Willy climbed down the stairs with weighted thoughts about his friend. From the day Jason left the hometown he knew how he lived somewhere far with his father until he retired from the rural college which he had to attend as a teacher. Even though his father was in debt for a financial institute which against a loan which has been taken from long ago, due to the expel from the college as a professor, Willy knew how much they fell down financially.

He sighed. He walked out the building with a depressed mind and met someone so familiar suddenly at the main door.

“Sera!!!” he surprised.

“It’s been a long time, Willy” she said stopping at him.

“I am surprised to see you here” he said recalling Jason’s words about the last night.

“Mmm…I guess so” she replied shortly.

“Are you here to meet Jason?” he asked then.

“Yes, I am” she hid her eyes from him.

“I came to take my cycle and just got to know he is injured. It’s a relief you cared about him” he said indicating that he’s still his best friend who knows many more things.

“Does the cycle belong to you, not to Jason?” she asked.

“Yes”

“I see…” Something pinched her heart.

“Sera!”

“Mmmm…”

“Please be nice to him” he said something different.

“Huh!!!!”

“He is unstable not only financially but emotionally as well”

“What do you mean by?”

“His father’s debts are on his shoulders because his father’s retired now and live in a rural area with his sister’s family. Even though he’s not stable financially, he never goes behind others and it’s because of his pride as a man. He is trying his best but he couldn’t grab a permanent good job yet because of his bad temper for the last three years. When he left the hometown, he was broken. He began to go to a new college but because of their debts, he had to quit after few months. He did part-time jobs here and there but he couldn’t graduate. It’s one of a reason he cannot grab a good job opportunity….”

With aching eyes, Sera remained listening to his words. Thousands of needles began to stick her every corner of the heart.

“Why are you telling me all these things now?” she asked with the same broken voice.

“Huh!!!”

“We met several times back then. Why didn’t you tell me about him?” She asked achingly.

“You never asked, Sera”

“Even though I never asked, why couldn’t you tell me, Willy???” Her voice went high this time. Willy stunned.

“Sera!!!” he was able to understand her totally by then. Her eyes which were like about to cry expressed her inner heart so clearly.

“Sorry, I may be bit harsh” she said at the next second.

“No, That’s alright.”

“Then, I will leave” she said turning back from him.

“Sera!!” She turned and watched.

“He is still waiting for you…” Without answering him back, she ran up the stairs with her maximum speed and stopped at his door. She wiped thoroughly the tears and remained breathing heavily without entering.

‘He is still waiting for you’

She bit her lower lip. Last night he proved those words to her. And last night was the most feared night of her life.

‘Am I doing the right thing? Coming here now, after the happenings in last night, am I doing the right thing?’

She asked herself but the answer was so unclear to her. Taking a long breath, she knocked the door.

“Who is there?” she heard his voice inside. She knocked again.

“Is that Willy again? Come in. the door is not locked” She heard his voice again. Pressing the door lock she entered.

He was there folding his sleeves of the shirt to go to college. Sera stopped at the entrance and looked. With the image which was in front of his eyes, he stunned. The person who he thought that will never appear before him was there. Sera slowly walked to him. His thoughts mixed with the surprise, awkward and confusion was exciting him totally.

“How are you feeling?” she asked stopping at him.

“Huh!!!” Jason was dumb.

“Are you feeling better now? How is your injury?” She asked again with a calm voice.

“Ah! I…I am alright” he replied with a broken voice.

“Good to hear. Are you getting ready to go to college?” she asked newly looking at him.

“Y…Yeah”

“It’s better if you rest at home today too” she suggested.

“I need to go. I have no leaves remaining” Jason said searching something in her face.

“Sera!!!” He called her freshly. She stared at him with a tremble.

“Last night….!”

“I am here to collect my bag” she said interfering with his words. Even though her heart knew what she came here, she was unable to reveal her gentle thoughts in front of him in the mid of this awkward. She was unable to tell him that she came there to check on him… She sighed.

“Ah! It’s here” Jason handed over the bag to her. She stared at him. His eyes were too much emotion for her to bear. Her inner thoughts were splitting in front of his expressive eyes but she pretended.

“Jason!”

“Mmmm…”

“I have something to tell you” They deeply looked at each other.

“I am listening”

“I want you to move here and settle at my place”

Few seconds of silence was spreading when their gazes locked with each other.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. In my apartment, there is a vacant outer room. I was thinking to rent it out recently. Instead of living in a place like this, come and settle there. You can pay me the rent” She explained hiding her excitement. Without a word, he remained shockingly staring at her.

“Sera…...I…...”

“Think about it and give me an answer today evening” she said knowing he was confused. Dumbly he nodded his head.

“I am visiting the college in the evening. I will see you then” she said again.

“Alright”

“Then, I am leaving” Sera left the place hurriedly and closed the door. She leaned against the outer wall and began breathing heavily. Her heart was thumping so speedy and her entire body was getting sweats.

‘I did the right thing, right? I will meet him later on’ she thought while wiping her sweats. Climbing down the stairs, she hurriedly ran towards her car.

Jason sat on the bed like a dead body. For few seconds he felt that his ability of thinking has gone dumb. He was speechless. He was unable to understand her at all. Yesterday night what they experienced together was something which awkward and embarrassing even to the extent to see each other again but her request for moving to her place was something really unexpected and unimaginable.

‘What is she trying to do? Is she going to punish me keeping me closer? What is it?’ he tried to balance his thoughts but everything was complicated.

……………………………………………………………………………….

After finishing the meeting with Mr. Nelson, Sera walked towards the Jim. Purposely, she has cut off Neli from this visit because she wanted to talk with Jason. Even though it was already in the evening time, Jason was still practising his students. Without disturbing, Sera remained at the entrance of the Jim looking at his moves.

Most of the time he held his stomach where the injury was. And he used to drink a lot of water while breathing heavily.

‘He is not totally fine. Such a stubborn guy’ she thought silently.

“Sir!”

“Yes!”

“There is a lady looking at you” one of his students pointed out who noticed the presence of Sera at the main door. Turning back, he glared. With a slight smile, he waved his hand to her. Sera smiled.

“Is she your girlfriend? She is beautiful…” students gathered around him.

“What? No…no… She is the architecture of the renovating project” he said with the same smile.

“But, Sir, your face brightened at once when you waved at her”

“Stop your nonsense and back to practice” he yelled. The students who were their teenage laughed and ran back to their positions.

After another thirty minutes, he ended the daily practice session and washed his face and bit of hair from the corner tap. He walked towards his cabin signalling her to come there.

“Come in” when she stopped at his door entrance, he called. Taking a short towel, he began to wipe himself. She remained looking at this handsome man standing holding the top of the chair.

“Did you come for the meeting?” he asked looking at her.

“Yes” her tone was friendly than previous and even her gaze was not strict towards him anymore. He felt that difference on point.

“I see…Take a seat”

“No, it’s ok”

“How are you feeling? Did you take medicine on time?” She asked newly. With a bit of surprise, he stared at her. Her words were gentle.