Rumi and Ai

Rumi and Ai sat in the tea room. Rumi was drinking tea straight from the pot, and Ai sat and contemplated.
Upon noting her friend sitting quietly, Rumi set the teapot down and stared.
"Achan..."
Ai looked up at her friend. "Hm?"
"What are you thinking about?"
Ai's eyelids lowered. "Nothing, just..." She sighed and met Rumi's gaze dead on. "Rumi, why are we here?"
Rumi smiled and gave her friend a 'well, duh' stare. "Simple. We're here in the tea room to drink tea and enjoy each other's company."
Ai sighed violently. "No, I mean why were we born?"
"Oh, because our parents had se--"
"NO! Bloody hell, Rumi...I mean why are we on this earth? What's the point of existence?"
"...Oh." Rumi cupped her chin and cocked her head. She thought...and thought...and thought. Suddenly she lit up.
"Achan!"
"Yes?"
"I don't know why we're here." The younger girl stood up, brushed off her skirt, and picked up the teapot. "But I do know that I want some more tea!" She skipped off toward the kitchen, leaving Ai with a disbelieving, bewildered look on her face.

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Over the years, the two girls met in the tea room time and time again. Each time, Rumi would sip her tea from the pot and Ai would be buried in a book. Each time, Ai would ask Rumi the same question, and Rumi would always have the same answer.
One day, as Rumi was plopping sugar cubes into her pot of Earl Grey, and as Ai was thumbing through a thick philosophy book, something occured to Rumi.
"Achan."
Ai looked up from her book. "Yes?"
"It's been ten years since you first asked me the question about life."
The older girl nodded. "And you've always had the same answer."
"Well, if it's been ten years and I still don't know the answer..."
"Then you probably never will."
"And I've decided something, Achan. I don't care."
Ai looked at Rumi with a bewildered look. "Why not?"
"Because...if having the answer means you have to spend all your time reading books, and not ever having any fun...then I don't want to know the answer."
Ai nodded. "I see."

That was the last time they discussed the answer.

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Just for those who are wondering...
Ai represents a studious nature, and Rumi represents a carefree nature.

End