RECOGNIZING II

[1.1.2022], it's the holiday and a day off since it's still the new year. It's ten pm, the streets are full of people, the ground is filled with snow, the sky is filled with the stars while the snow is dropping with a chilly wind with it, giving a calm feeling to the ones who take a deep breath while the smoke going out from their month because of the cold, people are taking that opportunity to have a nice night with their friends or lovers, but one the other side there is some people who are not having that nice time since their life didn't give them that opportunity yet, life forced them to these days alone by themselves.

Alyssa was going to her home, she was passing by the cross walk since it was red light, she turned to see if there is any cars, suddenly she got shocked by the speed of a car who's coming in front of her, she froze up, the car stopped in front of her, Alyssa feet couldn't keep her standing the man who was riding the car came out from his car, it turns out that the driver was Gyeong the boy who everyone talked about yesterday night, he moved toward her and threw bunch of money paper, and then he went back toward his car, Alyssa told him, "I don't need your money and you should watch your way of driving before you kill someone", Gyeong turned his head and said with a cold attitude "Whatever" and then he went away, Alyssa kept looking at the car going away, she tried to stood up but she injured her leg a little, she stood up finally and continued her way toward her home, when she finally arrived she met Richard who was going out from his home, he looked at her at first and didn't say anything then he noticed that her leg is injured, he went back to his home, after some seconds he came out with first aid, he went toward Alyssa and said "Give me your leg" Alyssa asked him what did he say, he answered her saying if she didn't notice that she is injured, Alyssa looked at her leg and saw the scratch and told him it's alright it will be healed by itself, Richard didn't say anything and graped her leg and he put some medicine in it, Alyssa told him he didn't need to do that, then Richard answer her, "you are right, I didn't had to do it, you should have done it yourself, you know if we let our injuries pass by like that it will never be healed completely and with time it will hurt us again", Alyssa didn't understand what he meant by that, but she felt some sadness deep inside because of his words, she couldn't say a word, Richard finished and then he took the first aid back to the house and then he went away, while he was passing by her, Alyssa turned back and said "Thanks", Richard turned his head half way with and then continued walking away, Alyssa couldn't remove her eyes from him because of the look that she saw on his eyes, they were filled with emptiness and sadness, those feeling were something that she thought she felt but after what she saw, she started doubting if she really felt those dark emotions. Later that day at a late hour, in Forlorn bar where Richard works. The bar is preparing to open it's doors and it's like yesterday people are gathering around it waiting it to open so they can be served by the good-looking bar man, the bar just opened and people started entering it, after a while Richard was serving the drinks to the customers at that moment a girl sit in a chair in front of him, Richard pulled his head up to ask her what she wants, then he saw that the girl was Ryu Ki, "welcome again Mame, is it like yesterday?" what Richard said, Ryu Ki answered him saying "why the formal I think we are the same age, that's why I am hoping you keep the formality away, or are you into my Alyssa since you took her home yesterday?", Richard was about to answer her but someone stopped him by saying, "don't misunderstand what happened yesterday, it's just that we live at the same district", when the two looked at who talked, it was Alyssa when they tunred toward her she smiled and said hi, then Richard nodded his head in place of saying hi, then he asked Alyssa, "how's the injury of your leg?", Ryu Ki over-reacted and turned toward Alyssa and asked her what injury his is talking about, Alyssa laughed and said that it's nothing big and it's just a small scratch she got while walking" Ryu Ki answered her saying that there no one can be injured by walking, then someone said "I thought you went to the hospital since I gave you money", Ryu Ki and Alyssa turned around it was Gyeong who said that, Alyssa got angry when she saw him and answered him, "I won't take the money of someone like you or whatever it is, and I won't need it ever, and you can go back to where you left it if you want it, I never took it in the first place", Gyeong answered her by saying with a cold look on his face, "Whatever." Then he looked at Richard to see that the last was looking at him with eyes that had a cold and dark aura coming at him, after one second from that look Gyeong smiled while looking at Richard and said with a smirk on his face, "interesting". Ryu Ki was chocked and kept looked at the three, she got stressed out from the intense atmosphere, then she asked Richard to bring some whiskey cola for her and Alyssa, then she turned toward the other two and said, "let's forget everything and let us have a nice night" then she took her cup and turned toward Alyssa and asked her to drink her drink, then she turned toward Gyeong and asked him to continue his drink and that nothing happened and he should forget everything, at that moment Gyeong told Ryu Ki, "I don't think we know each other to talk formally", at that instant Ryu Ki smiled a nervous smile and looked back at her drink while saying in her thought, "I just wanted to cool down this scary atmosphere that is surrounding me from everywhere, even Richard is looking serious", then she looked at Richard and said " cheers, I hoped we can drink together", Richard looked at her at first he was still looking serious and Ryu Ki looked scared at that moment then he smiled at her and said thanks to her and told her to enjoy her night, after that Ryu Ki asked him, "by the way I forgot that you are also a freshman at the Blue River university, which department are you in?", Richard answered by saying that he is in Architectural department, Ryu Ki got surprised and excited saying that she and Alyssa are in the same Department as him, Richard smiled and said that it's nice, then Gyeong said with a disappointing look on his face "I think I'll be regretting coming here", after what he said he had put money beside the drink and then looked at the three and went away from the bar, Alyssa got a little drunk and showed her anger and she put her cup hard and said "what's wrong with him, who does he think he is", Richard didn't say a word and just kept looking at him leaving, then he told Ryu Ki that it would be better to take her friend to her home to avoid what happened yesterday, Ryu Ki agreed with him and told Alyssa that they should go, Alyssa told Ryu Ki that she still wants to stay, and that she only tried to give good impression of her since they'll be seeing each other at the university, Richard answered her saying "you don't need to give good impression, you should know that we are not in high school and we are in university where there is a lot of people there even foreigners". Alyssa looked kept looking at him then she pointed at him and looked sad and she tried to say something but she fell asleep, Ryu Ki smiled and told Richard that she couldn't hold the liquor that much and kept trying to wake Alyssa up but the last was drunk and couldn't wake up, Richard told Ryu Ki to wait a little bit because he will finish work soon since tomorrow it's the first day at the university, Ryu ki looked at him and smiled and said "thanks", after some time Richard finished his work and then he went toward Ryu Ki and Alyssa who was drunk and took her on his back and then told Ryu Ki to come with them so she can open the door of her home. The three went out and while they were on their way home Alyssa started mumbling and Richard showed a smile for a brief second and Ryu Ki saw him then she said in her thought, "I think finally life will smile for you my dear friend, Alyssa", the three arrived at Alyssa home then Ryu Ki told Alyssa to wake up, the last woke up to find herself in the back of Richard again, she got shy and couldn't look at Richard and told him that she appreciates his help, Richard said that it's nothing then he went to his home, Alyssa turned toward Ryu ki to see that the last is in shock, she asked her what's wrong then Ryu Ki got excited and said, "lucky you, who thought that you'll be living beside a handsome boy", Alyssa's face went red and she got frustrated and told Ryu Ki to enter, and she pushed her inside, and then she looked at the way where Richard house is and then she entered her home telling Ryu Ki, "don't get any bad ideas, I am telling you".

Richard entered his home and took a shower then he went to his bad to sleep, he set the alarm so he could wake up tomorrow morning, half an hour passed but he couldn't sleep he kept thinking about what he said during the day to Alyssa, he put his arm to on his eyes to cover them then he said with a frustrated voice, "Fuck" then he looked toward the window beside him and turned toward it and then closed his eyes again..

Actually, not only Richard who was still awake and couldn't sleep but the other two were also awake Gyeong was still awake he was sitting on his balcony and looking at the night sky view with a drink in his hand, while Alyssa was still awake while her friend was asleep beside her, she looked at her and smiled, then she went up toward the window and looked at the sky and took a deep breath and she said, "Last step, I just need to hold it some more time". And that was when the three of them were waiting for tomorrow to come because it will be a new chapter in their lives.