***

Selina closed the door behind her again as she entered her bedroom. Had Chun just succeeded in making her feel guilty?

“What is wrong with me?” Selina asked herself.

She looked down at the ground and all she could recall then was Jiro’s face when he had seen her at the company.

Before feeling like she could go crazy with frustration and confusion her cell phone rang. Selina turned around and to look at her cell phone which sat on top of the table.

“I don’t mean to bother you right now. Would you like to have some late night coffee?” asked Ella.

Selina crept down the stairs quietly and looked around. It looked as if Chun was no where to be seen and with the scene clear Selina made her way to the door. Selina stopped down the street and glanced through the window. Even though it was dark now there were still many people that filled the coffee shop Ella had invited her to. Selina made her way in and walked over toward Ella.

“Hey,” Ella greeted with a warm smile. “Sorry for bothering you.”

Selina shook her head, “I feel as if I needed some air. You caught me just at the right moment.”

After ordering their coffees they were silent for a minute.

“Actually Chun rejected my offer. I hope you don’t mind,” Ella admitted, “you were the other friend I could think of.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Selina replied. “I think Chun has changed lately.”

Ella told, “Sometimes people don’t even notice that they’ve changed. As for Chun…there’s probably a reason to why he would make himself different.”

Selina kept to herself wondering if Ella knew about it.

“Something’s been bothering me lately,” Selina told, “maybe you would know something about it.”

Ella raised her eyebrow, “You’re asking me for advice? Well I guess I am good with that.”

Selina smiled at Ella’s joke and went on, “I just wanted to know your opinion on something. I hope you don’t think I’m foolish or anything.”

“Go on,” Ella urged.

Selina was silent as if arranging the words so that they’d be in perfect order when she spoke them.

“I was just wondering, that why when you’re with someone you feel you’ve liked it turns out that you tend to think of someone else all the time,” Selina told.

Selina stared at the steam coming from the coffee she hadn’t touched at all. For some reason she had felt embarrassed asking Ella for her opinion. Was it because maybe Ella would already know? Or was it that she was speaking out her inner worries to someone she barely knew well. Selina grabbed her cup of coffee and sipped it then set it back on the table. It took her a while to finally look up at Ella.

Ella, however, watched her with a smile. Ella didn’t seem to be embarrassed or bothered by her question at all. Selina suddenly wondered what she had been thinking that had suddenly made her feel nervous.  

“If I were you I’d ask myself who I really liked in the first place,” Ella told. “I’m sure there was one who you felt attracted to before. And if you still think of him often even when you’re with the other person then I’m pretty sure you like him.”

So what Selina had silently feared for herself was true?

“Selina, if I were you I wouldn’t be holding back for so long. Who knows when the situation could turn into something else and then you suddenly lose the chance,” Ella told. “Happiness seems like it’s easy to attain, but it is hard to keep.”

Ella returned to her apartment and sat down for a while. She opened the wide window next to the TV and stared out into the night street of Taipei. Ella felt bad for herself sometimes that she was a smart person. It had been easy for her to figure the puzzle out and even when she had figured it out it didn’t feel make her feel any better. It wasn’t her, but Selina.

So it turned out Selina had no feelings for Chun. Had been she played with her own feelings? Or was it a trick of the mind that had gotten her and Chun together in the first place? At least Selina and Chun weren’t dating; Ella hoped that fact was true. Ella sighed. If Jiro liked Selina and Selina liked him why didn’t they just get together? Ella felt frustrated with that question even when she knew the answer, herself, too well. Of course when Chun fancied Selina Jiro would step back this time around because he didn’t want to ruin anything for his friend. Why did Jiro have to worry about Chun so much? It wouldn’t hurt Jiro’s happiness if he just snatched Selina from Chun. Ella leaned her head back on the couch wondering how things would fix itself.

***

Selina rested her chin on her palm as she stared out the window. Jiro, every time she thought of him she could feel her heart race. She had labeled him as cute the first time she’d seen him and when Chun had joked that she was his girlfriend she’d been embarrassed. Selina smiled at that memory. If she could turn back she’d make sure she would have called Jiro to her rescue when her grandfather had passed away. If, if, if it was only Jiro. Selina turned back and looked at the door. This was Chun’s house. This was Chun’s property. Selina turned back to the window. She had to get out soon. If not, when Chun’s mother came back she would go on with her plan to get Chun and her married.

Selina turned the binder in front of her over and over. She had already completed her little assignment and had been receiving calls about appointments and meetings for the past hour. She felt more than bored. Chun hadn’t given her anything else to do and all she had to do was to stare all the walls until the phone rang.

“Why don’t you ask her? She’s been sitting inside for an hour without doing anything,” a voice outside Selina’s door said.

Selina looked up from her desk to see an older girl enter her office.

“You look like you’re bored,” she said.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” asked Selina.

“Yes…uh…” the girl turned back as if to look for the person she’d been with, but no one was by the door. “There’s an errand I need help with because I have something on and I don’t have time for it.”

“I’d be glad to help you with it,” Selina replied optimistically.

“Then can you take these over to the company our boss is associated with?” the girl asked. “You just have to take it there and hand it to the reception desk at the front. Thank you!”

Selina stared down at the envelope wondering what just happened. She looked at the tag on the envelope only to realize that it was Jiro’s company. She would have to make another trip there…again. Selina almost felt like hitting her head against the wall. How could she answer to a question so easily without knowing what the request was?

Before lunch Selina made her way out and soon found herself standing in front of her old workplace. Pressing her lips together Selina walked through the door following her colleague’s instructions. Selina stopped at the front desk and handed them the envelope.

“Sorry miss we don’t take this here. You’re going to have to bring them up to the boss’ office yourself,” the lady told.

Selina frowned, “But they told me to just hand it in here. Are you sure you can’t send someone to bring it upstairs yourself?”

“Those are important business matters the boss doesn’t trust anyone with. The boss would prefer that it gets sent to his office. It’s on the second floor the first door to the left,” the woman instructed.

“Oh…ok,” Selina said and sighed walking away from the front desk.

Selina looked around wondering if anyone would recognize her. Without further thinking Selina headed toward the elevator and made her way up. As she stopped on the second floor Selina made her way as instructed and knocked on the door. When no one replied Selina opened the door herself to find that it was empty inside.

“He’s always not here,” Selina said to herself as she walked in.

As she placed the envelope of Jiro’s father’s desk Selina couldn’t help, but glance at the picture he had placed on his desk. Selina wondered again why it was just Jiro and his father. What about his mother? Didn’t Jiro mention that he had a mother?

“What are you doing in here?” a voice asked from behind.

Selina spun around to see a familiar face.

“It’s you,” it was Jiro’s secretary. “Are you snooping in here now or something?”

Selina quickly shook her head and grabbed the envelope.

“I was just delivering this for someone,” Selina replied. “I’ll leave now.”

Just as Selina was about to exit Jiro’s secretary cleared his throat loudly. Selina stopped in her steps.

“I have something for you,” he said.

Selina turned toward him with a curious expression. She later found herself standing by the secretary’s desk. He grabbed an orange envelope and handed it to Selina.

“I trust that since the boss refused to hire anyone else to fill your spot that he must trust you a lot,” he told, “he forgot these documents today. I don’t have time to run these to his house so do me this favor and drop it off at his house.”

“His house?” Selina asked loudly.

“Shh!” the secretary hushed.

Selina covered as she looked around then turned to look at the secretary.

“Jiro hasn’t hired anyone to fill in my spot?” asked Selina.

The secretary frowned at her, “How dare you refer to him that way?”

“Sorry,” Selina apologized.

The secretary’s glare disappeared then he replied, “His address is obviously on the envelope. If you were smart enough to look there first.”

Selina held the envelope in front of her and glanced at it.

“I guess so,” Selina then laughed foolishly. “So just bring it there, I don’t have to do anything else right?”

“Did you think there was something else in store?” asked the secretary.

Selina shook her head no.

“Then hurry off,” the secretary said.

Taking the envelope with her Selina scurried off.

“Are they dating or something?” the secretary asked himself.

Selina stopped outside of Jiro’s house. It was big, maybe not as big as Chun’s house, but it was definitely big. Selina felt she liked it. She looked around before approaching the house. A maid opened the door after Selina had rung the bell a few times.

“Welcome,” the maid greeted.

Selina nodded her head in thanks.

“I was told to bring this here,” Selina explained holding out the envelope.

“He’s upstairs, why don’t you bring it to him. He might be glad to see that a friend came,” the maid told.

Before Selina could ask anymore questions the maid bowed and walked off. Selina felt flustered for some reason. She hadn’t seen a maid once at Chun’s house, but here at Jiro’s there were…maids. Selina walked further into the room to find stairs to the left.

“Who’s ‘he’?” Selina asked herself.

Selina made her way up the stairs slowly as she observed everything in her path. The wall papers were light purple with Kara flowers all over it. Selina wondered if Jiro’s mother had decorated the walls. As she reached the top of the stairs Selina looked down the short hallway ahead of her. There were a few doors, which door was it? Selina paused in front of the first door wondering if it was alright for her to even look inside them.

The first room was nothing but the King bedroom which Selina believed belonged to Jiro’s father. Should she put the envelope in his room and just leave? But the maid had said someone was upstairs, maybe Selina should hand the envelope to him. The second door led to the bathroom, Selina shut the door and moved on. Selina slowly pushed open the third door and peeked inside. It was an office with a tall bookcase next to the window and a desk in front of it. A computer sat on top of the desk with a bunch of binders and papers. There was a couch in the room along with a round table that sat in the middle. Guessing it was alright Selina walked in. She looked at the walls and the ceiling and finally noticed the warm cup of tea sitting on the table. Someone was just there shortly before she had come in. Selina turned around and felt as if her soul had been scared out of her. Behind her silently stood Jiro, they stared at each other for a while.