Rainy Night Cafe

[13]

Back in the familiar working environment, endless paper revisions and heavy experimental tasks came overwhelmingly, and Milo couldn't help but be distracted to think about other things.

Before I knew it, two months had passed.

On a sunny afternoon, Milo came back from lunch and was taking his notebook to a group meeting. When he passed by the lounge of the research institute building, he was suddenly attracted by the aroma of coffee.

He stopped and stood there for a long time before opening the door and going in.

It turned out that the new undergrads from the group next door were making coffee.

"Glacier?"

"Mr. Milo!"

Looking back, he saw that his child was a new student recruited by the research institute. After asking, he found out that Binghe was making coffee for his senior brother.

Last night, the two of them worked on an experiment until late at night. Erzak, who still had class today, couldn't bear it anymore, so Binghe came here specially.

"Oh……"

Miro's response was slightly hesitant, but Binghe keenly noticed this, and immediately answered: "Do you want coffee, teacher? I can make you another cup."

"Thank you, please, don't add sugar."

"okay."

"Come to the meeting room after making coffee, you'll be late soon."

"Ok."

The weekly routine group meeting was as boring as ever. The old professor praised Miro's research results in the past few months, and bluntly said that people in the laboratory should learn more from him.

The meeting room immediately burst into warm applause, and the two freshmen cast longing glances at the person being praised at the right time, but the person concerned didn't seem to notice it, but was staring at the coffee cup on the table in a daze.

"...I hope that Miro can continue to go on smoothly in his academic career in the future. As for the subject of Levis Mountain, it is time to hand it over to others, Glacier, Elzac..."

"exist."

The eyes of the two children who had been named brightened, and they immediately sat up straight.

"The two of you will take over this subject from now on..."

"Wait, Professor."

Hearing the familiar words like 'Mount Levis', Milo reacted from his stupefied state, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You are going to give this subject to others now...?"

"Yes, what's the matter, is there something wrong?"

Looking at the old professor's questioning eyes, Milo suddenly became a little anxious.

It has been delayed for more than two months because of the dissertation, and now he can finally breathe a sigh of relief. In fact, Milo has already planned to go again.But if the task is handed over to others right now, I'm afraid there will be no reason to go there anymore.

Thinking of this, Milo gritted his teeth and said, "Professor, there is still some finishing work left for that project, so I want to go again this weekend." Then, he looked back at the two children: "Wait for me After sorting out the data, send them to take over, otherwise I am afraid that with their current experience, they may not be able to complete this task."

As soon as the words fell, the two junior freshmen next to him immediately cast grateful glances at him.

"Thank you, teacher."

"Thank you, Teacher Miro."

That's how it was settled.

After the meeting, Milo packed up his things and went home, and on the way, he booked a high-speed rail ticket for tomorrow's departure.

Once upon a time, I said that I would go back soon, but I didn't expect to count the days, the last time I went there was already a few months ago.

Thinking about it now, it's unbelievable that the two of them would meet.

Tomorrow is Saturday, Milo opened the address book on the phone, trying to find the phone number of the coffee shop of the other party, and ask if he will go to work tomorrow.

But after opening the contacts, Milo realized that he didn't even have his contact information.

Holding the phone with only 10% battery left, Milo froze for more than half a minute.

——Have you really cared about him?Or is it that everything since we met is just a dream.

Less than two hours before the departure of the high-speed train, Miro made a temporary decision to go to another place instead.

When he realized it, he had rebooked tomorrow's ticket to tonight. He believed that this was the first time in his 20 years of life that he had the urge to meet someone urgently.

After two hours of driving, Miro finally arrived at 12 o'clock in the middle of the night.

It was nearly two o'clock, and there was a damp smell in the air, and it seemed that it would rain again soon.

The mountain city is about to enter autumn, and the air is a little bit colder than it was a few months ago. However, Milo's heart is beating more and more eagerly, and there is no tendency to calm down at all.

Standing on the side of the road, I once thought that I would get lost in the cross street again, but this is not the case. How many times I have visited this route, it has deeply rooted this route in my mind, and it is impossible to forget it.

Not only the route, but also the location of the memory coffee shop and the aroma of the coffee have long been engraved in his brain and taste buds, which cannot be erased.

When the tip of the nose felt a little cool, it rained again from the sky.

How similar all this was to that night a few months ago. The memory of the time spent with Aiolia was completely revived in his mind. Only now did Milo realize how much he missed the aroma of that cup of coffee in the cold rainy night. .

Finally, we came to the door of Memory.

Milo stopped slowly and stood there, staring blankly at the closed door.

At this time, the coffee shop had already closed, and it was pitch black inside. Rather than saying it was closed, it would be more appropriate to say that it was completely closed.

The few clumps of catnip that have been placed at the gate have also completely withered.

In the past, when Aiolia was around, he would often water them with a shower. Every time at this time, the female clerk of the convenience store next door would come out to greet him with the cat in her arms.

Sitting in the store, Milo occasionally raised his head from the computer, and he could see Aiolia holding the cat and examining it carefully. That serious and serious expression might not just be out of love.

He is probably a veterinarian, otherwise, so many kittens and puppies would not come to him all day long to ask him for diagnosis and treatment.

Thinking about it this way, everything makes sense.

Aiolia actually doesn't intend to be a bartender here all the time, maybe he just needs to change the environment and rest for a while. When this low period passes, he will leave here and return to his normal life.

The two of them just met by chance and parted in a hurry. After all, Milo had never planned to go around the simple bar and stand side by side with Aiolia after all this time.

After standing at the door for a long time, Memory showed no sign of anyone coming.

Milo took a closer look and found a piece of paper with a contact number on the door. However, the middle of the number had been wet by the rain, and several digits were missing.

Judging from the time of the message, it was probably not long after he left last time that Aiolia closed the shop.

—Maybe it's all because of me.

Thinking of this, Milo felt uneasy. He stood in the rain in a daze, not knowing what to do for the first time.

At this time, a shadow suddenly enveloped the top of the head.

Milo immediately turned his head to look, and found that it was the female clerk of the nearby convenience store.

The flames that had just ignited were extinguished again, and the light in the pupils dimmed instantly.

"Sir, are you lost?"

"...No." Milo said, his voice dry from the long silence: "I'm here for coffee."

"This store is closed. I heard that the business is not good." The female clerk looked regretful.

There is a lot of information behind this sentence. Milo felt that she knew the inside story, so he immediately asked, "Then do you know where the owner of this store has gone?"

"Sorry, I don't know, I just heard that this place was closed two months ago, and the owner seems to have never been here again..."

It seemed that she didn't know anything.

Milo took a deep breath, only to feel the coolness enter his lungs along his nasal passages, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"If you need anything, sir, you can come to our convenience store, maybe there will be something you want."

Looking away bleakly, Milo shook his head.

"No need...thank you, I'm leaving now."

Not accepting the kindly suggestion from the saleswoman, Milo turned around and left there.

Luckily, he found a taxi by the side of the road, and when he got in, Milo realized that he was soaked from head to toe.

The driver thoughtfully handed over a few pieces of paper from the front, Milo said thank you in a low voice, then took the paper and wiped his pants.

In the middle of the rubbing, the movement stopped suddenly. Milo raised his head stiffly, and almost blurted out Aiolia's name, but saw the driver's face in the rearview mirror, and stopped in time.

"I said it's very hot, you are too anxious." - A familiar voice echoed in my ear.

He suddenly remembered that it was such a rainy night in the past, someone handed him a tissue in a cafe, he took it, and then the two originally parallel fate lines began to intersect.

"..."

After drying his pants, he informed the driver of his destination, and the car drove away from the street smoothly.

Seeing Memory getting farther and farther away in the rearview mirror, and finally disappearing completely, Milo sighed softly, letting his eyes wander aimlessly outside the window.

It was almost three o'clock in the middle of the night, and there were almost no people on the road. Under the thin mist, the concrete road reflected the sparkling water, adding a hazy beauty to the whole city.

At this moment, the car turned into a main road, and on the street not far away, someone was walking slowly with a schoolbag on his back.

Milo, who was sitting in the car, opened his eyes wide in surprise. Is that Aiolia?

——No mistake, although he had changed his bartender's attire and put on a white shirt again, but that person was definitely him.

"parking!"

Milo yelled.

"what happened?"

The driver was still at a loss, Milo called out again.

"Stop, stop!"

"Sir, you..."

"This is cash, don't look for it!"

When the driver stepped on the brake with a puzzled expression on his face, Miro hurriedly opened the car door and ran all the way to Aiolia.

Seeing him, Aiolia was also very surprised, and the hands holding the strap of the schoolbag were slightly clenched.

Milo panted slightly, the corners of his eyes were a little moist under the rainy night.

The two looked at each other speechlessly, and Milo, who was still full of words just now, calmed down unexpectedly.

The person has seen it, but how can he explain his abnormal behavior to the other party?

Not to mention the sudden temporary change of the high-speed rail ticket, which will arrive tonight. I had already made plans to leave and let go, but I changed my mind again because I met halfway.

The dark clouds above the head were black and oppressive, and there was a muffled rumbling sound, and the rain intensified unknowingly.

Aiolia on the opposite side was a little puzzled, but also slightly joyful: "Haven't you left, Milo? Why are you back?"

"I didn't leave, I just wanted to come to you."

"Find me?"

Aiolia repeated it, a little confused about his purpose.

"I finally understand."

Milo's eyes flickered slightly, and Aiolia, who was facing him, was full of doubts.

"You get it? What?"

"I see why you named that store Memory."

Missing doesn't need a reason, but meeting does.

Once upon a time, Mu and Miro in the laboratory next door met in front of the freshly ground coffee machine at the corner of the institute.

While the two were waiting for the coffee to be cooked, for some reason, they talked about their views on love from the latest hit TV series.

Milo complained that the male protagonist in it was stupid, and the gesture of confessing his confession was so stupid, it would be cool to be more reserved.

Mu shook his head when he heard this, and said with a smile, you are wrong about Milo, you must say what you think is very important first, otherwise if you miss it, you will never have that chance again in this life.

At that time Milo didn't take it seriously, but at this moment, he thoroughly comprehended the true meaning of it.

[14]

Milo took a deep breath, and after his chest heaved, a biting determination pierced his chest.

But along with the pain, there is also the joy of regaining what was lost.

"Someone once told me that if there is something important to say, it must be said first, and there should be no regrets."

Gazing deeply at Aiolia, Milo felt his heart beating fast in his chest.

Aiolia on the opposite side nodded with a vague understanding, carefully watching his expression.

"……so?"

Milo didn't speak anymore, but stretched out his hand and hugged him into his arms.

"Uh!?"

Aiolia was caught off guard in his arms.

The strange and warm embrace made his pupils dilate slightly, but his body had no intention of resisting, and was just held by him obediently.

"...Aiolia, I miss you so much."

Milo's hoarse and affectionate whisper suddenly came from his ear.

This time, Aiolia was completely stunned.

"I miss you...really."

With every breath, Milo tightened his arms and buried his cheek deeply into the other's neck.

Thanks to the rain, he didn't have to bother explaining why his face was wet.

"..."

This sad confession made Aiolia startled for several seconds.When he reacted, his eye sockets were slightly red.

Resting her chin lightly on Milo's shoulder, Aiolia finally smiled softly.

"I miss you too, Milo."

[15]

Milo closed his eyes and kissed the corner of Aiolia's lips.

For each other, this is the first kiss, so the actions of both parties are particularly clumsy.

Aiolia tried to match Milo's movements, wrapping her hands around his neck, so that the two of them could hug each other even tighter.However, Milo seemed to want him to wrap his arms around his waist more, so their arms collided in the air.

it hurts.

Milo staggered back, with a pained expression on his face, Aiolia was obviously not much better here, and rubbed his elbow dumbfoundingly.

The first kiss ended so quickly in less than three seconds. It is unbelievable that this happened to me. If I say it, I am afraid I will be laughed out of my teeth.

The two people who were slightly embarrassed fell silent at the same time, their eyes met in the air inadvertently, and it was okay to find that the faces of both of them were blushing, and the two of them no longer cared about the problem of face, and immediately burst out laughing.

Enough of laughing, Milo straightened up and looked at him with a slightly dissatisfied tone.

"Stupid, why did you push me away just now, because I'm not good at kissing?"

"You are the fool. What does this have to do with kissing skills? You hugged me so tightly that I almost couldn't breathe."

"It's just a kiss, and you are too uncooperative."

"I've tried my best to cooperate. You are the one who has the problem, right?"

"...Forget it, don't argue with you, just follow me first."

As if thinking of something suddenly, Milo suddenly changed his attitude and pulled him away.

At this moment, the raindrops have gradually become bigger, hitting the face one by one, and there is a tendency to pour down at any time.

Seeing his hurried appearance, Aiolia hurriedly pulled him back.

"Hey, hey... Milo! Calm down, where are you taking me?"

The person in front looked back at him, and there seemed to be some burning desire burning in the deep eyes.

"Where else can I go? With such an atmosphere, don't tell me you don't know."

Aiolia's cheeks blushed immediately, and she couldn't help laughing, but quickly stopped Milo's movements.

"I know, I know what you mean... I didn't intend to refuse. But, I have a morning ticket, and I'm leaving here soon. Milo, my school is about to start."

"what?"

"I closed the coffee shop just to concentrate on preparing for the exam. Now that I've got an offer from my ideal university, I'm leaving."

Milo was stunned for a long time before he gradually digested the meaning of this sentence.

"You mean... you're still in school?"

"Otherwise? Do I look like the kind of person who can be as depraved as possible?" Aiolia asked with a smile, but Milo blushed.

Although he didn't think that Aiolia was that kind of boy, he didn't expect him to leave in such an unexpected way either.

The two calmed down and stood at the crossroads of the street hand in hand.

"When's the plane?" Milo asked.

"seven in the morning."

"what time is it now?"

"Five forty."

There is still nearly an hour and a half left. Excluding the check-in and check-in time, it will take at least an hour to get to the airport from here. That is to say, Aiolia can't even waste a minute now.

Reason told Milo that he should let Aiolia go at this moment, but he was unwilling to let go just like that.

[16]

It has been raining harder and harder.

Pedestrians passing by ran up one after another, looking for shelter from the rain.Only these two people were still standing in the rain.

Milo clutched his hand tightly without saying a word, refusing to let go.Aiolia didn't seem to have any intention of leaving, just quietly waiting for him to speak.

At this moment, even a second longer is fine.

Aiolia thought so.

"Okay... I'll let you go. No, you have to go."

As if trying his best to persuade himself to give up, after struggling for a long time, Milo finally let go of his hand.

Seeing his frowning, Aiolia couldn't help smiling softly, but there were drops of water condensing in the corners of his eyes under the eyelashes that were wet by rain.

"But, at least before you leave, leave me your contact information." Milo said to him firmly, his eyes sparkling.

"Okay, but my phone is out of battery... I brought a pen, do you have paper?"

"Wait, I'll look for it."

With that said, Milo began to turn over his backpack.

The notebooks and papers that I usually carry with me can't be found today anyway.The things in the backpack were in a mess, and Milo rummaged through them in a hurry. Aiolia couldn't help laughing out of his anxious look, and there were faint tears in his emerald green eyes.

Both of them knew very well in their hearts that if they didn't leave something commemorative at this moment, I'm afraid this trip would be a farewell forever.

"I didn't find it...Forget it, Aiolia, write it here, hurry up!"

In desperation, Milo stretched out his palm towards him.

The rain is getting heavier.

Milo took off his windbreaker and placed it on top of the two people's heads. Aiolia wrote her phone number under Miro's palm.

"Name, age, phone number, home address, school location..."

Milo reminded him of what to write, wishing Aiolia could write all his personal information on it.Aiolia just laughed, but she didn't stop writing. Instead, she wrote very fast until it filled her entire palm.

"I can't write more. There's no room, Milo. I really have to go. It's six o'clock and I'm going to miss the plane."

"……Bon Voyage."

"Bon Voyage."

He hailed a taxi, and Aiolia got into the car without looking back. Milo watched his car drift away in the rain, and his palm was once warm enough.

When taking the subway home, in order to prevent his palms from being soaked by the rain, Milo always half-clenched his palms, pressed them to his chest, and hid them inside his windbreaker.

The palms of his hands were tightly pressed against his chest, and he couldn't tell where it was hotter. The only thing he knew was that this precious feeling didn't come easily, and he was willing to cherish it.

But when he returned home, when he opened his palms again to look again, Milo froze in place.

Because the pen and ink are not waterproof, and his palms are sweating, part of the handwriting has been melted away, and the second half of the phone number is completely blurred, and it is impossible to make out what the black pen and ink is.

After standing there blankly for a long time, Milo slumped down on the ground belatedly.

Is your head broken?Along the way, there was obviously a lot of time to memorize what was written in the palm of my hand, but at that time, I just stood there stupidly.

It's unbelievable that a would-be Ph. D. could do such a mindless foolish thing, and the mistake is irreparable, which means they've completely missed it.

That night, Milo, leaning against the door, could not sleep for the first time.