I’VE WITNESSED many kinds of careless people, but none of them are this awful. They’re indeed pitiful in keeping tracks with life, but they only cause harm to their own selves without dragging others—unlike a certain someone.

Talking about being careless, that reminds me that I haven’t really paid Xiao Gui back for the hospital bill. There’s no way that it only costs $8. Also, I have no reason for not trying to get in touch with him, since he did text me first.

I'll just reply in that conversation.

Me: Hey, can we meet up?

XG: Why?

Me: Something’s up

XG: Like...what?

Me: Duh, just accept it the way it is

I didn’t realize that I typed that.

XG: Ok...

XG: When?

Me: When are you free today?

XG: 1 pm

I still have one class on 1 pm. Since the customer is the King, should I skip my class?

XG: You?

Me: After 2.30

XG: Alright 2.30 then

Why does it feel like I’ve always been the customer since the beginning?

Me: Where should we meet?

XG: Up to you

XG: The gate?

Me: Ok, see ya

XG: See ya 🐶

What’s with his emoticon?

I roll my eyes as I try to hold myself together. Because I owe this guy. It’s like, I’m trying to convince myself that he’s the customer and I’m the seller; where we’re actually equal since we’re both people. But again, because I still owe him, I have to provide the kindest service and disregard how burning I feel inside just by incidentally picturing his face in mind.

---

I walk to the campus’ gate as promised. And he’s been waiting for me already.

Really?

He’s leaning on the wall beside the gate, legs are crossed, and hands are tugged in his pockets.

For a careless someone, he should be praised for keeping his promise.

As I get nearer to him, he waves and smiles. He goes all casual today; he’s wearing a red collared shirt tugged in his black jogger pants, red cap, red vans sneakers, gucci belt, some black bracelets on the left wrist and gold bracelet of the right wrist.

He asks, “So, what is it that you want to talk about?”

“How much was the hospital bill?”

He stares at the ground and chuckles.

“Still that?” He looks up to me and grins.

I can see that he’s wearing his gold chain necklace beneath his collared shirt from here. He also puts a black beats headphone on his neck.

I’m taking back my words about him looking all casual today.

“Come on, just tell me.” I whine.

“I-I forgot.”

“What?”

“I only swiped the card so I can’t really recall the amount.”

What do rich people have to worry in life? I mean, I know everyone is “gifted” with different problems that bother their lives in the same suffocating sense. But I still can’t help but wonder what kind of problem that people like him have.

“Seriously. How about the approximate amount?”

“Probably around $100 to $150.”

“W-WHAAT???!! Stop joking around.”

“I’m serious.” He pauses.

“And since I’ve said it, let’s talk about the real thing.”

Just why are you keeping your dumbness.

“That is the real thing”

“Huh, you serious?”

It's sad that I can't do anything about it. If I really let this one slide, I'll have to see him and probably become friends with him, later.

No way. Just how much being-kicked-out-from-class that I want in the future?

“Can I pay it in installments?” I blurt.

“Whoa, what are you talking about?" Hi twitches his face; disagreeing. "I don’t need that—“

“A debt is still a debt.”

This way, I can stop seeing you in the near future. Hopefully.

“If you insist, then... can you give me some time to think about it?”

I purse my lips. I'm considering. So, until then, we have to keep seeing each other? I let out a heavy sigh.

“Sure.... take your time.” I say that slowly, because I feel very restless.

“Alright, I’ll tell you once I’ve come up with something.”

I should come up with something too, quickly, to get $150.

In the mean time, don't you dare act like we never talked about this.

“Just, don’t forget about this.”

“Haha I won’t.” He lets out a big gummy smile—it’s so big that I almost can’t see his already-tiny eyes—while scratching the back of his head.

“I’ll get going then. See ya.” I flash a quick grin—because I'm not feeling it—then start walking out of the gate.

But my thought suddenly halts me.

Did he really stand there since 1 pm?

I run back to him, just to ask, “You’re not here since 1 pm or something, right?” I squint at him, who's stunned, then I immediately turn away.

“Uhm..." He mumbles, so I halt myself again and turns back.

"Is that supposed to be a tricky question?” He tilts his head.

“Ugh." I grumble.

“Can you stop giving me debt and pique at the same time?”

I think, I supposed to think that in my head.

"Huh?? What do you mean by that?" He looks really confused.

I don't even know that myself. I'm turning into a real greasy person. Thanks to you, I guess.

I groan and stomps my feet, then leave him dumbfounded by himself.

I'm not sure who's the dumb one here, anymore.

---

I should get a job quickly. I want to eat properly this week. Also, I’ll likely have a real debt soon, that requires to be routinely paid to Xiao Gui.

As I turn my head around, magically, I happen to see some brochures about part-time jobs.

That’s it. I should go with a part-time job. I’ll just ditch the bus and stroll the street to find any job.

After I pass the first two blocks, I’ve seen two ice cream shops and one coffee shop. Which should I prioritize? Do I have to go for the thing I like—ice cream—or the thing I don’t like? If I go for the ice cream, it’s possible that I’ll buy it everyday till I end up broke again in the end. But, if I go for the coffee..... it’s his favorite.

Without more thinking, I’ve decided to visit the first ice cream shop.

“Excuse me. Does this shop accept part-timer?” I ask the cashier girl.

“Let me call the manager first.”

“Alright.” I look around while I wait for her to check on the interior

It’s bright, I’m ok with it, and it has the thing youth these days loves to take a photo with—comical quoted wallpaper. It’s about common motivational quotes, like: believe in yourself, you’ll never know if you haven’t tried, impossible says i’m possible, and—

When life gives you lemon, make lemonade.

What kind of lame quote is that?

Fresh lemon and everything with lemon don't taste good—in my opinion.

Can life give me money instead?

“Hi, are you the one looking for a part-time job?” A middle-aged man asks me.

“Yes.”

“Please, have a sit.” He leads me to a table near the door, so I sit in front of him.

He shows me a paper. “Here’s the details, you can ask me some questions if you need.”

I read it carefully and see that they’re hiring for waiters and waitresses, Monday to Friday, every 4 pm to 9 pm. It’s 5 hours times 5 days—25 hours. The salary is quite intriguing, $5 per hour.

But, I have this certain thing, that I don’t know can work for that long or not. Maybe, I’ll be ok with few rest days.

Let’s do some bargaining.

“Is it possible to work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday only?” He widens his eyes.

“No, it’s not possible.”

“Even if I plead? Hehe—“ I smile sheepishly.

“Sorry, miss. If we accept a worker for the days you mentioned, then who’ll fill in the other 3 days? It’s more likely that people want to apply for a 6-days slot, not a 3-days one. That’s why, we can’t do that.”

“I see... sorry for asking that.”

“It’s no problem.”

“So. if I want to apply, when is the last submission date?” It’s not written on the paper.

“We don’t set the date. Because, we only look for the fastest and the most complete in submitting the documents.”

“You should be quick if you’re interested to work here.” He smiles.

“Sure.” I take out my phone from my pocket. “May I take a picture of this?”

“Of course.”

Then I snap a picture of it then stand up. “Thank you very much for the information.”

He stands too, offering his hand to me, so I shake it. “You’re welcome. Have a nice day.”

“Have a nice day.”

---

The second ice cream shop is a brownish shop with all wooden furniture. They’re kind, that they put the poster about part-time jobs on the door. It saves energy by a lot, lol. I’m liking this place already.

It’s written that they’re looking for waiters, dish washers and leaflet distributors. Waiters and dish washers are for Monday to Wednesday on 3 pm to 7 pm. They pay $4.5 per hour, which means 3 days × 4 hours × $4.5 = $54. Meanwhile the leaflet distributors is for Sunday only, 8 am to 2 pm, $7 per hour, which means 6 hours × $7 = $42.

Wait, how much money do I need to survive in a week?

Let’s say I only eat $4 to $5 every day, then it’s $5 × 7 days = $35. If I add dinner, then another $35. How about breakfast? Although I used to skip that, let’s say I only drink milk. Then, it’ll be $7. Sum everything up, I need $35 + $35 + $7 = $77.

If I take both $54 and $42, then $96 a week. Since $96 - $77 = $19, so I’ll have $19 left.

I don’t know how much allowance Lin jie would give me every week, but this week it’s around $40. If I assume she’ll do that every week, then I’ll have $19 + $40 = $59 as a spare money.

I can pay Xiao Gui back in 2 weeks, actually. But I’ll make it 5 weeks instead. I’ll pay him every Monday, using my money from the previous week, because by then, I’d know whether I have any emergency bill on the week before, or not.