“Where do you want to go?” I asked and started to collect my things.

  All of the pile of books I was supposed to read.

  “Let’s just go for a ride and see where we end up.” Shin shrugged with no particular destination in mind. Wishing to get out of here and hurrying me to pack my things and go. Waiting on me.

  I moved swiftly packing everything.

  Once I was finished, Shin took my hand and pulled me out of the library.

  The brisk wind slightly hit my face. The air smelled like rain. Outside felt slightly warm and chilly at the same time. I walked in hand with Shin towards his car that was parked behind the building.

  I sensed a shift. The mood has changed. There was something about Shin that was different. Maybe my unnecessary taunt was the reason? Though, it felt like it was not this. His walk seemed a bit more sluggish, lacking the usual energy. This wasn’t the boyfriend I saw yesterday.

  “My brother is going to be at the presentation.” Shin spoke up. “He said he wants to finally meet the girl I am seeing.” He casually looked my way.

  “Your older brother is interested in his little brother’s relationship?” I questioned, not sure why he would be interested.

  Shin only smiled at my words. A tired smile.

  Perhaps, his family business thing and his studies are draining him a bit more?

  “It has been a while. He is curious.” Shin shrugged as it was normal.

  His words made me raise an eyebrow.

  “That will be a big day for you. Are you sure? Pressuring you to put your attention on something other than your work is the right call?” I asked.

  We reached his car and Shin let go of my hand. His head slightly shook as he moved towards the driver's seat. Before that he opened the backseat and dropped his bag inside.

  “If you think that is pressure. You’re in for a surprise!” Shin half spoke seriously and half laughed. A painful grin on his face.

  I opened the passenger doors but stopped after looking at his expression.

  “Surprise me!” I welcomed him to continue in a challenging voice.

  Shin looked into my eyes from the other side of the car. Staring silently. After a while he softened his stare and moved to open the driver side door, moving himself inside the car.

  I followed his suit and sat inside myself. Bag placed next to my legs. The space in the seat allowed it.

  We both shut the doors around the same time. Then put our seatbelts on.

  “Our family has this ascension thing.” Shin started to speak.

  I turned to listen to what he got to say.

  “My brother just recently passed it. I am next!” Shin said, looking at me.

  “You don’t strike me as a religious guy?” I raised an eyebrow.

  Shin only blinked.

  “It’s not a religious thing.” He answered.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Are you in a cult?” I started to laugh lightly.

  Shin shook his head. I wasn’t being serious and he could tell that.

  “No, it’s something entirely else.” Shin shrugged and gave up with telling all the details about it.

  I glanced into his deep blue eyes.

  He was closely watching me. His eyes wanted to tell me something.

  “Have you heard of The Big Three?” He dropped the previous train of thought and instead asked me this.

  “Vaguely.”

  That name refers to three infamous families that owned the most businesses in the city of Akasia. Everyone here acknowledges them to be the most important part of this city.

  “My family is ranked third.” He answered me.

  Something I was somewhat already aware of.

  “We have been together for a while. Why are you mentioning this now?” I raised an eyebrow.

  There was something that made me suspect him but also there wasn’t anything to be suspicious about. I didn’t think about it more than I needed and mentally moved on.

  “The ranking thing is only this town's doing. It doesn’t mean that much.” He downplayed his own role in the city.

  I eyed him.

  Saying this and now rejecting the thought. Shin is being a bit inconsistent. This felt unusual.

  “I’ve been living here for a year now; I do know some things.” I said this and gave him a look to stop this. I couldn’t help but feel slightly curious again.

  “It’s not a secret.” He answered me, knowing that I knew without him even telling.

  “But why do you bring this up now?” I asked.

  “Because at some point we have to.” He answered me.

  I stared at him silently for a moment and then nodded understanding what he meant by it. Because I am his girlfriend and his family is important and we have been together for seven months now. The timing of it does make sense. His brother wants to see me. I wasn’t sure if half a year still counts as being together seriously but I guess, overtime knowing and being mentioned may make his family suspicious and wanting to see me.

  “Can I ask you a question?” My eyes locked with Shin.

  “Sure!” He nodded.

  The look he gave as he was expecting a specific question from me.

  “Do you believe in destiny?” I asked.

  Completely derailing off the conversation he was about to lead towards.

  Shin stared at me. Totally surprised by my question. He didn’t expect for me to evade an opportunity to see where he has come from or even go into details of what this family ascension thing is. The way I was trying to stay away from it made him more apparent, the more he tried to mention it. He noticed this but did not press it.

  “I don’t know.” He slowly answered. “Is that really what you want to ask me?” His blue eyes stared at mine.

  I nodded.

  Shin glanced forward, appearing in thought. “I think that we each have a purpose, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it something like destiny.” Shin’s blue eyes landed on mine.

  “Why?” He couldn’t help but ask me why I asked him this question.

  “My mentor used to say that we all are just a cause to an effect. Simply going through the flow of time.” I glanced down at my hands. “How we think and what we do. All decided from before. One thing happens only because that other thing happened sometime in the past.” My eyes trailed outside, staring at the view of the car park. “The word destiny means only what one perceives it is. The world has made it clear they want to see it as a life-measuring circumstance. Destined to be something. Mindlessly accepting that it’s a fact out of their hands.”

  I was going into my web of thoughts, rambling without restraint. Letting my true thoughts leak for the first time in a long time.

  “The way people see it makes it all so complicated. All that red thread theory that we belong to someone or something. Tied to this thing that is not even visible.” I was rambling at this point. “But all is simple. If we look from this perspective, shouldn’t it mean that we are just a simple effect of something? Our days were chosen from before. We never had a chance to choose what we wanted.” I chuckled. “Even our thoughts are made in a way for us to think that our wants and needs are what we chose!”

  I wasn’t sure if I was telling this to Shin or more to myself. All my thoughts lately ramping through the motions. Perhaps, my conversations with Sano are what I miss. It’s been what? A year now? No, a bit over that.

  “That is a lot to think about.” Shin spoke up.

  He seemed lost in what I just said. He was thinking.

  I let the silence stretch in. Waiting patiently for Shin to collect his thoughts.

  “If you look at it like that. Your mentor’s insight into things is frightening.” He answered looking into my eyes.