"Get me some shin ramyun while I dial up the phone, will you?" The store was lit and empty. No one but the man on the cashier welcomed them with a tired smile. 

          "Get us some iced tea while you're on that side." 

          Hayi only has two phone numbers memorized. Hers and her sister's. School kids must have memorized their parents' numbers, but Hayi never lost her sister's.

          Picking up the almost-decrepit phone on the counter, she pushed the buttons, even confused as where the numbers were. The labels were all worn-out and the buttons clack at her touch. The dial tone beeped as soon as the last number was pressed. "Hello?" 

          The younger girl's voice vibrated through Hayi's ears. "Hello?"

          "Hey, Hyun." 

          "Hayi! Hayi? Is that you?" 

          Hayi's lips curled into a smile. She's a year older, yet she never heard her call her like the big sister she is. "Hello. How are things there?"

          "You're not running away, are you?" 

          As if her little sister was standing right infront of her, Hayi shaked her head. "No, course not," she turned her body to look where Hanbin was seated. "I just went out for some fresh air."

          "What time will you be back? I don't like it here."

          Sighing, Hayi played with the telephone cord. "I'll be there in an hour or two." Neither do I, Suhyun. I don't like that place too. I liked it, but not anymore.

          "Where are you?" The line was a little choppy, although Hayi wasn't sure if it was the phone signal or Suhyun's voice cracking. "You should've taken me with you."

          "I'm just," she sighed, this time, a deeper one. 

          "Just?"

          "I don't know. Maybe I felt like everything was my fault."

          Would her sister feel like that too? 

          "Unnie, don't say that. You're not at fault, neither am I. Come home, okay?"

          "I'll meet you later, okay?" Hayi bit her lip, her chin was shaking. Suppressing her tears, her hands were fumbling with the lousy telephone booth.

          "Eat your breakfast. I'll be fine here." And a couple of seconds, "Okay?"

          "Yes, Hyun. I'll be back home later. Bye." 

          Hayi did not take the phone away from her ears. And then there comes the beep. 

          She looked up and blinked her eyes, attempting to stop her tears from falling. Gently putting back the telephone in its place, Hayi's vision became more and more blurry. 

          "Hey, you okay?" Hanbin looked at her, really looked at her. He was staring at her, and the instance they met eyes, Hayi felt as if she was exposed, like all what she's hiding is all written on her face. Yet, he has the softest at warmest eyes out of all the people she had known. 

          "You... you need something else?" 

          Hayi shook her head, and curved a little smile. "All good, I think. All fine."

          Hanbin scratched his head, thing he does when he's either nervous or unsure. 

          "Hell no, you got a thing, it's all written in your face."

          He was staring at her face, then outside the glass walls, then back to her face. He noticed her freckled cheeks, her neat eyebrows and damn, even her shivering lips. Was she crying? He looks back outside, still waiting for her to answer.

          "I called my sister, just now. I realized how much I've missed my family. We used to spend weekends on diners, we go to malls, or sometimes at the old, cheap, smelly cinema near the university. How Dad used to come home with either ramen or chicken every other night, how Mom used to cook delicious meals, how my sister and I enjoyed stargazing together, sometimes Mom would join." She paused, her voice cracking along the words. "I just realized how, that, that I wouldn't have that anymore, my family would never be like that again." Hayi caught his eye when he looked at him. A tear fell from here eye and she immediately wiped it off. "No use crying over it now, isn't it?"

          Hanbin looked at her with a pained, yet thoughtful expression. He didn't know how to respond, yet he knew very well what she's feeling. He saw himself in her, back when he was a kid crying over his family. 

         He tried to utter a word, but it's all silence. Instead, he patted her shoulder, the best thing he could do, at least. "Everything happens for a reason, Hayi. Life goes on for you, your mother, your sister and even your father, just in your own separate ways."

         "Yeah, separately. That kinda to hear definitely is the truth. Worse thing is, it wasn't a clean separation." She tried to smile, "There's still, you know, lot of bad blood."

         "How was your parents' separation, by the way? A nice one?"

          He curved his lips and nodded, "No such thing as nice separation, although I can say their separation was, for the good, I think. A bit of cordiality, despite the mess."

          "Not nice but a little cordial? You kidding me?"

          "Yes. I mean no, but I'm sure you get what I meant."

          She grabbed a bottle of coffee and twisted it open, "Sure, I get it." She extended her hands, giving him the chilled drink. "Here 'ya go."

          "Very well." He took a large sip, and by large, it meant he consumed half the bottle. "Thanks."

          "Uh, maybe you could just drop me off there on the bus stop?" Hayi's fingers led his eyes to the empty bus stop just few meters up front. It was just a few minutes before the sunrise, metro people have just woke up.

          "Are you sure? I could drop you off your street. I insist." Hanbin said he insisted, but the car veers left. "It's still a little too early, it isn't right to leave you here alone."

          "Hey, you've done more than enough for me." Has it been 24 hours? Oh, just a little over twelve hours. Hayi smiled at the young man with engrossed with driving. It was nice knowing him, and she's sure he feels like that too.

          "I could really drive you all the way." 

          "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure you're a busy person too." She smiled, and his insides felt uncomfortable. He found a nice friend, and seems like she's another one that got away. Will they ever meet again? 

          They can just exchange phone numbers, meet each other sometimes, but why does this feel like a good-bye? A goodbye.

          Hayi pulled the door latch, but it was locked. With fumbling hands, she pulled up the lock and before she could even grab the door latch, the lock went down again. "Are you not planning on letting me out?" She jokingly asked. 

         He made a sad face, and there, Hayi almost fell of her grounds. Drive, drive away as far as we can reach. 

         No, I will go home. Home.

          Hanbin unlocked the door. On a split-second, he locked it again. "You can't leave?" He half-stated, half-answered. 

         "You sound like an over-possessive human." The door opened, and she stepped out. 

          She closed the door as gently as possible, standing there, she watched the windows roll down. "Hey boy, don't get all sad and mopey, all right? Get your girl back."

          He smiled, "You too, don't get too sad and mopey. Find your happiness."

         Happiness? Oh, happiness. It's all she's wishing for. Perhaps a little happiness? There's still a very long way to go.

          Smiling back, she waved her both hands. Hanbin won't roll up the windows nor face up front. He was watching her wave her hands. Goodbye.

          With a deep sigh, he lets go of the wheels and waved back. His smile slowly disappearing as the tinted window closes. 

          They're going their separate ways. They're going towards their own lives. He goes to his, she goes to hers. 

          Their problems may have been solved, the sky may have leaked light to darkness but there always will be, always will be a space in their hearts. A piece missing, a past that they will never forget: a night, or a midnight they spent with each other.

          The car drove smoothly along the highway. He would always, forever remember Hayi. He's broken and the time he spent with her was a healing. He felt lighthearted, a sadness with a bit sprinkle of contentment. His time with her was enlightenment.

          The past might as well be hundreds of years. A moment to remember. 

They were like poles.

Similar poles.

Persons with matching personality.

People with the same qualities.

Hayi and Hanbin with the same, glowing hearts.

Yet, are meant to be apart.

And like magnets, two same poles repel.

two poles would push each other away, because they are not compatible.

♫ Playlist ♫

○ Someone to Stay - Vancouver Sleep Clinic

○ Meridians - Greyson Chance

NOTE

this looks pretty hurried, right? no, this was my original plan

on how to end the fic. 

Add down your comments, I wanna know how you guys feel.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH? 

Read more short stories by raelio 

pencils and paintbrushes.