Life Rule #3: Throw yourself in the water. It’s cool.

I just returned the sweetness of cola to my mouth so it could wrap my tongue in its luscious flavor.“Should I be grateful?”

Hyukjae sighed and chuckled a little as the wind blew harder and the sun went temporarily hiding from the blanket of clouds spread up in this morning. “It’s up to you.”

“I am honestly scared.”There. I finally said it.

“You should be,” he asserted coldly.

Oh no. “What?”

“Nah, your worries are useless. The day is too fine to be scared.” Too fine. Too fine.

“I really hope so.”

“What makes me scary? I actually wanna ask that question from the point of view of someone like you. I just think validating it from you should be fine,” he suddenly asked out of the blue, and the words I had along with me didn’t seem enough and right as an answer.

“It may be due to the fact that you and I have few interactions,” I blurted out as that was what came first into my mind, “so I don’t really know that much about you.”

Hyukjae just nodded, and it looked to me that he really knew it. “ how we didn’t get the chance to actually talk.”

I suddenly remembered that fine afternoon at the canteen. “And that look you gave me at the canteen! It was enough to give me goosebumps.” And that nerve-wrecking pairing for that one activity. “And when we got paired! I was trying my best to start a convo but to no avail. It seemed like you wanted to space out and stop having any kind of communication with me.”

It was silent as he tried to find comforting words for me. “Maybe you didn’t try hard enough,” he fretted.

But they weren’t comforting enough. It was the exact opposite. I scoffed at his reply, because I knew it was just appropriate to do so. “So it’s my fault now?”

“What are the probabilities that we could have engaged into a conversation if you just talked more?” he implied as he got back.

“So I’m really the one who’s at fault here.”

“You could say it’s an unlikely kind of self-protection.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How’s it like that?”

“You limit the people you welcome in your circle,” he reasoned out, “to limit the problems you face.”

“And now you’re equating me with a problem?”

“As your circle expands, so are the things that you yourself get attached to.” He stopped and sat on the grass, removing his sunglasses. “You never know beforehand when things are already dragging you, when in the first place, you have no responsibility for them.”

I sat a meter away from his side (personal space was needed) and rested my gaze at the sky that felt so near yet so far. “Don’t you think expanding that so-called circle will also expand the great experiences? I mean, you’ll never learn how to swim if you won’t be thrown into the water.”

“But some people ought not to swim. They struggle to get out of it and go to the land where it is more comfortable for living,” he retorted back. 1-0 in favor of Hyukjae at this time.

“So you really intend to stay forever in that circle and close it for others not to enter. Okay. So we’ll never gonna intersect. Because if you have a circle, then I guess I own a sphere.” I didn’t even know what I just said. It was just for the sake of saying something back at him.“It is spatial that anything can fit, and it is not planar, so it allows anything dimensional to take place in it.”

“I somehow don’t get it.” Even he didn’t get it. Maybe I left my consciousness at home. Oh dear.

“Well,” I staggered as I tried to jumble the words I had in mind to say something logical, “just think of it as something bigger than that circle of yours. Or you could think of forgetting about it. Nevermind. I honestly don’t get it either.”

Hyukjae looked really confused. “Okay. By the way, I actually have good news for you. But I don’t know if it passes your standards of good.

“For me? From you?”

“You already entered that circle. A few hours ago.”

“Wow. Now I think I’m a rare find. I’m grateful.”

“Congratulations. Not everyone is given that chance.”

“Thanks for that wonderful… opportunity.” Nonetheless, there was still this one thing I couldn’t get off of my mind. “But why am I innocent again?”

He held his breath for a long time. Five seconds, maybe? “I think it’s obvious. You’re the class president, addicted to academics, the critically-acclaimed role model of this generation. I don’t even think you would keep this as a secret to your parents. You even asked permission from them to go here, right?”

His statement made me think. Was I really missing out on other things in life?“With what you are asserting, I think you are the one who has misconceptions about me. How do those things make someone innocent?  Well, yah, I just do what I should do.”

“Maybe you have just not tried something out of your comfort zone – something so random and out of the blue that we would be shocked if you ever do it. But congratulations to you again. You just unlocked that achievement also a few hours ago.”

To think that someone had noticed this aspect of my life and Hyukjae was the first one to tell me this was actually so life changing. “You mean this. To tell you frankly, I am not the type to go to a place I saw on a scratch paper and be in company with someone and do random stuff together. But I guess, it was an opportunity that only comes once in my high school life. And I think it could expand my sphere.”

“The sphere.” He nodded lightly. “Could be. I don’t believe people who go around proclaiming that opportunities only come once. They come everyday but we have gone too blind to notice them.”

“Hear hear. You know, I never thought that you could be this poetic. It’s just so different from the usual Hyukjae I see.”

“I feel poetic. Seems like my three am thoughts.You won’t learn something about someone unless you throw yourself in a little conversation,” he affirmed, looking at me like he was the only one who had a point here. 2-0. He scored again.

“But don’t things like this require a lengthy and deep exchange of thoughts?”

“Some things ought to be the best when they are in their simplest form.” 3-0. White flag.

“Now you are throwing quotable quotes at me.”

He stretched his arms into the air, the lollipop so little it’s nearing its end, sighed at my reply and stood up.“Ah, I’m getting hungry. My stomach is now begging. One, two, three, four or five?”

I raised my head up to him and the glaring sun met my shocked eyes. “What?”

“Just choose,” he insisted.

I was planning to ask more but his serious deed of looking so far away made me slightly scared. “One?”

“What?!” he retorted in dismay. “Why of all numbers, you chose that?! But I have no choice so let’s go with it.”

And as if I was still not fond of being confused. “What’s with one?!”

“Later. But now we have to prepare for the next task.”

The notebook reappeared.

Task #3:

Ever want to take that stress away?

Then shake it the natural way.

Work it out, burn it out

Go all in and all out.

Jog around the school field for five laps.

“Wait! I haven’t even finished my lollipop yet!” I argued as the lollipop continuously shook itself in my mouth.

“It’s fine!” Hyukjae suddenly went running to the opposite side of where the school flagpole is and started doing laps. “You’re the one gaining then burning anyway!”

We started and jogged while the sun was constantly peeking and hiding from the clouds. My sweat was slowly going out, and drinking water after this was the best choice.

“What’s with jogging by the way?”

“We are shaking those stresses away.”

Never had it crossed my mind that we would actually run around the field on this hot afternoon. My physical abilities had degraded since a long time ago that I didn’t know if I would survive even a single lap. But I am here so might as well just do it.

I tried (I really did) jogging as fast as I could so I would eventually catch up to him, but my legs were starting to give away. My muscles were poisoned and Hyukjae was somehow too hard to reach. This was not a race in the first place, was it?

“Wait! Can’t you go slowly?! I’m having a hard time here!”

“Just run! Waaaaaah, it just feels so great!”

Thanks for the encouragement.

I tried again and I just focused on the path in front of me. I imagined myself being carried away with the wind, being as light as air, being so light that I didn’t even need to exert that much effort.

But my imagination malfunctioned because of the stress my body was getting. So nothing happened.

I came into a sudden halt and breathed in a good bunch of air I just lost a few minutes ago. I could feel the humidity in my system. Thank the heavens that I seemed to still have the energy and will to finish the laps.

“Come on! You’re nearing it!”

Yes. I was near the end. Only four laps left.

I garnered just enough energy to run again, and it quite lightened my insides. It was slightly hard at first, but you would eventually get fond of it. Getting the pace, I just ran and ran and ran, my sweat escaping gradually.

He came to a halt back at the flagpole, walking as he regained his balance and breath. “Cleared your mind yet?”

 “Somehow, this is actually helpful,” I replied as I caught my racing breath. “I think I’m getting there. That was tiring but helpful. Aaaaaaaaah!” I exhaled. “Now I feel pumped up and good to go.”

“Catch it if you can.” He threw at me a water bottle and I was thankful that it retained its coolness.

“Thanks,” I said as he drank his own and started organizing his things.

He sighed in huge relief and handed me again the notebook.

Task #4:

Having a hard time thinking?

Fill in those empty insides with something

Going too hot won’t harm your gut

Slurp, slurp, feel that heat eating you up

Pick a number from 1-5. Indulge.

*******

“Long have I waited for this day just to go here and eat their specialty!”

We arrived at this restaurant saying Special Noodles Served Hot from the Pot! on its big glass door. “This place is not too bad as it seems. Looks like they serve really special noodles.”

“Of course I know the place where we should be at.”

We entered the place and a myriad of people enjoying their appetite for lunch welcomed us. That and the aroma of the spices reached my senses. I knew then that it was going to be epic.

Fortunately for us, there was this vacant table that seemed like it was reserved for us. “The best noodles in town can only be found in the 4 corners of this resto. Haven’t been here even once?”

“Sadly, I haven’t been here ever. But I heard people recommending this. I got no time to actually explore the town and devour the foods I encounter.”

“Busy studying?” looking at me with his brows curving, he asked.

Was he mocking me?!

“Joke. Relax!” he went back and let out a slightly audible laugh. At least we were clear with that. “That’s why you need to unwind. Good thing I brought you… here,” he declared as he pointed his finger on the table and called the attention of the nearest waitress in there. “Excuse me, two orders of the special noodles here. Thank you.”

The old lady smiled at us and I actually caught the good vibes from that. “Coming, sir!”

Silence momentarily fell in front of us, until I opted to get rid of it. “So tell me. Why do we have to do this?”

Hyukjae spaced out for a moment. “To park in the parking space and temporarily stay away from the heavy traffic of life?”

“So… what’s with the tasks? I mean, do they have significance or anything?”

“Two very special noodles ready to be served hot for these fair, young men.” The smell was so tempting I thought of grabbing the chopsticks and devouring the hot-but-not-a-mess immediately.

We both said our thanks and ate right away.

“You could think of it that way,” Hyukjae then replied after he swallowed a spoonful of the soup. “It depends on what angle of the situation you’re actually looking at.

“All things have their fair share of pros and cons,” I emphasized.

“Then you’re just fine. Stop stressing out too much. It’s not healthy. Sometimes you just need to stop, do nothing and look as life goes by.”

With what he said, I just slurped another spoon of the spicy soup and felt my tongue oozing with hotness again. It felt so good that I added spicy instant noodles to my mental checklist for next week’s grocery.

“You can’t really blame me in the first place. I agreed to come with you, I signed a contract, and nothing was stated there that I should not ask about the intention and purpose of this trip.”

“Put it there or not, I know you’ll still ask me about it. It’s part of human nature to be just so curious about everything. Too bad it killed the cat.”

“So… can I ask why now?”

“You’ll gradually learn why. It can’t just be told in a one-time seating,” he emphasized as he devoured in his bowl of noodles, producing soup-y sounds. It sounded like that.

“I guess it’s hopeless then.”

“You could say it that way.”

“Then I’ll just ask different questions instead. Why here? I thought you wanted me to pick the other numbers.”

“You picked number one and it just happened that it meant here.”

“What are the others?”

“Nah. They’re all high-end restos that I haven’t visited and that we can’t really afford at the moment anyway. I included them in the list because I really wanted to try eating at those places. As you said, everything has its pros and cons. Wise how you picked the cheapest out them all.”

“So you actually ranked them by their affordability. Why didn’t you include Le Quiero? Isn’t that one of the highly recommended places here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Only people who have lived in mansions and owned luxury cars go there.”

“Really? You are overemphasizing it.”

“See for yourself when you have time. Maybe a single bottle of water there would cost my weekly allowance.”

“Now that’s genuine exaggeration.”

“I know. But someday I will go. I guess.”

=======

HELLO EVERYONE!!!! YAAAAAAY I UPDATED BECAUSE IT'S MY NATIVITY YESTERDAY LOL *CONFETTIS EVERYWHERE* *INSERT SIWON'S CAKE HERE*

And it's sunshine mimi Zhoumi's birthday!!! hooooraaaaaaaaay!! *throws everything away* 

So how are you all? Been feeling hopeless lately just like me? lol acads are killing my vibe it hurts. Has this story been affecting you in any way? Has it changed your outlook in life? Do the characters make sense for you? Explain in no less than 1000 words. lol k

lol so let me know what you think and feel about things in life down there God bless you all less than three :^)