Discreetly, he observed her whenever he took a sip of tea. Strangely, she didn't look so drunk anymore. He noticed how the slur was almost gone. Other than that, she seemed normal. Maybe her taking a bath helped. Or maybe she's the type who recovers fast. He hadn't heard of such.

When they finished their teas as rain continued to pour, he turned to her in concern. "Aren't you tired? You better get some sleep. I can wait out the rain and then lock the door when I go out."

She looked at him. Her gaze was slightly unsteady. "I'm not yet sleepy." Her stomach made a light grumbling sound. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, okay. But do you have anything to eat?"

"I have tons of— of spicy instant ramen." She covered up the momentary trailing off by quickly adding, "Aren't you hungry?"

"Not really. I'll eat later," he said before turning briefly to look at the window; the rain seemed merciless. When will he be able to get home?

Dara sensed the tension. She wondered what could be making him uncomfortable. They were both fine earlier. She should try to lessen the awkwardness. But how?

"Are you sure? I'd hate to see you eyeing my food while I'm eating," she said while placing their tea cups back on the tray. She stood and headed towards the kitchen sink. She opened the overhead cabinet and retrieved two big cups of ramen. When he saw that, he did not protest.

"Fine, I'll eat." 

Dara glanced at him with a small smile. Tao was about to stand to help prepare but she stopped him by saying she could manage; it's only an easy task. 

Once again, all he could do was watch. She really looked small but he knew behind the delicate frame is a tough person. With the problem she's going through now, he wondered for how long will she pretend to be okay and keep up the act as if it didn't hurt at all.

A few minutes later, she set the tray on the table and sat cross-legged on the floor.

She placed his cup in front of him and then took hers off the tray. She twisted her hair and tucked it at the back inside her shirt.

"Thank you." He realized he was hungry after catching a whiff of ramen. He settled on the floor as well, putting enough distance between them. 

"Let's wait about four minutes."

And wait they did. A deafening silence was apparent despite the still heavy pouring rain.

The silence was making him uncomfortable. He became more conscious of their situation. They were alone and there was some kind of tension between them. Could be he's the only one who's tensed. She looked too relaxed when he stole a quick glance. To get his mind off it, he tried going back to where they left off earlier— Dara's conviction of being done with her feelings. But before he could start the small talk, she beat him to it.

"I can't remember the last time it rained this long," Dara said, her saddened eyes trained at the window. Her mind drifted off to memories. Rain. Ramen. Kris... 

How many cups of instant ramen have they eaten together? Countless. What about during rainy days? She couldn't remember. How many times had they talked for hours? Countless. But from now on, things will definitely change. She could no longer spend time with him. He'd absolutely have no time for her.

Before her thoughts bring more happy memories that will only make her heart ache, she heard Tao speak.

"Me too." He didn't know what else to say. He could feel how her gaze turned distant, as though she's in deep thought. Was she thinking of Kris? He should at least distract her. Lifting the cup's lid, he stirred the noodles and inhaled the spicy aroma. "I think it's cooked." He stirred it a few times more to cool it.

"Let's eat then," she said before a forceful smile appeared on her lips.

Her voice was so soft he barely heard it over the sound the rain made as it pounded against the roofs. 

She stirred, blew several times, took a moderate amount and made a slurping sound.

Tao didn't have to look to be convinced that she's really hungry. He made some slurping sound as well; it couldn't be helped since he was hungry too. He never enjoyed ramen. But right now, eating with her made a complete difference.

Unknowingly, Dara's mind drifted back to Kris. She'll have to get used to eating ramen alone. She couldn't ask him for favors from now on. Should she get rid of the photos saved in her computer? Of the photographs of them together, that were hanging on her darkroom? Why did it feel like they broke-up? They're not even in a romantic relationship for goodness' sake! That reality hurt too much. She's starting to feel pathetic. She couldn't imagine how their relationship had drastically changed. She didn't want to think about it anymore. The pang in her chest become unbearable making her eyes start to water. The tears she'd been trying so hard to hold in was threatening to flow. She just couldn't control the flood of memories that reminds her what she's going to desperately miss. How she missed him already.

Her vision started to blur, a lump started to form in , her chest tightened painfully. Her grip on the chopstick is weakening as she continued to stir her ramen mindlessly. She took a mouthful of the spicy noodles, willing her mind to go blank but her heart refused to stop feeling the pain. She cleared , her gaze fixed on her ramen. 

"Are you alright?" Tao asked when he heard her sniff a couple of times. Did she catch a cold?

"N-Neh. This ramen is too... it's too spicy," she said in between sniffing, not bothering to look at him.

Tao knew better. She was crying. And he had no clue how to comfort her. So he let her be after answering, "Yeah." He ate his ramen in silence. 

Few minutes later, they were almost done eating.

He still couldn't go home, he realized with dread. What to do next was plaguing his mind. He ordered himself to act naturally. He wanted to bang his forehead on the table for having the lack of skills to make any situation less awkward. His musings were cut when suddenly she decided to start a conversation with a somewhat weird question.

"So, have you done anything spontaneous in your twenty-five years of existence?" There was no better way than try the only resort Dara could think of. Talk about something spontaneous. Yeah right. It didn't seem random though. She just hoped he didn't notice how she's trying hard to create a conversation.

The question caught Tao off-guard. Even so, his mind still tried to come up with an answer. He appreciated Dara trying to start a conversation, but the topic seemed too personal. But she already shared something personal earlier, his mind reasoned.

"Can't really remember," he finally said, giving up on finding the answer. "Maybe I did nothing spontaneous," he offered and then chuckled upon realizing she must have thought he was making up excuses.

"I figured," she said, looking at him piercingly.

"What do you mean?"

"You're too…" she trailed off in search for the proper term, "calculated. I mean your actions are calculated." She said carefully, afraid that she might offend him. "I guess all smart people are," she added quickly.

"Maybe," he didn't know if that was a good or bad observation. Even though it did not offend him, it made him ponder about 'spontaneity.' He can't let the conversation just end there and he was curious anyway, so he threw her a question. "What about you?"

Dara smiled; the kind of smile that will fascinate anyone who sees it. And Tao found himself fascinated by it. He slyly cleared his throat, to discard the thought that occurred to him but he did not look away.

"The first time I drank vodka which was years ago, I think. That was done in a spur-of the-moment," she admitted.

"Really?"

"I actually did a lot," she confessed. "The latest was tonight when I went for a drink and told you I'm done." She cleaned the empty ramen cups in a quick manner, so quick that he didn't get the chance to help. She came back with two glasses and a pitcher of cold water.

"Well, that's interesting. I'm glad I could help by simply listening."

"It lessened the burden. Thank you so much for listening, I really appreciate it," she said sincerely while looking at him gratefully. Then she added seriously, "I t