Nine.

BOM

For the next 20 minutes, I’ve been hounded by my fellow neighbors, asking me about my accident and how I was doing and coping with my state. It was okay, at first. I deemed it was the perfect getaway from the feelings that bothered me from seeing Seunghyun and him talking to another girl.

As time went on however, I must say I was pretty getting fed up with all the attention, pity and concern. Plus, I couldn’t drink. Mai had successfully snatched every wine glass I would get my hands onto. Even when I thought I was already stealthy, she would magically turn up in front of me and seize the liquor away.

“Oh, come on, Mai! Just a sip! Just one freaking sip!”

But she was unbending. “There’s juice in the fridge.”

And then she would walk out on me just like that.

To add up to my frustration, Mai’s youngest son, Gabriel, kept on killing all the fire from the candles. What’s worse was that whenever he does that, he would look at me with a wicked smile on his face.

Rascal.

But then I realized shortly, he wasn’t exactly doing that to rile me. It was his way of enjoying himself in this party where obviously he was being ignored. Mai and Soohwan were, of course, busy entertaining and chatting with their guests. His brothers were occupied as well, flirting with the other teenage girls. Gabriel was the only eight-year-old kid on the 6th floor, and as expected, no one would ever think of spending a little time with him.

After lighting up the candles that Gabriel had blown off, I was able to get hold of him.

“How about we play some Scrabble?” I put forward. Since Mai wasn’t talking to me either, and I couldn’t bear seeing Seunghyun with Yoona—particularly at how perfect they look together—and that I also couldn’t take anymore of my neighbors questioning me as to how I was doing in regard with my can’t-walk-can’t-run-can’t-jump condition, I thought why not just spend it with the other lonely person in the party aside from me.

Plus, hanging out with him will keep him from causing any more trouble.

Gabriel’s eyes glimmered with delight, ing his tiny fist to the air. “Yeah!”

He led me to his room which he shares with his two other brothers, and then pulled out a rectangular box underneath his bed. After laying out the board and all the tiles, we played Scrabble according to the rules.

Of course, I was winning the game by a mile. Gabriel accused me of cheating, blaming my being a grown-up as to why he was losing. While he appeared to be so disgruntled, I was laughing hysterically. He was adorable.

The sound of my laughter might have carried outside because the door suddenly swung open. My eyes met Mai, who didn’t seem to be delighted at all by what she saw.

“There you are,” she said, exasperated. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Why?” I asked, wiping carefully the tears that seeped out of my eyes from my laughing.

“It’s time.”

“For what?”

“The plan.”

Right. The plan. “What if we just forget about it? It’ll fail, anyway. Seunghyun is already having a blast out there with Yoona.”

Mai walked in, closed the door and sat beside me. “What are you talking about? He’s bored talking to her.”

There was uncertainty in Mai’s eyes and voice, leading me to believe that she only said the last sentence to console me.

“Come on,” she bade, standing up and walking to the door. “Get out and let’s snatch Seunghyun away from Yoona’s witch hands.”

Gabriel sniggered at that. Mai turned to him and lifted an index finger. “You did not hear me say that.”

He nodded in compliance, still giggling.

I brought myself out. The sound of people conversing all at the same time and the scent of the candles overwhelmed my senses immediately. For a moment, I felt nauseous. But as soon as I got accustomed by all of it, I felt fine.

I did not spare a full look at Seunghyun and Yoona, but out of the corner of my eye, they were standing next to each other by the window.

My stomach jolted again but I fought the impulse to cringe from the pain. Whatever Mai was planning to do, I promise that I will not expect anything.

It wasn’t long until I discover what exactly the plan was when she announced to everyone that I prepared a song number for her husband.

My heart boomed in my chest. I wasn’t ready for this.

But, wait. So this was the plan? I was going to sing?

I remembered Mai told me I had an angel’s voice after I sang at the Christmas party held for all Rosemary’s tenants last year. Of course I thought it was a ridiculous compliment. Mai is generally a nice person it’s expected of her to spurt out some praise to me like that.

I remained frozen on my spot. My fingers went stiff on the wheels of my wheelchair I couldn’t spin them, hopefully to leave. The nervousness even multiplied when all the guests simultaneously turned their focus on me.

Needless to say, my confidence, whatever that was left of it, went down the drain. Whoosh.

“Come over here, Bom,” Mai called out, beckoning me with her hands. And there I went—slowly—by the electric organ.

Aigoo. What in the world was she thinking? Will singing make her find out how Seunghyun feels about me? Isn’t it obvious enough that when he went to this party and didn’t even find a chance or way to come up to me just to say hi, it had already been a confirmation that no, he doesn’t like me one bit?

Mai doubled over and whispered to me, “Sing something romantic and sweet, okay?”

It was apparent to me that I didn’t want to sing. But I also didn’t want to disappoint Mai. And Soohwan, who was led to believe that I was actually going to sing for him. And the rest of the guests, who were staring at me, anticipating for my performance.

Times like this, I really did wish I have powers to disappear.

I turned to the keyboard. And then after breathing deep and counting one to three in my head, I softly hit the keys and began to sing.

~*~