*-*-*-*-*-*-

Chun waited at the usual bench where he had brought the scared Selina after the day he had bumped into her. He checked his watch for the eleventh time. It was ten minutes past their meeting time. He tapped his feet impatiently on the ground and tucked his hands into his pocket. Rushed footsteps of someone running caught his attention.

“Sorry! I got held behind,” Selina apologized as she came to a stop and panted heavily.

Chun smiled as he stood up.

“So why’d you call me up?” Chun questioned.

“I’m so thirsty…do you want to get something to drink first?” Selina suggested.

A minute later Selina sat next to him gurgling down a bottle of water. She took a deep breath and wiped with her arm then looked at Chun who’d been staring at her the whole time.

“You’re really dehydrated,” he said.

Selina laughed, “Sorry.”

“So what’s up?” Chun said.

Selina thought back to what she had to say, “Oh yea…regarding Saturday…”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Chun immediately interrupted.

“I didn’t start yet Mr. Wu,” Selina said with a strict tone then smiled lightening up the mood, “listen to what I have to say ok? Don’t interrupt me until I’m finished and you have to really listen.”  

“Ok, go on,” Chun said sighing.

“You know it’s clearly a fact we aren’t going out,” Selina started, “and it’s true Jiro and I aren’t dating either.”

Chun felt his heart sink then stop as Selina mentioned Jiro. Of course he knew they had nothing going on.

“I thought it was funny pretending to be your girlfriend then the next second I somehow became Jiro’s girlfriend,” Selina laughed then stopped, “sorry I’m going off topic.”

Chun would have laughed at her silliness, but hearing Jiro’s name ruined his mood.

“Please understand Jiro. He thinks he’s the reason for the breakup of your and Ella’s relationship. For what happened on Saturday he wanted to bring you two back together,” Selina told. “I don’t know why he lied, but he already apologized for what he’d said that day. You can relate right? You know he really cares about you. He was really scared you’d stop speaking to him and he still is. You’re like the only person on earth who can fully understand him without having to say a full sentence. You know friends have conflicts, but they let it pass. Is one problem worth losing a friend?”

Chun was silent staring into the street ahead as if observing the passing cars then turned to Selina.

“How close are you?” he questioned.

“What?” Selina asked not quite understanding his main point of the question.

“How close are you to him?” Chun repeated stating his point.

Selina blinked blankly at Chun unsure and feeling lost. What did he mean exactly? Relationship wise or knowing secrets wise?

“We’re just friends,” Selina responded.

“You sound like you know a lot about him as if you’ve done something else I don’t know about,” Chun said sounding mean.

The flashback of Jiro kissing her popped into her mind and she felt herself grow hot. She turned away from Chun in order not to blush.

“Sorry,” Chun apologized.

Selina remained quite and gripped the bottom of the bench below her.

“I know,” Chun started, “I know. Jiro’s too naïve for thinking such things. I should whack him in the head with a wedge hammer.”

Selina turned to Chun, “Are you serious?”

Chun laughed freely, “I’m just kidding. I’d possibly break his skull if I do something like that.”

“Oh,” Selina laughed relieved that it was just a joke.

If Chun really did harm Jiro she didn’t know what she’d do.

“So you won’t ignore him forever right?” Selina asked.

“Possibly not,” Chun replied. “But I have to get a matter clarified with him.”

“What’s that?” Selina wondered.

Chun looked straight into her eyes as if digging for something.

“My matter with Ella is over,” he told, “I’ve already moved on.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-

Selina opened the door to her apartment to find her grandpa sitting on the couch watching that same TV series he’d been watching the other day.

“Woah…grandpa you really like this TV show huh?” Selina asked.

“I told you it’s my favorite,” he said sounding like a child.

Selina smiled, “Are you hungry grandpa?”

“Make me some chicken will you Selina?” her grandpa said.

Selina smiled, “I’m on it!”

They ate a happy meal together with much laughter and joy. Selina turned the lights off after pulling the blanket around her grandpa.

“Good night,” Selina said.

“Good night dear,” her grandpa said in return.

Selina smiled as she watched him and closed the door heading to her own room.

The next day Selina started things off as usual. She met up with Jiro again at lunch. This time he seemed to be in a better mood.

“Did Chun call you yesterday?” Selina asked.

“No,” Jiro replied.

“Oh, he didn’t?” Selina asked as if directing the question to herself. “But I talked to him…”

“Why?” Jiro wondered.

“Nothing,” Selina said.

“Do you want to go to the night market tonight?” Jiro asked. “Lets go have some of those noodles together.”

A smile popped onto Selina’s face, “Really? Ok!”

Everything was supposedly normal the whole day. Selina got off work during the evening around 7. She’d gone to the store and bought some oranges to bring back to eat together with her grandpa. As Selina climbed up the stairs she grabbed her cell phone from out of her purse. Nearing her door she found that it was cracked open and a few of her neighbors were crowded inside. Their faces seemed glum and lost as if they were scared to talk to her. Selina looked at them wondering what was going on. Once she headed inside she could hear someone talking on the phone, but ignored the conversation. Walking down the hall she found that the door to her grandpa’s room was opened. Stepping in she found that a few people were in the room standing by her grandpa who still seemed to be asleep.

Selina looked at them, “What’s wrong? Why are you guys here?”

“Selina…” a middle aged woman said tears arising in her eyes.

Selina then started to feel panicked. What was going on?! Why weren’t they saying anything?! Why were they all giving her pitiful looks?! Selina then turned to her grandpa and the bag of oranges dropped from her hand spilling onto the floor.

“Grandpa?” Selina asked. “Wake up. Grandpa.”

Selina shook him with her left arm and gripped onto her phone not noticing that she had speed dialed Chun.

“Grandpa!”

*-*-*-*-*-*-

“And so we’ll use that method to raise the sells of our products,” Chun went on as he glanced at the papers ahead of him.

He was sitting in a plain windowless room with a bunch of men and his mother sitting around the round table. It was a meeting they held every few weeks to catch up on business records and so on. His phone started ringing interrupting his speech. He glanced around then apologized.

“Hello?” Chun answered after looking on the id caller to see it was Selina calling. “Hello?”

He couldn’t hear anyone speaking, but rather someone screaming and throwing a fit.

“Selina?” he asked then looked around. “I’m sorry Mom could you take over?”

Chun ran out of the room and ran toward the elevators. He pressed the down button, but the elevator didn’t open. Losing patience he turned toward the stairs and ran down almost skipping ten steps at a time. His heart was beating fast feeling panicked. Did something bad happen to Selina? Why was she crying and screaming? Why were there other voices around her? What was going on?

He jumped into his car and drove messily into the parking lot of Selina’s apartment. Parking his car in a daze he ran up the stairs to find uniformed men standing in the hall with a stretcher all set up. Chun glanced at all the people he’d never seen before standing around. As he pushed his way into Selina’s apartment he could hear her loud cries. He stopped once he’d reached her grandpa’s room to find her on the floor kneeling next to her grandpa. Her eyes were already swelled up and her face was soaking wet from tears.

“Stay away! Go away! My grandpa is still here! He’s just sleeping!” Selina screamed. “Wake up and tell them you’re still alive! Grandpa! Wake up! You can’t go like this!” Selina’s frail body shook heavily. “You said we’d be together forever! Liar! Wake up! Grandpa!”

Chun watched as a man walked forward and placed a comforting hand on Selina’s arm.

“Selina it’s time to let go now,” he said.

Selina pushed him away roughly and glared at him.

“Don’t you touch me!” she screamed. “He’s not gone yet!”

The man made another move to pull Selina away. Chun quickly moved out of the crowd and put a hand on the man’s shoulder nodding his head gesturing that it was ok and to leave Selina alone.

Selina turned back to her grandpa sobbing. She his hair and pulled the blanket over him. She couldn’t lose him. They were going to spend more time together. He hadn’t completed his favorite TV series yet. Her only family member couldn’t leave her yet. He had to live to see her children.

Chun moved forward and bent down putting both hands on her shoulders. Selina pushed him back harshly and turned around. Her glare turned into a weak one as she saw him. He watched the tears roll down her cheeks.

“Chun…I…Chun…” Selina sobbed as she couldn’t make out her words anymore.

Selina shook her head miserably. Chun put his hands around her and pulled her against his shoulder resting his hand on the back of her head soothingly. Selina let out a loud cry that seemed to echo through the whole building.