Arknights: Living the Dream

Chapter 8: Unexpected Reunion

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She opens the door right as my food arrives, and makes a barely noticeable beeline towards the table next to me.

The waitress smiles, "I didn't know you were waiting for someone. I'll get you another cup of water."

I just nod at her as Chen says a quiet, "Thank you." Before turning over to me.

...

"It's been a while, Az" She says looking directly into my eyes, "I never heard about you moving to Lungmen."

"...Well, I'm not the type to really discuss my future plans with people."

"So you're paranoid?"

"If you put it that way, yes."

The waitress puts the second water cup on the table.

"Even despite me being one of only two people you had talked to at the academy, you don't tell me that you're moving to where I had clearly stated I was going?"

"...I am very paranoid." I reply.

"And yet you're fine with carrying my drunken coworker back to a police station after she passed out on you, in the dead of night no less?" She argues, "She's been livid for the past couple of days just thinking about it... It's fun teasing her about it."

I let my silence speak for me as she takes a sip from her water.

"But putting aside all that." She smiles, "It's good seeing you again Az"

...

"It's good seeing you too." I sigh not really knowing how to react, "It feels like I'm back in the academy again."

"How so?"

"You lead every conversation we have while I just lay in the background trying to figure out when it's not awkward to start talking."

Chen smiles, "And that's all I can ask for these days. Everyone treats me with too much respect, it gets burdening after a while... It's nice having someone to just talk to, whether they talk back or not."

"Yeah, I get the idea... The only people I could actually talk to in the academy were you and Bagpipe, everyone else was too scared to talk to me or faking it."

"But the thing is that you're an introvert, and only talking to 2 people for 4 years is manageable." She says, "And I may seem stoic, but the living experience is defined by relationships, so I still want to be able to talk to people openly."

"...Which is why you decided to become a superintendent of a police force?"

"I was going to take the job no matter what, and I thought at least some of my co-workers would be open to talking face to face... They weren't. Only two people are willing to talk to me, two people!" She takes a breather and calms herself down, "One of which is the girl who had passed out on you while the other one is the closest I have to a friend since we graduated."

...

"I guess I really hit the lottery with having you and Bagpipe around." Chen says quietly.

I smile.

"Thanks, Chen... It's always good to get actual social interaction... So I'm glad you're making strides in that front."

She chuckles, "Maybe you should take your own advice, I don't remember seeing you talk to anyone besides me and Bagpipe for the entirety of our days at the academy."

"...Firstly, I like only having a small, tight-knit friend group. Secondly, I have taken my own advice, I'm even going out with a friend of mine today."