6.

My eyes keeps the unamused gaze to that one and perhaps the only friend of mine while the other person is busy cracking up over the story I just told her. Then my head turns to look around, taking a good sight of the place where me and Jisoo are dining at – seeing almost all the tables around them are occupied, accompanied by the sound of people chattering that are fainting as they are swept by the night wind blow. I shut my eyes for a second, feeling the night breeze touches my skin, with the city lights accompanying. Getting to have a meal at an outdoor stalls like this, I have been missing this since forever.

All those times I have spent in Shanghai – stepping out from my own house is something that rarely happened. Even back then during my college years when I stayed in the dorm with my college mates. All I did back then was studying, hardly socializing. And when I started to live in an apartment unit that I rented – since I get myself a job – my day has been filled with classes and my nights are solely for rest, and more rest.

The only time that I have spent outside is for my date with Shixun which happens once in a week, at most, as we are both busy with our own schedules.

And so I take a deep breath, letting out a silent sigh before returning the same look to Jisoo who has stopped laughing and sipping down the water from her glass. “So you are done making fun of me, I see?”

“Sorry but that was funny,” she comments. “I couldn’t get over the fact that Aunty has purposely asked you to apply a job there. Also, I think I should meet that guy and asked him if he happened to record the video of your reaction. I need it, for educational purposes.” Jisoo purses her lips then shakes her head off before shrugging, “But well, I do think that you deserve it too.”

My jaws drops a bit, leaving my mouths apart as I could not believe my own ears. “Excuse me, but whose friend are you?”

“Yours, obviously,” Jisoo raises a brow, unbothered by my squint and directing a calmer tone on her next line. “Somehow I couldn’t help but think that he was just treating you the way you treated him before. Perhaps a lot kinder than what you did.” She leans her back against the chair then extends one of her arms to pat on my shoulder. “As your friend, I’m telling you to be kind. Come on, you are way better than this. Why do you act that way in the first place?”

“I don’t know, okay?” I raise both of my hands up, defending myself. Then these fingers of mine make the work to comb through my locks as I let out a heavy sigh. “I was sorry to him each time but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.” I fuss, point to my pouty lips, “This mouth, this mouth,” I slap them lightly yet rapidly. “They act faster than my brain, I – just –” My fingers curl out of annoyance then an eye roll end the act. “But he gets on my nerves too, okay?”

“For what reason…if I may ask?” Jisoo stirs her drink and takes a sip of it while enjoying my tale time.

“For…no reason,” this time, I lower my tone down, following my shoulders’ drop. I realize my mistake all this time, “I really have no idea why I had to be mean.”

To be honest, I clearly aware that I am at fault, ever from the start but I was not in control at all. Every single time I am confronting that Jongdae guy, my mind just go…empty and I would start shooting my pointless and mindless bullets, like a total fool.

“I think I figured out the reason,” the other states, earning my attention. Jisoo’s lips curl, bringing in a thousand meaning behind it – and for some reason, I expected for her to spit some nonsensical assumption before she leans in and whispers, “I bet that guy next door is cute, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, maybe. Why does that even matter though?”

“Strike!” she whispers a yell, leaving me in utter confusion. “It’s you, Eul,” then she adds to conclude, “I don’t know what is wrong with you, but you certainly have that one trait where you tend to act impulsively whenever you face a good looking guy. Especially when that person is seductive. Perhaps your heart is just…panic or something, I don’t know.”

“What kind of guess is that?”

“Ask yourself, you punk. I don’t know how to explain this to you because basically, that is your behaviour and not mine so I think you could already foresee it by your own – anyways though, I’ve seen you acted that way several times before. It’s not like they are going to harm you.”

I turn my lips down in approval frown however shakes my head off on the next second, to disagree with the other’s last sentence. “Cute guys are the most dangerous. They could kill your mind with one look, one smile.”

“So now you are saying…that guy has already shot you down? With his smile?”

Jisoo jokingly wiggles her eyebrows as she teases, enjoying to witness my face flushed before I puff my cheeks then claims, “Come on, he is at least three or four years younger than us. Also, I already have Shixun.” I roll my eyes and drift to the main topic right away before that friend of mine could even had her chance to continue pulling on my legs. “Now the thing is…I got the job. At the academy.”

“That’s a good thing, then. I don’t see why that appears a problem. You could proceed with your apology soon, then…” Jisoo snaps her finger up in the air. “…done!”

“But I had a bad feeling about it. It’s like he is going to get his revenge on me.”

“No way,” Jisoo chuckles, “That kid sounds like he is way better than that.”

I look up at the mirror, checking on my own reflection before my locks and bring them up, turning my head side-to-side – just for me to decide on which style should I do for my hair today. It is going to be my first day of work – and as much as I despise the fact that I would face that Jongdae guy there, I love teaching too much which makes the offer is hard to be declined.

It might be quite annoying but it is not like we hold any deep grudges between each other anyway, plus, that place is less than 1 km away from my house, about 500 m away from Mom’s flower shop thus the place seems pretty strategic for me. And didn’t I have already planned to say sorry?

Out of excitement and norms, I whistle a song while washing my face then pull the towel that I hang by the door and ruffle it everywhere on my hair before wrapping it neatly around my body. However those lyrics from Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars has turned into the loudest scream I could yell for the first thing that meet my eyes as soon as I open the bathroom door is the guy next door’s face. And so I smash the door shut again however manage to catch the guy’s smile that wears off immediately, as fast as him pivoting around though having a pot in his hand.

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