Tao- "We Have No Map, But We Still Meet"

Secrets Of A Heartless Fairy

 

September 18th/19th, 2006

((Tao))

 
Unknown Number: “Gege?” (3:53 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Why aren’t you answering?” (3:59 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “I called you a thousand times.” (4:07 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “You’re not still mad at me, are you?” (4:12 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Aish! I already said that I was sorry…” (4:18 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “So will you talk to me now?” (4:21 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “Please…?” (4:24 PM)
 
By then, the 16 year-old-me had already snapped because my new smartphone had been constantly beeping with messages from this so called ‘Unknown Number’ ever since I ignored the fifth call. All I knew was that this kid was trying to get a hold of his/her older brother but couldn’t because he/she had the wrong number: MY NUMBER.
 
So, out of pure frustration, I decided to answer.
 
HZT: “Wrong number, kid.” (4:36 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Oh, I’m sorry.” (4:36 PM)
 
After that, the messages stopped… only to continue about an hour later and an hour after that. “Gege, this” and “Gege, that” were all that they said, always expecting a reply but never getting one back.
 
It was the messages at 3 a.m. that actually got my attention.
 
Unknown Number: “Gege” (3:33 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “Please come pick me up.” (3:35 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “It’s raining and I forgot my umbrella…” (3:37 AM)
 
I remember glancing at my phone and sighing while thinking that this kid had to be really bad with numbers to keep confusing them so easily. I don’t know why, but something deep inside of me just urged me to answer the message; after all, whatsapp messages were free, right?
 
HZT: “Kid, you have to stop confusing my number. I’m not your freaking Gege!” (3:37 AM)
 
I know I was a little ruff, but how else are you supposed to get some stranger to stop texting you?
 
Unknown Number: “I’m sorry again. I’ll be more careful next time.” (3:38 AM)
 
I sighed at the response; something was telling me that this kid was still going to keep texting me even if that wasn’t the intention. Plus, it was raining pretty hard that night, too.
 
HZT: “Where are you? I’ll come pick up instead.” (3:40 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “No.” (3:41 AM)
 
HZT: “It’s no big deal. You woke me up anyways.” (3:41 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “Sorry…” (3:43 AM)
 
By then, I had already grabbed my umbrella and my house keys, quietly creeping downstairs and past my sleeping parents’ room.
 
HZT: “Just tell me where you are, will you?” (3:44 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “Right in front of the KIA Motor Building.” (3:44 AM)
 
HZT: “There isn’t one near here…” (3:44 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “It’s in Seoul.” (3:45 AM)
 
HZT: “As in Korea?” (3:45 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “I guess…” (3:45 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “What other ‘Seoul’ is there?” (3:45 AM)
 
I blinked blankly at my phone, holding in all of my desire to crush it with my bare hands. This kid had to be kidding.
 
Unknown Number: “Forget it, I’ll just run.” (3:47 AM)
 
Unknown Number: “My dorm isn’t that far away, anyways.” (3:47 AM)
 
HZT: “WAIT!” (3:48 AM)
 
But it was useless. No matter how many messages I sent after that, they were never replied that night. I tried to get in contact the whole day, but ended up with nothing. I guess I just was hoping that the kid was okay. As the day passed, I couldn’t concentrate at all, not in my schoolwork or my wushu… My mind kept going back to those last messages until I finally received a reply.
 
Unknown Number: “Hello? It’s me.” (10:31 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Um… I just wanted to say that I got my Gege’s correct number now.” (10:31 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “I won’t be bothering you any longer.” (10:31 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Goodbye.” (10:32 PM)
 
HZT: “WAIT!!!!” (10:32 PM)
 
I don’t know what got into me, but I just couldn’t let this kid go, my fingers moved on their own to write down the text.
 
It took a full minute to get an answer.
 
Unknown Number: “Yes?” (10:34 PM)
 
HZT: “You can’t do that.” (10:34 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Do what?” (10:34 PM)
 
HZT: “Text someone for days and then apologize like nothing happened!” (10:34 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “I can’t?” (10:35 PM)
 
HZT: “NO!” (10:35 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “Then what am I supposed to do?” (10:35 PM)
 
HZT: “How do I know?!” (10:35 PM)
 
HZT: “Well, since I already have your number, then at least give me your name.” (10:35 PM)
 
Unknown Number: “It’s Exi, just Exi.” (10:36 PM)
 
I quickly shifted the screen to the contacts list and saved ‘Unknown Number’ to a real name: ‘Exi’. Then I responded.
 
HZT: “I’m Huang Zi Tao.” (10:37 PM)
 
EXI: “It’s nice to meet you, Huang Zi Tao.” (10:37 PM)
 
HZT: “Same here, I guess.” (10:37 PM)
 
HZT: “So, are you okay?” (10:37 PM)
 
EXI: “What do you mean?” (10:38 PM)
 
HZT: “I mean, you didn’t get sick because of the rain or anything, right?” (10:38 PM)
 
EXI: “No.” (10:38 PM)
 
EXI: “I just took a little longer to get to my dorm because of my ankle and the rain, but it wasn’t really that far away.” (10:39 PM)
 
HZT: “I see…” (10:39 PM)
 
HZT: “Wait, your ankle…? You’re hurt?” (10:40 PM)
 
EXI: “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘hurt’…” (10:40 PM)
 
EXI: “But I kind of twisted it some days ago, and I think it got worst yesterday when I slipped in a puddle.” (10:40 PM)
 
HZT: “WHAT?!” (10:41 PM)
 
EXI: “It’s fine. I’m icing it right now.” (10:41 PM)
 
EXI: “The swelling will go down soon, too.” (10:41 PM)
 
HZT: “Swelling?! Exi, you have to go get that checked out right now!” (10:41 PM)
 
EXI: “NO!” (10:42 PM)
 
HZT: “Why?” (10:42 PM)
 
EXI: “Because I hate hospitals… and doctors…” (10:42 PM)
 
HZT: “But you can’t keep walking on a bad ankle!” (10:43 PM)
 
When the girl didn’t respond some minutes later, I tried again.
 
HZT: “Please…?” (10:47 PM)
 
I surprised myself as I sent the last message; after all, it was most definitely a desperate plea to convince this girl to get over her fears. Why was I worrying so much over someone I just met over the internet? I mean, last week she had been nothing more than a simple annoyance, so why did I suddenly care about her so much…? And what’s up with that “please…?” Man, I really wouldn’t have been shocked if she responded with cursing or calling me a e or something like that. Heck, even if she never responded, I would totally understand.
 
But what amazed me was the answer that woke me up some hours later.
 
EXI: “Just wanted to tell you that my Geges took me to a doctor…” (2:01 AM)
 
EXI: “Turns out I had fractured my ankle and I’m going to have to wear a cast for 6 weeks.” (2:01 AM)
 
EXI: “Thanks for worrying about me.” (2:01 AM)
 
HZT: “No… problem…?” (2:02 AM)
 
EXI: “Good night, Huang Zi Tao.” (2:03 AM)
 
HZT: “Yeah, good night, Exi.” (2:04 AM)
 
~*~
 
A/N: Okay, so this is the end of my repair to this story!! I'm so sorry for any inconvinience or confusion that I caused with all this :( I just hope that you understand that I'm still learning so many things when writing a story and being the perfectioninst I am didn't seem to help...  So thank you so much for all the subscribers that stayed with me, you don't know how much it means to me, guys ^_^ I'll be sure to update with a brand new chapter at most tomorrow as a huge thank you to all of you~!
 
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Comments

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KISSmeBecca #1
Chapter 3: the first chapter has me a little worried. what does it mean by when she would have debuted??? D:
foreverachild #2
Chapter 7: xhvbsdhjcjhbfsd awwwwwww tao :3 i just wanna put you in my pocket and take you home :3
foreverachild #3
Chapter 5: n'awwww kai you adorable little boy :3
StaceyHoneybuns
#4
Chapter 1: Wow~ That was amazing ~~ Please update some more. It's so powerful........~ <3 Epic story :D
Aishmin
#5
This seems like it'll be pretty interesting, so I'll be looking forwardto your next update. ^^