Sailey gave me that mock glare for a moment longer before breaking into laughter.
"You really think you can get away that easily?" she teased, tapping her cup lightly against the table.
"I thought charm works sometimes," I said, smiling.
"It does," she replied, tilting her head, "just not on me."
Lados laughed quietly, sipping her coffee. "She says that," she murmured, "but she's already smiling wider than before."
"Traitor!" Sailey said dramatically, pointing her spoon toward Lados. "You're supposed to back me up, not expose me!"
"Hey," I interjected, raising my hands in surrender, "I didn't even say anything."
"Exactly," Sailey said with mock seriousness. "You were thinking it. I can see it on your face."
I blinked, pretending to look guilty. "Guess I need a better poker face."
"That," she said, smirking, "and maybe less sarcasm."
"Impossible," I replied. "It's part of my charm package."
Sailey laughed again, shaking her head. "Charm package? You sound like a salesman."
"Maybe I am," I said. "Special offer: one cup of sarcasm with every conversation."
Lados nearly choked on her coffee from laughing. "You two sound like a stand-up comedy duo."
Sailey grinned. "That's because I bring out the best in people. Even sarcasm turns friendly when I'm around."
I couldn't help but agree. She had this rare kind of energy — the type that made small talk feel easy and laughter come naturally.
"Alright, comedian," I said, leaning back in my chair, "what about you? What do you do when you're not turning cafés into your personal stage?"
"Me?" Sailey repeated, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her tone carrying a mix of pride and playfulness. "I'm doing an internship in psychiatric care."
I blinked, slightly surprised. "Psychiatric? That's… unexpected."
She laughed softly, swirling her coffee with the spoon. "Yeah, most people don't believe it at first. They think I'm too cheerful to deal with people's heavy thoughts."
Lados nodded knowingly. "That's true. She jokes a lot, but she's actually really good at listening. Patients open up to her easily."
Sailey gave a modest shrug. "Maybe because I talk too much, they feel safe to talk back," she said with a grin.
"That's not a bad strategy," I said, smiling. "Sometimes people just need someone who makes things feel lighter."
She looked at me for a second, her expression softening. "Exactly. That's why I do it. The world's already heavy enough — no harm in trying to make someone smile while they heal."
There was a quiet pause — not awkward, but thoughtful — as her words lingered in the air. For a moment, I saw a glimpse of something deeper behind her cheerful nature.
Then she broke the silence with her usual grin. "But don't get me wrong," she added quickly. "I'm not analyzing you or anything. You're safe — for now."
"Good to know," I said with a faint smile. "I'll keep my secrets locked away."
"Where's your internship? I mean… is it here in Denube?" I asked.
"Well, no," she replied, resting her elbows lightly on the table. "I sometimes volunteer when I come to Denube for holidays. Ah, actually—" she paused with a small laugh, "I'm currently in the military. That's why I can't always be as cheerful as I look."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised again. "The military? Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm on a two-month holiday, so I came here with Lados to relax a bit before going back."
"That's… quite a mix," I said, leaning forward with interest. "A psychiatric intern and a soldier."
Sailey laughed. "I know, right? It sounds weird. People expect me to be serious and strict, but I just can't live that way all the time."
Lados interrupted with a small smile. "When she's on duty, she becomes very serious. If you don't know her well, you'd think she's a completely different person."
Sailey glanced at her friend but didn't deny it. She just smiled lightly, as if accepting the truth without needing to explain.
"Well," I asked, leaning forward a little, "what do you like other than your profession? Let's say, where would you go if you had free time — other than here?"
She thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened. "I like the beach," she said softly. "The silence of the surroundings, the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the shore… walking barefoot on the sand — isn't it fascinating?"
"I remember when I was a child, my father used to take me to the beach," Sailey continued with a faint smile. "He'd hold my hand while we walked along the shore. I still remember those days clearly, even now." She paused for a moment, her eyes distant as if reliving that memory. Then she suddenly turned to her friend. "Hey, isn't that the place where we first met, Lados?"
"I don't want to remember that embarrassing moment," Lados said quickly, waving a hand. "So let's not talk about it."
Sailey chuckled softly, nudging her lightly. "Oh, come on! You can't hide from the past forever."
Lados glared at her, eyes narrowing, as if she were a fox ready to pounce the moment Sailey said another word.
Sailey laughed nervously, holding up her hands. "Alright, alright! I'll behave… for now."
After talking for some time, Sailey suddenly leaned forward, a teasing smile on her face. "You've asked so many things, yet you haven't told even a single fraction about yourself. We're sharing our stories, and here you are… like a closed book."
"Well," Lados added with a grin, "if you don't want to tell, we won't force you. But at least tell us — are you local, or from somewhere else?"
"I'm from St. Stelton," I replied. "A city not as developed as this one."
"Isn't that the city from which last year's country's highest civilian awardee came? What was his name…" Sailey said, trying to recall.
"What was his name? I can't remember. James, you're from St. Stelton — you must know about it," Lados added, looking at me expectantly.
I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to tell them — the awardee was my father, Jonathan — but for some reason, I stopped myself. Some truths are easier kept hidden, at least for now.
Suddenly, Sailey's phone rang. She glanced at it and smiled apologetically. "My father's calling — he wants me to come home soon."
They both stood, and we exchanged goodbyes. Without sharing phone numbers, we promised to meet again in the future. Then, slowly, we went our separate ways.