"Hi there, Kimmy. Long time no see."

Kim was speechless, both surprised and confused. She’s not sure what to feel. Her mind is torn between the idea of wanting to see Nam and spending the day with Pie.

Of all the time, Nam, why now?

Nam noticed Kim's uneasiness. She then had a glimpse of another person sitting at the table.

"Oh. I didn't know you have a visitor."

Kim glanced at Pie for a second. Their eyes met but Kim turned her eyes back to Nam.

"Oh, Kim, what's wrong with you today?" Nam walked towards Kim and tapped her shoulder. "Speak up and introduce us."

Kim, who realized that she should have done that earlier, straightened up her shirt and turned to Pie slowly. "Um..."

"Ugh! What's wrong with you?" Impatient Nam walked towards Pie and offered her right hand. "Hi, I'm Nam, Kim's friend," she said, wearing the same smile she had in the picture. "Please forgive her for being such an today."

Pie can't believe how beautiful Nam is in the flesh. She rose up to shake Nam's hand with a smile plastered on her face too. "Pie. Kim's friend too."

Kim felt her neck itching.

Oh boy, this is awkward.

"Nice meeting you, Pie." After the handshake, Nam immediately scanned the woman in front of her. Her eyes twitched when she saw what Pie was wearing.

Kim brought her palm to her face when she realized where Nam was looking at.

Oh, . That was the shirt we bought for my birthday last year!

"O-kay..." Nam pressed her lips together and turned around. "I guess I better go now, Kim."

"But Nammy —"

"Let's just do this some other time," said Nam, walking towards the door.

"When will I see you again?"

Nam brushed a hand through her hair before turning to Kim. "Some other time, when we're both not busy."

Kim breathed out her disappointment. She knows that "some other time" could take longer.

As if knowing what's on Kim's mind Nam stopped by the door and said, "Don't worry. I won't go anywhere this time. I promise we'll talk sooner. We need to talk. Be hospitable to your guest first, okay?"

Kim turned her head to Pie, who gave her a lame smile when their eyes met.

Nam didn't wait for another second. "It's nice to meet you, Pie. And Kim, I'll see you soon. Bye." She waved goodbye and shut the door close.

The latch of the door was then followed by a long deafening silence. Kim clenched her hands into fists, unsure of how to solve her dilemma.

What should I do? Should I follow her? But I just can't leave Pie here. But what if I don't get the chance to talk to Nam again? Agh! This is crazy!

"Kim..."

Kim turned to Pie. "Y-yes?"

"I... uh... I think you should —"

"I... I should follow her... yeah..." Kim knew what Pie was about to say. She walked to the door and halted before opening it. "Just promise me you won't leave, okay?"

"I won't."

After the assurance, Kim ran out of the room.

Pie bit her lip and sat on the chair. After getting the feeling of being closer this time, why does she feel Kim being far away again?

---

“Nammy!”

Kim hurried to the hallway and found Nam standing in front of the elevator.

Nam was obviously shocked first but managed to make a smile upon seeing Kim. "And why are you here?" She watched the latter walked towards her, still frowning. "Hey, what's with the face?"

"I... I don't know. Maybe I'm just afraid I might not see you again," said Kim, worried.

"Oh, Kimmy..."

"I've waited for you, Nam, for over a year."

"I'm sorry. I know my appearance was past late than what I've promised. But I didn't ask you to wait for me."

"I know. I just..." Kim's eyes darted around while trying to find the right words to say, "…I've been waiting for this day. There so much to tell you..."

Nam held Kim's face. "Let's do this some other time, okay?"

"Just promise me we'll see each other again after this."

"Of course. Like I said, I still want to talk to you. And forgive me for barging into your apartment like that."

"It's okay. You always do that before, right?"

"But it's different this time. I might have offended your girlfriend."

Kim raised her eyebrows. "Huh? S-she's not my girlfriend, Nam."

Nam ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh, c'mon, Kim."

"No... really... she's not my girlfriend…"

Nam didn’t look convinced. "Aside from the obvious fact that she did sleep in your room, bathe in your bathroom and is wearing your shirt, let's pretend I believe you, okay? Kim, you can't just leave her there. Go back now and entertain your visitor."

"But Nammy..."

"Why don't you just admit it? Don't worry about me. I'm not jealous. I already have a boyfriend."

Kim felt something blocking . "Y-you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah. I met him in Singapore. We came back here together two weeks ago."

"Oh..."

"Alright? Now go back there now before somebody gets mad at you," said Nam, pushing Kim around to go back to her room.

"So, when will I see you again?"

"I'll just visit you again. My schedule is tight right now. I can't promise a specific time." Nam pressed the elevator button.

Kim didn't say anything until the lift door opened.

Nam leaned forward to give a peck on Kim's cheek. She stepped into the elevator. "Bye for now, Kim. Don't make her cry, okay?"

Kim smiled as the door closed.

---

When she came back to her room, Kim was relieved to see Pie still at the same spot where she was situated earlier, already done with her ramen.

"Did I mess up something?" asked Pie, worried. She knows that whoever that woman is, she's surely playing a major role in Kim's life. The image of Kim getting distracted won't leave her mind.

Kim shook her head as she sits down. "No..."

"I was worried, you know. I thought your girlfriend will be mad at you."

Kim chuckled and scratched her head. What? Girlfriend again?

"Why are you laughing?"

"Well, the funny thing is she also thought that you are my..." she hesitated to say the last word, "...you know..."

"Oh..." Pie unconsciously placed her right hand on her lip.

"She's not my girlfriend, Pie."

"Does she really think I'm your girlfriend?"

"Y-yeah..." Kim felt bashful with the term. The last three words Pie said sounded like music in her ears. "Sorry about that."

Pie narrowed her eyes. "I'm just... curious..."

"About?"

"If she really thinks of me as your girlfriend then why did she leave a kiss mark on your cheek?"

Kim's jaw fell. Her initial reaction was to cover her cheeks with her palms. "She did?"

"The mark is too obvious, Kim," said Pie, pointing at it. "She really wants me to see it." She helped Kim removed the mark with a tissue.

"Aish. Nammy is always like that. She loves to tease me."

"Obviously she's planning on teasing me too. Is she an ex?"

"N-no..."

"Relative?"

Kim shook her head, smiling.

"Well, you just seemed close to each other. She even has the key to your door." Pie was not sure if she should still point that out, but she had to. Her curiosity is burning inside of her.

"Yeah... well... honestly, Nam and I had this something complicated before, Pie."

"Complicated like?"

"Uh... you know... I'm not sure if you'll understand," said Kim.

I'm not even sure if you're interested.

"I'm sure I can follow," said Pie, tucking up both her legs on the chair.

"I'm just not sure if... if you're interested in talking about this type of thing." Kim remembered clearly what Pie has told her last night. Maybe she's not really into this type of relationship.

"I'm sure I can keep up if you're willing to tell me," said Pie, still pushing it. Truth is, there are questions on her mind right now that she wanted to ask Kim but she was too shy to do so. What she can hope for is for Kim to tell her everything.

"Are you sure?"

"As long as you don't mind telling it to me."

Kim shifted her position on the chair, thinking how to relay the story.

Maybe this is what she meant when she said she wants us to be friends?

"Yeah, I don't mind," said Kim.

"Okay. I’m all ears now,” said Pie. “Don't worry about me. It’s weekend. I've got time. I don't have any plans for this day either, so just spill it all out."

"Oh, okay. But it's a long story. I think I should start with myself first. Do you mind?"

"No. Not at all." Pie gave an assuring smile. Kim felt relieved with that.

Kim started her story by telling Pie that she was raised by nannies. Since her mom died, her dad busied himself to work, which required a lot of traveling. Although they keep in touch every day, they rarely see each other lately.

"But didn't you feel alone, or unwanted? Your dad was always out," asked Pie. She also grew up with one parent but her mom was always there for her.

"I did. I've always felt that. Maybe that's the reason I appreciate a smile more than any other people. For me a smile is a sacred thing," said Kim, making Pie remember the collection of photos in the other room. "It became my hobby, my obsession. I wanted to collect pictures of people with the best smiles, capturing that moment when the smile is in its most natural state."

"Wow. A smile addict, huh?"

Kim laughed. "Yeah. Well, what can I do? I love it. I even despise those magazine covers with lame smiles on it. Remember the issue last month of Jazz magazine featuring Earn Thanchanok?"

Pie quickly glanced at the ceiling, trying to recall. "Yeah, I think I remember that."

"Did you notice how fake Earn's smile was on that cover? Damn. It was a mistake publishing that issue."

Pie couldn't help but smile at it. She finally understood the reason why Kim is always overly nice to everybody – because she always wanted to feel welcomed.

"I guess my addiction to a smile was one of the reasons why Nam and I became close,” continued Kim. “I met her during my freshmen year in college. I was an aspiring photographer, she's was an aspiring model, you know; we clicked right away. What I really liked about her was her smile. I like the way how those smiles appear in the picture. Those smiles are lovely and she's really beautiful."

Pie raised an eyebrow at the emphasis on the last word. "So, you had a crush on her?"

"Umm. To be honest, I’m not sure,” said Kim, hesitating. “I admire her beauty, yes. I like her, yes, but there was nothing romantic going on that time yet.”

“Yet,” said Pie, flat faced.

"We were friends that time, Pie. I never had the notion it would result to something more. It's just that Nam is beautiful inside and out."

Pie remembered how Nam's photo looked so perfect. "I have to agree. She really is beautiful."

"We became close because of our picture taking sessions. After running out of ideas for places to shoot, we decided to try taking pictures here. That’s when she found out that I was living alone,” Kim narrated. “Having a natural caring personality, Nam decided to help me with… with everything.”

“Are you saying that you sort of live together here?” asked Pie.

“No, she didn’t move in. It never got to that point in the first place,” answered Kim. “But she was always here. I gave her the duplicate keys so she could stop by anytime she likes to. That’s when she started helping me with the laundry, in cleaning my apartment, accompanying me to the grocery, and even taking care of me when I was down with flu. She practically took care of me, you know. She even woke me up for school.”

Pie was listening eagerly. Now she understood why Nam acted like she owns the place when she came in earlier. If any of those fangirls in the office will find out about her, they'd surely die of jealousy.

Kim continued her story, "I was really not into school that time. I did a lot of traveling, touring, just to take pictures of people. Nam was mad about it because I quit school to pursue that hobby. Then there's one time where I got into a car accident. That was the first time I felt Nam's care for me isn't just what I thought it was."

It got more interesting. Pie remembered Zee's words about Kim being in a hospital.

"That happened during her last year in college and while I was out of school," said Kim. "After that incident, Nam and I had this relationship that neither of us could define."

"How did it start?"

"We didn't know how it started," said Kim coyly. "It just rolled out like that. The feelings just went deeper every day. She started doing sweet things to me and I did the same thing to her. I obeyed her every whim and she listened to all the things I’ve said. We are even in touch even if we’re not physically together. "

Of all the things Kim said, the “sweet things” reverberated on Pie’s head. “Kim, can I ask you a personal question?”

"Go ahead."

"Did you guys... kiss…?"

Pie disregarded the thought of being disgusted by the picture of two females kissing. What she really wanted to know is if Kim and Nam have tried doing it.

Kim felt her face burning right away. "Uh... nope..."

"You haven't tried it? Why?" It might be hard to believe but Pie was happy with the answer.

"I don't know. I guess I never thought of trying that?"

"Really? I thought you were together?"

Kim unconsciously glanced on Pie's lips because of the topic. She looked away immediately. "We're not officially together. There was no label on our relationship. We were just sort of sweet friends."

Seeing Kim blushed, Pie smiled to herself. "Sweet friends, huh? So how long did you stay like that?"

"It was for almost a year. We've known each other for three years that time but the romantic friendship we had lasted for just a year."

"Then what happened?"

"After graduation, she left for Singapore. She had an offer there from a modeling agency."

"Is that how you guys broke up?"

Kim sighed. "Yeah, sort of. I guess you could say that was a breakup. It was just last year. I was so devastated when she left. I felt like a part of me was gone."

"Does she know about it?"'

"I don't know." Kim shrugged. "But I made sure to let her know that I don't want her to go away. She promised to see me when she comes back, and that's what happened earlier."

"But how can she walk away like that, didn't she love you?"

"I don't know. We never talked about love, not even once. We just showed how much we cared for each other and that's it."

"How about you, did you really love her?"

"Thinking of my demise when she left, yes, I think I did," said Kim. "I couldn't understand that time why I was able to rely on myself alone for nineteen years, and then Nam came for a while, left me, and everything wasn't the same anymore.

"I did everything that she wanted," Kim continued. "I finished my last year in college, became more focused on my goals, I stopped going to bars, I joined the tennis club. I did everything to make my life better. After college, I immediately applied for a job. I'd like to prove to her that I can change, that I do have dreams as well."

"So, what did you feel when you saw her earlier?"

"To tell you the truth, I was confused," said Kim, heaving another sigh. "I know it's weird. You see, I've been waiting over a year for this day to come, and then when she arrived at my doorstep I just didn't know what to do. In fact, a part of me wished she never came here today."

Pie tried her best not to smile at the newfound information. "Really? Why?"

Kim dropped her gaze on the floor. "Because... because I was already having a good time with you..."

Pie was secretly surprised about it. She didn't expect that she'd be relieved to hear that from Kim.

"It's just that she managed to ruin the mood when she came. I thought you're gonna leave right away." Kim was still looking down, acting like a child who's afraid to lose a precious toy.

Pie smiled. "Why would I do that? You still owe me a service to my house."

Kim's face lit up with that. "Thanks, Pie. Thanks for sticking around."

Their conversation had totally eradicated the awkward ambiance in the room. Pie started to feel so close and comfortable around Kim more than ever. Kim, on the other hand, felt relieved to have found a friend whom she can confide about her life.

"I was just wondering, Kim, have you ever liked someone else aside from Nam?" asked Pie.

Kim shook her head no. "After she left, I focused on my studies right away. I even disconnected myself from Zee and the bar life."

Pie tapped two fingers on her chin. "You know what, I think you're still being haunted by the past. You can't move on because you don't have closure with Nam."

Kim blinked at that.

"The reason you're like that is because you never officially ended your unofficial relationship. Deep in yourself, you're still hoping that when Nam comes back you'll be like how you were before," said Pie. "I really think that you need to talk, you and Nam, so you could decide on what you really want. Then just ask her directly if she loves you."

"But she has a boyfriend already."

"She might have a boyfriend but I believe that you have a special place in her heart," said Pie. "The fact that she came here today, even after being apart for a year, is proof that she loves you. It might not be in the way you're expecting it but still, she cares."

Kim smiled. "And since when did you become an expert in this?"

Pie raised her palms up. "I don't know. That just came out. I have no idea where I got them."

"Well, we keep on talking about me here. How about you, any ex-lovers?" Kim rested her chin on her hands.

"Nah. I've always been a picky eater when it comes to that aspect."

"Oh, Pie, you won't find Mr. Perfect, I assure you that. Every person has their own flaws."

"I know that. I'm not looking for Mr. Perfect. I'm just looking for... Mr. Right..."

Kim took a deep breath in. The term 'Mr. Right' disturbed her. "But are you open to having a relationship now?"

"I think I am, as long as I find him right for me."

"So, what is right for you?"

Pie wrinkled her nose while thinking of what to say. "Mmm... honestly I don't know.... The problem is I don't easily fall in love."

"Psshhh... It's not like that." Kim waved a hand. "You just haven't met the right one yet."

"I don't know if it’s because we haven't met yet, or maybe... maybe I just didn't know when to determine if what I feel is love or not," said Pie, her hands gesturing in the air.

"That's impossible, Pie. Once you felt love, you'll know it for sure."

"The thing is I have been dating suitors for a while now. None of them have made me feel different."

"Hmm, maybe it just hasn't hit you yet?"

"At least you think I'm still normal," said Pie, chuckling. "I'm starting to think that there is something wrong with me. I'm having a hard time getting some real love, you know."

"Don't look for it. Love doesn't work that way. It's the one who's going to find you, regardless if you're ready or not. And if it finds you, there are no ways you could escape it."

"Am I hearing this from the expert?" Pie teased, raising an eyebrow. Kim just laughed at her.

---

"Okay, here we are, Madame." Kim pulled up the handbrake of her car when they arrived in front of Pie's house.

"Kim, I'd love to invite you inside, but..." Pie trailed off while unbuckling her seatbelt. She's having doubts of saying what's on her mind. It would be unkind not to invite Kim inside but she knows her homophobic mom will be uncomfortable with it.

"It's okay, Pie. I have plans. I still have tennis practice in two hours."

"Okay." Pie felt relieved. At least she didn't need to come up with excuses. "I'll see you on Monday then?"

"Yup, Monday.”

"Thanks, Kim." Pie opened the door on her side. "I really had a great time today. Take care, okay?"

"Aye, aye, princess!"

Pie pushed the door close and waved goodbye.

Pie opened the door to their house, relieved that Kim didn't bother to stay for a while. She feels happy though. Their heart to heart conversation had made her feel more comfortable around Kim. It just feels like she finally understood Kim deeper. She's glad because they both share some things now, personal things, which nobody in their office knows yet.

"Why didn't you invite your friend inside?"

Pie almost jumped after hearing her mom's voice. "S-she said she has plans this afternoon."

Did she saw us inside the car? Impossible. Kim's car is tinted.

"Did you have your lunch already?" her mom asked, leaning forward to kiss her.

"Yeah. We had it before we drove here."

"Is that your friend's blouse?"

Realizing what she's wearing now is different from her wardrobe preference, Pie knew she had to be careful. "Y-yeah, I had to borrow this because my blouse was stinky."

Her mom stared at the button-down shirt. "Your friend seems to have a unique taste in clothing, Pie."

"Yeah. She’s a photographer and graphic artist in the office. People in their department usually wear something unique and artistic."

"Hmm, she looks like a tall woman to me."

"She is tall." Pie smiled to make it seem that she isn't hiding anything. She motioned to the stairs. "I'll just go to my room now."

"Okay."

---

Sigh. Why does Monday feel like eons away?

Pie is currently on her bed looking at the ceiling, lost in thoughts. She didn't know how to rate her day; sad, normal, happy? She knows she should be happy because she found a new friend in Kim.

On the other hand, she's a bit anxious. There's something about Nam that concerns her a lot. Is it because of Nam's past relationship with Kim? Or is it because of Kim's inarticulacy when Nam is around?

Nammy and Kimmy, huh? But why do I feel envious of you, Nam?