Seoul South Korea

Khun woke up in his bed. He wonder how in the world he ended up there. Last thing he remember about yesterday was he drunk dialed Elyssa. His pair of big brown eyes scrutinize at the sudden large amount of light that tries to enter his pupils.

“You shouldn’t do sudden movement like that when you hangover. Don’t you know that?”

A sweet, sweet voice resonance through his audio canal, vibrating his ear drums, sending stimulation through his nerves and registered in his brain.

He mutters curses under his breath.

It was a female voice; too familiar to his liking. And he curses himself more if anything wrong happened last night.

He certainly didn’t want anything to happen with that particular person, which will complicate his situation, more than anything. And honestly, that was the last thing he ever wanted to happen.

Her beautiful face is not the view he wants to look at currently, so he just grunted and asked.

“What are you doing here?” while trying to sit, leaning on his bed’s headboard.

“Ouch, you hurt me Khun. Don’t you know it is common for people in relationship to come over each other place? Can’t I be here?” she asks him back, playfully with an extremely cute pout, her pair of eyes form crescent shape when she smiles after that, was honestly a really beautiful scene. Unfortunately that did not accelerate his heart like when he sees her smile; his precious. And he just shakes his head, trying to remove image of her from his mind.  He is going crazy with his dilemma right now.

Tiffany just sighs at his response, it was definitely not the response she was hoping for when she make that supreme adorable face. She was hoping a really sincere smile like he always give her in old times when she make that treasure expression she saved for her family, friends, GG members and those who are really close to her.

Honestly she realizes that something been bugging him since he back from his world tour concert. It started subtly, but she noticed. His expression, his long stare, his day dream, his smiles, and his response toward her and girls around him; in short, something changed him, or rather, someone. That was the only possibility she hope is not happening. If he really meets someone precious enough for him to ignore girls around him; which can give him the one thing he likes the most in this world, then it must be a serious thing. Their fake relationship will have to be terminated. The second thing she didn’t want to happen.

The conclusion is it was not a good thing; definitely not a good thing.

***

Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

They perform their Maghrib prayer together that evening, then they proceed with Yaasin verse and tahlil recital. Elyssa grabs her mother’s rough hand and kiss it with all her love.

“Is it really, really the thing you want most from your daughter mom?” she asks, hesitantly, looking straight to her mothers’ pair of old eyes.

Mrs Khadijah felt a little bit guilt in her heart. She tries to avoid her daughter eyes. She just continues staring at her telekung, folding it neatly and hangs it nicely at the hanger located at the corner of the praying room in their house. 

“Mom, you know that your wish is literally my command right? So I really, really, desperately need to know. Is that honestly seriously what you really want?” Elyssa asks again when she sees her mother just avoiding her eyes, and hold her tongue.

Mrs Khadijah just hang her head low. Don’t know how to really express her feeling to her daughter. Forcing her daughter is the last thing she wants to do. She just wants her to be happy, with someone who understands her difficult personality and loves her as much as she loves her daughter.

“Honey, it’s not like I am forcing you into this. It just I want you to be happy. Your sister is getting married soon. I don’t want you to be lonely. I think he is someone capable to take a really good care of you. Just, think it over and decide yourself.”

Finally she said that. She left her daughter and went to kitchen to get dinner ready.

Elyssa sat there for the longest time. She thinks about the matter deeply. Her mother really good in this, if she keeps on forcing her to jump into this pit she will rebel with less guilt. But when her mother let her to decide, it makes her feels guilty.

Why she needs to face this kind of problem? She whines to herself.

“Kids, come and have our dinner.” Mrs Khadijah resonates around the house calling for her children to have dinner.

***

Seoul, South Korea

“I have made hangover soup for you. Come sit down and have some.” Tiffany said, sitting at one of the stool.

Khun sits on the stool opposite to her after finished washing his face. Tiffany scoops some soup and place the bowl in front of him. He picks up the spoon and slurp the soup slowly. She then placed rice in front of him. She even made some side dishes, kimchi, omelet and beansprout. He eats the food slowly, it not as good as Victoria’s but still it is a decent meal.

“So, this is what married life feels like. I think I can get used to this.” He mutters to himself.

Tiffany overheard his soft mutters and feels flutter in her heart. She has been dreaming of marrying him for the longest time she can remember. And knowing that he is finally ready to get serious in relationship, makes her release a relieve sigh. And she smiles to herself.

 “Do you know?” Khun suddenly wakes Tiffany from her daydream.

“What is it? I don’t read mind, even that was the ability I would be grateful to have.” She answers playfully with a sweet smile.

“It just recently I think I found someone I would really love to spend my life with.” He said after a period of silence engulf dining room of his home.

Tiffany smile slowly fade away.

“Recently means that damn lucky girl is not me?” she tries to joke, trying hard to act nonchalantly; as if that particular sentence did not just shatter her heart into million, no scratch that, her heart shatters into trillion pieces

Khun just nods his head. Not brave enough to look into her beautiful eyes. He aware of her feeling towards him, so he feels that it was not fair to her if he not come clean to her. She, at least out of all people should know, to give her time to heal and set her aim straight.

He’s a man , yes he admits to that but he’s definitely not an . He’ll not hurt his dear best friend.

With that, her heart broke; broke beyond repair. It will take her a lifetime to heal from this.

“You know how much that hurts me?” she puts on her poker face, tried to joke again. But her voice is more than enough to mirror her true feeling.

“I realize, but it was much better than keeps it for too long from you and hurt you more later.” Khun answer and sticks his tongue out. Try to keep up with her acting. He didn’t want her to be embarrassed.

“What makes you think this, coming clean to me will hurt me less? What if I rather be happy in lies than be hurt in truth?” She asks him suddenly.

“Then it just proves that you are far from the one I would want to be with.” He answers then with a straight face.

“Yah pabo! You don’t have to be that cruel you know!!” Tiffany scolded him and throw pieces of rug she grabs from on the table.

They just laugh at each other.

Khun was so grateful that she can receive this news with so much maturity.

“So who is this lucky girl?” she asks then, when their laughter has died.

“Well, she’s a little bit difficult since she thought we’re together.” He said then.

“Yah, who would think otherwise when we announce to the whole world we’re so in love with each other, stupid!” Tiffany said then and shook her head.

Khun just grins.

“That’s where the problem lies. I couldn’t come clean to her about our all marketing strategy thing.”

“Hmm..Don’t you think if she really belongs to you, made for you, then this is nothing to be worried about? Knowing you, you would never be attracted to a girl who is not mature enough that will care for little petty things like this. Aren’t you agree?” she said then.

“Exactly. You are really my best friend. Thanks honey.”  He said then, finishing his breakfast and put the utensils used in the sink.

Tiffany just smiles at his reaction.

“Yeah, I am your honey.” she thought to herself.

***

Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

The silence environment during dinner really suffocating for Elyssa. She didn’t even get to enjoy her mother’s cooking.

They just munch the meal slowly, in a complete silence. Every grain of rice going in that night felt like sands.

Such uncomfortable situation to be in.

“Mom, do you seriously want me to spend the rest of my holiday like this?” Elyssa asks her mom.

Mrs Khadijah just keep silence.

Elyssa just swallow her last bite, pick up her plate and wash it at the sink. Don’t have appetite anymore. She go to her room then, packing up her clothes and switch off the light.

She cries in her sleep that night. She had the worst nightmare ever.

She dreamed of her mother drowning, in a river full of snakes, and the worst thing is she just stood at the banks unable to do anything to help her mother.

She wakes up in the morning with tear running down her cheeks. She rushes to her mother’s bedroom then, looking for her mother.

“Mom, Mom!” she cries for her mother when she didn’t see her on bed.

She runs around the house, looking for her mom in a rush. She not find any sign her mother in the house. She proceed her search to outside the house.

“MOM!!!!” she cries her lungs out when she found her squatting in her garden; peacefully taking care of her flowers.

Mrs Khadijah turns her head toward her daughter; with a confused face unable to comprehend what really happened.

Elyssa runs to her mother and hugs her tightly. With a heavy tears run down. She sobs at her mothers’ shoulder.

“Mom, please forgive me. I apologize for talking back. I’ll give it a try. I won’t go against you. It will do any harm to try. I will try my best to make it work. I can only promise that.”

She said in between her sobs.

Mrs Khadijah frowns. Not really grasp what her daughter talking about. Then, slowly little by little she understood. Elyssa’s giving in to the idea to get her together with that son of her friend.

“Mom, don’t leave me so soon. I need you. In fact icouldnt think a time where I don’t need you.” Elyssa said then, still in her sobs.

“Hey, honey. Who said I am leaving? Where would I go?” Mrs Khadijah asks her daughter then.

“You had your nightmare again huh?” Mrs Khadijah asks then, when she thought of another time this had happened. Elyssa, wokes up in the morning searching for her in a rush and asks for forgiveness. Elyssa always have a nightmare after had a fight with her.  

Elyssa nods her head, repetitively.

“No honey, I am not leaving. I am here. Can’t you see? I am right here hugging you tightly.” Mrs Khadijah said then, rubbing Elyssa’s back in a circular motion try to sooth her stormy heart.

She just smiles to herself at her daughter cuteness. She’s so innocent and pure that she couldn’t rebels against her. Her guilt will be transformed into nightmares.

***