again.”

Axka finally put his phone away, sensing the seriousness in his brother’s voice. “I won’t. Next time, I’ll call you. But like I said, Caden handled it. The guys just walked away.”

Takoda nodded, though his concern didn’t fully fade. “Good to know. But why was Caden even there? It’s not like him to just show up out of the blue.”

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Axka shrugged again, more focused on the silence from Siyanda than the oddity of Caden’s appearance. “No idea. He didn’t say much, just that he was on his way to school and saw me in the alley. I guess I got lucky.”

Takoda studied Axka for a moment, noticing how distracted he seemed. “You’ve been checking your phone a lot. Is it Siyanda?”

“N-No! But, well, yes,” Axka confessed as he couldn’t hide it, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief at acknowledging it.

As Axka sat on the veranda with Takoda, the silence between them was filled with unspoken thoughts about his day. He laid his phone next to him, silently waiting for her message. Every time he glanced at his phone, his heart pounded a little harder, half-expecting, half-dreading what might—or might not—be there.

“So, how did you and Siyanda meet? You've been all dreamy about her,” Takoda broke the silence, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and brotherly concern.

Axka hesitated, the memory still clear in his mind.

“It was one rainy evening last month,” Axka began. “After our jamming downtown, the three of you decided to stay, but I wanted to head home early.” He let the memory unfold naturally.

“Oh, the day we tried that new Indie song?” Takoda’s eyes lit up with recognition. His interruption seemed like an invitation to explore the memory further.

“Yeah,” Axka confirmed. “I was heading back to my car when it started pouring, and I saw her—a shadowy figure running to the nearest bus stop, completely wet.”

Takoda leaned in, intrigued. “And you just decided to offer her a ride?”

“Well, of course,” Axka admitted, feeling the warmth of the memory. “I pulled up, rolled down the window, and asked if anyone was picking her up. Thank our Ancestors, the bus stop had a roof; otherwise, I’d have been soaked too,” He added with a smile. “She looked so relieved but hesitant when she said no one could come for her. She mentioned something about her parents working.”

“And you played the knight in shining armor,” Takoda teased, his smile warm and encouraging. Axka replied with a slight smirk, ready to continue:

“She was there, an hour early for the next autobus, looking a bit lost by the rain. She admitted she didn't know the auto-bus routes well. Despite the simplicity of her problem, there was something about her—a quiet resilience, maybe, or just the way she tried to shield herself under the bus stop. With the rain getting worse, I couldn't just leave her there —so I offered her a ride home.”

Axka paused, recalling her initial hesitation. “She was cautious at first, but then she got in. And man, Takoda, she was... she's something else.” Takoda chuckled, nudging him gently. “And then?”

Axka faced Takoda, his smiles appearing. “Well, I gave her my small towel to dry off. Then damn… I started to realize that I picked up a gorgeous girl. I was stunned as she dried herself, and that ‘rack’ bro… SHE’S SEXY!”

Axka filled with excitement, his tone high and his waved around his hand as he talking. “We talked a bit on the drive. She was different, y’know? Not like her friends at school make her out to be. When we reached her place, she gave me her number, said she wanted to know me better. She’s the one Takoda, She’s the one”

But something felt unfinished. Axka was stuck in a moment, caught between what had happened and what could be. Two weeks after that day, Axka and Siyanda exchanged awkward glances in the hallway, a silent understanding passing between them. But he hadn’t had the guts to approach her. Not properly, anyway. Every time Axka saw her with her friends, he hesitated—unsure if he’d read too much into that rainy day.

Axka shook his head, dragging himself out of his thoughts about Siyanda. Takoda was watching, an amused look on his face. “She sounds pretty cool, Axka. Not just the looks, huh?” His voice snapping Axka back to reality.

Axka nodded, a bit more serious this time. “Yeah, it’s... there’s this vibe about her, you know? Like, she's genuinely nice, not just for show. When she thanked me that night, it felt real—different from what I expected.”

Takoda raised an eyebrow, teasing, “Not just because of the ‘rack,’ right?” He laughed, and Axka, a bit awkward, joined in. “Well, that too…”

Takoda smirked. “So, what about the other 18 crushes before her?”

Axka chuckled, shaking his head as a grin spread across his face. “Guess I’m never going to stop looking for the one, huh?” But he couldn’t help but think; Each one of them felt like it could be real until it wasn’t...

Takoda laughed along with Axka. “Just make sure you’re looking in the right places, brother.”

Axka hesitated, then sighed. “Well, right now, she hasn’t replied to my messages all day. I know it’s probably nothing, but it’s driving me nuts.”

Takoda’s expression softened, and he gave Axka a reassuring smile. “She’s probably just busy. Don’t let it get to you. But if it’s bothering you that much, maybe talk to her tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Axka muttered, though he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off. “I just wish she’d say something, you know? Even a ‘hey’ would be better than nothing.”

Takoda clapped him on the back, offering a bit of encouragement. “She’ll respond. Just give it time. You’ve had enough stress for one day—don’t overthink it. We’ve been through worse, remember?”

Axka managed a small smile, appreciating the support even as his thoughts lingered on Siyanda. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, brother.”

After a moment, Takoda glanced at Axka as concern still etched on his face. “Listen, you’ve had a rough day. Why don’t you go inside and grab something to eat? Mika’s probably waiting for us.”

A flicker of guilt crossed Axka’s face, and he nodded. “Yeah… you’re right. Let us go eat with him.”

Takoda smiled, relieved. “Good. I’ll join you in a bit. Just need a moment out here.”

Axka gave him a grateful look before heading inside. As he walked through the door, the familiar comfort of home enveloped him, and the sight of Mika at the table brought a small, genuine smile to his face. A flicker of doubt crept into his thoughts:

I felt guilty for even thinking about her. With everything going on—with Mika needing me, and the constant weight of hiding my Anomalies—it felt selfish to get distracted by a girl. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the thought of her.

Takoda finally joined in, and they ate together in silence. The tension from the day’s events slowly faded away, replaced by a quiet resolve to face whatever came next. Axka’s phone remained silent as they ate, but he couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope:

I just wish she’d see me the way I see her—maybe then I wouldn’t feel so lost…