Week 4

Day 17

Chun waited for Ella to feel and look a lot better before he could even talk to her. But after even a day, he couldn’t take it any longer. He needed to talk to her and he felt like it was his obligation to, and so he did. And maybe it was also luck siding with him that Charlene was in his office, so she asked him to call Ella in instead of him walking to her work cubicle.

“Are you busy?” he asked, a little too gentle for her liking and of course, having to know that rude side of his. “Okay, um, are you doing anything after office hours?”

Just lately, he was asking whether or not she was busy at all. The next thing she knows, he’s asking her oh-so precious time after office hours.

“Which do I answer first?” she found it in her ability to respond.

“Whatever. The second, that’s most important,” he replied. “But never mind, I’ll take it as that you don’t have anything going right after office hours, so you will come with me.”

“And what makes you be in the right to do so?” she retorted.

“Please stop being stubborn, Ms. Chen, and just do as I please,” he said, begging. “Please, just for once?”

“Fine!” she exclaimed. “But don’t you forget that I still have a grudge on you concerning what happened back at the villa!”

“I know, I know,” he said, and smiled with that very awkward smile plastered on his face when she’s walk out of his office.

On the other hand, Ella smirked with her arms crossed as she walked out of his office, murmuring, “Bastard always gets his way. He asks me that, but then instead runs off with his own decision. Don’t I have my own decision, too, now?”

Then she stopped dead on her tracks, realizing that she’d just done something terrifying.

“…or am I just letting him get his way on purpose?”

--

That night…when Ella had immediately situated himself on Chun’s car’s passenger seat, she was asked…

“So where do you usually go on dates?” he asked, quite suspiciously.

“On dates? With whom? I’m single, nigga. You must know that.”

“Ms. Chen, are you drunk?” he asked this most confidently and with a laugh, pertaining to her perky attitude on-going. With this, he also got the engine started and the car out of the basement parking.

“Please stop it with the formalities, Wooooooooo Chun, and call me Ella when we‘re outside the company. You know, like E-L-L-A,” she spelled it out; afraid he wouldn’t catch it right.

“Shouldn’t I be the one suggesting that?” he asked, a smile on the corner of his lips. “So where do we go?”

“I thought you’re purposely just pulling me to wherever you’re going?” she asked in wonder.

“Are you just going to be like that?” he turned serious all of a sudden, arms draped on the steering wheel as he put the car on a halt for a red light. “I mean…aren’t you getting the hint that I’m actually trying to make up for what happened back at the villa? And for walking in on your personal matters.”

“Boyfriend? You mean ex? And what about what happened back at the villa?” she asked, almost forgetting what misfortune had happened. “The villa- Ah, why must you even remind me of that?” she asked in frustration, a hand of hers on top of her head. ‘Embarrassing, embarrassing,’ she spoke mentally to herself. ‘Now, what am I supposed to say?’ She hadn’t even any time thinking about what conversation she had with Jerry yesterday.

“Just…Ms. Che- Ella…tell me where you want to go,” he offered. “Or maybe…just for a suggestion…maybe…just maybe, really. You could make me do anything your boyfriend did for you previously?”

With that, an awkward silence. Just lately, Chun made Ella feel so embarrassed by reminding her of that ‘villa incident’. Now, she doesn’t even know what to feel anymore. Was it that Chun just in talking to girls? And was it even right to remind someone of their ex or anything that happened previously between a couple who previously had connection to each other?

Right now, she can’t help but feel emotional. Memories with Jerry flooded in her mind. One, with them out on a candle-lit dinner. Two, her days with him out the park…just walking. Three, going to arcades and playing air hockey until the arcade closes. Four, kisses they’ve shared, of course. Five, the really terrible feeling of not being said ‘I love you’ back at and the fact that they have never really had any memorable argument at that. And of course…six, the day he unexpectedly broke up with her for another girl he claimed he had the hots for who he recently broke up with, too. Of course we’ll come to a number seven…Jerry making her feel bitter for being so useless, she felt like a rebound and replacement, all the same and her being first than the girl he had a replacement for her didn’t even mind.

“Ella?” a voice resounded in her head, bringing her out of her reverie.

As a response, she only looked at him when the green light hit red with a questioning expression plastered on her face. “You were saying something?”

“I was saying…” his words reached a fade. Clearly, Wu Chun didn’t know what to break the silence with as a topic.

“I remember,” she cut in. “If you’re really feeling bad about everything, you could just…maybe take me to the park or something? Go with me on a very long walk, just…I like the feeling of being one with nature,” she laughed. “Usually my dates go on a two-day basis, but since you aren’t really my boyfriend, to be very exact…I’ll let you off.”

“Any particular park you want to go to?” he asked, curious.

“The CK Memorial Hall.”

--

They’ve been in Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall for over an hour already since the clock strike 7. If Chun not be mistaken, it was almost closing time in over an hour or three. He didn’t really know what to talk to her about. She wasn’t even starting anything, so he took it as she wanted to stay silent for only so long, she’ll eventually find time to speak and break the silence. But really, he had to admit that keeping her company without saying anything felt a little boring. They’ve been in the field for about 30 minutes without her saying anything…AT ALL. He even thought she wouldn’t talk at all anymore, until she did…

“Do you know why he was at the company yesterday?” she asked, looking back at the man who was following her from behind. “I don’t know actually if I should really involve you in this or even talk to you about this, but since I sort of used you…like you know I did back at the villa, I thought you should know why I’m acting very paranoid around my bastard of an ex-boyfriend.”

He only listened at that. He was still walking with her, a jacket of his hung around an arm of his.

“So, um…he asked me if there’s a possibility that we could be together yet again,” she smirked. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him and I don’t know what the heck is wrong with me. It’s not that I accepted him again, but you know…Jerry asking that feels like new nature to me. No, maybe not. But you know…I feel so useless. Like there’s inkling inside of me asking myself if I’m that easy of a woman. Like…why would he even think I’d want to get back? I mean…he wouldn’t be asking me that if he hadn’t thought of possibilities, right? On the other hand, I’ve realized just how he could replace me easily. I felt like rebound or maybe a replacement that would be replaced again, so getting back with him…why even bother, right?”

“I-” Before Chun could even continue further, he felt his mobile phone vibrate. “Ella, wait, um, I just have to answer this call.” His phone flashed Charlene’s name on the screen and he wondered why she would call at this time quarter to 8. Furthermore, office hours were over. Ella haven’t even caught what he said, continuing with her rant…

“And like…”

“Sir, I needed to overtime. I’m very sorry, but the senior executive of the company we recently signed a contract with in name of Mr. Bai called. He told me he’s informed you of this. He’s pertaining to a business trip for 3 months in our main branch in Singapore. Our branches there have been having some problems lately and if they persist, Mr. Bai promises to cancel the contract. I…”

It continued further. Charlene’s bantering about the companies, that is. Chun let out a heavy gasp out of nervousness and he wasn’t on the verge of involving Ella in this. “I, um, I’ll get back at you.”

“But Mr. Wu, I really need to confirm your flight early tomorrow. Are you going or am I scheduling your elder brother, instead?”

It has always been like that. Daniel substituting for Chun whenever he wasn’t available. But this time round, with things quite in a scramble and Chun remembering that Daniel has got something scheduled for tomorrow, he needed to take the risk.

“I’ll call you back. I promise. I will. I just need to finish something.”

After the call, Chun was left in oblivion. His upper teeth bit on his lower lip and a hand of his ran a hand through his hair. Clearly, Wu Chun wasn’t in any way stable. But when he’d notice Ella looking at him in confusion, he lightened a bit and relaxed his nerves to be able to talk to her. But when he’d look at her, his heart began racing. Maybe it was because it was disrespectful of him to not even bother checking if she was even aware of him receiving a call and letting her continue her rant without him listening. At impulse, he thought of something. Rather really just at impulse. Something he’s not even sure of if he’ll do right at this very moment. And then the pounding in his heart began rising again. This time, louder and that urge to do that something he thought of at impulse came very strong. There was an awkward silence between him and Ella that he couldn’t quite decipher why. Then he found himself walking toward her direction. He is now inches and centimeters apart. In an instant, he lost himself in her eyes as he gazed at her brown orbs.

On the other hand, Ella was rather confused. She watched him come nearer to her inches and centimeters apart. She walked a step backwards, almost falling just as he caught her by the waist with his strong arms and captured with his in a kiss as he had her pushed back to him. Everything went so fast, but she made a mental note to herself to close her eyes. After all, this wasn’t anything new; definitely nothing new nature to her. And maybe it was paranoia at her side thinking he was drunk again, but no…she didn’t notice him drinking anything with alcohol. At least, that’s what she took note of.

His lips moved with hers in a steady pace and she couldn’t help but get caught up in it, too. Every move his lips made, she had an appropriate response to; when he started at her lower lip, when he kissed her fully, when…just everything. Then she got both her hands on top of his shoulders, not finding her hands snaking round his neck that very comfortable. If one imagine just how good this scene is and in every angle there is and perspective...that would be perfect.

The kiss’ effect was strong. It wasn’t anything disrespectful to both parties. It was rather chaste with no bad intentions. Maybe it was also right moment at that time, so no one of them drew back. For if they did, they both knew just how awkward that would get.

And just right after a minute or two, he gently drew back with his nose touching with hers this time around. Both donned smiles on their faces, but whether or not there was attraction…one of them isn’t sure as to whether or not to take the chance in love again.

Again, Chun heaved out a deep sigh, realizing that he needed to take the next step. It was now or never now that he’s realized that he likes her so very much.

“Ella Chen, I know I’m asking this all of a sudden,” he started. But before he could, there was a distraction of noises with colors of different styles of fireworks decorating the sky making the atmosphere even more perfect. “Wow, fireworks.”

“Yeah,” she joined with a small laugh. “So you were saying?”

“Ella Chen, will you be my girlfriend?”

For a minute, she was stunned. She snapped herself out of her terrified turned romantic feelings for him in an instant and turned heck serious. She realized that she has been too caught up with everything. Maybe it was also the activity they did together that made her think they were really together, but his question woke her up to reality, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hurt his feelings.

“I…” she started, in a rather bitter manner. “I…really don’t know. No. I‘m sorry.”

She said it very clearly and he understood her very well. He was hurt, of course. Both internally and externally, but there was no blaming. He didn’t want her to feel guilty for doing that even if it‘s his first time of rejection. After all, he’s Wu Chun and no woman has ever turned him down except now. By Ella Chen, of course. It was a decision he asked her to make and there was no blaming no one whether or not she answer a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. But deep inside, he was willing to wait. If after 3 months (the time he comes back) and he comes back with her single, he wasn’t anymore going to take ‘no’ for an answer. For maybe at that time, the attraction would even be worst and things will level up. He knew. He just knew. He knows he will like her more than the way he feels for her now and it will be love.

Again, there was awkward silence between the two. Chun had a very handsome and genuine grin. It was legit. But he’d let her go when she began walking away. He respects her decision and he isn’t going to get mad at no one…at all.

‘Maybe it was rushed,’ so he’s realized. But 3 meters away from her, he shouted her name…

“Ella, wait!”

This time, he was even more hurt for turning back at him was an Ella at her most fragile state. She had tears running down her face and she had that look that says ‘I’m really sorry, I couldn’t’. And then he rushed to her side.

“Come here,” he whispered. “You must know you don’t have anything to feel sorry for. It’s no one’s fault,” and he said this as he thumbed away her tears with his hands. “Instead, I’d like to thank you for everything.”

Then he hugged her, however confusing it meant to her. It was nothing intimate this time. It felt more like a friend hugging a fellow friend.

“So should I bring you home now?” he asked, putting his hands over her shoulders in protection as he tried to squeeze her. That kind of squeeze when you want someone to feel better. That kind.

She only nodded before slipping out an apology again, “Mhmm. I’m really sorry.”

--

Going back home isn’t any easier for Ella for she lay in bed two our three hours still after Chun had dropped her. It is almost 12, not that she knows of just as she lay in bed now in a serious and deep daze. Her teeth dug into her lower lip and her right hand is just right above her forehead in contemplation. She began remembering then every minuscule detail about the kiss and…Chun’s sudden outburst of a confession.

“Everything just went so fast.”

She isn’t talking to anyone in particular, really. Not that there is anyone else other than her in her room.

“But it’s weird…I don’t know whether or not, at times, we’re okay with each other.”

Again, she is reminiscing. That time of Chun’s sudden range in the office; that first time she witnessed him showcasing an emotion of sorts. Then her mind visuals shifted to that time at the villa wherein she gave into his pleas. She is talking about how easily their tempers waver. She was pertaining to some times that they were okay to each other and when they aren’t, but maybe everything has reasons after all. Oh, and the awkwardness. It definitely proves a fact: that they were in like with each other and there was no use denying.

She couldn’t quite know what to think of first, actually. There was so much going through her mind and then… a picture of Jerry grinning flashed on her mind. That’s right! She just remembered that she recently got her heart broken. Now she doesn’t know whether or not it’s right timing at all to like or maybe even love someone else in form of Wu Chun.

Apart from all those thoughts, deep down in her heart she knew the answer. To confirm it, you’ve just got to wait for the next chapter.

--

© Meng Rui Fan

Last chapter for the short story coming right up the next time I update. It may be before January 1, January 1, itself, or any other day after January 1. Now, did I not just say or rather type January 1 a lot?

TO ALL OF YOU READING THIS, ADVANCED HAPPY NEW YEAR! Gosh, it's the last day of 2010. I am so gonna miss the year that gave me the MOST life lessons.

@ 1:47 AM. :)