Simon stared at Katherine once the gleam in her eyes faded, his concern mirrored on his face.
The icy city wind whistled between the buildings, amplifying the unease gnawing at him.
"Are you going to stand there all day?" Katherine asked, giving him a pat on the back. "Come on, let's start planning our vacation."
Katherine's smile managed to calm him slightly, though a knot in his chest still tightened.
'It's fine… She's the same as always. Lack of sleep is making me imagine things,' Simon thought, but the image of the redhead from his dreams flashed in his mind.
Simon grabbed his bicycle and began walking alongside Katherine, the sound of the tires against the wet asphalt setting the pace.
"Are you serious about planning a vacation?" he asked, his hands trembling from the cold. "Neither of us has a job now. What'll we do when these 'vacations' are over?"
Katherine shrugged, stuffing both hands into her pockets in an attempt to warm them.
Her cheeks were flushed from the frigid air, but her expression remained relaxed.
"Whatever, I'm sure we'll figure something out before it becomes a problem," she replied, with a spark of confidence Simon envied.
They wandered aimlessly through the bustling streets, the noise of traffic surrounding them.
Simon noticed Katherine seemed carefree, despite having quit her job.
He couldn't help but smile to himself, admiring her freedom, while he couldn't stop imagining a future filled with debts and problems.
Clouds completely covered the sky, and the first drops of a storm began to fall, cold and sharp.
They ran toward the roof of a bus station, the metal clanging under the rain.
Katherine pulled out a cigarette for herself and offered another to Simon, her breath forming mist in the air.
"Another one?" she asked with a half-smile.
"You're smoking again?" Simon shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"It's cold, Simon," Katherine replied, exhaling the smoke that had gathered in her mouth. "It helps me stay warm."
Katherine extended her hand again, insisting Simon take the cigarette, her fingers brushing his for a moment.
"I'm good for today, thanks," Simon said, stepping back slightly. "Besides, I'd feel bad taking so much from you without giving anything in return."
"Come on, don't be dramatic," Katherine laughed. "You gave me this, remember? That's more than enough…"
Simon watched as Katherine touched the black hairpin in her hair, her fingers lingering a moment too long.
Katherine blushed briefly, though a slight furrow in her brow suggested something had unsettled her.
Simon, too, looked away, embarrassed, and his gaze landed on a weathered poster across the street, advertising a nightclub.
His heart stopped. It was the same poster from the club in his dreams: the same colors, the same design, though faded and peeling.
"The club is real…" he muttered to himself, frozen in place.
Katherine grabbed his forearm, forcing him to look at her.
"Hey, seriously, what's wrong with you?" she asked, frowning. Her gray eyes were filled with concern but also a spark of frustration.
"It's not just about the job, is it? Those dreams of yours… they're messing you up."
"They're not just dreams!" Simon exclaimed, gesturing desperately toward the spot. "Look! The club is real!"
Katherine glanced in the direction he pointed, then back at him, with a mix of doubt and fear. She stayed silent, as if searching for the right words.
"You're worrying me…" she said finally, taking the hand he was pointing with.
The warmth of her fingers contrasted with the cold enveloping him, and Simon felt a knot in his stomach.
"But the club is right there! I've described it to you so many times, see for yourself!" he insisted, his voice trembling with frustration.
"Enough!" Katherine shouted, squeezing his hand tighter. Her eyes glistened, as if she were on the verge of tears. "There's nothing there…"
Simon turned, hesitant, fearing she might be right. He crossed the street quickly, the rainwater soaking his shoes.
Where he had seen the poster, next to the club's entrance, there was only rubble from a demolished building.
"No… I swear it was there a second ago!" he insisted, turning to look at Katherine.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping, and crossed the street to reach him. Without a word, she wrapped him in a hug, resting her head against his chest.
Simon stood still at first, unsure, until, slowly, he raised his arms to return the embrace, letting the warmth of her body envelop him.
They stayed like that for several seconds, the sound of the rain muffling the city's clamor.
"Don't do that again…" Katherine whispered, holding him tighter. "I hope this passes with the vacation, but if not, you're coming with me to a psychiatrist, got it?"
Simon let out a soft laugh, lost in Katherine's warmth and the floral scent of her hair. He knew she was joking, but the serious undertone in her voice told him he could always count on her.
"For now, I think this is enough…" he whispered, leaning subtly against her.
They remained like that for nearly a minute, until they noticed the rain beginning to let up.
They pulled apart, embarrassed, as the warmth of the moment faded.
Katherine adjusted her coat with nervous fingers, as if trying to hide how much it had affected her.
"Well, I should probably head home," she said with a shy smile. "And thanks for the gift…"
Katherine touched the hairpin in her hair, feeling its cold edges. For a second, her gaze drifted, as if a strange thought crossed her mind.
But then she looked back at Simon with her gray eyes, waiting for a response.
"I should be thanking you… You've done so much for me," Simon said, before their paths parted.
<><><>
On his way home on his bicycle, Simon couldn't help but grin like an idiot, recalling the hug he'd shared with Katherine.
The icy wind cut at his skin, but the memory of her warmth kept him going.
As tough as their situation was, having her near gave him the strength to face it all. He knew Katherine, though she wouldn't admit it, would also struggle without a job.
Vowing to himself to help her, Simon entered his apartment, a freezing space where the wind slipped through the broken window.
Determined not to sleep until he found a solution, he approached his bed but stopped dead in his tracks.
Next to a hairpin identical to the one he'd given Katherine was a scribbled note in handwriting that looked like his own:
[I can solve your problems. See you at the club.]
Simon felt the ground vanish beneath him, the note trembling in his hands.
Was it another illusion? Had he gone mad? The questions suffocated him, but the answer could only be in one place.
Shaking, he lay down, hoping exhaustion would drag him back to the club. Though he feared what he might find, he was still determined to get an answer.