The man responded with a shocked expression, just like how she looked like when she recognised the guy. He stood right before her, towering her with an umbrella, staying motionless. It was as if the scene froze and no one moved.

“Chun…” It was the third time she called out his name, this time with a voice that trembled, one that contained much remorse and yet longing for the man she had missed so much. She wanted to say his name again and again, she would never get enough of it. However, she was not sure if she could do so anymore. All she could do was to wait for his reply. If he had smiled, she swore she would jump up and hug him and never let him go.

The rain became heavier.

He left. He turned and left, his right hand gripping tightly the handle of umbrella, without looking back at all.

***

Chun walked out of the bathroom with a towel over his head. His steps were still heavy. They had been heavy since he left the small street and went home. He could not even remember how he managed to reach home. His mind did not seem to be working after the encounter with her.

He knew he still could not forget her but he did not know she was etched so deeply in his mind that he remembered every single detail about her. During the shower the memories had flooded in his mind, making him go through the whole cycle of happiness and pain again. He heard himself laughing heartily at Selina’s failed attempt to joke; he saw himself admiring her elegant dance performed specially for him on a small stage during their 2nd anniversary; he felt her tender touch when he was upset over problems at work; he tasted bitterness when she called him one day and apologize to him, telling him to forget about her.

Was he wrong? Was he too cruel to leave her in the rain alone? He could have at the minimum passed her the umbrella, even if he did not want to talk to her. Selina might be strong in the mind but she had been born with asthma and it could worsen if she did not take good care of herself. Perhaps he was too much.

“No. It was her who betrayed me. I won’t give in to that…” Chun was persuading himself that he was not in the wrong, yet as he recalled her pleading eyes his heart suddenly felt a pang of pain. He was unsure if it was out of guilt but he started to think that he was being a jerk for abandoning a vulnerable person.

***

Selina laid on the couch, her hair wetting the armrest and cushion. She had not bothered to take a warm bath after she got home. It was too tiring for her. Her emotional state was completely ruined. There was no mood for her to even move, not to say bathe.

She did not expect herself to be so weak. Being ditched was upsetting but being treated invisible and ignored was utterly upsetting. That being done by her love pushed her pain level to the maximum. She would rather Chun scold her than walk away like he did not even see her. He must have hated her to the core. She hated herself to the core as well, for making him feel that.

“Chu…” She opened , intending to say his name once more but she stopped. She could not complete the word. He would not even acknowledge her.

***

The doorbell rang. She was reluctant to open the door. It was not the time.
The doorbell rang again. She pulled herself up slowly and opened the door, revealing someone she did not exactly yearn to see.

“Lina.” He regretted immediately when he spouted out the nickname he used to call her. She was only watching him in puzzlement, confused by his change in attitude. Was he out to fool her?

Both of them stood awkwardly opposite each other, unaware of what to say or do. Finally Chun started, “Look, I’m sorry for what I did just now. I was just… I just didn’t know what to do.” Selina smiled. Chun had always been a gentleman. She was glad he had not changed over the years.

It was indeed bizarre that both of them could chat like in the old times after a while. They were not as lovey dovey but they were at least conversing like how friends would, reminding them of the times when they first met. Soon they were laughing at their silly selves few years back and Selina had to force herself not to laugh too much in case her asthma attack start.

“Oh I really missed the times!” Selina exclaimed. “And… I really missed you, Chun.” She was unable to hide her loneliness. She never could hide her feelings from Chun. That was why she chose to break up with him through phone. She knew that if she were to do so face-to-face, she would not be able to bring up the subject.

Chun replied with his gentle smile.

***

Sorry for suddenly making the pace go so fast. I’m running out of ways to write this chapter. Furthermore I’m doing this in the middle of the night without having much sleep few nights before. Please pardon me for any poor expression or any mistake. Point them out to me and I’ll try to edit it so that the story flows more smoothly. (:

Let’s just all pretend that there’re weird couples on earth who can just hate each other for many years and then suddenly become friendly towards each other again k.

Let me just clarify. This is not the end of the story. I think I was being a little unfair to Ella ‘cos she was supposed to be one of the main leads too, thus I will do one more chapter and hopefully her name will be mentioned more often in the next chapter. (:

So you guys just stay tune okay? (:

23.7.09