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ǁ THIRTY ǁ

 A - Almost There

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I think she is fine now.” Taeng eventually said after hesitated for a moment there. He nodded, staring towards a man who sat in front of him.

Jean-Daniel Hanney slowly shook his head, as if he did not believe what Taeng had said. Taeng himself apparently was not that sure about his statement earlier but what else he was going to do except for giving an answer?

Just now, Jean-Daniel Hanney called him and asked him to meet up in this café. He said that there was something he wanted to talk about. Taeng could easily guess what they were going to discuss together. Of course it was all about Jessica. That blonde girl habit made everyone confused, including Taeng. Jessica seemed fine. Even so, all the people who knew her well noticed that something was not right. One time she was working, talking and laughing as usual but another time she would just moody, daydreaming, as if she was not conscious. It just people around her did not what to do to help her.

That was why when Jean-Daniel Hanney asked his opinion about Jessica’s behavior lately, he could not help but to give an absurd respond instead.

Jean-Daniel took out a cigarette and slipped it in between his lips. He threw a glance at Taeng. “You don’t mind, right?” he asked for permission, finger pointing at a pack of cigarettes.

Taeng shook his head.

“Damn it!” Jean-Daniel cursed. He lit the cigarette and began puffing out smoke. “I quitted this smoking habit a year ago. Claire was the one who forced me to do it. But now, I really need this.”

“Have you talked about it with Jessi, Monsieur?” Taeng asked. “I mean to clear this thing out.”

Jean-Daniel nodded. “Last week.” He shortly said. “She came by herself and asking for an explanation.”

“Then?” Taeng demanded when the older man went mute.

“She takes everything well.” He continued. “Too well, actually.” Jean-Daniel on his cigarette deeply, and then exhaled the smoke slowly. “She heard the whole story tentatively, without any interruption. After that, she just nodded her head and said, “I understand, Papa’. Since that day, she never, for once, mentioned this problem again. I myself don’t dare to talk about Yuri in front of her because… I don’t know, I just scared facing her reaction later.”

Kim Taeng fixed his glasses. He understood fully his best friend’s father situation. His feelings. Because honestly he could feel it too. He remembered that particular night, about a week ago, when he found out Jessica on the edge of the bridge. That moment, Jessica confessed about almost committing suicide. That poor girl was such in an immerse depression and that was why Taeng did not have a heart to leave her alone. But the next morning, Jessica changed in a blink of an eye. 180⁰. She acted as if everything was fine and that dreadful secret never existed before.

Jessica returned to her normal life, although was not that exactly like it used to be. Taeng still often called, talked and had a lunch or dinner with her. However, that girl never mentioned Yuri’s name again. Not once since the day Yuri left her and walked out of her apartment. And Taeng was not that bold to talk it out with her. Just like Jessica’s father did. He was afraid of the backlash that would occur if he ever mentioned Kwon Yuri’s name. What if that girl was depressed again and decided to jump into the Seine River for real this time?

“How about Yuri?” Jean-Daniel Hanney asked, out of nowhere, dispersing Taeng’s reverie.

Taeng looked up and weakly smiled. “Still the same.” He said.

Meanwhile Jessica was back to her old self, Kwon Yuri turned into someone else. Someone who was not himself. A completely different person. Taeng rarely saw him in the office, let alone talked to him. Yuri was always busy, or deliberately made himself busy to avoid him. He worked three times harder than ever. Taeng also heard from the people who worked with Yuri at the construction site that his attitude completely changed. He became so tense, firm, hard and always in a bad mood. People thought that it was all because of his traumatic accident months ago, but Taeng knew everything mor