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Prince Bubble Tea and I have been texting each other for months now. Our conversations weren’t really as long as when we first chatted with each other but in a way, I was already contented. It’s like we know each other personally but we don’t. We’re not required to text each other almost every day and I’m fine with it because I don’t want to come to the point that he’ll get tired of me and eventually just stop.

   It’s amazing how we tell each other about our days and what’s going on and all those stuff when the only thing we know about each other were our age and where we live. We just communicate with each other as if we’re really friends and we didn’t have to reveal much about ourselves.

   Although sometimes, I get curious as to how he looks like or where exactly he lives in Seoul but I didn’t want to creep him out and ask his picture or anything.

   “Jinri?”

   I perked up when I heard my parents downstairs. I dropped my phone on the bed and ran to meet them. It felt like it was the first time I saw them. They still look young as ever but I know that somewhere, they aged because of work. “Umma! Appa!”

   “Hey, baby girl.” Appa smiled and greeted me with a hug. “Wow, you’ve grown!”

   I faced them and grinned, nodding. “Of course!” I feel so happy like there is this feeling inside of me, waiting to burst out. “How have you been? I missed you, two! Are you staying?” I kissed Mom on the cheek.

   “We’re fine, hun.” Umma answered, “We miss you too but we just dropped by to change. There’s an important business party that we have to attend so we’ll be coming home late as always.”

   “Oh.”

   “We’re sorry, baby girl.” Appa smiled apologetically, “But we knew you’re up so we thought we’d see you first before we get going.”

   I lost my mood. That’s exactly what they did. They went home, said hi to me, changed into some formal attire, I don’t know, told me goodbye, and went off. That’s it. They couldn’t even join me to dinner. Not that I have dinner prepared anyway but couldn’t they just stay for me? At all? Maybe, an hour of their time would be enough for me . . . Just an hour enough for me to feel that I still have parents.

From: Prince Bubble Tea
     Are you okay? Your mood suddenly dropped when you came back.

To: Prince Bubble Tea
     I’m fine. :) Sorry about that.

From: Prince Bubble Tea
     Did something happen?

To: Prince Bubble Tea
     Nothing really important . . .

   It took him a few minutes to reply. Maybe, he didn’t want to talk to me because “my mood suddenly dropped.” After all, between us, I’m the talkative one. I’m the one who keeps the conversation going. I’m the one who got a lot of things to say. I’m the one—

   The ringing of my phone stopped me from my bitter train of thoughts. I didn’t really mean to think that way. Maybe it’s just because of my parents but I really love talking to . . .

Prince Bubble Tea calling . . .

   My heart started to pound and I felt suddenly nervous. Why on earth is he calling? Wait, should I even answer? Oh my god. I’m panicking! What do I do?! I stared at my blinking screen and gulped. Well, maaaaaybe it wouldn’t hurt to . . . answer his call? BUT WHY IS HE CALLING, I— I cleared my throat, slid the green button across the screen and placed my phone on my ear.

   “H-Hello?” My voice unintentionally came out in a soft whisper.

   “Hey,”

   Mother of Christ, his voice is beautiful. I mean not in a girly way but like . . . his voice doesn’t sound like that of a kid but it’s not very low either.

   “Um . . .”

   “I hope you uh don’t mind if I called. Are you okay? I just couldn’t help but feel that something isn’t right over there.”

   I bit my lower lip because I felt like I was going to cry. How could a stranger feel that something wasn’t right? We don’t even know each other personally and here he is, calling to check up on me.

   “I didn’t want to ask you if I could call because I had a feeling that you’ll say no so . . .” He trailed off.

   I giggled a bit, “You have a very cute lisp.” It’s funny how I didn’t find talking to him awkward.

   “Yah! It happens occasionally, okay.”

   “Haha, sure . . .” I stood from my bed and went to the balcony. I sat down on the chair and leaned back, bringing my knees to my chest. The night felt really cold right now and I couldn’t feel even lonelier than ever.

   “So what are you doing?”

   “I just went to the balcony to get some air. Unfortunately, it’s cold.” I grinned, looking up at the stars.

   “You love staying in the balcony, don’t you?”

   “Yup! How about you?”

   “Aha, I don’t have a balcony.”

   “Poor you,” I teased.

   “Please,”

   I didn’t say anything after that. I hope he didn’t mind but I also hope he could just keep talking for now because I really needed a company of someone. Maybe, I was the one at fault here. Maybe, I wouldn’t feel this way if I went out with my friends; if I didn’t lock myself up inside my room, waiting for my parents to come home. They just made me feel like all my efforts are nothing. Well, they don’t even know that I always wait for them. It just so happened that they wake up really early and go home really late.

   “You should get inside if it gets any colder,” Prince spoke and I smiled.

   “Yeah, I will.”

   I heard him sigh, “You know you can tell me anything, right? Even though we don’t know each other personally,”

   “That’s what I’ve been doing the past few months.” I giggled.

   “Then tell me what’s wrong,”

   “I can’t.”

   “Why not?”

   “Because this is our first call conversation and I don’t want to cry,”

   “You really are weird.”

   “What now?” I pouted.

   “A stranger who thinks logically would say it’s because it’s personal,”

   “You’re comfortable to talk to.”

   “Thank you,”

   “You’re welcome.”

   And then silence once again. That, I can understand. What do you say after a “you’re welcome” anyway?

   “Prince?”

   “Hm?”

   “Do you . . . ever feel lonely?”

   It took him awhile to answer, “Not really, why?”

   “Do you always hang out with your friends? Do you always go out of your house?”

   “Not always but yeah,” he said. “I have weird friends. They always do stuff together and since I’m part of their group, they couldn’t leave me out. We’re always together, in and out of school.”

   “So you’re weird too,” I grinned triumphantly. If his friends are weird and he’s “part of their group” then he’s weird too, right?

   “What the—I’m not, tch.”

   “Kidding!” I chuckled.

   “Do you feel lonely?”

   “ . . . Not really,” I said. “Yeah . . .”

   He didn’t speak and I figured he was waiting for me to continue.

   “Unlike you, my friends and I are friends only in school. When we’re out of the campus, I go my own way. They’re really fun to hang out with, yeah, but I’m just . . . Maybe, I just prefer to be here in the house.” I gulped and felt my throat dry. I think I’m gonna need to drink some water. “Funny how I couldn’t even call this place home . . . I feel like I practically live alone.” I sniffed. “My parents, we live under the same roof but I never see them . . . well, minus the one awhile ago. They go home and leave home while I’m asleep and they’re too busy with work. I was so happy when I saw them awhile ago; it felt like years since I last saw them. But they couldn’t stay, said they have an important business party to attend to and would be home really late. I just wish they’d stay even just for awhile, you know . . . to let me feel that I still have parents.

   “I couldn’t help but blame myself for this,” I continued. “If I didn’t isolate myself to everyone, maybe I wouldn’t feel so lonely . . .”

   “Maybe,” he spoke. “But it’s not going to change the fact that you long to be with your parents.”

   I started to sob and I covered my mouth. I didn’t want to cry, not while talking to Prince.

   “I knew you were hiding something,”

   “W-What do you mean?”

   “We both know that we’re practically strangers but I couldn’t shake this feeling that despite you being so cheerful and talkative in the virtual world, in reality, you’re going through something.”

   I chuckled despite my tears, “What are you now? A psychic?”

   “I try,” he said. “But just know that I’m here. Not physically but . . . you know.”

   “Yeah, thank—” I sneezed.

   He groaned, “Ugh, get inside, idiot.”