SWEET AND SOUR II

Ivan sighed and walked toward Kaye's direction. He placed his hand on her shoulder, felt her tensed body and her sudden intake of harsh breath.

"I didn't mean to criticize or what with your dish. I like the food you cooked. I can feel how much you love cooking every dish you made. However, sweet 'n sour fish isn't really my favorite. I was just forced to eat it since that was the only food she could make." He was very sincere and earnest in explaining his situation while Kaye stood there unmoving. She didn't move his hand nor did he speak. Ivan continued, "That girl we saw last time at the supermarket and at the restaurant..."

"Don't force yourself." Kaye cut him from talking when he suddenly paused.

"Huh?" Ivan was puzzled with her behavior. Kaye removed his hands from her shoulders and walked toward her room. She stopped right in front of her door, her hand on the doorknob, ready to open it and hide whatever she's feeling. Whatever Ivan was trying to say would certainly hurt her, specially the strong effect that woman has on him. "Don't force yourself to explain. You don't have to. I am not going to force you as well. We are not in a relationship that would warrant you to say everything to me. If you don't like sweet 'n sour fish, that's fine. I wouldn't make that from now on. The things you asked me to buy are on the coffee table. Let me rest for a while. I'm tired and sleepy." she said everything in one go without giving him a chance to interrupt her before she opened her door and close it gently.

Ivan was gloomy after their conversation. He sensed Kaye's sadness and displeasure in her voice. He didn't know where and when did he cause such changes of mood when he was trying to explain his past to her. He took the things she bought and kept it safely inside his bag. He called Alex again to continue their business discussion.

"So sad. I lose to that girl without even a slight chance given. He must must have loved her so much since he was very much affected by her presence. He probably didn't want her to see his situation. Haha. Loser. Haha. So hopeless." Kaye was laughing at herself dryly. She was feeling lost and deprived of life. She was having a hard time breathing.

"Calm down. Relax. Calm yourself. You weren't like this before. Take a breath. Don't let him affect you. Take a rest." she was basically talking to herself, braving herself not to cry. She took her blanket and sat at the corner between her closet and a wall. It was a space she specially made to sit whenever she's feeling down.

She didn't changed her clothes. She didn't remove her coat or remove her make up. She was so tired of thinking.

"This life is a mess." she whispered before leaning her head on the wall. She heard Ivan's muffled voice talking to someone only god-knows-who. After a few minutes Kaye fell asleep leaning on the wall with her blanket covering her from cold.

Alex and Ivan was doing their project but from time to time, Ivan would stop typing and just sat in a daze. At first, Alex didn't mind it thinking his friend was trying to analyze something. However, after few minutes he asked him his concern.

"Mind telling me what's going on? You've been sitting there doing nothing and was staring into space of nothingness." Alex asked while typing something on his computer, running multiple codes.

"I told her that I don't want to eat sweet and sour fish again." Ivan muttered, barely audible but Alex still heard him.

"Her? You mean my future sister-in-law?" Alex had seen signs of Ivan liking someone but this was different compared to his first relationship. He was very careful this time, doesn't want to anger the girl or argue with him. He would indulge her to whatever she wanted to do.

"I almost bump to Chris and his girlfriend. I wanted to explain to her but she didn't want me to."

"Were you hesitating when you were talking to her? You know, girls would see if someone is willing tell them something important or if someone is hesitant. If you were, that might be the reason." Alex didn't know how accurate he was with his words.

"I wasn't. I just paused for a while." He really wanted to tell her something important but she stopped him.

"If you don't want her to misunderstand, you should let her know as soon as possible." Alex continued before noting the code he used for that certain feature.

"I would once I get the chance again." Ivan returned to his normel self and started doing his work seriously.

"Don't wait for the chance to come, make it. I really agree to the saying that 'smart people aren't smart in love situations'."

"I agree as well so you better help me."

"Sure!" Alex agreed almost automatically.

It was almost eight in the evening when Alex and Ivan finished their whole agenda for the day. They have finished thirty percent of their work which means, they could probably run a test after a month or two.

He went outside and listened for any movements. It was dark so he turned on the lights, got himself a glass of water and went back to his room.

Just as he entered the room, he heard a sob coming from the other room. Ivan wasn't sure if he heard it correctly so he stopped and listened again. It was silent so the second sob was clear. It was indeed from Kaye's room.

Ivan was torn between getting inside her room or just leave her alone. He was already standing in front of her room, pacing back and forth, not knowing what's the right thing to do.

In the end, he gambled on the fact that Kaye was a reasonable person and that she would understand him. He sauntered to her room trying to locate where she was when he couldn't find her on the bed.

'Where the hell are you?!'