11 ★ One Night Pt. 2
The Star-Crossed Hearts
"It's funny but not as good as I expected," I comment casually, slinging my bag on shoulder, "and, Jinki, where did you eat actually? What took you so long?"
The movie just finished and four of us have gathered together once we stepped out from the cinema. I try my best not to look awkward or nervous around Myungsoo even though it's quite difficult somehow.
Four of us take the escalator and go downstairs. For my surprise, Jinki excuses himself and his girlfriend because he needs to send her back to her house.
"Ah, it's nine already?" I look at my wristwatch and realize that I still haven't eaten dinner yet. "Wow, time sure passed by too fast."
"Riah, how about you?" Jinki asks me when I have bid him goodbye. "It's late already, you know."
"Yeah, I think I will ask my father to pick me up," I grin, assuring him that it's alright. I turn to Myungsoo, "You're going to get your motorcycle, right?"
He looks at me, blinking without a word before he glances at Jinki and says, "I'll accompany Riah first. See you guys around then."
"Eh? It's alright. My father is already on his way here," I tell him, feeling uncomfortable to stop him from going back earlier. "Really. It's al-"
"It's alright for me too," he cuts my words and bids goodbye once again with Jinki. He takes the next escalator to the lower floor and raises his eyebrow, "Come on, Riah."
This kind of moment actually makes me think if Myungsoo actually knows that I have feelings for him.
"How long will it take for your father to arrive here?" he asks me, leaning to the rail. "Fifteen minutes?"
"Thirty minutes or so," I pretend to be busy with my phone since I'm afraid that I will blush if I look at him. "It's alright if you want to go back now, Myungsoo."
"Thirty minutes? Seriously?" he repeats my first words. "Why don't I drive you back home? I mean, it's late already."
"N-No! It's alright!" I stammer. Why am I stammering?! "He is on his way here so it's alright."
Why am I keep saying 'it's alright' to him? He is seriously making my brain not working properly. I am actually happy with his offer but I don't want to waste his time.
"Really?" he tilts his head and I can't help but to blush. I fake a cough, avoiding his gaze and nod randomly as my answer.
"Why don't we eat something?" I suggest to him. I remember he said that he's hungry during the movie. "Want to grab something to eat while I wait for my father?"
He frowns, trying to think of an option, "Pizza?"
"Anything will do," I reply, not really thinking of a place to pick. "As long as I can eat it."
"Well, pizza will do then. The one upstairs or downstairs?" he gives me another choice to make.
"Anything will do," I give the same answer. I don't know which one to choose because pizza is not my favorite food. "I'll let you choose."
"Yah, Hyung," he laughs and then smiles to me. "Downstairs, downstairs."
We look at the menu, busy deciding which one we will order. His eyes are fixed on a vegetable pizza and I have a bad feeling about this already, knowing that he really likes vegetable.
Meanwhile I really dislike vegetable.
"So...," he taps his fingers on the table, "...which one?"
"Anything will do," I answer without any interest, knowing that whatever he will choose, I need to go with it anyway. There is no way I will order a new menu for myself.
He smiles and then points to the vegetable favor one, "Fine, I'll order this one then. Lemon tea or cola?"
Before I can answer, he quickly adds, "Don't give me 'anything will do' again. Seriously. Choose something, will you?"
"Fine, fine," I laugh at his concern. "Cola it is. Cola, Cola. I choose Cola."
We take a table for two while waiting for the pizza. At first, seconds of awkward silence fill the air but he breaks the atmosphere calmly, "So, how's your preparation for the 'judgement' day?"
"Good. How's yours?" I answer simply, propping my chin on my palm. "Are you doing good with your groupmates?"
"So-so," he replies and changes the topic quickly. "You know, I attend an exhibition today and somehow it makes me think a lot about future career. Maybe I really need to consider working overseas, don't you think so, Riah?"
"Overseas?" I repeat. "You're going overseas after graduation?"
"I guess I will go even before graduation day," he grins widely to me. "I think I'll go to Taiwan and stay there for time being. I'm not even sure that I will attend the graduation day."
My heart feels a pang when he tells me the shocking truth. I know that I will not meet him often soon after our final exams but I never thought that he would go faraway.
"Not sure yet though," he continues. "I'm not the type who can stay still in a company, you know. I think it will be fun to travel from one country to another."
I clench my fists under the table, trying to hide my sadness and fake a smile, "Yeah... Sounds fun!"
"Well, actually I've been thinking of a plan but I don't think it will happen pretty soon," he speaks. "Do you think I can do it?"
"Of course you can!" I state with excitement. "Don't tell yourself you can't do it. You don't even have a reason to say that you can't."
His smile widens and he grins like a little kid, "Yeah. I can't tell you the details yet but, yeah, I think I'm going to have my own business in the future."
"Oh, don't tell the others yet," he quickly tells me. "I'm not even sure yet about the plan so, yeah, don't tell the others, okay?"
"You... No one knows about this yet?" I ask him, wondering if he is telling me the truth.
"Nope," he states calmly. "No one."
My heart skips a beat when my eyes meet with him. Why does he tell me something he doesn't want to tell the others yet?
The happiness is mixed together with the sadness when I remember that he probably will leave Seoul one day.
It becomes more difficult to fake a smile.
Thankfully, our order is done and he stands up to get our pizza. I quickly take a deep breath, telling myself not to show my emotion in front of him.
Am I exaggerating everything?
We start to grab a slice of pizza for ourselves. Putting aside the fact that I dislike vegetables, I try my best to enjoy the pizza and continue the conversation with different topic.
"Sometimes...," Myungsoo looks at his pizza for a second before he bites it, "...I think I will not live long."
"Eh?" I stop eating my pizza and look at him with twisted heart. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, who knows how long someone can live and a friend of mine believes so. Perhaps he has brainwashed me somehow," he laughs. "That's why I eat fast food!"
"Yah, don't say such things," I scold him seriously. I never liked this kind of conversation. In fact I hate it and I don't understand how he can laugh about it.
He looks at me and smiles softly, "I had a grandmother. I always visited her on Sunday with my parents and she always cooked for me."
Not knowing where this conversation is heading to, I focus on his story, "One day, like usual, she went to the market to buy ingredients to prepare my favorite food. I was waiting for her but when she's on her way back, a car hit her."
I gasp slightly. I didn't think that this conversation will reveal his past. Myungsoo continues again, "Things like those... I mean, who knew her life would end that day..."
He takes a piece of tissue and wipes his tears, laughing nervously, "Aish, the pizza has too much flour..."
This is the very first time he tells me about his family. I don't know if that is just a silly excuse from hiding the fact that his eyes are teary or else, but I also feel my heart is aching just by looking at him.
"I... I have a friend when I was still at elementary school...," I speak up. "She had a little sister. She was only four years old and I loved to play with her."
"One day, after years, I came to visit her house and I didn't see her little sister anywhere...," I bite my bottom lip, knowing that I'm going to cry soon. "I finally found out that her little sister has deceased because of leukemia..."
A tear escapes my eyes and I wipe it away quickly, "It's... That's why I don't like this kind of conversation..."
"Aish, I make a girl cried!" he grins awkwardly and I smile as a sign that he doesn't need to worry about me. "Well, yeah, who knows..."
The conversation stops abruptly because my phone vibrates; my father calls me and it can only mean that he has arrived to pick me up.
"Has your father arrived?" he asks, looking at my phone. "Go ahead. I'll go back soon after I finish this last slice."
I nod and leave my seat, "I'll leave first then. Thank you for the pizza."
He nods and, when I'm going to walk pass him, I stop at my steps and dare myself to reach out my hand and ruffle his hair, "Don't think too much, okay?"
"Yeah," he answers me shortly and bids me goodbye. "Take care, Riah."
I walk away from him but the smile on my face stays.
I will never forget this one night for sure.
__________
Author's Note:
Just a little note to remind my beloved readers,
this story is inspired by true events and those conversations above actually happened in real life.
If any of you think that this story somehow is not interesting and lacking some aspects,
please kindly tell me in comment box!
Will appreciate it for sure! ^^
Thank you~
__________
Author's Note:
Just a little note to remind my beloved readers,
this story is inspired by true events and those conversations above actually happened in real life.
If any of you think that this story somehow is not interesting and lacking some aspects,
please kindly tell me in comment box!
Will appreciate it for sure! ^^
Thank you~
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