Chapter 17
"Hi. I'd like a slice of cheesecake, another slice of red velvet, one cappuccino frappe, and watermelon juice. I also would like to glasses of water...hmmm" I trailed off while still looking at the array of desserts and pastries displayed on the counter. My mouth watered for every slice and piece the I could see. I was about to order some more when...
"Can you please add one espresso?" I looked at the voice on my back and found out Haru. He seems fresh with his outfits that are a mix of plain T-shirts, flannels, and denim jeans. It's my first time seeing him not wearing a black outfit.
"Haru! You scare me." I greeted him. Many of the customers turned their heads to us, and most of them were girls. Haru is good-looking with his boy-next-door fashion. I agree while checking his wholesome model-like posture.
"How are you, dear?" He smiled at me and patted my head.
"Join us today. I'm with Yumi." I said. Haru is paying for our food. I got used to him paying for me. I let him bring our order and lead the way to Yumi.
"I'm back." I said while smiling. Yumi's eyes widened when she saw Haru with me. I told him to sit beside me.
"Haru, this is my best friend, Yumi Chen. Yumi, my cousin Haru." Haru is naturally friendly and offers his hand for a handshake. Yumi looks like she's been ghosted and looks at Haru again and finally accepts his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yumi." I gaze at Yumi's red face. I frown and look at Haru, smiling tenderly at her. What's with them?
I let them talk and eat my precious food. This is my favorite food. The taste of cheesecake is melting inside my mouth, and I want to cry while eating this. I'm so impressed. I wished I could eat this forever.
"Dear Jia, You're eating fast. Are you that hungry?" Haru's face looks ridiculous while watching me eat. I stop eating like a homeless person and drink my latte.
"By the way, What are you doing here?" I asked him. He's been popping out often, I don't want to think for reasons, but sometimes, I thought that maybe there's something significant happening when Haru is showing himself to me.
"I just miss you, dear. " Haru is nonsense again. I look at him with doubt, but he just smiles at me.
"I haven't seen you with Jia before." Yumi is finally normal and sharply asks Haru a question. I almost choked, but Haru just stared at me and jerked his gaze to Yumi.
"I live my life overseas, and Jia was the one who visited me often." He said. Haru sips his espresso calmly.
"You guys must be close." Yumi mumbled. Her doubt about my relationship with Haru is gone now.
"Yes. We're closer than you think." Haru smirks while I glare at him.
"He's my childhood summer friend." I said to Yumi. I can only explain to her that because the only time I was away with Yumi when I was young was summer vacation. Her family also went overseas to have a holiday.
"I miss Jia. She never visited me. That's why I chose to live here and made her make up for the summer we missed out together." Haru is saying tons of nonsense, but it's a miracle that Yumi could understand him.
"I also miss Jia when she's away." I heard Yumi speak, and they talked about me. Especially Yumi, who knows my personality. Haru, on the other hand, only knows all of my evil deeds. What kind of combo is this?
"By the way, Yumi. How's your conversation with your dad?" I asked her to divert their focus enough on me.
"It's a success. Dad told me to enjoy Japan." Yumi seems excited, but her eyes are sad because she felt bad for her mom. She's a good kid.
"Japan?" Haru asked Yumi out of curiosity, but I have a bad feeling about it.
"Yes. We need to go to Japan because of an orchestra concert. It is a club activity." Yumi explained. She tells him the details, and Haru is quietly listening to her.
"It sounds fun." I glance at him. He's not thinking of what I'm feeling, right? He won't dare.
"Do you want to join us?" Yumi asked Haru, and I'm so late to stop her. Haru's grin widened. He looked satisfied and flashed a very refreshing smile.
I'm doomed.
"I like to go." I blink and stare at the two culprits who did not even ask my opinion. These two... I have no words. I'm so stressed that I finished eating my orders. Yumi's eyes can't believe that I ate a lot today.
"Jia... This is. Are you okay?" She asked and looked at Haru. Yumi's eyes are asking him if it was normal for me to eat a lot today.
"She needs to eat more to live." Haru retorted. He also finishes his coffee, and they continue to talk. I let them talk about more trivial things.
"I will tell you the details, or you can just ask Jia for updates. Yumi explains to Haru before she gets in the car.
"Goodbye, Yumi dear." Haru waves after seeing Yumi get in the car.
We were at the front of a coffee shop. Yumi has her car to fetch her while I didn't mind my service because I'm with Haru. I also wave to Yumi and watch her vehicle go. I glance at Haru after Yumi disappears in our eyes. We started to walk.
"So, you came here to fish my trip to Japan?" I asked and tilted my head because Haru is tall beside me.
"Nope." He answered confidently.
"Then why? You always pop out of nowhere. You need to tell me if something happened or if it's about the contract." I carefully said. It's my fault that I didn't even check the contact now, even if it's alright for me to go. I feel anxious after seeing major events change before my eyes.
"Are you saying that because you're scared?" Haru stops walking. I felt the chills from the wind blowing, and for a second, I thought people would stop walking. I look at Haru in the eyes.
"I'm scared that people's lives will be at stake again because of me." I whisper. The anxiety of them dying never leaves my worries because it's their destiny. I want to do everything I can to stop them from dying, but I'm scared that while doing that, other lives need to be sacrificed.
"Jia. Fate is forbidden to change. I allow you to do your best in exchange for your soul, but you can't rewrite it easily without altering anything, and those changes will affect others whether it's good or bad." Haru is seriously saying that my actions will have consequences, and I have control of it.
"Don't confuse your goals. The significance is already taking its effect." Haru sounded sarcastic, and I couldn't help it, but my tears started to flow.
"I know it perfectly! That's why I'm trying to be careful. You don't have to tell me that I will end up ruining someone else's life again because of my decisions!" I despised Haru for saying those to me. I'm trying my best, and If I can change fate without ruining someone else's life, then I will work hard for it even if I end up bleeding.
I ran away and left Haru behind, with tears in my eyes. My vision is blurry, and I can't help but feel the uncertainty. I'm getting scared, but I can't just give up because it was my fault. It's because of me that I'm in this situation. I stopped running and looked at my surroundings. I can feel the wind blowing coldly, and I don't know where I am anymore. I wiped my tears, but it won't stop when someone grabbed my hand.
"Jia? What happened to you?" Yang Juno asked me, and his brows furrowed. When I gaze at him, My legs give up, and I sit on the ground and cry loudly.
"Huahhhhh..." My tears aren't stopping, and Juno is panicking. I see the weird stares from bystanders and their prejudice for Juno. Maybe they thought he is the reason for my tears.
I couldn't remember what happened next, but Juno ended up patting my back until I calmed down. I hiccup while he handed me a bottle of water.
"Drink this." He said in a small voice. I accepted the water and drank it. I felt relieved when my dry throat had water. I'm scared that I'll be dehydrated because of crying like a fool.
We stayed at the neighborhood's nearby park. I don't know how I ended up here, but I just found myself running away again. I'm so lame.
"Jia, are you fine now? You scared me! Why are you crying in the streets? I feel bad that I left you in the shop, but wait, aren't you with Yumi?" Juno asked me questions now that I stopped crying. My eyes are sore, and I stare at Juno.
"Why are you here?" I asked. I'm not diverting his questions, but this neighborhood is the place he needed to go to hurriedly. I looked at the site, and I saw a church nearby.
"I'm playing in that church. But, why are you asking me questions when it's me who was asking you?!" His eyes widened, and I can't help but blurt out a laugh because he is funny.
"Hm, whatever, as long as you're happy." Juno shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent beside me.
"I got into a fight." I said, and Juno's face is being hilarious again. I wanted to tease him, but I sigh when I remember how lame I acted with Haru.
"Oh my god, Jia! I didn't know. Did you, perhaps? Is it because of your weird temper again? It must be. Aha! I told you before to control your temper." He looks proud as if he guessed it right that I ended up frowning at him. He really is! I'm getting stressed again with Yang Juno.
"Do you want to die?" I taunted, and I saw him acting defensively.
"Hah! Look at your attitude! No, save me, Jia." I laugh at Juno's hilariousness. My god, this person! I wonder how Hyuk, who is serious, became his best friend.
"Hahaha. I really can't understand you." I said out of the blue.
"You, Jia, is the one I can't understand. My brain can only function for half a day. Don't make me think hard. I have a headache." He acted like his brain is having a hard time, and I giggled again.
"Thank you. It was my fault, but I got mad with that person." I mumble. Juno stops being funny and looks at the church near us.
"I also started to play in that church because I promised someone. But now, I want to quit." I looked at him, and his eyes changed. Not the usual outgoing Yang Juno.
"Then leave. Don't force yourself to do it if you're not happy. Life is short, you know." I glance at him, and he smiles.
"I guess I'll quit now. I'm torn, but maybe I'm waiting for someone to tell me to quit without me explaining my reasons." Juno is scary, he looks a completely different person now, but I guess things turned out fine? I'm not sure myself.
"By the way, it's lunchtime. How about we eat Jia?" Juno grinned at me, and when I looked at him, he came back to his usual self.
"Yeah. I got hungry after running and crying." I whispered, but Juno looked at me weirdly.
"Tss, do you think you're in a drama?" He came back—the annoying nosy Yang Juno.
"What are you saying?" now that I think about it. I suddenly feel embarrassed. I got emotional and left Haru like a fool. Arghhh!!!! My face got flustered.
"Jia. The more I know you, I become scared. Can you be normal when you're with me?" He has a nerve telling me that even it's he was the weird one. His fake expression is seemingly annoying to me.
"Excuse me?" I overreacted and was about to slap him, but he ran away. I glare at him, but I only saunter. I did not chase him.
"Jeez! This girl! Hurry up! I'm starving!" His face is so funny that I just laugh while walking to him.
"Yang Juno. You're making me stressed." I mumbled but still followed him.
End of chapter 17.