Tapping noises grew nearer and the familiar heel sounds caught his full attention. His head was up and eyes focused on the end of the hallway as the growing shadow turned the corner. His eyes teared up and his numbed legs found some strength to support his body from the floor. Once he saw that it was Wei Na, he rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Where have you been? Do you know how worried I was when you didn't pick up your calls? Where the heck were you?!"
Surprised by his sudden action, she patted his back to soothe his emotions, "I only went out to run some errands. What's wrong?" She thought something terrible happened to make him tremble like this. After he had calmed down, she dragged him into her apartment and forced him to stay to discuss about what happened.
She placed the cup of hot tea into his hands and sipped from her mug, "My phone battery was dead and I didn't have a portable charger with me. What's wrong? Everything okay?"
His hands were still shaking slightly while holding onto the mug in his hands, "I'm getting you thirty of those portable chargers, so you have no excuses next time. You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Huh? Me? How? Geez, take a look at your worried expression first. Who was the idiot sitting outside of my apartment waiting for me in the cold hallway hmm? You had a bit of tears in your eyes earlier too. I saw its reflection under the lighting before you ran to hug me." She teased.
"No, I didn't. I don't know who you're talking about." He averted his eyes.
"Oh really? Hahaha, let's see then." she put her mug onto the table, cupped her warm palms against his cheeks, and turned his face towards her. His eyes were locked onto her bright smiling eyes as she teased, "See? You got all worried for nothing. I'm fine. I don't know what got into you, but I'm okay."
Her gentleness was one of a kind. So unique and wonderful. Her warm palms made the unsettling feeling leave almost instantly. Her smile and eyes were the only things he was thinking about at the moment. 'Was she always like this? An angel.'
It was a peaceful environment, with no interruptions. Although quiet, it felt just cozy and warm. The two looked each other in the eye and slowly grew a little closer to each other. The distance between them minimized. So close that they could sense each other's exhale. Wei Na's palm went from feeling his cheeks to relaxingly holding onto his shoulders. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she closed her eyes halfway.
Just as her eyelids were about to fall completely closed, a vibration from her phone awakened her mind. She quickly pushed him away and stood up, "Sorry, umm do you want to stay for dinner? I was planning to make sirloin steak matched with this red wine."
His body leaned onto the couch, on the warm spot where she was sitting. He sat up brushing his hair awkwardly, "uh.. sure. Ah, right. I wanted to tell you that you should be careful for a while because that Gu Wing chick is going to hunt after you and Ya Nuo. She specifically mentioned both of your names."
Her hands stopped tying the string to her apron from behind, "Oh...so you came here because of this. Alrighty! You want your steak medium rare done. I'll add your favorite pepper on top of it." Quickly, she hid her disappointment and tied the loose strings into a ribbon from behind.
While preparing for dinner, Bin Guan was watching her closely from the couch. "I never knew that you liked cooking or even knew how to cook."
"Haha, then there is a lot to me that you don't know yet." She jokingly replied.
"Then let me get to know you more." He accidentally slipped out his thoughts.
"Huh?" she stopped seasoning the meat and turned around.
Since his words were already out, he might as well repeat what I said. He stood up and walked towards the kitchen "I said let me get to know you better."
She blinked a few times before laughing it off, "Pffft. For a second there, I thought you meant it. Aiya, stop joking with me. I still need to season the meat and wait for the meat to soak up the ingredients. Be good and wait for the food."
He almost lost his balance when he heard her response, "What can I do to convince you that I meant every word that I just said? I really want to get to know you better. For the past month or so, you're all that I had on my mind. I kept reviewing our conversations from my phone and wondered why I haven't been more attentive to you."
The smile on her face froze as her hands slowed down its mixing movement. He continued stepping step by step closer to where she was, "I laughed and facepalmed while reading our texts. I realized so many things, but I didn't dare press that call button on my phone because I wasn't sure what I should say or how to put my words so that you would understand that it is for you and not for Ya Nuo. Today, Gu Wing shouted out her revenge plan and when I heard your name, I went crazily worried."
He stood right behind her, and her hands had already stopped mixing the meat with the seasoning, "For once in my life, I was afraid of losing someone so badly. I've been afraid and feeling emptiness in my chest ever since I let you go after your confession that day. I ran around trying to find out about your whereabouts to realizing that I actually never asked or looked into learning more about you."
"Do you know what was on my mind when I thought of the countless things that could've or might have happened to you when I couldn't reach or find you earlier? I deeply regretted for not caring, and asking more about you. I felt confused and incomplete when I didn't see your messages or received your calls. I felt pained while replaying the moment when you cried and I didn't have enough courage to hug you. I ran after you that day, but couldn't find an excuse for you to stay."
Her eyes turned pink and her back was still facing him. Since she didn't tell him to stop, he resumed, "Today, well.. right now, I want to tell you that you became the reason why my heart races rapidly. If you don't believe it, you can feel or listen to my chest. I don't want to tell you the three words that you anticipate me to tell you, but I do want to be with you. If you don't mind, will you like to go out with an idiot like me?"
"I'm slow and often forgetful, but I promise that when I'm with you, my heart wont belong anywhere else. I won't think of another person. I will only look at you. Will you give me another chance to get to know you better? Don't feel pressured or anything, you don't have to say yes, but it would be great if it's a yes." His voice grew lower as his confidence faded little by little from her silence.
From behind, he couldn't tell whether she was smiling or not. She was happy with his explanation and somewhat confession. Her smile was glowing like the stars in the sky that she forgot about responding until he asked, "So...?"
"Oh!" She wiped her hands clean before turning around with the same vibrant smile on her face, "Yes!" Seeing her beautiful smile along with hearing her response made him pull her to his embrace once again.
"Ahhh, too tight. Too tight!" her arms swung freely on the side.
"Hold on, just a few more minutes. I'm too happy. Just a little while okay?" his voice was gentle and smooth that she giggled, "Fine. Fine. Until the seasoning is done then."