I only have two pet peeves. The first one is when people mistakenly call the cello something else. People pass you by on the streets when you carry one and they stop you just to say, “Hey, that’s a really big guitar you’re carrying.” No. Just no. Or you show people your cello and you overhear them whisper, “Hey, look! It’s a big violin.” It’s the same feeling as being called your more popular sister’s sister. That’s just wrong. It has its own name—it’s a cello, for Pete’s sake. I don’t know how people manage to ignore its wonderfully rich baritone sound. It’s a crime against humanity.

But at this moment, my second pet peeve is the more pressing issue. I absolutely hate irregularly parked cars. There are lines for a reason. You slip into the designated spot inside the white lines. It’s not that hard. But for some reason, people who somehow earned their driver’s licenses just can’t park correctly. It leaves people like me late for work because I have to go out of my way to park somewhere else. Right now, there’s a silver 2005 Toyota Corolla hogging two parking spaces, one of which is the last space in the lot. I happen to know whose the car is.

“Hey!” I shouted at my phone’s receiver. “And to think I was actually contemplating being friends with you!”

“Whoa. Woke up at the wrong side of the bed, Ms. Sunshine?” There’s a stupidly happy lilt to his voice.

“I was perfectly fine until your car came to ruin my day! I’m running late for a meeting!” I fumed.

“What? What did my car do?”

“Get your out here in the parking lot and park your car right,” I screamed at him. I could almost see him move his phone away from his ears.

Okay. I know. First-world problems. But what can I say? It ticks me off. Especially on days like these.

“Alright, I’m headed down. Don’t worry: the meeting’s been delayed to 9:30, so calm down.”

I felt myself cool down a hundred degrees. Still. Pet peeve. “Next time, learn how to park decently.” I ended the call abruptly. Real mature.

After a few seconds, I saw him exit the building and jog towards my direction.

“You need to lighten up on the caffeine, Shiyoung. Seriously, your voice can wake up hibernating polar bears.” He rubbed his ears for emphasis.

I just gave him a face and a ‘go away’ motion with my right hand. He folded himself into the driver’s seat and fixed his parking. I wonder why he didn’t buy a bigger car—he can certainly afford it. So why put himself in such a cramped space?

I pulled up next to his car before getting out. “I’m still late for work.”

“Sorry.” He was grinning, albeit a bit more apologetically than usual. I guess he knows me enough to still have that grin on his face. He knows me enough to realize I only throw hissy fits at people I’m comfortable with. I almost stopped in my tracks at the realization. I’m suddenly comfortable around him again.

“Hmph.” I wasn’t that angry anymore. The pizza from a few nights ago dispelled almost all ill-will I had. It’s just hard to stay angry at him, ex or not, especially when he acts like an oversized puppy all the time.

“Investors are coming for a visit today, that’s why the meeting got delayed. Lay’s showing them around while the boss sweet-talks them into numbness.” He smiled at me lopsidedly as we stepped into the empty elevator. I noticed that I seemed to be sharing lots of elevator rides with him these days.

I nodded. Lay’s always the front when it came to investors just because his calm demeanor sells. Back when we were all starting, I thought Chanyeol’s magnetic personality and megawatt smile would do the convincing, but I guess it works differently for people holding the cash.

We stay quiet for a few beats. Then a few more. I cleared my throat. He shifted his weight.

“Sorry for going crazy on you,” I said just to have something to say.

“Nah. It spices up the day,” he smiled.

Another blanket of silence.

“I’m sorry.” He suddenly dropped to a low whisper.

“For what?” I looked at him.

“For being a jerk, among other things,” he shrugged, uncomfortable.

I shared his discomfort. Why were we having this conversation all of a sudden? “I thought we were pretending none of that ever happened?”

“I know.” He put his hands on his pockets. “Just wanted to make sure you knew.”

The elevator dinged open. None of us came out.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

We both exited the elevator.

I tried not to think about it for the rest of the day.

--

Since we're going the ficlets direction, I'm updating with shorter anecdotes. Still, enjoy the chapter. ^_^