Encounter

"Don't you want to dine in a Korean restaurant?" Louie asked on his cell phone. He wanted to fetch Friya, but since she has her car, she disagreed with his idea. Friya huffed at the end of the line, trying to compose herself after a dreadful day. Or was it that dreadful?

It must have been good since they transferred to their office. Friya didn't know what's lacking, there's something that she needs to fill. Friya knew it would be Sean. She missed having hangouts with him in their home, down the side of the capital. But it's gone. All of it disappeared with one flick of her finger.

Friya answered back, "I'm not in the mood right now. I guess, I need some time to rest. You can go out with your team."

Louie's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to be alone; he guessed. Even his presence wouldn't do. Louie sighed as he nodded. No one could see how hopeless he was for his love for Friya. It's okay to lose in a game, he must say.

Friya sighed as she added, "I'm sorry, Louie. I'll be joining you next time, don't worry. I apologize for not coming with you."

Her voice was lowering down. She was a little out of air. All of her achievements will grant her a life with ease. There's someone who needed to fill that emptiness in her heart. Friya would not shut him out, she's just... exhausted in everything.

Louie stated, "Yeah, I understand you want to rest. You can go ahead to your house. See you tomorrow."

Louie hung up the line before Friya could do it. He sped up, accelerating the car out of the lane. Behind him was Friya's automobile. Friya glimpsed at the end call, observing his car swiveling away. Louie must have taken another path away from Friya.

Friya drove in silence, slowing down as if there was any traffic. She leaned her back on the seat, thinking of Sean. How long would she suffer to think of him? Sean didn't even remember her. If Sean's guide on recalling his memories wasn't Feline, she would be back in his arms.

She'd forgive him, or at least... that's what her mind only said. Her heart screamed the otherwise. Different sides bombarded her for about a month now, right after Sean got into an accident. If she could at least get a little closer to him, she would...

"Was it significant now? It's like he would believe everything you said." Friya's eyes brimmed with tears. She wanted to cry so much. But in this case, if she doesn't feel that sadness again, that meant Sean never entered her life. She denied it for the better.

If that void sucked out the strength that's left in her heart, she'd be feeble now. Well, she's weak... for Sean. She's feeble with his love. Friya didn't know how she could move on, how she can move forward. She heard the beep of the spotlight, and she sped up on the lane.

...

Friya went out of her car, locked it for the better. The desolation in her heart seemed heavier than usual. She turned around, looking upon the second floor of their stony house. Friya froze, blinking at the closed windows. She sighed, swallowing.

Was her life became bland in just a month?

Early night had passed once again. The whistle of the icy breeze whooshed from the east down where she stood. She's in the Philippines, but still... if the freezing weather stroke, she would be in overalls.

She slipped in her hands in the pockets of her coat. Friya turned around, not even stepping up on the front door. The tears strolled down on her cheeks a little later. She wanted a dash of alcohol for this time.

...

Friya walked to the side of the national highway. It's already dinner time, but her mind was still away from its bed. Her solace was running away, along with her insanity. She stopped in front of a food park. A lot of tables were vacant.

It's still 7pm, might as well dine in before it gets full. Friya went inside, the steam of Ramyeon, the stirred noodles with spicy and beet red soup, cooking in a stove. She bowed down her head as the server asked what her order was. Friya smiled as she pointed at the Ramyeon.

"Oh, this? How many bowls?" The server asked. She held out three fingers. Friya added up two bottles of soju, too, to pipe up her boiling blood with passion. She took a seat down in the tent's corner. Friya was lonely once again.

She took her cell phone out, but when she looked up at the entrance, she's astonished with what she saw. Friya looked down, tried to hide in the tent's corner, scrambling in with the hood of her coat. She didn't know what to do but to conceal her face.

At that moment, she found a piece of paper squeezing in at the side of the table. Friya picked it up in a haste, opened it wide, and hid her face behind it. The couple who went inside the tent were Feline and Sean.

Friya didn't know if her heart was fine. It's skipping a beat. She heard Feline's mumble towards the server. Friya pretended to read the article in front of her. Her attention wasn't there, after all.

Friya felt the lump in her throat, but she couldn't raise her hand. She wanted a glass of water, but if Sean and Feline were there, she wanted the ground to suck her in. She pointed at the words, mumbling as if she's reading, but when she heard the footsteps, she wanted to combust.

She wanted to drink on her own, but how can she? Why was the destiny playing a joke on her? The server must cook her order now, or else...

"What came to your mind that you wanted to be here, Sean?" Feline took a seat down, next to the woman reading a newspaper. The seats were apart. The atmosphere that Friya could feel... it's uncomfortable. She hissed, trying to contain herself to calm down.

The nervous rose in her chest. Friya wanted the ground to suck her in, but it's impossible.