"Huh..."

Seeing the silhouette of a figure finally moving and making sound, I was finally certain that my suspicion was proven right. It's a human, not a rock. The person threw something into the water. How come this place looked oddly familiar? Isn't...this, that river? Only difference is that, I'd always go to the other side across the river and not this side. The sight of this river now only reminded me of him, whom I've spent time with for less than an hour, yet had since occupy a corner of my mind no matter what.

Maybe he's a river's spirit or ghost, maybe...I didn't even go to this river last night. Everything still felt surreal-him, more than anything.

"Ouch. Stupid." I muttered the cursing for my own clumsiness as I stepped onto some rock or branch that gave me trouble balancing my high heels that wasn't even that high. I didn't even had time to change to a more suitable shoes. How would I know I'd be heading back to the river of all places? The place I'd be dying to spend time at, if only it's not for work purpose, something I could never imagine. And now, I'm all alone after the ahjumma left, telling me to find Cherry-ish on my own since she already sent me to the place.

Nice Ahjumma, nice. 

But the figure remained quiet and didn't say antyhing. Did he or she not notice me? Could it be Cherryish, or just some other strange people? Or...ghost?

"Excuse me, are you...Cherr-yish ssi?"

There was no answer nor movement. Did I see and hear wrongly? Was it really a human? It was too dark and my eyesight might not be the best.

"Or...do you know where I can find Cherryish ssi? It's too dark and I'm not sure if she...or he...or it...is still here or..."

"What do you want anyway?"

The person cut off my question, sternly. So, it really was a person. Thank goodness. I quickened my steps to approach him. Maybe he's a guard here who could lead me to Cher...yeah, that person I'm supposed to find.

"Cherry-ish. I want to meet Cherry-ish." Not surprisingly, the lighting by the river was a little better, since there's no cluttering bushes to darken the surrounding and to cover the white moonlight. But does it matter? It's not like I even know this Cherryish whether I could see clearly or not. All I knew was that this person here was clad in all black clothing. Not the best outfits to walk outside at night. Doesn't he know safety measures?

"Excuse me mister, can you please show me the way to meet Cherry...ish?" I had no choice but to repeat since he responded with nothing.

"Just go away."

"No. Ahjumma told me Cherryish is here. Could it be you?"

"Who?" He finally turned to face me.

"...you?" I was rendered speechless for a couple of seconds before the response came. My own voice felt so loud, yet I couldn't hear myself. I might sound really stupid. But could you really blame me, in such a surprise?

"Auntie? Don't tell me you're trying to suicide from this side tonight."

"I..." Argh, why couldn't my voice process what my brain wanted to say? My own self conscious haunted and enveloped myself, making me felt so shameful and worthless. Mostly for the recollection of thoughts I dared to entertain, this early morning. How could I even...aish...I didn't, I never thought I would see him again...what more...I didn't thought I would see him again this fast.

"Don't tell me you're stalking me. Again."

"No...no...I just...oh...right. Cherryish. Where's Cherryish? You're not Cherryish...right?"

He only scoffed in return.

"What's your name?"

"Oh...so now someone wants to get to know me?"

"I just want to make sure whether you're Cherryish or not."

"Does it matter? Why do you bother about that cherry so much?"

"Of course it matters. I'm here because of Cherryish. I won't leave before I meet Cherryish."

"Oh, really? You can just go back, then."

"I told you. I won't."

"Suits yourself. For all I know, you could just be making up some lame story because you're attracted to me and just couldn't get me out of your mind. Didn't I say that you don't have to see me again? Yet you're here. Stalking me. Yet not admitting still. Your pride is amazing, auntie."

"Your arrogance is amazing too, kid." I could've said more. I should've had. But I couldn't. Because half of what he said was true. Though I didn't come to stalk him. And I didn't even know he would be here. But even if his accusations were right, I wouldn't have admitted it either. How could I? You wouldn't be able to either, if you had to hear all his arrogant words, even if they're true.

Tell me I'm not dreaming. What if I wake up tomorrow morning and everything that happened now is just a dream...and that I never met him, and I'm just imagining things I wanted to see because of what happened last night, which, I wasn't even sure if it really did happen.

If I could pinch his cheek, maybe I could find out if he's real...no...bad idea, what was I thinking. Ugh. Stop it already.

"Is that all you have to say, auntie? So, my arrogance made you blush?" He sneered.

"What? ...blush?...no. That's...that's the ahjumma...she said nonsense things."

"What ahjumma? I don't see anyone else here."

"Here." I shoved to him the container that had the roselle drink ahjumma prepared just now. It was supposed to be for Cherryish but I gave it to him without much thinking. I just hoped to do anything to shut him down for a second and make him listen to me and take my words seriously. Of course I'd want to meet him. I'd be crazy if I didn't want to, but right now, the one I need to meet would be Cherryish. Time's running out and I have yet to achieve anything. If he couldn't help me, maybe I should just go back to...I didn't know his name...but that guy. That pleasant guy who said he could get the message to Cherryish. I should've just agreed to him. But then, I wouldn't have meet this kid again. But is meeting this kid again really a good thing?

He took a stride towards me, maybe because I was holding out the container from a fairly unreachable distance. But it made me flustered enough to took a step backwards and I knew it was a mistake when I heard him scoff again.

"How do you expect me to take it if you're going to run away. When was your last relationship?" He sniggered as if there was something funny that just happened when there wasn't, at least not for me.

"None of your business, kid. Mind your own relationships with your grannies." What does my last relationship had to do with anything, anyway?

Suddenly he grasped my wrist, after taking the container.

"Yah, it hurts, you punk!"

"Why do you know about that?"

"What? Grannies? You're the one who told me." His grip tightened at the mention of grannies. Why?

"I did?...why do you remember?"

"Be...because...it's just...yesterday? I'm not that old or amnesiac to forget things easily. What's the big deal anyway?"

"Forget it, and don't mention it again." There wasn't anything playfully taunting about his tone, but rather, everything from his tight frown and his stern yet low, almost soundless voice, to his tightened grip, screamed a real warning. But somehow, scared wasn't the word I'd say, described my feelings perfectly. It was something else. But I wasted no time to assure him that I would heed and obey his warning, until he calmed down and released his grip.

He drank everything in one go, making me realize the horrible mistake I could possibly just did, unless...he's...

"How...how was it?"

"Nothing special. I'm thirsty." He shrugged.

"Are you...Cherryish?"

"What if I am? What if I'm not? What does it matter?"

"Because, if you're not Cherryish then I shouldn't waste time here, and go to find her...or him..."

"So what if you don't find this Cherryish?! Worst come to worst, you'll just lose a job. Probably not even a great one."

"What? Hey...listen kid...to you it might be nothing, but to me, my job is the only thing I have in life besides my family. If I lose it, it's like losing half my life. So, don't speak so lightly about other people's priorities."

"You can just get a new job."

"Huh...you're crazy." My voice almost broke but I kept going on without thinking, revealing things I shouldn't reveal to anyone, especially not to a stranger, and even moreso, not to a stranger I found my ownself unreasonably attracted to.

"I'm thirty nine years old! Do you think a thirty-nine year old ahjumma can just go out on the streets and get a job just like that? I'd have to go under the knife and change things on my face and body to look young and then lie about my age to get a new job. Even then, I'm not sure if I could even score a new job." Realization hit me hard at the last confession, as I felt not only my voice shaking, but my whole body vibrated at the realization. The realization of what would happen when I lose my job, the realization of how important this job is to me, and how hard I had to cling to it, even if everyday was just tiring. It was the only thing I have even if he was right...that the job wasn't even anything great but it was all I have. I couldn't lose it or I'd be scorned for life for having nothing at this age. It was just too frightening.

"Sorry."

I nodded, looking down on my feet since I couldn't look at him anymore...maybe out of the upset feelings or maybe I was just ashamed of my ownself, yet I couldn't stop the trembling even as I mentally chant a self reminder to get it off my head already.

"I said, I'm sorry. Why are you still shivering like it's so cold? It's already Summer."

It wasn't cold. In fact, it felt like Summer became warm faster than how it usually take for this muggy season to settle in. But I just felt too tired after the outburst to argue that I simply remained silent, even as he stepped forward and seized my whole being into a hug, sliding one hand up and down across my back continuously for a few times as the other simply held, and moments later, pulled and squeezed my form even closer, I simply stayed quiet, did and said nothing, only taking in the strong scent of wood, with a vague tinge of eucalyptus and rose radiating from him since my face was buried against his black silk-like shirt anyway. Even my mind felt blank, maybe except for the thought of how nice yet unusual he smelt and how Summer's warmth came so early this year. Even though I never liked anything too warm, it wasn't that bad now.

"That's enough. I need to go now." I said dryly after regaining some of my sanity though my own voice still felt like in daze.

"Did you meet anyone good today?" He swerved the topic, but not his hands, his self.

"Yes, I did."

"Then you should just hold on to him, instead of worrying other stuffs...didn't I tell you, you'd meet someone who'd change your life in June?"

But the thing is, you're only making it harder for me to go to him now.

I let out a sigh.

"Okay. I'll go to him now. Would you mind, release me now?"

"No. Do you know how many girls out there want to be at your place now? And yet, you're humiliating me now. At least hug me back so that it wouldn't look like I'm forcing this on you. I'm just doing what anyone in the same position should've done."

His arguments were so weird but I wasn't in the mood to argue back. 

"Who cares? There's nobody here to look anyway."

"I told you, hug me back, auntie. Unless you don't really want to meet Cherryish."

That, alarmed me. Because I believe his words. Even though I hate how he's pulling me to him, only to be pushing me away later on, telling me to go to the other guy when he's only making it more and more difficult, and even though I was scared to think of how this would plunge me deeper and whether or not I could make it out of this lair safely, the temptations were too great, and I really had nothing to lose, except maybe just my heart. Thus, I braved to do as I was told and hesitantly moved my arms upward even as my fingers grew cold and stiffened. Maybe it was because the last time my fingers wrapped themselves to hug someone was some six-seven years ago, when I had a fight with Mother and she brought up about my last relationship with the guy who turned out a swindler some five-six years before, and also my younger sister who's more successful and happily married to a French guy and lived abroad. And I brought up about Father. We simply threw sharp words and hurt each other and ended up crying, embracing and apologizing to each other. And ever since then, I had built a wall to keep the conversation with Mother, as basic as possible. So that nobody would get hurt again. And back to now, I wanted to think that my stiff fingers fitted perfectly on his rigid back, but even the thought of tearing a page, or line from tacky unrealistic romance novel I'd read in my middle to late twenties before I threw them away for 'self-growth', felt too shamefully cringe-inducing. No, they didn't fit perfectly at all, maybe just awkwardly.

"Now, can I be let go?" My voice turned a little hoarse, as I tried hard to conceal any trembling sound, even though I wasn't sure if there's any, just to be on the safe side.

"No." He lowered his head and mumbled into my ear. "I can't let you go now. Stay with me here,...until the sun rises. You won't regret, I promise."

"What? Wh...why?"

"Why don't you wait until morning comes first?"

It would be too surreal and beautiful a dream to spend the entire of hours to come with him even in dreams, but in my situation, it felt so wrong. I hadn't even gotten the chance to speak to this Cherryish. And worse...I had already made a promise. 

"Come back here before the sun rises? I'll wait."

How could I make him wait in vain for the whole night when I had already promised him? How would I be able to face him and my ownself if I break my promise?

But how could I leave the him who made my mundane but calm and stable life splashed with all erratic colours that makes everything haywire when he's the one who want me to stay? When will I ever have this opportunity again in my remaining lifetime?

It was at an unspecified time, in the wee hours of morning, second of June; that I realized I was trapped in between two promises, where I wanted to keep both, but knew it was impossible.

And I wondered how I would weather through the remaining of this warm early morning, without being burnt to ashes, dusts flying in the hot Summer air.

Thank you for not being silent readers /bows/(obviously not directing this to silent readers lol),  it's ok to not comment when you haven't read it...but i know when i have readers or not...sigh...;)...good thing is...june isn't that far off to end n the events in the fic are going quite slow as usual compared to what i have in planning...i will try harder to refrain myself from giving fast updates you don't earn^^/

anyway, feel the kdrama-ishness? i'm trying my best to make it not so cheesily kdramatic but it went that way anyway...before you think my story is that cliche though...think of ur oppars' songs lyrics that are lame cliches too..../runs/ n my cheesy.mushy ness is getting worse n scaring myself..../creys/

edit-sorry...forgot to add some poll for funzz...xD