The warmth off the spring could be felt clearly now. The buds of flower started to struggle to complete their transformation. I sat alone in front of the ice cream stall again, waited for Yi Fan’s short message or call. It was a week after my encounter with him, and he didn’t call me yet. Half of me was worried about him, and the rest was fear. I couldn’t concentrate for all of the things I did.

My chocolate ice cream was gone since 5 minutes ago, but I was too lazy to go. Suddenly, a white Veloster stopped in the side of the road. The man behind the steering wheel rolled down the car window and looked at me. Felt like I was out of my mind, I thought I smiled at him.

“Come in.” He said.

Without saying a word, I sat in the passenger seat beside him. The car immediately went fast and mingled with the other cars on the street.

“Yi Fan, I am waiting for your call. You were missing. Is that one of your hobby? Leaving without a trace?” I asked him. My body was facing him so I could see him clearly. I acted like I was angry to him.

 “Seatbelt.” He said.

Sure. I forgot that he was the ice prince. I corrected my sitting position and wore the seatbelt.

“Yi Fan, you okay?” I frowned.

“Nana, do I really have to meet my mom now?” he said in a flat way as always.

“You didn’t meet her yet since you came?” It’s surprised me.

“You will meet her too, with me. Now. ” He didn’t ask for permission, it sounded like a force.

“Sure” I nodded.

“Whatever happens there later, don’t talk or ask anything to me. This is a command.” He added.

“Why?” I confused about this ‘command’.

“Just do as I said.” He sped up the car.

I couldn’t understand about what happened, but I didn’t want to ask too much if he didn’t let me. I just pretended that this was his little secret which I didn’t have to know.

***

The condition of Yi Fan’s Mom was so weak. She was so thin. In her sunken eyes, I could see the pain. She lost her hair because of the therapy. I couldn’t hold back my tears watched her in this kind of state. She was so healthy and beautiful when I met her some years ago. She cried when she knew that her only son came to her. I stood up behind the mentioned man. He stood there and said nothing. He had no expression at all. Yi Fan just simply answered her questions shortly.

It was less than 10 minutes; Yi Fan told his Mom that he wanted to go home. He walked out first and I decided to go out later.

“Mom, please get well soon. I want to see the healthy and beautiful woman that I knew.” I held her hands.

“Nana, please take care of my son. Please help him to come back to his old self.” She was still crying. I didn’t get the meaning of her words but I said yes anyway.

“See you later, Mom.” Then I walked to follow Yi Fan outside.

I walked behind him without any word. I wanted to know what was inside his mind. He walked slowly, bent down his head. In the car, I could see the other him. He looked so hopeless. I was sure that he thought of something serious.

“I’ll take you home now.” He said.

“Just go to your hotel. I’ll go by myself later. I just want to make sure that you were okay and get some rest.”

He looked at me for a moment but said absolutely nothing.

***

The sun was set already when we reach there. This was not a hotel, but an apartment. It looked so big and luxurious especially when he the lamps. I could see clearly the view of Seoul from here.  With the sunset in the west and the lamps in the city which were starting to glow, the scenery amazed me well.

Actually I had no plan for staying too long, but his silence made me wanted to stay for a little while.

“Have you had your dinner?” I placed my bag in a long black L sofa.

He shook his head. “Didn’t you say that you want to go home?”

“I want to cook something for you. Can I?” I was sure that he would skip his dinner if he was alone.

“You? Cook?” He looked at me with a strange expression.

“Yap.” I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

“You sure?” He followed me behind.

“Mr. Wu, let me remind you that I am not 6 anymore.” I convinced him again.

He waited me in the dining room with his chin in his right hand. I was not sure that he was watching my back or my working hands. He sat there until I served a plate of fried rice and kimchi soup in the table, his favorite back then.

 “You can cook?” He couldn’t believe me, still.

“Proof it yourself.” I said, full of confidence.

He scooped a spoon of fried rice and ate it.

He nodded. “Not bad.”

***

I reached for my bag in the sofa and prepared for my leave.

“You go now?” he stood up suddenly and faced me.

“Mission’s completed. I have to go.” I smiled at him.

“If I ask you to stay over and I promise that I’ll take you home tomorrow, will you stay? I need you now.” He directly looked at my eyes.

“You’re not a coward, Yi Fan.” I was a little bit surprised by his request.

“I know. But I need you now.” He said in a weak tone.

I placed back my bag and walked toward him. I saw his pleading eyes. My hand caressed his soft hair.

“You want to tell me a story?” The smile I created since before was still in my face.

“Maybe?” He rose up his eyebrows, sounded like he was not sure by his own answer.

“Sure, I’ll stay.”

***

He let me used his clothes and changed my shirt and short skirt to make me more comfortable. His t-shirt and sweatpants looked so big and weird on me.

“Yi Fan, is this okay?” I showed him my costume.

He chuckled softly. “Not too bad”

Okay, it amazed me. It was the first time I heard it since our reunion. A warm feeling filled my heart.

Can you come back again, my little Yi Fan? Soon?

I sat down beside him in the sofa. There was enough space for another person to sit between us. Yap, I felt so awkward to sit down too close to him. I changed the TV channels. The shows were not that interesting. Yi Fan stood up and went to the kitchen. He was back with a glass of water in his right hand and a bottle of blue pills in his left. He sat down again beside me, a little bit closer, and drank the water after ate two pills.

“It’s boring. You want to watch a movie?” he offered.

“You’re sick?” I didn’t care about my expression, but I was so afraid now.

 He shook his head. “What movie do you want to watch?”

“What’s with those pills then?” I asked him again.

“That’s vitamin.” He said. “Is this okay?” He showed me the cover of a DVD. I was not able to read the tittle. I just nodded.

He placed his body comfortably beside me and pressed the play button. I kept looking at him, full of worry.

“You want to watch the movie or me?” He looked at me. “It’s vitamin.”

I nodded and tried to concentrate to watch the movie. It was ‘A moment to remember’. I watched it many times before. But I never got tired of it.

The movie was in its when the girl left the boy and let him to have a new life without her. She didn’t want her husband to worry over her and struggled hard to take care of her, a sick woman.

The glasses inside my eyes were starting to break and made my sight blurry. I felt something was on my lap. Yi Fan placed his head there.

“Nana, do you think that the man will try to find his wife?” He asked.

“Of course. I watched it many times.” I caressed his hair slowly.

“If you are the man, will you do the same?” He looked at me.

“Yes.” I smiled at him

“until when?” He asked again.

“I will try to find her and wait for her, just in case that she want to come back. I will do it as long as I can, but I can’t promise for how long. Because I think there will be a time that I think I have to give up on finding or waiting for her.” I explained.

“It’s reasonable.” He watched the movie again.

“Mr. Wu, I waited for you for the past 17 years to come back here. It is a great achievement, isn’t it?” I was proud of myself.

“You waited for me?” He looked at me again.

“What do you think? How can I let 17 years passed without trying to find another man?” My eyes went wide after heard my own words.

“Another man? Do you love me?” He didn’t look surprised at all. “Nana, you are too good to be with me.” There was regret in his tone.

“And you are too perfect for me.” I said.

The movie came to its end and we stayed still in our position. I still caressed his soft hair. I bent down to see his face. His eyes were closed. He was sleeping. I couldn’t wake him up, so I let him slept in my lap.

I observed the face that I missed the most. I saw a glint in the end of his eyes. He was crying in his sleep. I didn’t know what he was facing now and I couldn’t help him too, although actually I wanted to.

Yi Fan, please tell me what happened? Can you please don’t hurt yourself.

“You’ll be fine, dear.” I whispered.

_To be Continued_