H

is phone wasn't going through.

That was the one thing that registered in Amina's mind, and it was as annoying as it could get. Even as she rushed out of her apartment, unbothered by how she'll look to people dressed as she is. How she looked to everyone else was the least of her concerns though.

She made her way to his apartment, which was only a few steps away from hers and banged on the door repeatedly. But, much as she dreaded, there was no response. She repeated the action for what lasted a few minutes, only for her annoyance to grow upon not getting a response.

Her heart hammered behind her ribcage, she could almost hear the sound loud in her ears. Her feet carried her away from that position with great difficulty. She had on destination in mind, the one place she was certain she would get answers on whether he was still there or not.

The manager's office.

She could recall the direction to it after them heading there on her first day there. Looking back, it seemed like ages ago. She was there much to her dislike, and yet, there she was willingly walk back into the place.

Stepping out of the elevator that took her there, she didn't bother to knock on the door as she pushed it open and stepped in, instantly gaining the attention of the people in there. Upon stepping in, her gaze fell on that of the familiar face of the manager, and about two others that she recognized being workers there as well.

They seemed to be involved in a meeting or something. Whatever it is, she didn't care in the slightest.

The man's gaze slowly morphed into that of recognition, making him get on his feet while offering her an uncertain smile. Normally, he would hold up that smile as bright as the midday sun, but judging from the look on her face, he doubts she was there to catch up over a warm mug of tea.

Nonetheless, he did a good job to hold up his smile. "Miss Ibrahim." He knew her from the two encounters in the past. The room mix-up encounter and that of Aahil falling ill. They've spent long enough it's expected they knew each other's first names even.

Amina slanted her gaze in the direction of the two others in the room, staring at her with more curiosity than she would've liked. They were the least of her concerns though. She was simply weighing her options to speak in front of them or not till she decided to simply screw it.

Her steel gaze met his dead in the eyes, her expression holding anything but lark. "Where is he?" She inquired, her voice low, but threatening.

He blinked, feigning confusion. "What...who are you talking about exactly, Miss?" She wasn't sure if he was asked to keep his lips shut or he was simply doing it to get on her nerves.

Whichever it was, he was doing a good job at achieving the latter.

She flicked her eyes close, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. She counted to three in her mind, before she peeled them open and met his gaze again—slowly repeating her earlier words. "Where is he?" Her eyes dared him to feign ignorance again. "Did he step out? Is he in his apartment?" She was still very much in denial, not wanting to accept the truth of the matter. At one point, she even held onto a ridiculous thought that pained her. She swallowed thickly, the words sounding bitter on her tongue. "Is he avoiding me?"

Did she perhaps do something that would make him react that way? Did she offend him unknowingly? Or did she do something to make him feel any less than he is?

She couldn't remember doing that knowingly. But, if perhaps, she did, then she was willing to put an end to it so long as he shows himself up and put an end to this disappearing act. She hates it the most.

The Manager blinked, his hands clamped in front of him as he nervously suspired. "He...uhm..." He cleared his throat upon seeing the glare she threw in his direction. It gave no room for him to beat around the bushes—it cornered him. "Mr. Tafida had checked out last night." He admitted in a small voice.

He wasn't entirely sure what the relationship between the two was, but from what he'd seen and her reaction as well—they are more than just neighbors that hate each other. As such, breaking the news to her felt so difficult for him. He knew this was nowhere near, but he could only assume it's how doctors feel when they break the news of a loved one's death to their family.

Her shoulders instantly slumped, her face falling. She gaped, parting her lips open to say something only to close it when no words came. "What?" She felt as though an ice bucket was dumped on her.

He nodded, to confirm his earlier statement. "He checked out around 19:00 last night." He elaborated, giving her more information because it seemed only then would she believe him.

19:00? That was just before they headed out for dinner. So, that meant he already made the decision before he took her to the Namsan Tower. He could've told her any time during those hours...he had too many chances and yet, he didn't.

She shook her head, then turned around and all but stormed out, still hell bent on getting answers because she surely has a lot of a questions. She made a beeline to the elevator, where she tapped on the button that would take her to the lobby.

While on that, she scrolled through her contacts, only stopping when her gaze fell on his. Without so much as a second thought, she tapped it and brought the phone to her ear—only to hear the electronic mail on the other hand which said something about the phone being switched off.

She didn't pay any heed in to it. Instead, she dialed the number again, and again.

The elevator doors slid open, giving her room to storm out and all but ran out of the lobby all the while trying the number despite getting the same response. Standing by the pedestrian side of the street, she tried to flag down a cab but then, where would she got to exactly?

That question led to her changing her caller ID. She scrolled through the contact, her fingers hovering over another familiar name that she was certain she'd get the answers she wants from. Hunter.

Tapping his contact, she brought the phone to her ear, hands akimbo as she nervously bit her lower lip while waiting. It got answered after the fourth ring—her voice instantly came before his could. "Hunter." She called out, the desperation in her voice hard to miss.

Instead of the said man, another voice came through instead. "Amina? What's wrong?" Chris's familiar, warm brotherly voice came—laced with worry as well. "Hunter stepped out. Speak to me, kiddo. What's bothering you?" He could hear how her voice was strained, and to say it made him worried would be an understatement.

How could he not be? He meant it when he said he considered her a younger sister.

Upon hearing the worry in his voice, she felt tears instantly well in her eyes but she blinked them back furiously. "Chris." She called out instead, her voice still strained. "Where is he? Where's Aahil?"

"Wait, what do you--"

"Please just tell me," She caught him mid-way before he could give her another string of excuses or dodge the question. She was hoping he wouldn't leave her in the dark as well. "where is he right now, huh?"

Silence came from the other side, which lasted a few, torturing seconds that Amina hated every second of. It felt like eternity before his answer came, like he was hesitating. "He's on his way back to Manchester." He confessed. "He should be halfway through the flight by now."

Amina took in a sharp breath, her eyes instantly flicking close while tears threatened to choke her. She could feel it, her heart shattering into tiny little pieces the minute those words registered in her mind.

He's gone.

He truly is gone.

There was a hint of confusion in his tone as well. "I thought he told you last night." He heard the intake of breath from her end, which only confused him more. She was acting as if she's unaware of it.

That couldn't possibly be it, right?

Aahil couldn't have left without telling her, right? Given the way he has been acting like a lovesick fool, it made sense that he would tell her first.

Unable to help himself, Chris found himself piquing in more. "—he made the decision over the past few weeks. He wasn't considering it before, but he suddenly changed his mind after the trip to Jeju. He told us a few days ago as well. We thought you were aware already, or at least, he did last night during the date."

His words, they simply went in through one ear and left through the other, she couldn't care less about them—at least not in that moment.

"—I'm certain he'd call you when he lands safely. He probably found it hard to say goodbye to you like that."

Amina doubts it. If he had any plans of contacting her, he wouldn't have left like that. If he had even the tiniest intention of keeping contact with her, then he would've at least told her in person.

She shook her head slowly, peeling her eyes open while she forced herself to inquire. "When will he be back?" She could only hope it'll be soon, because she couldn't imagine it being long.

A sigh came from the other end, before his dejected voice came. "I don't know, it's hard to say really." He admitted, even if he wanted to tell her something that would soothe her mind, he couldn't lie to her because of that. He found himself adding in a small voice. "He has a lot he wants to handle personally so it'll take a while, perhaps, a long time."

Her weak knees gave up on her, and she found herself crouching almost instantly, the phone falling free of her hold. The tears she had tried so much to hold back came forth as if they were forced out. Her eyes were blurry, and her heart felt as though it will jump out through her throat.

She didn't want to cry, or seem weak like that. However, it was too unexpected.

The time she spent with him was too short for him to just leave like that. Who knows when he'll come back? She's so used to him being in every aspect of her life then, how is she expected to suddenly keep living in his absence?

Who would randomly remind her to wear heavier clothes so she wouldn't be cold? Who would accompany her in moments she felt loneliest? Who would give his unsolicited advises that are just the words one needs to hear the most? Who would show her the beauty in appreciating the little things in life?

Aahil Tafida, albeit annoying on most occasions left traces of himself in her life impossible to wipe away. He wasn't dead, nor terminally sick, but he was gone. Far from her reach, far from her hold, far from her sight with no means of contact whatsoever.

How could she not cry?

Her heart ached. It felt as though someone was squeezing it hard. She could only hear her ragged breaths while she cried her heart out on the side of the road. If he were around, he would've probably showed up almost as if knowing she was in distress to save the day.

Remember when she said she could live away from home? That she was old enough to handle it? And how she thought she was able to do just that ad prove herself right?

Well, she couldn't have done it without him.

Because in every aspect she'd look back to, he was there. Every moment, every instance...he was there. She couldn't have pulled it off safely without him.

The mere thoughts of the things he'd done to aid her made her cry harder. She could feel her nose getting constricted, but she sniffed it back furiously, her arms wrapping around herself as she hung her head low and cried—oblivious to the passersby that watched her cry all alone like that.

It was embarrassing really, but she'd worry about the embarrassment later on when she's done crying like the teenager that got rejected by her first crush or got her heart broken by her first boyfriend.

To make matters worse, or perhaps, it was just the universe conspiring against her in that very moment, it started to rain. A sun shower. Light drizzle fell from the sky, wetting the grounds almost immediately. People hastened their steps, rushing to be as far away from the rain as possible while those that brought their umbrellas along, pulled it open to shield themselves from it.

Amina on the other hand could barely care about it. What's the worst that would happen? For her to fall ill? Perhaps, she wouldn't mind it if it meant that being the reason he'd return to her. It's a ridiculous thought, she knows it. She just couldn't help it.

She could feel her outfit slowly getting damp, and then the warm water seeping in and kissing her skin. Her hair getting wet as well served as a reminder that she didn't even bother to pick out anything to cover her hair with—she simply stepped out like that only to get soaked by the rain like that.

A small voice in the back of her mind tried to convince her to head in first, then she could continue with her crying later on but she pushed the voice out, unwilling to allow it to dwell in her heartbroken dwelling.

The drizzling rain calmed her slightly, because the sound of the raindrops tuned out that of her ugly tears which she was grateful for. At least, she could cry her heart out in peace, with people running about while she remained there, motionless and in tears.

However, just when she was become dripping wet, the rain soaking her came to a halt, accompanied by the shadow of the person that came to stand beside her, holding an umbrella over her head.

Amina's tears stopped, her head slowly lifting up to rest it on the person behind the action. Her eyes dilated, her mouth falling open.