**Mina sighed heavily. She gets it. And she understands it. Chaeng just wanted to hear if she also likes her, but isn’t it too obvious? Why do we need to talk about things that are already crystal clear? That even if you don’t talk about it, you already know the answer.**
Mina: Hmm… I’m… I’m sorry. I’m just not good with words. But you’re right, how will you know the answer if I won’t tell you.
**Then Chaeng picked up her frappe to take a sip and smirked. She’s confident about this. It’s just she wants to hear it. Nothing is better than someone confirming their feelings for you. She thought.**
Mina: It might be weird to say that I like you already since you’ve only been here for just a couple of days. But maybe that’s the beauty of it, right? You don’t need to be with someone for so long just for you to be confident about what you feel.
**Chaeng still keeps her silence. There’s no point in interrupting her ‘cause whatever Mina’s saying at this moment is melting her heart like marshmallows in a campfire.**
Mina: And you honestly make me forget the pain and loneliness I feel whenever you’re around.
**Mina doesn’t know if she’s saying the right thing, and how Chaeng will take it. It might sound as if she’s just a scapegoat, but she's not.**
Chaeng: Hmm… I thought you’re not good with words? How come you make it better than the way I told you that I like you?
**Then she grinned. A playful kind of grin.**
**That reference made Mina blush. She didn’t expect Chaeng would make a reference to how she said it.**
Mina: Hey! It’s just… it’s just I’m trying my best to make it sound acceptable from an author’s perspective.
**Chaeng giggled. She loves the effort, and she doesn’t mean to make it sound like she’s teasing her or something, rather she wants Mina to feel that she appreciates it.**
Chaeng: I like it, though. It’s flattering.
**Then Mina’s phone rang, which startled them both. But before Mina could pick it up, her forehead furrowed. Who was it? She thought. The number isn’t registered on her phone. And she rarely gets a phone call from anyone, except Ryujin and Sana, who always bug her whenever they have time to waste.**
Mina: Can I… can I answer it?
Chaeng: Oh, sure. Go ahead.
**Then Mina answered the call from where she’s sitting. She doesn’t mind if Chaeng will hear whatever she and the person on the other line will talk about. Besides, she doesn’t know who it is, so it’s not of a big deal anymore.**
Mina: Hello?
Bam: Hi. Sorry if I… you know… call.
Mina: Uhm… who’s this?
**Mina didn’t immediately notice who it was. The voice on the other line isn’t familiar and it’s very unlikely for her to receive a call from a stranger ‘cause there are only a few people who knew her phone number.**
Bam: Oh… yeah. It’s Bam. I got your number from Sana. I just thought that I need to… at least talk to you to apologize for what happened earlier. Well, it’s not Sana’s fault, it’s me who insisted to visit you this morning.
**Mina didn’t answer. The emotion she felt early this morning kind of surge again. The thought about how mad she was with Sana came out once more. Well, it’s not just about the thing that happened earlier, there are just other things that piled up between them.**
Mina: Hmm… I guess I also need to apologize to you. That wasn’t a… you know, a good welcome attitude.
Bam: You don’t need to apologize. I know we also had a not-so-good ending. So… I understand.
**Not so good ending? Mina thought. What does he mean about that? The thing is, she couldn’t even remember the last conversation they had. Or even the last time they’d seen each other. It was already a long time ago, and if ever they had memories together, it was already buried at the back of her head.**
Bam: Uhm… anyway, the other reason I call is, I… I would like to invite you for a dinner? I mean, that is if you’re free tonight?
**Dinner? Tonight? Do we even have something to talk about Bam? But since Mina already felt guilty about the attitude she had shown earlier, asking Bam those questions will only highlight how rude she is. And besides, she’s sure that Bam only wants to spend time with her, since it’s been a long time.**
Mina: Hmm… tonight?
Bam: Y—yeah. That is if you’re free tonight. But if you’re not we can have it some other time. I’m gonna stay here for a month, so I have lots of time to wait.
**Mina sighed, but she tried her best to conceal it. She doesn’t want Bam to think that his offer is kind of a burden for her.**
Mina: Oh… okay. I mean, I’m just in the hotel. We can have dinner there, but if you have some other place in mind, it will be okay with me.
**Chaeng suddenly gets alarmed by the dinner she heard from Mina. Who is she talking to? And what is this dinner about? She turned her eyes towards her, giving no emotion. But Mina seemed not to notice it ‘cause she’s playing with the straw of her drink and creasing her forehead once in a while.**
Mina: Hmm… all right. See you tonight then.
**Then she clicked the end button and shifted back her attention to Chaeng, who’s now staring at her intently.**
Mina: It was… it was Bam. The guy who… well, I don’t know if you’d seen him earlier, but… he’s the guy who visited me this morning. He’s with uhm… he’s with my best friend.
**Mina’s a bit nervous. She couldn’t understand why she needs to explain everything to Chaeng. But if she won’t give her something, that thing might lead to another misunderstanding again. Anyway, she doesn’t mind telling her about Bam ‘cause there’s really nothing to hide from it.**
Mina: Well, he’s an old friend. A childhood friend to be exact. And… and the last time we’ve seen each other was twelve years ago.
**Mina answered before Chaeng could even formulate questions in her head. Good thing Mina already explained everything to her, at least she doesn’t need to sort out the most appropriate question to ask.**
**Then Chaeng remembered about the thing that happened earlier—about how their breakfast ended.**
Chaeng: Uhm… yeah… I’m kind of wondering what happened this morning. I mean, your reaction seemed to be… you know, upset. Well, it’s fine if it’s not something you want to share. I’m totally okay with it.
**Mina smiled. She knew that Chaeng saw it. She knew that the very reason they’re both sitting in that bookstore is because of what Chaeng saw earlier.**
Mina: I was kind of… not prepared to see everyone at that moment. And surprised.
**Chaeng wasn’t buying it. Her reaction is different from when you’re surprised to see someone for a long time. She should be jumping in excitement. She thought.**
Chaeng: Is that only it? I mean…
**Mina gazed down at the book in her right.**
Mina: I was mad. Well, maybe because Sana always does that to me. Surprise me by coming to the hotel and them bringing someone to… you know… introduce to me. I feel like she doesn’t care about what I feel or what I think. That she’s trying to push things on me so I could be okay. But whatever she’s doing doesn’t make me feel any good.
Chaeng: You mean, you feel like she’s… over boarding?
Mina: Exactly!
Chaeng: But what if she’s just trying to console you and you're just misinterpreting it? You think it’s possible?
**Mina leaned against her seat and let her eyes lay straight on Chaeng’s eyes.**
Mina: I don’t know. I just have this feeling that she wants me to forget about Jeong as soon as we brought her to the columbarium. I guess I’m entitled to mourn, right?
Chaeng: Hmm… we can’t blame her. She’s your best friend, and I’m guessing all she just wanted is to see you happy again. To see you smile again even after you’d lost the most important person you used to have. I also have a best friend. Just like Sana, she keeps on pushing me to my edge. Always yelling at me to get out of my apartment or drive somewhere or talk about what I feel. Sometimes I feel like she doesn’t understand me, too. But you know, if we just put our feet on their shoes, I bet we’ll also do the same.
**She paused and leaned forward. Her smile is warm as if she wants to give her a hug or kiss to console her. But instead of leaning forward for a kiss, she placed her right hand on top of Mina’s left and squeezed it.**
Chaeng: Why don’t you two talk about it? Sort things out? Maybe all you need is to tell her what you feel.
**Mina whirled her left and intertwined it to Chaeng. She feels better now as if it washed all the unclear thoughts she has for Sana. Maybe… maybe I’ll call her later to talk. She thought.**
Chaeng: So… is this Bam just an old friend? Not an…
**She hesitated for a second but muttered it anyway.**
Chaeng: Ex?
**The thing is, Mina doesn’t know if she’ll consider the thing between her and Bam as a relationship. She didn’t even know what it was back then. All she knows is, they used to say I like yous’ and hope to see again when we grow up, and that maybe by that time we could be together for good.**
Mina: Hmm… it was unclear to me.
Chaeng: Unclear? So, you’re not sure what kind of thing you two have back then?
**Mina nodded, eyes staring at their hands on the table.**
Mina: I’m young, not even in my teens yet. What I only know is I’m special to him and he’s special to me. But I’m not a hundred percent sure about it. I guess I already feel weird during that time. You know, that I’m not really into guys.
Chaeng: So… not a puppy love?
Mina: What? No…
**She blurted out, which made Chaeng laugh so hard.**
Chaeng: At least I know now that it’s not puppy love. That thing is somewhat difficult to bit, you know.
Mina: Oh! Confident now, huh?
**Chaeng grinned while cringing her nose.**
Chaeng: Well, shouldn’t I? Isn’t it better than getting jealous?
**Mina laughed, and the girl from the counter turned her head to them and smiled. She finds the two mesmerizing even before they stood in front of her to give their orders.**
Chaeng: What?
Mina: There’s nothing to get jealous of, you know. He’s an old friend and I almost forget about him. If he only didn’t show up this morning, I would have forgotten him totally.
Chaeng: Oh! That’s mean! What if I’m done with my vacation and finally go back to the city? Will you also forget me? Just like him?
**Mina stopped laughing and gazed again at her. Will I ever forget her? She asked herself. Then she squeezed Chaeng’s hand tighter, which made Chaeng break her gaze at Mina and stare at their hands.**
Mina: Will I ever forget you? No. I know you’ll go back to your home sooner or later, but I don’t have plans of forgetting you. I’ll be just in my hotel waiting for you to come back. Or if you won’t, I’ll drive that long to see you again. And I promise you that.
**Chaeng couldn’t wait any longer, so she leaned forward and kissed Mina on her lips. She doesn’t care if anyone was looking at them. Or if this is a taboo in this place. What she only knows is their time of being together isn’t that long, so why hesitate with all her actions?**
Chaeng: Thank you. I hate driving, but I’m a hundred percent sure I’ll be visiting you every now and then, just promise me one thing.
Mina: Sure. What’s that?
Chaeng: To at least give me discounts on your rooms. I wasn’t the one who paid for this vacation, it’s my best friend, and when I saw your rooms' price, I almost fainted.
**She shook her head exaggeratedly, which made Mina giggle.**
Mina: Why not I give you fifty percent off when you come back?
**Mina said jokingly. She has no plans of letting Chaeng pay in her next visit. What for? She’s even willing to give her whatever she has.**
**Chaeng’s shoulder fall, still shaking her head.**
Chaeng: It’s still damn expensive, you know.
Mina: Why not spend nights at my house instead, when you come back? That’s better, isn’t it?
**Chaeng’s eyes widened. Indeed, it’s better, but… but are they on that stage already? Sharing their homes with each other?
Chaeng: W—why not?
No comments:
Post a Comment