The next Sunday, Kyungha took Jia to another date. They had lunch at a nice place, though their conversation was always interrupted every so often because of Kyungha’s need to reply to e-mails, text messages and phone calls. Jia could always let those slide because she was used to it. Later on, they caught a movie, though Jia wished they could do something that involved more interaction. Kyungha fell asleep halfway through the movie anyways. Jia felt sorry for him though since he probably didn’t even had a proper sleep for the last previous nights. After the movie, Jia suggested that they just had a walk at a nearby park and chat, and Kyungha agreed. On the way to the park, they stopped by a building of a granite supplier.

“Hey, Jia. I need to meet the supplier for a quick second. I’ll make it really quick, okay? Wait for me.” Kyungha said as he turned off the engine and then left the car. Jia sighed. She pulled out her phone and started to immerse herself into Anipang.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to a solid hour. Jia shoved her phone back into her purse and crossed her arm, as if trapping her frustration inside, stopping it from running wild. She couldn’t control her expression anymore, even when Kyungha finally appeared and got back into the car.

“I’m sorry you had to wait long. Things get a little out of hand back there.” Kyungha simply said as he the engine. Jia rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

“Aww, is my baby angry? Come on... Don’t make that face. Smile?” He asked, playfully pinching Jia’s cheek. Jia shoved his hand away. She could hear him sighing from the side.

“I... I’m sorry. I did it again, didn’t I?” Kyungha rested his head on the steering wheel, looking dejected. “Jia, I didn’t mean to, I just... Things are really hectic for me right now, so I...”

“I know it is. We could have talked about it instead of you treating me like I’m an extra burden which you could abandon any time whenever something important comes up. And this is not the first time something like this happens.” Jia’s firm tone gradually subdued towards the end of her speech. Deep inside she’s contemplating if she’s doing the right thing, if nagging at him would make him understand or simply flop his desire to even try.

Kyungha took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get this straight. Let’s talk about that later. Right now, let’s go to-”

“Forget about today. I don’t feel like it anymore.” Jia rolled her eyes and let out a dismissed sigh.

“Jia, please.” Kyungha reached for Jia’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really sorry about today. I just want you to know that you really mean a lot to me. It’s going to be crazy this week, but I promise you that we’ll get to spend times together after a week. Give me a week, please?”

Jia’s anger died down. Though she still looked sullen, she wasn’t as tense as previously. Her eyes softened with understanding.

“Now isn’t this better? You should have told me earlier. We could have worked our way around even if you’re busy.”

“Next week is my birthday and Fei’s, remember? Let’s celebrate together.” Kyungha suggested, smiling mildly.

“Sounds great.”

“Thanks, baby.” Kyungha cupped her face with his other hand and gave her a brief kiss on the forehead.

-

Jia ran to the door as soon as she heard the door bell rung.

“Coming!” she shouted, grinning from ear to ear even though the door bell started to be annoying. After she opened the door, the delivery guy handed her a piece of form to be signed on. Jia handed it back to him after she signed on it and then received a parcel about the size of an A0 paper, about four times the height and width of an A4 paper, an inch thick. She closed the door and brought the parcel towards the middle of the living room.

“Fei, come here!” Jia called while tearing off the packaging. Fei appeared from her room and peeked curiously. Turned out, the parcel was a printed photograph of them during their painting session last time with Min around. Jia ordered the photo to be printed on canvas and have it wrapped around a wooden frame at the back like a gallery painting. Fei and Jia were seen putting their arm around each other, pressing their cheeks together and grinned widely against the wild splashes of colours in the background.

“It looks great!” Jia exclaimed. Fei nodded. They loved the vibrant, popping colours of the photos, and they both looked really happy in them.

“Can we put this in my room? I think it will look great against the white wall.” Fei suggested.

“Of course! I’m giving this to you anyway!” Jia laughed.

The two girls sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at the large print. Looking at the picture makes her mood better. Jia suddenly looked at Fei who was sitting by her side.

“Let’s have a small celebration on your birthday next week.” Jia suggested.

“Me? What about Kyungha?” Fei and Kyungha coincidentally shared the same date for their birthdays.

“I told Kyungha to come too, but I don’t want to put too much hope.” Jia sighed dismissively and pouted.

Fei reach around for Jia’s shoulder. “Don’t say that. He promised you that he’ll be celebrating his birthday together with you. Let’s bake a cake for both of us together.”

“Sounds fun.”

-

Next Saturday.
Jia’s apartment.

As planned, Jia and Fei both worked together on baking a cake. Fei argued that Jia should make Kyungha’s favorite raspberry cheesecake while Jia insisted they make Fei’s favorite carrot cake. They even had to play rock-paper-scissor to decide, and finally settled on raspberry cheesecake. In all honesty, Jia actually loved cheesecake more than carrot cake. She hesitated at first because she didn’t want to get expectant for Kyungha, but her worries were gradually buried over the joy of baking.

They finished baking as the sun set. Jia personally worked on the frosting, even though she was a bit clumsy at it. She might be a talented painter, but cake decoration was a whole other kind of art. As she squinted her eyes, fully focusing on her work, the house phone rang.

“I’ll get it,” Fei offered. She was working at the other side of the kitchen, working on a set of traditional Chinese dishes. She turned off the stove and wiped her hands clean on the apron before she picked up the phone.

For some reason, Jia had a bad feeling.

“Hello,” Fei spoke into the phone. “Oh, Kyungha. Would you-” her sentence stopped midway, listening to the caller.

“I see. Maybe you should speak with-” again, Fei’s speech was cut short. Shortly after, Fei bid goodbye and put down the phone.

Jia tried not to look curious and patiently waited for Fei to turn around.

“Um, Jia, Kyungha called just now.” Fei informed, looking a bit hesitant.

“Yeah? What did he say?” Jia asked back casually without pausing her work.

“He sounded really busy right now, and he said that he couldn’t make it tonight.”

Jia finally put down her piping bag and took a deep breath. She forced herself to put up a smile.

“It’s okay. I kind of see it coming.”

Fei felt bad. Jia tried not to show it, but Fei could see how her expression hardened for a brief moment just now. Fei walked to Jia and gave her bestfriend a hug.

“Jia, I’m sorry. I…”

“Hey, stop it with the long face. It’s still your birthday today.” Jia pulled away from Fei and smiled wider. She cupped Fei’s small face and playfully squished her cheeks. It made Fei laugh. Her laughter was enough to make Jia happy again.

They went on with their little party anyways. Fei made the food just enough for them; maybe a little extra for two people, but they can eat those for lunch tomorrow. They made warm chococlate and had hours of talkings, laughing at past stories over the comforting warmth of the drink. Once they grew tired of laughing, Fei began to talk about her happier days of her marriage, and how it slowly turned into a hell hole. Jia could tell that Fei had grown stronger ever since she moved here because she no longer cried over the past. She could have a look back into the past and her eyes shone differently, as if she could see the lessons behind instead of getting lost in the misery like she was previously. They both shared stories of their love life, and Jia wasn’t any better as she revealed how she continued to compromise her rank in Kyungha’s list priorities.

As the night grew darker and the girls more somber, a phone call surprised Jia from her long thoughts. It was coming from her cell phone this time.

“Sunha?” Jia picked up her phone. She was Kyungha’s younger sister who was in her final year of high school.

“Jia unnie,” the girl sobbed loudly into the phone.

“Sunha, what happened?!” Jia alerted at the girl’s loud wailing at the other end of the line.

“Unnie, mom fell down the stairs. I tried calling Kyungha oppa many times , but I he is not picking up.”

“Hang in there, I’m coming right now!” Jia looked at Fei and she nodded. The two women got up from the dining table and rushed out of the house.