Outside of the offices, Ellie stopped in her tracks right beyond the door. Lost, she leaned her back on the door with heavy shoulders. Her mind was over the stars, and she couldn't stop thinking about this conversation and what it meant to her. What was more important? This or William.

  Questions. Everything about it had many implications that she couldn't even guess. Assembly? She didn't even dare to question figures like High Pillars, ask Heidi about them, or dream about having a position close to them.

  “She wants me to teach young Walkers, which is understandable. She wants me to reach out to those ignored. YES! Yes...” She whispered. “That's what I wanted. There was nothing like this in my wildest dreams. We do it from time to time anyway by guiding Walkers around the floors, but it is more like a polite afterthought. We are servants, rather than doing it closer to them. What in the world does it all mean? Will... the Association teach us to teach or... what?” Ellie wondered.

  Unbeknownst to her, a figure was beside her, looking at her with curious eyes. His cough jerked her head from her wild thoughts. “How did it go?” Burton asked.

  “Oh, sir Burton. Well, it sounds complicated. I can't dare to say more than that.” Ellie said this without being sure what it all entailed.

  “It is. More than I am even willing to admit to you. We are regular people, Ellie. However, we can also provide assistance to Walkers, allowing them to focus on other things, and that's the crux of it. Push youths better, and they can shine. Miss Kaufman has the best intentions in mind, whereas others may not. Is that a bit clearer to you?”

  “Yes. Walker's politics and policies are not aligned with ours, but we support everything. They are the problem.” Ellie answered after a few moments of pondering.

  “That too, followed by their ego, secrets, and things we can't understand. Never mind. Don't expect to get the biggest part of the pie. I believe it means a ton more work than ever before if this idea goes through all those layers.”

  “Thank you. Thank you for telling me. Also, you told Miss Heidi about what I've done. I appreciate it very much.” Bowing, Ellie maintained her image, but Burton wasn't that keen on this; he couldn't stop her either, which was fair.

  “Good. That is fine. We are hard-working people. Everyone tends to be here, but Outside? We should go and exceed these expectations if we want to change the system,” Burton said, arms behind him, eyes less stern than usual.

  “I plan to. It has been a long day for both of us. Good night to you. I am going.” Ellie gave him a small bow and disappeared from the offices at a fast pace.

  Sighting, Burton had more things to say to her, but chose not to voice them. “Let her have it.” He opened the door and arrived before Heidi because the actual work had not yet started.

  ***

  Outside, in the vast entrance area, an open space had a marvelous nighttime atmosphere.

  Ellie walked from the offices and looked around, and her mind was frantic. It was a long day, yet it unexpectedly became even wilder. Could she even fix the biggest thorn in her heart? Was it already gone? What could she even feel right now? Looking around, to her frantic disappointment and stirring mind, there was no William waiting for her.

  She shuddered, dropping her clutched hands to her side. Looking left and right, pacing far and beyond, he was nowhere in sight, and she swore she would notice him even if thousands of people surrounded him. People walked in and out of the library, staring at her as she rushed by, their faces and eyes filled with a strange expression and confusion.

  A tear left her cheek as if a thorn pierced a much deeper place than her heart, because she told him he could go.

  “No... I thought... What have I even thought? I... I don't...” she muttered as she disregarded her sad expression. People saw her. Her co-workers looked or pretended not to.

  Feeling sad to herself, perhaps William had different expectations and thoughts than she did. In that case, Ellie couldn't deny him that, for he was a Walker, and she was... what? Ellie stood in the vast space, feeling both alone and excited, yet also sad. It was a weird mixture of emotions that had no outlet except through her tears.

  After a second of thought, she would rather choose to run away from this place than linger here any longer.

  Facing the starry sky outside, her expression was not the least bit calm or expectant of sleep. She would even collapse on the spot if she were willing to do it, but who would care for her then? She had only herself to blame for whatever mess her mind or heart started.

  “What took you so long?” A familiar voice told right beside her, coming from a leaning William, who rested beside the entrance in the fresh air outside because he couldn't bother with so many people inside. Also, Burton was annoying him, so he left.

  Jerking her head at him, Ellie's face revealed an empty gaze, yet tears kept flowing. Her appearance made her that much more fragile. She cried even more without a speck of embarrassment. She paced forward, storming into William's face, who did not run away.

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  “Y-you...”

  “W-what? What happened? Why are you... I told Burton I would wait outside. Did he say nothing?”

  Ellie swallowed whatever words she had and stood right before him and said nothing.

  “Well, anything interesting from Heidi? It sounded important.” William asked as he backed a few steps, but the wall was in the way. Noticing her expression and tears, he had an unnatural level of fright.

  Then, a fist of anger and frustration after the whole day flew into his chest, but barely did anything to him because the cause felt weaker than a fly.

  “I thought you left...” Ellie said her words, leaning her fist on him, and leaning onto his chest as she began to cry some more.

  It wasn't raining, but to her, this was a stormy night of the highest ordeal.

  Seeing her tears felt weird, cruel even, and William felt kind of sorry and a bit confused about what made it so... lingering. She was close to him, leaning, still crying, so why was she crying? For whom? For what?

  His hands stayed aside, and he didn't know what to do or what to do with them. Should he embrace her, accept her feelings, or jolt her back to where she belonged? To her soft and bright face! That was what William thought fitted her much more than this.

  “I am sorry,” was the first sentence he said.

  “Don't be...” Ellie whimpered as tears streamed from her eyes. She calmed, wiped them off, but her eyes were red, and there was not much else to do after all these tears. They felt stupid, but still not as stupid as her, for once.

  “What is it about likeness?” William asked a stupid question. He didn't know any better, it seemed. At least he asked that bloody question.

  “You are as clueless as I am, aren't you?” She pushed herself away from him and sized his head. Right. He was calm, confused, and standing as if nothing mattered to him. Both of them had a strange day and were tired. This day should long have been forgotten from the annals of history.

  “I guess,” William said, escaping her gaze and forcing his hands behind his back.

  “But I like you.”

  “I see...”

  “You don't like me back?” Ellie muttered, shuffling her hands together.

  “No. I wouldn't go that far. I like to spend time with you, so... is that the same thing? Sounds weird.”

  Ellie hummed, surprised that he even spoke like this. Since she already did it so much, she might as well continue. Seizing his hand, she jerked him closer and pointed not so far away. There was a bench. “How about some talk? One on one... below the stars.”

  He nodded, unsure why her grip was so gentle yet tight. No. It was his stress, squeezed muscles, and stirring Emblem that did it.

  Ellie dragged him to that bench, her head and her side close to him, and she swore his mind and racing hand revealed none of his issues. He thought it would be more hideous. The word: like, was not on his mind. Could her words or posture be any more... untamed? Outside flashed in his mind, and the previous sample of that picture almost jerked him away from her because he remembered death.

  But he persevered, remembering and trying to move on, and that's what he was good at. He was stubborn; Dann often said that thing, among others, describing how things go, don't go, and how people leave life in happiness or pretend it was good. . Pretending. He wasn't an expert, but he looked for a way to live. That the world was fine was hard, and for words to lean on love, or leaning on William's chest, this wasn't it.

  It was real, while his face and eyes held doubts about whether this was worth it or not.

  Was he worth it? If not, yes. If yes...

  “I am sorry for whatever I did. I don't know why you act like this, but I can't see why you like someone like me.”

  Ellie pushed him to the bench and forced him to sit down. “At least you are self-aware,” Ellie muttered, jumping aside from him and standing before him. “You see, I wasn't sure of it. I think what I want is very difficult, or different from anything typical, because, you see, it is not normal.”

  “What is it?”

  “A person close but not far, or too close? I don't know, but I am about to find out because I never liked anyone like this. You being away is kind of sick, and Celeste didn't help it. She is a whole different problem, and now, Heidi has offered me a great job and a new project. Teaching Walkers at Rank 0 and 1, while associated with the Association, library, and join program that I am yet to know.”

  “Isn't it great?”

  “Yes. It is.”

  Her face changed a bit back to where she belonged, so William tried to calm down and leaned on the bench.

  She saw it as well. This was the face of William, who meant no harm. There were no bad people; just a bad situation, and the worst kind of people, or those minding their own darn business. There were also forceful people, those lost in a corner, and those tossed away.

  Perhaps Ellie didn't even know what he would like about her, or she wasn't even daring to imagine that, or what he was like. Perhaps he was a survivor, an opportunist, or maybe even a killer, because, heck, that's the real thing that mattered Outside.

  He might enjoy her right now, but wouldn't want to go too far because of his past and future. Hell, he might change his mind, grow up, or stop liking anything, because that's also a thing.

  Learning was tough. People were hard, but who was here to stop her right now? She pushed herself for the library and her path all her life, so going elsewhere might be long overdue.

  Now, as an independent person still vital to Heidi as ever, she was free to seek happiness, which was impossible when she was growing up, with her mind focused on her life and purpose.

  “I am not angry, or anything.”

  “You looked like that.”

  “Then I am very, very angry. Thanks for reminding me of that. Now I am a very angry person,” Ellie pushed her elbow to his side and chuckled as she sat beside him.

  Gazing at the starry sky, she felt this moment was amazing. “You don't have to accept me, but don't go away. I like you.”

  “...”

  “No?” Ellie shuddered, this time really hoping he would say it back.

  William was unable to find the right word. It had been a long-standing problem, so he did his best to convey his message. “I will be in your care from time to time, but... I am still a Walker and not really a part of this Federation or anything. I don't... get it, you know. What's this? What for...”

  “Think of it as a special friendship, or... relationship? I don't fear anything you stand for.” Ellie accepted it, knowing there would be growth and a good beginning with such steps. She was fine with it.

  “Will you accompany me to my home? I feel rather weak.” Making up her mind, Ellie talked much clearly to reshape her image, for William, whose face wasn't as calm as hers right now.

  “Sure.” William went along.

  At that moment, as they sat side by side, someone came behind the bench, diverted like wind, and hugged their backs. It was Celeste who pushed her hands over their necks and yanked them together.

  “Good. This feels so much better!” Celeste said, cheering, and some barks agreed.

  Ellie never sighed and rolled her eyes this hard and fast.