With no news from Ellie and finding it nearly impossible to get any information about her, Rey had to settle for the fact that his efforts had yielded nothing. And so, here he was now, watching a high school baseball match at Tokyo Dome. It was Ez’s idea—he was bored from staying in the apartment for too long and needed a change of scenery. Besides, his work was done, and he could start his vacation.
They cheered and shouted every time the situation on the field heated up. Even though it was a match between high school students, for some reason, the players looked like professionals. Rey occasionally checked his phone, sighed, and exhaled deeply through his mouth.
“Come on, Bro! Don’t think about it anymore. There are plenty of people out there who would line up to be your girlfriend. Ellie’s just ungrateful—having a boyfriend who’s a great cook and patient like you, but she can’t appreciate it.” Ez patted Rey’s shoulder before refocusing on the game.
“Yeah, there are plenty, but not many like Ellie,” Rey grumbled.
Rey decided to stop focusing on his phone, tired of waiting for a message or anything similar, and tried to enjoy the game. Usually, the spectators would also place bets among themselves. It didn’t matter if the players were old or young. Ezra enjoyed this kind of gambling too.
“In situations like this, I wish I didn’t understand Japanese,” Rey complained as he heard the increasingly harsh swearing. The ones playing below were still just school kids, after all.
The match continued, and the atmosphere grew more intense. The shouts and cheers of the spectators echoed throughout Tokyo Dome. Rey tried to distract himself by joining in with the cheering and clapping, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Ellie.
“That’s it! Let’s have fun until the end!” shouted Ez.
“You’re in on the bet, aren’t you? No wonder,” Rey retorted.
Ez wrapped an arm around Rey’s shoulders and turned his face back toward the field. “Opportunity, Rey! Opportunity!”
“Such a gambler.”
But instead of focusing on the game and getting caught up in the euphoria of the spectators, who sometimes cursed at the players, he found himself reminiscing about the first time he met Ellie. Their meeting felt like destiny, with Ellie being as beautiful as a fairy who had stepped out of a snowstorm.
It was a bitterly cold and snowy winter night when Rey decided to take shelter in a small, cozy café on the corner of the city after hearing a storm warning on the news.
In the midst of the cold wind, Rey saw a girl running toward the café door. She opened the door, shook the snow off her jacket, and ordered a hot drink at the counter. Rey, sitting near the window, watched the girl curiously. When she approached with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, they exchanged smiles.
“Hi,” the girl greeted warmly. “If you don’t mind, may I sit here? All the other tables are full.”
Her Japanese accent hinted that she hadn’t been in Japan long, but Rey kept his curiosity to himself as it would be impolite to ask directly. After all, they were strangers who had just happened to meet in a café.
“Sure, have a seat,” Rey replied with a smile. “I’m Rey, by the way.”
“Thank you. I’m Ellie,” the girl replied.
“An English name?” Rey raised an eyebrow.
Ellie nodded with a shy smile. “I don’t really like the Japanese name my parents gave me. It’s too common and old-fashioned. Besides, I’m half Indonesian and Japanese, studying in Australia.”
“You know, I’ve got some Indonesian blood too, Ell.”
“Oh, really? I thought you were a mix of Japanese and American,” Ellie said, pointing at her own face in amazement to emphasize her statement.
Their conversation flowed naturally, discussing everything from hobbies to their dreams. Rey felt comfortable and drawn to Ellie from that moment. The snowstorm seemed to have brought them together on purpose.
They had been in a long-distance relationship for about a year. Even though Rey often felt lonely, he always tried to trust Ellie. But in recent months, their communication had become strained, and Ellie was becoming increasingly difficult to reach.
In the middle of the game, the large screen on the Tokyo Dome scoreboard suddenly displayed an image of the audience in the stands. Rey, who had been only casually glancing at the screen, suddenly froze when he saw a very familiar face. It was Ellie! She was sitting with a man, and they looked close. The man had his arm around Ellie’s shoulders, and she was laughing, her face glowing with happiness.
“What? Is that Ellie?” Ez shouted in panic.
Rey felt as if something heavy had struck his chest, unable to believe what he had just seen. The world around him seemed to stop for a moment. All the cheering and shouting of the crowd faded away, leaving only the image of Ellie and the man on the big screen.
“Rey, look! Isn’t that... Ellie?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Rey replied half-heartedly.
“That damn girl! So what now? Are you going to confront her or just end it?”
Rey didn’t answer, only staring at the screen with teary eyes. After a few seconds that felt like a lifetime, he finally turned away from the screen. A mix of anger, sadness, and confusion swirled inside him. Rey tried to think clearly, but the image of Ellie with that man kept haunting his thoughts.
Ez looked at Rey with sympathy. “Bro, do you want to leave now? We can go somewhere else if you want.”
Rey nodded slowly, unable to say a word. He felt drained, as if all his energy had been sucked out. Ez quickly stood up and helped Rey out of their seats, though it was difficult because the stands were quite crowded. The two of them left Tokyo Dome with uncertain feelings.
Outside, the cool Tokyo night air slightly eased the turmoil in Rey’s mind. But he knew that the reality he had just witnessed would not be easy to forget. Ellie, the love of his life, was with someone else. Unanswered questions began to surface in his mind. What had really happened? When did this all start? Did Ellie not love him anymore?
“Funny,” Rey murmured sadly.
“Ellie’s a jerk. If it were a guy, I’d have dragged him to a boxing ring. Want a cigarette?” Ez asked as he walked beside Rey, trying to open a pack of Marlboro.
“I don’t smoke.”
 
____ The End ____