L i  H u a

"I'm here!" I shouted as I entered the restaurant only revealing Henry. He scoffed and tossed an apron at my face. "Hurry up slowpoke. We're opening soon." I let out a sigh as I walked into the kitchen, tossing my bag aside before he snatched the apron from my hands to put it over me. He tied the knot behind my back before pushing my lower back gently towards my station.

I bumped the counter a little before I playfully glared at him. "Whoops." He said as he shrugged his shoulders before showing me his famous 'It-was-just-an-accident' look. I rolled my eyes before scoffing a little.

Just 30 minutes went by and now the restaurant was flooded with people. One order after another just kept flowing in. I was so busy at my station grilling the meat, while Henry was busy frying the vegetables along with some other Chinese side dish orders. I was in charge of grilling the meat as Henry was in charge of the vegetables. Paul and Julia was in charge of the rice, noodles and soup. I would do desserts along with Henry whenever he has no side orders. Desserts would only be served late at night, which our restaurant would close at 12.30a.m. sharp. Though we only start serving desserts at 10.00p.m. That's when the rest that wasn't helping out in desserts would be able to leave.

"LiLi! We need another medium rare chicken steak!" Jake, the waiter shouted as he entered the kitchen before dashing out to serve more customers. "Got it!" I shouted before he left. I tossed and sizzled oil on the pan before proceeding to finish up the other few orders I had.

"Li!" Henry shouted as I shouted back without lifting my head up. "What up Henry?"

"You ready?" he asked as I heard sizzles on his frying pan from a distance. "Bring it." I shouted back as I swiftly placed all five steaks ready on the plate. Henry dashed towards my station to toss in the vegetables at the side perfectly into each plate. "And that's the way to finish it off! It's ready!" He shouted as he looked up to grin at me. "Idiot." I said loud enough for him to hear as I reached for a bowl of brown sauce. "The sauce for the steak is poured on yet, genius."

He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a soft "Ah.." before his cheeks flushed pink. I poured the sauce on the steak from one plate to another. Just as I was done it was as though some force flew past by me, I looked down at the counter and realized Jake swept all the plates out to serve them. "I still have no idea how he does that." Henry said as he walked back to his station. "No one does!" Paul shouted, agreeing with Henry. "C'mon guys! Focus!" Julia shouted as the rest of us playfully showed her our petrified looks. She raised her hands in the air as we all chuckled. "Hey.. do you guys smell something burning?" I asked as we all started to sniff around. "Henry! You're on fire!" I shouted as my eyes widened. He chuckled and run his fingers through his hair, ily. "I know I am."

"No Henry! Literally!" I shouted as I pointed at his apron that caught on fire. "Oh God!" he shouted as he dashed towards the sink at his station to splash water all over his apron, putting out the fire. He let out a relieved sigh when the fire was out. "Henry! We need a fresh plate of steamed scallops!" Jake shouted as he entered the kitchen. Before he walked out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine, he turned around, looking at the rest of us. "Henry's apron caught on fire again, didn't it?"

"It wasn't on purpose!" Henry shouted as Jake chuckled before walking out. "Oh hush up and get steaming." I snapped at him as he showed me his tongue.

I was literally free for a good 10 minutes. I bent down a little, resting one of my elbows on the table as my chin was in my palm. Just staring at one specific boy. Henry Lau. I let out a sigh as I stared at him. I remember eight years ago, when we promised each other we would open up our own restaurant  and run it together. And here we are now. He's twenty-three, the same age as me. Although our restaurant may seem small compared to a lot of other restaurants, ours was the most well-knowned in this city. Which leads to why we're so busy. Everyone around us, Paul, Julia and Jake has been telling me that Henry likes me, and they say that I like him too. But that can't be true now can it? I mean, he's my childhood friend, and I grew up alongside him. What if we didn't last in a relationship? Wouldn't that screw things up?

"Hey baby, thinking about me there?" I hear a guy saying in front of me, breaking my train of thought. I shook my head a little before standing up straight. "Tch, says you." I said as I lightly tapped Henry's cheek. I turned around leaning my waist on the counter. There he goes again. What were we exactly? Friends? More than friends? Less than lovers? Friends with benefits? What were we? More importantly, what was I to him? I bit my lower lip before letting out a heavy sigh. "What's wrong?" I hear him asking behind my back. I put a smile on my face before turning around to face him, "Nothing, you big baby." I said as he smiled a little. "Why are you smiling for?" 

"You called me baby." he snickered a little before smiling widely. "You're an ."

"But I'm your ."

"Stop flirting the two of you! The two of you are the shift for the night." Paul said as he took off his apron. "Already?" I asked as I look at the clock. 10.02p.m. "Well, reach home safely!" Henry said as Julia came beside me. "It's just the two of you tonight." she whispered into my hear as I leaned away. "What?!"

"Shh!" She said as she pulled me closer because Henry and Paul was already staring. "I know you like him, and guess what? He likes you too. Jake agreed to leave because well, the three of us know." I backed away, blinking my eyes a few times. "N-No Julia, that's not possible."

"Well if you don't believe me that's your problem Li Hua, but just go with your heart. That's all that matters, right?" Julia said as she tried to continue but she was dragged away by Paul, her boyfriend. "Oh shut up Cupid. I'm sure she'll do whatever she thinks is right." He said loud enough for the two of us to hear except for Henry. "Goodnight." Paul and Julia said at the same time before leaving. Paul slinged his arm over Julia as they walked out the kitchen back door. I sighed and smiled, watching them leave.

I felt a head beside mine as I turned a little, only looking at Henry's head. "W-Why are you sighing for?" he asked as I pushed his head away. "No reason." I answered before sliding away from him. "C'mon, there has to be something." He said as he came closer. I took a whisk beside me, which I had no idea why it was there and lingered it in front of Henry's face. "Come closer and I'll hit you with this."

He raised an eyebrow before smirking. That smirk of his, it made him look seductive, yet so innocent. "Oh really? Is it because you like Paul?" I put the whisk down and placed my hands at my waists. "Me? Like Paul? God no!"

"Plus! He's Julia's boyfriend!" I added as he chuckled, coming closer. "Then do you like anyone at the moment?"

I was going to answer something, of course not the actual answer but then, "I need three cheesecakes! All blueberry!" Jake shouted as he came in. He raised an eyebrow after looking at Henry so close to me. "Sorry for interrupting." he said as me and Henry said at the same time, "There's nothing going on!"

I gulped and we exchanged glances before Jake walked out of the kitchen. "W-We should probably get started on the c-cheesecake." I said as I slided away from him to take the ingredients in the fridge. He let out a dry chuckle as he walked towards the other side of his station, getting some ingredients, "Y-Yeah we should."

After I placed the ingredients on the counter, Jake entered the kitchen as he took off his apron. "You two can handle it alone, right?"

"A-Alone?" Henry croaked out a little as I tried to lighten up the mood. "Of course Jake! What do you think we are? Kids?" I said as I threw a peanut at him. Jake opened his mouth, caught the peanut in his mouth as he chewed on the peanut and nodded his head. "That is some good quality peanut." he chuckled as he reached for his bag, slinging it over his shoulder."Bye guys, see you tomorro-"

"There's no work tomorrow Jake." Henry cut him off as Jake tilted his head , looking up to think for a while. "Oh yeah." He said as he looked back down at me and Henry. "I'll see you guys on Saturday then. Have fun, kids." he joked a little as he came closer towards me to give me a light hug. He hugged me and patted my back. "Grab him, LiLi."

We hear a guy clearing his throat and it happens to be Henry. Jake broke the hug as he straighted my clothes, and tightened my apron. He leaned closer to the side of my head, whispering into my ear. "Don't worry, this is just to make Henry jealous. may I?" I smiled a little before nodding my head, whispering back, "Go for it."

He leaned away a little so he could face me again as he leaned in closer to give a kiss on my forehead. He leaned away and smiled. At the corner of my eye, I could see Henry's fists clenching. Jake chuckled a little before letting out a sigh. "I told you it worked." he whispered before walking out through the back door.

I walked towards the counter Henry was at where all the ingredients was as I stood opposite him at the counter. I picked up a bowl and place it in front of me as I gaze up, Henry was already staring at me. "Yes?" I asked with my head tilted to the side a little.

H e n r y .

"Are you two an item?" I blurted out as she smiled before patting my shoulder. "Let's make some cheesecake, hmm?" She bit her lower lip before starting on the cheesecake. I mentally cursed myself in the head, yet letting a list of curse words run through my mind aiming them at Jake. Why the hell did they do that in front of me? Didn't they know I was in the room? I cleared that thought away and just focused on the desserts.

After two hours or more, it was close to 12.30a.m. , all customers left and we were cleaning up in the kitchen. She was at her station just washing the cooking utensils, along with the pots and pans. She pulled up her sleeves and tied her hair into a messy bun, letting few strands of her hair get in the way of her face. I kept stealing glances at her as it made me feel complete. Being by her side, it was enough for me to be happy for a day, maybe even a lifetime if I stare at her long enough. She lifted her chin up to blow away the strands of her hair that got in the way and caught me looking at her. I gulped and looked away, I bit my lower lip as I stared at my counter. I had nothing to do, I was already done cleaning up at my station.

I hear her let out a soft "Hmm.", I was relieved knowing she wasn't going to question why I was staring at her. I turned around to look at her, "Do you need help?" I asked as she lifted her chin again, she flashed a smile before shaking her head. "I'm almost done." She answered as she finished washing all the things she had to wash, now it was left to just wiping them dry.

I came to her side and grabbed a cloth, "I just thought it would be a little more fun with my help." I said as she smiled bumping my shoulder with hers. As we were wiping the cooking utensils dry, it was quiet. No one dared to say anything, maybe it was because of the way I was acting around her that made it so awkward. It was never awkward between us but I guess today was an exception. Lately I've been getting really jealous whenever I see Jake with her, as far as I know there's nothing going on between them, but after seeing him do those things to her, I'm starting to question her trust towards me. I'm the closest friend she's got here, is she being honest with me or was she hiding something?

"S-So.." I croaked out as she placed the pan down, looking at me. "Hmm?" she hummed as she raised an eyebrow. I put the pot and the cloth down on the counter, letting a soft thud of metal being hit on the table. "I'll cut to the chase. What's going on between you and Jake?" 

She shrugged her shoulders as she walked away to the dining area, where we had to arrange the table and chairs. I caught up swiftfully behind her just before the kitchen door closed. "Answer me." I said as I was getting angry but I wasn't showing it. Maybe even afraid that there was really something going on between the two of them. She pushed in the chairs at one table before looking at me. "I don't know what you're talking about." she answered as she moved along to the other table.

I blinked my eyes once in frustration before letting out a heavy sigh. I followed beside her to push in the chairs, "Just tell me, don't you trust me?" 

"I do trust you." She said with a nod as she continued to the other table. "But how can I tell you something when there's nothing to tell?" she asked as she straightened the cloth on the table. "Li Hua." I called her name as she smiled and called my name, "Henry."

"I'm not playing a game with you right now, Li Hua."

"I'm not playing a game with you either Henry."

"Then just answer me!" I raised my voice a little in frustration. She jerked up a little upon hearing my raise my voice. She looked around the room and glued her eyes to the ground. I made my way towards her as she backed up away from me. She stopped walking the moment her back met the wall. "W-What do you want?" She questioned with her voice shaking.

"I just want you to answer me, what's going on between you and Jake?!" I shouted at her this time. I couldn't take it. I was boiling up inside. Not sure whether it was because I felt like she didn't trust me.. or maybe it was because she belonged to Jake. I think it's both.

"What does it have to do with you?!" She shouted back, defending herself. "Because it's driving me insane!" I shouted back as her eyes widened ,before letting out an audible gulp.

L i  H u a

He held me by the shoulders, shaking the me a little. "You're driving me insane." he calmed down a little before loosening the grip at the sides of my arms. I gulped as he let out a sigh. "W-What do you mean?"

"This," he said as he placed a hand on his chest. "It beats way too fast when I'm around you. It's so dumb that it skips a beat whenever you say my name."

"And it boils up on the inside whenever I see you with Jake." I pressed my lips together as I tried to analyze what he was saying. Was he confessing?

"W-What are you trying to say?" I managed to ask even though I was on the edge of just falling down on my knees. He gripped tighter on the sides of my arms as he leaned in closer. "I like you. I like you a lot. I know I shouldn't. But I do."

"I know I can't. Because it'll ruin our friendship and I don't want that to hap-"

I cut him off when slowly I leaned in closer to give kim a kiss on the lips. He completely shut up from there as I leaned away and gulped.

N a r r a t o r

Li Hua avoided Henry's eyes as he was still stunned, blank and he couldn't move. After a few seconds, he blinked his eyes, before finally realizing that he received a kiss from her. Henry gulped as he let go of her shoulders, she slided away from Henry to continue arranging the chairs. Before she could reach to the nearest table, Henry gripped tight on her wrist, causing her to turn around. "W-What?"

"What?" Henry asked as he pulled her closer. With her chest pressing onto his as he hugged her. "H-Henry-" He cut her off by hushing her softly as he closed his eyes, feeling her heartbeat on his chest. It was beating so fast he thought her heart was mimicking his own heart. "You're stupid too." he said as he hugged her tighter. "W-what?" she croaked out as he her hair. "Your heart, it beats just as fast as mine." he whispered loud enough for her to hear.

"And s-so?" Li Hua asked, even though she knows Henry knows the answer.

"It means you like me too."

Yes , yes , I know. Not one of my best oneshots. But I promised a friend so here it is. I HOPE HE LIKES IT. Yes, it's a HE.

Anyways, yep . That's it. Yep.~