Cha Eun Sang’s stomach made a rumbling sound indicating hunger.

“Your stomach doesn’t lie,” Choi Young Do smiled. “Come on. It’s on me.”

She looked at him and hesitated. If she went with him now, she would surely miss the last bus home and she would have to take a cab. That would mean additional expenses. But then again, she was hungry. She hasn’t eaten anything since she had some ice cream with Rachel.

She found herself agreeing to go with him for dinner.  “As long as it’s not poisoned,” she said.

Anyway, it’s free so she couldn’t refuse that.

“I mean, who refuses food? Especially when it’s free?” she told herself.

She saw Choi Young Do shook his head. “I don’t have any plans of poisoning you.” He looked at her and added, “at least not until the ten lunch meals are over.”

“Nine,” she corrected him and walked ahead of him.

She turned around to ask him something and she was startled that he was looking at her intently.

If she were honest, she could say that she was more surprised at her reaction.

Why did it feel like someone punched her in the stomach? She ignored whatever that reaction was by pretending to check whether there was something stuck in her shoes.

When she looked up at him again, she saw him still looking at her. She noticed that he was wearing dark clothes: black V-neck shirt, red hoodie, and dark blue denim jeans.

“Did…did he just smile?” she thought.

He was wearing dark clothes, and for some reason it made his smile look brighter.

Choi Young Do looked down at his watch, finally breaking their gaze.

To recover from whatever that fleeting feeling was, she yelled at him. “Hey! What are you doing standing there?”

He shook his head and then walked up to her.

They walked side by side and she didn’t notice when they started to fall into a step.

They just did.

She frowned when she realized that they were heading towards the direction where all the high-end shops are. “Where are we going?”

“At Carnivore Haven,” Choi Young Do replied.

She abruptly stopped on her tracks. “What?”

She examined herself. She was wearing a high-wasted denim skirt, a tucked-in white blouse and a gray cardigan. She looked down and saw that she was using her almost worn out white sneakers and medium-length gray socks.

Had she known that she would pass by let alone go to such a high-end place, she would have dressed better.

Myung Soo stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the both of them.

“Good evening, Myung Soo,” she waved at him. “What is Myung Soo doing here?” she thought.

“I thought so, too,” she heard Choi Young Do answered Myung Soo.

“It’s because of someone,” Choi Young Do added then looked at her.

She made a face. Before she could even react, Myung Soo led them inside.

She frowned and looked up at Choi Young Do. “Is he,” she said pointing to Myung Soo, “buying us dinner?”

Choi Young Do smiled a little. “You could say that.”

He walked ahead of her and she caught up to him.

Carnivore Heaven looked posh from the outside. When she entered the establishment, she fought the urge to blurt out exclamations of awe.

The interior was so beautiful, grand even.  It was well-lighted. Hanging from the ceiling were mini-chandeliers of the same design. The tables were also well-built. The tables were customized with food sculptured on each side. There were sculptured musical instruments in the center of the table.

There was a mini-stage on the eastern side of the restaurant. On that stage were musical instruments such as the grand piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, beat box, and a keyboard. There was microphone stand as well.

 “That stage there,” Myung Soo pointed towards the direction of the stage, “are for the use of the diners.”

She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“There is no band here. Any diner who wishes to perform is free to go up on that stage and entertain everyone,” Myung Soo answered.

Myung Soo left as soon as they were seated.

“Where is he going?” she asked Choi Young Do.

 “To man the counter,” Choi Young Do replied.

She looked around and saw that the waiters and waitresses were greeting Myung Soo. Why, they were even bowing to him.

Then the thought hit her. “Does he own this?”

Choi Young Do nodded.

“Wow! Some days I wish I were born into wealth and power,” she said.

“It’s not as glamorous as you think it is,” he countered.

“Says someone who enjoys being rich and the power that goes along with it,” she retorted.

“You wouldn’t say that if you were me.”

“Right. Besides—”

Her sentence died in when the waitress arrived and delivered their food.

She looked at Choi Young Do. “We haven’t even ordered yet.”

“No. Cha Eun Sang and I were just leaving.”  He looked at Cha Eun Sang, hoping she’d get the hint.

But she pretended that she didn’t. Instead, she shook her head.

She looked at Myung Soo and answered him in between chewing. “No, we aren’t leaving yet.”

She tried to appear all innocent and clueless. “Why don’t you come on up, Choi Young Do?”

She felt like she just won the lottery when she saw the look on his face.

She smiled. She must have looked mischievous because he narrowed his eyes at her. As if his eyes could get any narrower.

She narrowed her eyes back at him, challenging him.

She leaned forward and whispered, “scared of letting these people know that you know nothing besides acting high and mighty?”

He leaned forward, too, and he whispered back. “No. Not at all.”

Myung Soo cleared his throat, as if to remind them that he was there. And also probably to prevent them from fighting with each other. Again.

But they didn’t break gaze.

It was as if they were at a glaring off contest and whoever blinked first would lose.

Choi Young Do stood up straight and walked towards the mini-stage of the restaurant.

“I can’t wait to see you mess this up, Choi Young do,” she thought.

She smiled just about as Choi Young Do looked back at her.

She must have looked mischievous because he narrowed his eyes at her. As if his eyes could get any narrower.

She narrowed her eyes back at him, challenging him.

When Choi Young Do sat down on the bar stool placed at the center of the mini-stage, she was prepared to laugh her heart out because she was sure that Choi Young Do would mess it up.

Oh, why was she so sure, you ask? Because if Choi Young Do really knew how to play any of the musical instruments there, he wouldn’t have looked so horrified when Myung Soo suggested he come up on stage.

“Ha! Eat dirt, Choi Young Do,” she thought.

But when Choi Young Do picked up the acoustic guitar and started picking the strings, she was not prepared for that. Much so when he started strumming easily, as if he had been doing it for years.

Her jaw dropped. “What? It’s one of my favorite songs,” she thought.

Choi Young Do was playing City and Colour’s Hello, I’m in Delaware.

She was not prepared to like the melody he was making with the guitar. It's like she was being submersed in a flowing river; all the harmony was flowing through her.

She looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Never had she seen him this sad. Or vulnerable.

He looked like a normal, functional teenager and she realized that she had never seen him look this passionate about what he’s doing besides, of course, bullying students. Herself included.

She was not prepared that she wanted to look at him and really listen to him sing.

He sang the first line “So there goes my life,” and she was totally blown.

She didn’t know Choi Young Do could play the guitar, more so, sing. Well.

He had an amazing voice. He sounded like Jamie Blackley. Wow. She didn't know he had any talents except being constantly annoying.

He was not just singing; he was feeling it.

Passing by with every exit sign
It's been so long
Sometimes I wonder how I will stay strong
No sleep tonight
I'll keep on driving these dark highway lines

“This isn’t the time to be thinking. Let’s give him a little credit, Cha Eun Sang,” she said to herself.

And as the moon fades
One more night gone, only twenty more days

But I will see you again
I will see you again a long time from now…

There was something about the way he sang those words that reminded her of the way people talk about someone who had died. Or someone loved a long time ago; still loved perhaps, in secret.

She did not remember Choi Young coming back to their table. She did not remember going out of the restaurant.

What she remembered was the dim light on that stage burning bright on Choi Young Do’s face. And against the dim traces of that light, she found herself wanting to heal Choi Young Do in all the places that he was hurt.

Song: Hello, I'm in Delaware by City and Colour