“What are you doing here?” a low tone of voice asked. I looked up and saw that pathetic guy’s face. “Don’t have money to buy food?” he smirked.

I stood up and answered. “No! I already had my dinner.” And my tummy growls so loud that he can even hear.

“Oh! Had dinner, huh?”

I was so ashamed that my tummy growls right after I said that I had my dinner already. What a shame! He turned back and calling out for a cab.

“Have dinner with me.” He said but this time in a polite tone.

“No, I’m fine. I can manage my hunger.”

“Really? You think you can sleep with your tummy growling all night?”

“Yes! I can.” I answered desperately.

“Liar.” He said. “Come with me and have dinner.” He started walking on the side road and I followed. I don’t have a choice but to fill this empty stomach of mine. And he also insisted to have dinner with him so why not?

We walked few meters away from the hotel and I saw train passing by. Maybe there’s a train station nearby. He walked fast and I can’t keep at his pace. “Will you walk a little slower?” I asked. “This is my normal pace of walking so keep up.” He answered. Grrrr! I hate him!

After a few walk, we reached a train station. “Titiwangsa Station.” He said when he noticed that I saw it. Now, he knows the place so lucky me that I go with him at this hour but I haven’t seen any restaurants or fastfood chains nearby. We went up on a skywalk as what I used to describe a way to cross the road and it’s a few steps ladder only. I thought that we’re going to ride a train but no. We kept on walking and walking, pass by on slightly dark areas without talking to each other. I wanted to talk with him just to enjoy the walk and try to forget that my feet are feeling the pain but I hesitated. He’s more of an introvert person.

“We’re almost there.” He said.

I saw a crowd and restaurants but still, I don’t know why this guy is so silent or maybe he doesn’t want to talk to me at all. We kept on walking until we arrived to the restaurants and the big crowd. It seems that at this hour, 8:47pm, staffs were busy serving their customers, some people were looking for a fine food and customers were chatting and laughing out loud. It is much busier here than in Cebu. I kept on looking on the people in the restaurants and I bumped to a post.

“Ouch! It hurts.” I cried.

I can’t explain the pain that I felt. It looks like my head will crack anytime soon. I kept on rubbing my forehead ‘coz it really hurt and then I heard…

“HaHaHaHa!” he laughed.

What the heck? He laughed at me! I wanted to get mad but I also like the way he laugh so I leave him be. It is good that he knows how to laugh not that just being so silent and so bossy to talk.

“You made me laugh.” He wanted to stop laughing but he can’t. “You’re so clumsy and a fool one.” And he continued to laugh.

I walked and pass by through him and trying to be fast so that he won’t keep up with me but I felt that he wasn’t following me at all so, I looked back. He’s still there laughing out loud and people were watching at him. I went back to him and dragged him with me.

“You’re such a child.” I said.

“Honestly, I haven’t laugh that way for how many years.” And still he’s laughing.

“Well, treasure it if you know that you can’t laugh after that happened to me.”

“Maybe.” He said. “So, let’s eat?” he asked me in a decent way. I wonder what this guy is all about. He changed his mood after that foolish act that I made.

He took me to an Indian restaurant just nearby where I bumped the post. It’s not crowded but it’s an expensive restaurant. “Uhmm, can we just eat somewhere … not expensive as this?” I asked.

He seemed to hesitate on what I asked so I continued. “Let’s look for a restaurant that a typical people will eat, like a commoner.” I stood up so that he will follow. I went out and looked for a cheaper place to eat. I know those crowded restaurants were cheap and I do hope that it’s delicious then the door slammed.

“Have you found a place for us to eat?” He asked.

“Yeah!” I grabbed his arm and started to walk. “Just follow me. And I don’t want to hear Buts or Nos.” I said while headed down to the restaurant where there were plenty of people eating. We crossed some roads, and sometimes we run because of the stoplights. I looked at him and he was covered of sweat but I kept on dragging him until we reached the restaurant.

“Here we are.” I looked at him and he’s panting very much. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“As what you see, do I look okay?” he replied. And now he’s back to his not so charming attitude. He walked inside and he asked for a table for us. The waiter led him to our table and he wave at me to come inside. I didn’t know that I was staring at him, which I don’t understand. I went inside and sat down.

The waiter attended to our orders and all I ordered are only two rotti and a bottle of Coca Cola. However, the pathetic guy doesn’t have any order for himself. “Don’t you like the food here?” I asked. “No, it’s fine. I was confuse what kind of food are in the menu.” He answered. It’s an indirect way to say that he doesn’t like it.

“Make my order two, waiter.”

“Wow, you look hungry.” He said.

“Nope, I ordered for you so you will eat the food that I ordered.” I said.

He gave the menu to the waiter and he looked so hesitant. I know that he don’t want to eat an Indian food but he don’t have a choice but to fill in his stomach too. While waiting for the food, I watched the television even I don’t understand. I tried to laugh when someone laughed at the show.

“By the way, I’m sorry.” He disrupted me from watching. “I know that I said some rude things about you.”

All I think is to laugh when I heard him saying sorry. He looked mad again so I replied. “I’m sorry too, at the airport, at the van, and today, laughing at you.”

“You think that I’m the kind of person who won’t admit some mistakes?” he asked.

“Yeah!” I know he will say ‘what’ at me and I continued. “You’re a person that is so bossy, and introvert too.”

“Honestly, you’re the first person that I talk with a stranger.”

“So, let’s not be stranger anymore ‘coz in my thoughts, I always call you Pathetic Guy.” I laughed and so he does.

“I’m Choi Seunghyun.” He introduced.

“I’m Kioko Hihara.”

“Just call me T.O.P. for short.”

I nod and smiled, and perfect timing our food has been served. On our dinner, we talked a lot about the country, some places to visit, and malls for shopping.

After we’re done our dinner, he paid the bills. “I’ll pay you tomorrow T.O.P. when I change my money.” I said. “It’s okay. Just take it as my treat for coming and having dinner with me.” He said.

“But…” I tried to say something.

“No buts, Kioko. And besides, you’re a good companion.” He said and stood up. “Let’s go?”

I stood up and gave him a smile. We went out the restaurant together and started walking again from where we went through in going to the restaurant. As we walked back to the hotel, he asked me a question.

“Do you travel alone?”

“Well, I don’t have a plan to travel here but my bestfriends planned this trip for me.” I replied.

“Lucky you that your friends planned something wonderful for you.”

“Yeah. And they were so sweet and kind.”

“Do you really trust your friends Kioko?” he asked.

“Yes, I trust them and I know they know.”

“Try not to trust anyone. Friends or even your family will betray that trust of yours.”

I was surprised when he said that in a different tone like he was been betrayed before. I don’t know what to answer but I think I should have to just to lighten the mood.

“Yes, but maybe. When that trust broken by my friends or my family, I think I need to know the reason why before I call it quits.” I said but it just came out from my mouth. “At leas they know that I truly trust them.” I continued.

The conversation went blank after I said those things to him. I looked at him and he’s thinking something that I trigger it so. I don’t know how to keep the conversation so …

“I travel here just to give myself some space. I want to see the world how it works in daily life and it seems similar to everyone’s life.” He said.

“Yes, we woke up, brush our teeth, shower, then change clothes, off to work then eat, drink, and poop …”

“Poop?” he said and then he laughed.

“Why you laugh?” I asked. He tried to calm himself from a big laugh and I waited for him to answer me.

“The conversation was serious and you really mentioned the Poop word.” And again he laughs it out when he said that word.

He kept on laughing at that poop word like it’s such a big deal. I don’t know to this guy why he’s such a child. “We’re here.” Finally we arrived at the hotel.

“Let’s call it a night, Kioko?”

“Yes. Goodnight T.O.P.”

“Goodnight, Poop girl!” he said and laughed again and went to his room.

I ignored his laughs and why is he calling me poop girl? I just mention it when we had our conversation and it’s not a big deal. But he’s good despite on his mood change. Well, he’s just depressed that’s why he wanted to laugh so much. I opened my room and showered for a while then I hit on my bed sound asleep.