A Chance Encounter. Chapter Twenty.

After the eventful ring-purchasing session, I decide to head to the convenience store. Mum said she’d be arriving late at night, after dinner maybe. But I’ve decided to stock up the groceries and other supplies anyway. Mum is particularly finicky about her kitchen – it has to be squeaky clean, and loaded with supplies. You’d never run out of food in our house, because Mum buys stuff as if she’s preparing for an impending natural disaster! So, anyway, before Mum gets back and yells at me for not replenishing her ‘natural disaster relief’ supplies, I should go buy some staples.

I end up picking more snacks than groceries. I can’t help it, they’re awfully tempting. As I wander down the aisles, throwing random packets of chips in my cart, I hear an awfully familiar voice. Is that Yixing? I’m about to walk towards him when he moves aside slightly to reveal the girl next to him. She’s laughing loudly about something he’d just said. Who is that? They seem rather close. Could that be his ex-girlfriend? Oh God, Jisoo was right – she does look like a supermodel with those long legs, perfect skin and bouncy curls. Seriously, who even has hair like that? She looks like she’s straight out of a shampoo commercial or something! Yixing mutters something to her again, and she snorts loudly in return and swats his shoulder playfully. Great! Even her laugh is pretty. Seriously, how can anyone look so attractive while snorting and laughing like that? I feel like an insignificant potato all of a sudden. Maybe I should put back my packets of chips. But then again, that’s not going to make as tall as her.

Yixing beams at her widely, flashing his deep dimple. I wonder what is so amusing. I thought he smiled that way only when he was with me. Yeah, right, like that was possible. I want to go to a corner and cry! They look like a happy couple – shopping for groceries together! And I’m just standing here awkwardly and peering at them like a creep. They look great together – like they’d never be one of those mismatched couples. You know what I’m talking about, the ones where you look at them and go, “How did that guy end up with that girl?” Hasn’t that ever happened? You don’t really mean any harm, but it is human nature to pair up things based on their level of attractiveness, isn’t it? So, yeah, I guess anyone would say they look perfect together – both very attractive, and smart, talking about their business deal and stuff!

Yixing moves on to grab two Salt & Vinegar Pringles from the rack, he then hands over one of them to her, which she takes and puts in her own cart. Isn’t that great? They even like the same things! I find myself thinking about our conversation yesterday – they broke up only because they didn’t have the time. Does that mean their relationship was otherwise perfect? What if they still have residual feelings for each other? I don’t think I would like that. Crap. They’re heading towards me. I need to hide or duck or do something so Yixing wouldn’t spot me. He’ll instantly realize I was spying on them.

I take quick steps backwards and hurry down the aisle in the opposite direction. I’ll just pretend like I’m really immersed in finding baby diapers, they wouldn’t even notice me. Nobody even pays attention to this section.

“Juyeon?” I hear Yixing calling out my name.

Oh no. I suppose I failed to blend in with the diapers! Should I just pretend like I didn’t hear him? Instead, I simply turn around and wave at him awkwardly. I could have done the whole, “Hey! I didn’t know you were here!” thing, but Yixing would have caught on to my fake surprised tone. “Hey, Yixing,” I mumble. I cast a slight glance towards Jia and smile faintly at the both of them. I don’t want to be here!

“Hey!” Yixing says cheerfully. See, he looks happier when he’s with her! “Oh, right, this is Jia.” He moves aside slightly as Jia smiles and nods at me. “And Jia…this is Juyeon.”

Jia’s eyes widen a little when he mentions my name, as if she recognizes me or something. She then whispers something into his ears, to which he grins and nods. What are they talking about? Oh God, what if he’s told her about me? And she must have asked him something like, “Hey, isn’t this the weird girl that dragged you to that movie with the bears and rainbows?” And he must have nodded, impressed by her for recognizing me so easily. Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. I feel more conscious about myself all of a sudden. Thankfully, I’m not dressed in one of my shabby sweat-pants or she might have judged me more. Okay, maybe she wouldn’t have. I don’t even know her, so I shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions. She seems rather pleasant, so I suppose she isn’t that bad. Besides, she used to date Yixing, there must have been something nice about her other than her striking features right? Yixing doesn’t really come across as someone who’d like a person solely on their looks.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jia,” I say earnestly when they both turn towards me again. I suppose I should just make a feeble excuse and get on with my shopping. It’s really awkward when you decide to socialize at a convenience store, isn’t it? Okay, I did meet Yixing that way, but that was different. I had at least met him earlier and known a few things about him to start off a conversation. I really don’t know what to say to Jia. I can’t exactly say, “Hey, you’re Yixing’s ex-girlfriend, aren’t you?”

“Likewise,” Jia replies coolly. There’s something about her tone of voice when she speaks. She comes across as quite confident, and yet authoritative in some way. Okay, fine, she’s barely spoken a word, there’s no way I can make anything out of it. It’s just that I feel weirdly uncomfortable around her. I’ll just make up some stupid excuse and rush back.

“I see you’re stocking up your junk food supplies again,” Yixing comments, grinning widely. He seems to be grinning and laughing more than usual! Maybe that’s how he is when he’s around her.

“I came here to shop for groceries!” I protest as Yixing eyes my cart warily.

“I suppose you got carried away then,” he chuckles.

“Yeah, no,” I shake my head; feeling flustered all of a sudden. I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but he’s even behaving weirdly. I mean, this is how he usually speaks, but I just feel uncomfortable for no reason. “I should get going!” I blurt. “See you around,” I say as I grab my cart and walk away hurriedly. I feel like I can finally breathe now.

“Wait,” Yixing holds on to my arm softly. “Do you want to grab dinner with us?”

What? There’s no way I’d do that, I’d feel like an awkward third wheel! I’m certain Yixing just asked me that out of courtesy. He probably doesn’t even want me to come. I look at Jia to see if she’d give me some discreet signals which say, “Don’t you dare say yes” or something of that sort. But she simply smiles.

“I- uhmm…no, I’ll just head back home,” I stutter.

“Come on, Juyeon, I’d really like it if you come,” Yixing insists. I look at him helplessly. Doesn’t he understand that I don’t want to go? Whatever happened to him reading my mind? “We’re heading over to the bar across the street.” He suddenly turns towards Jia and says, “You know, Juyeon does this weird thing where she dips her fries in coke!” he laughs.