“You’re coming to school?” I come padding to the kitchen in my socks drinking a glass of water. “Yes.” I answer. Mother’s sick, her voice nasally yet she’s in front of the cooking stove stirring something in a sauce pan.

“Please rest.” I could help her but I’m not sure I know how to cook. She waves me off and stops herself from kissing me as she always does when she leaves for work.

The half day schedule for Saturday did not even feel like it was a half-day. It seems, after failing one exam every teacher is against me like I’m on the brink of failing other subjects too. Like a good student I nodded and assured every educator.

“Where are you going?” Juri grasps her nimble fingers around my wrists and slightly pulls me back. She let’s go after seeing the slight glare forming on my face.

“I’m sorry, I need to go ahead. My mom’s sick.” I turn away and catch her scratching her head, studying me like I’m a confusing abstract painting. Without as much as a grumble, she lets me go.

I rode the bus feeling guilty as soon as I settled in my seat. I sent her a text apologizing for leaving her alone.

From: Juri

It’s ok. Hang out tomorrow? Noraebang!!

Juri explained me what a noraebang is after talking about it for a whole day and she had no idea I knew what she was talking about. We both felt embarrassed but at least the day didn’t end with me still not knowing what a noraebang is.

I accepted her invitation and slid my phone in a pocket, scanning the surroundings outside the window and waiting for my stop. Because I can’t guarantee I can cook to help mother I decided to find a place that sells porridge.  

Porridge safely secured in my hands, I retrace my steps back to a bus stop when my stomach lurched, overwhelming me with feelings I don’t recognize. The same café where Juri took me unfolded before my eyes and if that wasn’t enough Leo was just coming out of the building looking up to the sky and ruffling his hair that just made the tiny raindrops seep into his scalp.

I stood back and think of turning away when his hands caught me, instantly bringing me to the café. I didn’t notice how cold I was until the warmth of the café burned my cheeks.

My eyes glazed over the metal trays holding the cakes for display. The lights, inches from the trays and cakes made the sugar glazed pastries glimmer and a familiar tickly sensation nagged at my mouth.

He suggested we, I repeat we, bring mother some cake. I thought it’s completely unnecessary and I just wanted to go home, despite the dread I’d be coming home to—my studies, most especially my math grade.

Almost every cake had fruit and I crinkled my nose at the sight of strawberries surrounding the most appetizing-looking cake. I lost interest and straightened my attention going back to the dark haired male accompanying me.

Leo looks over to me, poker face at the ready and questions my abrupt loss of interest. Before he could ask, I admitted “I don’t like strawberries.” The building across took my attention for a few seconds, disappointed by its emptiness I turn to Leo and his silence.

“What?” his eyes flickered from me to the cakes obviously questioning my preference.  “It’s not the taste, it’s the texture.” I apologized, maybe I offended him. What if strawberries are his favorite?

I bit my lip and contemplate his silence. He smiles, lips just shy of a red color and my eyes glazed over for a second too long. The semi-opaque plastic holding mother’s porridge stealing my attention away from him. “I need to go.” My hand reached for the plastic bag but he recoils and takes it away from my reach.

“I’ll walk you home.” He seemed to have forgotten the cake idea entirely and headed for the elevator.

The sun bled out an orange color behind the skyscrapers, Leo’s silence provided for a prefect stage for the sun to set magnificently before my eyes. Slow at first, the sun sunk to hide below the horizon. Then as if almost in a blink of an eye, the magnificent oranges, yellows and pinks turned into deep purples and blues darkening the sky and lifting the humidity off the air.

He inches closer to me, the back of my hand feeling his warmth, our gazes meet for a second and I flinch. I just wanted to see if he would stop and appreciate the sun set. I pull my hand away and wrap my hand tightly on the straps of my bag.

Leo asks me for whom the porridge is for and somehow our roles reversed, he did some of the talking while I answered in nods and mumbles. Eventually we reach the park, where he’s always playing soccer and then just a few blocks left and we were home.

“I’ll teach you how to cook.” He chuckles after saying it, my smile fades a little as I see father waiting for me, pacing in front of the house his arms folded in front of him.

I bow and steal the porridge from Leo’s hands. They both don’t say anything while I’m struggling to find the proper words to introduce them. He walks back before I get the chance and enters the house leaving us to follow almost automatically.

Father preferred to talk to Leo alone while Mother enjoys the porridge I bought for her. She eats silently across from me. I sat with my back stiffly straight and eyes shifty as I strain to hear from the living room.

Finally I hear their voices saying brief goodbyes and the telltale sign of my father’s footsteps coming towards us. He doesn’t smile and sits on the table, removing his eyeglasses. His eyes were bloodshot, I hope he had not been drinking. “Your mother told me…” I tune out their words, my sense of time fading with each second or minute I’m not sure but soon he stands and walks up beside me.

“Walk with me.” His smile not reaching his eyes and this time our positions allow me to take an accidental whiff of his sickly sweet, drunken breath. Just like earlier, before I could respond he was already at least twenty steps away from me.

His pace was calm and relaxed but every few seconds I noticed a tick in his posture. It’s a minute movement but his constant fidgeting is really unsettling.

“You okay?” I should be asking him this question, but I nod pretending not to be bothered. My gut churned and my body felt extremely warm and extremely cold in different areas confusing my brain.

The walk to the bus stop seemed to stretch and my feet absently followed him. My gaze dimmed and clouded, I tried to blink it away but the more I did the cloudy the surroundings appeared.

Still he walked and walked and my feet followed. It’s like I was the drunk one. “Father… I mean, Dad… where are you taking me?” He doesn’t stop and so do my feet, just keep walking and w