Chapter 3
But it did not matter.
Sofia and I were well aware that there were plenty of other fish in the sea.
Three months had passed. We kept our distance from James and Alexander while continuing to travel.
Now, we had temporarily settled in a small town back home.
It was called a town, but it was really a tourist area, lively and full of places to eat, drink, and have fun.
I rented a small courtyard there, and Sofia and I spent our days brewing coffee by the fire, completely at ease.
"Charlotte, I've been so happy lately, I feel like I've almost overdone it."
Sofia lounged lazily with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in her hands.
She had never been particularly ambitious and always took things as they came.
I rolled my eyes at her. "That's all it takes to make you happy?"
She shook her head and placed a freshly baked chocolate cookie on my plate.
"Charlotte, that's not enough. I've sorted myself out over these past three months, but you haven't fully let go yet."
"So."
She dragged out the last word and gave me a mysterious smile.
I flicked her on the forehead. "Spit it out. Stop keeping me in suspense."
She leaned back and immediately behaved.
"Hmph. The little bar across the street is having a live band tonight, and it happens to be your favorite.
"And besides the show, there's a social event. There will definitely be plenty of good-looking guys there, so dress up and find yourself a new boyfriend tonight. Stop thinking about that jerk all day."
I froze for a moment, then laughed.
"Well, look at you, helping me find a boyfriend. That's my little sister."
She was right. Even after three months, I still had not let go of James.
It turned out Sofia was no longer the slow, clueless girl she used to be. She had seen through every bit of my sadness.
That night, Sofia and I dressed up carefully and showed up at the little bar.
Sure enough, my favorite band was on stage. I shouted with excitement, surrounded by fans just as enthusiastic as I was, many of them holding glowing signs.
I felt incredibly lucky. The band had been around for years, and their performances had become rarer lately. I had thought I might never get to see them live again.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and saw a handsome stranger.
He wore a black beanie, a trendy baseball jacket, and jeans, and he looked like a college student.
He was clearly excited, his eyes bright as he looked at me.
"Hey! Do you like Firebound too?"
Before I could respond, Sofia nudged me with her elbow and jumped in.
"Yes, yes! Charlotte loves this band. You're a fan too, right? Then you two must have a lot to talk about."
At that, his eyes lit up even more.
"That's awesome! Are you traveling here? I'm a junior at the university here. If there's anything you want to do, I can show you around."
So this was a romantic opportunity.
Well, since it had come to me, I might as well go along with it.
We exchanged contact information and listened to the entire performance together.
He enthusiastically bought drinks for Sofia and me, and his eager attention made Sofia stifle her laughter more than once.
"Oh, Charlotte, I just remembered our cat at home hasn't gone to sleep yet. I should go take care of it. You two have fun."
With a knowing smile, Sofia came up with a flimsy excuse and headed for the door.
But the moment she opened it, her smile froze on her face.
From the doorway came a deep, oppressive voice.
"Aren't you allergic to cats? Did you get that cured?"