"Okay, we're finally here," Alex says as we arrive outside the train station gates.
"I still think this is a bit creepy, you know. We actually have to stalk her all the way here," I say.
"It is. Don't do anything like this again next time," Alex replies.
Suddenly, it starts raining heavily. Alex and I quickly go inside the hall and find a spot on the waiting chairs across the main entrance.
"It's 2:30. She'll likely be here around 3:30," Alex checks the time on his wristwatch inside his jacket.
"Hey, Alex, I need to go again, as usual." I point to the musholla sign down the hall. It's time for the Ashar prayer.
"Okay. Do you want me to come along?" Alex asks.
"Oh, don't worry about me. You should stay here and keep watch, just in case she shows up early," I reply.
"Alright, I'll be waiting here then," Alex says, giving me a thumbs-up.
"Oh, right, can you hold onto my wax duck for a bit, please?" I say with a wide smile before leaving him. Alex smiles back and nods.
Heading to the musholla, the similar questions I had before meeting Clara yesterday begin echoing in my head again. I can't believe I'm actually here, God. What is going on? What am I supposed to do? What will happen later? What are You trying to tell me? I genuinely can't think straight.
***
Twenty minutes later, after finishing my prayer, I walk back to where Alex is supposed to wait for me, but he is nowhere to be found. Where is he? I look around, rubbing my head in confusion, then sit down. I start scanning the crowd slowly from left to right. Suddenly, someone waves his hand at me from a fast-food restaurant across from my seat, wearing the same green jacket that Alex wears. Yes, it really is Alex. I immediately walk over there.
"Hey! Why did you move over here?" I ask, pulling out a restaurant chair to sit.
"She's not here yet. Want to grab some coffee?" Alex asks.
"Umm..." But before I can even finish my sentence, Alex cuts in.
"Just kidding, haha. I know you don't like coffee." Suddenly, a restaurant server arrives at our table, placing two soft-serve ice cream cones and a plate of french fries in front of us. "Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you," Alex replies to the waiter. He then slides one cone toward me. "This is what you like, right?"
"How do you keep knowing things?" I ask him softly. But deep down, I am becoming more aware of his power to read my aura.
"Just eat. Relax. Stop being so tense," he says smoothly. "It's all on me."
"Really? Thanks," I say, smiling, honestly pretty touched.
Sitting with Alex like this makes me feel a lot calmer. The cool air from the restaurant's AC, the warm smile on his face, accompanied by my favorite ice cream and french fries—it really is a perfect moment for me. I completely forget about all my worries from earlier.
It's 3:15 pm. The rain seems to have stopped minutes ago.Suddenly, Alex says, "Oh, there she is."
My heart jumps; I spin around. It really is Clara, about 150 meters away, pulling a suitcase through the gates. She then sits down on one of the empty benches in the center of the hall, checking her phone.
"What am I supposed to do? What should I do now?" I turn back to face Alex, quickly pulling up the hood of my jacket, worried that Clara might recognize me from behind.
"Relax, okay," Alex says to calm me down. "Like I said before, I just want you to watch her from a distance. Now try to be calm and concentrate on your feelings for her. Are you ready?" he asks.
"Hold on." I take a deep breath for a moment. "Okay."
"Now, try looking at her again. Tell me what you feel."
I turn back to look at her while still eating the rest of my ice cream.
"Well?" Alex asks a minute later.
"I don't know. Do you see anything?" I ask Alex back, still completely confused about my own feelings.
"Try one more time," Alex says.
I turn toward Clara again, taking a breath and concentrating much harder this time.
"I..." I start to say, shaking my leg nervously, completely at a loss for words.
"Yeah, I can see it myself now," Alex cuts me off. "You really don't have that kind of love for her," Alex says, revealing the truth.
"Phew. Is that really true?" I say, letting out a small sigh of relief. It turns out everything I have been thinking all this time is correct.
"Yup. No doubt at all," Alex confirms.
"Then, what now?" I ask him.
"Hmm... I have to go meet her first to complete my mission. After that, I will come back to you," Alex explains his plan. "Don't worry, we still have time to figure this out. Don't go anywhere, just wait for me here, okay?" he says as he stands up immediately, walking toward Clara, who has now moved to her favorite frozen yoghurt cafe—which is still directly across from the restaurant where I sit.
I begin to watch them from a distance while continuing to eat my fries. In my heart, I can't help but think that this doesn't feel right. I feel like I'm just delivering a stranger to meet Clara. I really hope he is actually an angel, I think to myself. I have to keep an eye on them to make sure Clara is safe and that Alex won't hurt her.
Suddenly, I spot a piece of paper dropped on the floor—the exact sketch of the woman resembling Clara that Alex always carries around. I pick it up, my eyes still locked on them.
From afar, I can see Clara looking surprised when Alex suddenly approaches and greets her, probably because his face looks a bit like Dave's. But then, she lets Alex sit down with her. While enjoying her yoghurt, Clara keeps nodding along, listening to Alex tell his story. Before long, they seem to get along so well, smiling at each other as if they are a perfectly matched couple. What?!
I look at my wax duck toy that Alex left on the table. Suddenly I'm curious to check Clara's actual soulmate. I do it, and a single bubble pops up, showing a guy who looks identical to Dave. Wow, Clara is so lucky, especially if that really turns out to be the real Dave himself, I say to myself, still holding jealousy.
Meanwhile, watching Clara enjoying her conversation with Alex feels exactly like watching Clara chatting with the real Dave. It really does bug me. Out of boredom and frustration, I accidentally check Alex's soulmate instead, whom I still picture as the figure of Dave in my mind. At first, nothing shows up, and I breathe a sigh of relief. But then, a bubble forms out of nowhere. Wait, what?
No person appears inside the bubble. Instead, it shows the logo of the frozen yoghurt cafe they're sitting in right now.
I totally freeze, thinking for a moment. My eyes shift to Clara and Alex, then back to my wax duck, then to them again, and finally, I look down at the sketch Alex always carries. Wait a minute... I think I'm starting to understand what is actually happening here.
"Oh no. Not again," I whisper, staring at the two of them still happily chatting and joking around. "This isn't really happening, right?"
I can't watch this. I instantly pack up my things, push my seat back, grab my duck toy, snatch my last fry, and then leave the station.
Updated 06/02/2026
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