CHAPTER 11       It’s already been four days since Fany told Yuri her feelings… And all this time, I stayed hidden behind the confines of my room not bothering to go to school because I didn’t have the confidence to smile at them if ever we’d meet…   I heard Yuri and Fany got together the day after she confessed.   As time goes on, I was attacked by a wave of depression. The truth is, even if I have been heartbroken several times in the past and have recovered from most of them… salvaged what I can of myself… I’ll still say it still hurt the same every single time. The fourth is as anguishing as the third, the third as humiliating as the second, the second as self-damaging as the first, and the first as unforgettable as the last. With the memories repeating itself over and over in my mind, until all I can think of was “Why was I so wrong?”   Even though I didn’t get so much depressed that I’d do myself in, I lost all appetite and motivation to rest and sleep.   Sica was there for me though; she was there all the while without asking me to cheer up or ordering me to do anything I didn’t want to. We didn’t speak much these past few days, but it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. Most of the time we’d just stay quietly in bed or sit, but that would be enough.   And every night she’d remove that jumbo pea between us and give me a back hug to lull me to sleep. Most nights I couldn’t, but she never got angry, demanded or complained. No questions ask, no answers given but we both understood.   But if there was something that I kept from Sica on those silent nights we had, it’d be the single tear that would always creep up to my eyes in the dead hours of darkness carrying with it the greatest fear I had left.   Two months…   In two months even Sica will…   Two months was a very short time. And… So I realized after the fourth day that I mustn’t stay like this for long. If only to give Sica a better time until the end of her stay.   If only for Sica.   I MUST FORGET ABOUT FANY!       XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX       “…Mnnn…” Hmn why does the bed feel so cold…?   Gasp!   “TAENGOO!” She’s not here in bed… for these past days, after daybreak (Actually Sica it’s past noon already) she’d usually just sit beside me or brood in her study chair and not move…   Now where did that blue gloomy smurf go?   … …   After a few minutes of searching around the house… … …   There you are! I found you~   (A tender sparkle magically found itself in Sica’s eyes. But she didn’t notice it, nor bothered with it. After all nothing mattered to her then than finding Taengoo. Finding Taengoo was enough for now.)    I wonder what you are doing there at the basement with those scary monsters YUCK and green peas eww!   Sigh… anyways, at least Taengoo has started to do something.     Okay!!! Perfect! Time to commence plan GG!   Let’s go back to our room…   ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD   Breathe. I know I’ll regret this! I KNOW I WILL BUT!!!! Breathe In!   Breathe Out. Desperate times call for desperate measures.   why I care so much for that midget anyways I wouldn’t know!!!   A few moments of changing later…   TSK.   TSK.   TSK. TSK. TSK!!!!   OHMYGOD! Who in their right mind designed this pea coloured wool sweater and dark green scarf anyways!?! I’m sorry Taengoo but if I paired this with matching green skinnies and heels… I WOULD NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF!   But this is her favourite colour so… It’s better to at least be a treat to her eyes…   Damn it, my clothes remind me of “that” certain vegetable.   Oh I’m gonna hurl.   Okay! Sica… nevermind you hate this colour!!! Look at yourself in the mirror. Quality Check! But why would I even be worried about my quality?! Ugh!!! This sensitivity to Taengoo is driving me crazy!!!!!!!   … … …   . I look like an elf.   A y hot elf~   Okay… Phew~ this would do J   Plan GG (Green Garbs) full speed ahead! Fighting!       Knock Knock Knock   “TAENGOO~!!!!! I got you banana milk from the convenience store!!!”   “WHAT?!”   Gasp! What’s with that scary face?! HMP! And I even got this outfit just for you! (Using Taengoo’s debit card of course hihihi)   “Oh Sica… I’m sorry I haven’t slept well. I look like a panda… ha. ha. ha I didn’t mean to be scary.   That banana milk for me? WOW you shouldn’t have… thanks…”   “Hihi well… I tried making some Matcha milk tea for you with no bitter aftertaste but… hihihi… I ran out of ingredients. Store didn’t have enough stock of green tea powder! Would you believe that?!” I LIED. I failed. Seven times and just decided to buy banana milk in the end. Why didn’t I think of that earlier and spared myself the agony of cooking?! And who knew making Macha milk tea from powder was hard?!    (Sica bought the authentic Matcha powder but didn’t know how to correctly prepare it. She didn’t have the necessary basic matcha teaware either. She thought it was similar to instant coffee and prepared it as such)   “Ahhhhh It’s so good. Thanks Sica!”   “You’re welcome Taengoo~ and… don’t push yourself too hard okay? What’s that you’re doing anyways?”   Huh? What’s that? A cartoon drawing of a robot?   “Oh this? I’m making a picture book.”   “Hmnnn I’m surprised you can draw.” Taengoo’s good. But I’m not telling her that! Wouldn’t want it to get into her head.   “Must be my late Appa’s influence… when I was a kid, my Appa used to draw illustrations often, he was an architect but worked as a stage set designer. I basically followed everything he did… eventually it got me interested so I started to draw too. Most of the Kaiju artworks here are from sets he helped make. They’re old school stuff but they’re really good!”   “Here see one up close Sica” and from out of nowhere she presents me this amputated grayish green scaly lizard-like arm!!!   “Yieee!!!! YAH! TAENGOO! Get that away from me!!! Or I’ll amputate your own arm!!! And showcase it in my own basement in VG world!”   “Hahahhaha”   HMP! That kid is laughing like an ajumma again! And I thought I WAS the tease between us two?!    But at least Taengoo seems to be doing better, MUCH better now…   “Pfff Okay! I’m stopping now… (slurp) But… I wasn’t interested in houses, buildings, sets or yards. Instead, I liked making stories about superheroes, anime and flying magical creatures. Growing up I liked picture books a lot… it was a great tool for killing boredom… so I was kinda thinking of being a picture book author.   I’ve been thinking of that for a long time now… and when I was strolling outside I saw this flyer…”   National Picture Book Contest huh? Winner gets to have their original artwork and story published and sold by Kyobo Mungo.   “And suddenly I wanted to compete!”   “Sigh, When love leaves I can only follow my dreams…”   I was so shocked to hear Taengoo say that that a wide smile immediately spread through my face “OOOOOhhhh I like that thinking! Yes!”   Yah! Where did my blue gloomy smurf go and when was she replaced by this budding artist?!   “RIGHT! SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE! I BELIEVE I CAN SHARE MY DREAMS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!! WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”   Oops false alarm. She’s still the same Taengoo I know. As dorky as ever. She just changed colours.   Hmn… let’s mix up the colours m