Days passed by. Hanji continued trying out ways to get expelled from school and Chaerry was busy pursuing Chris.
Of course, their petty fights was still far from getting resolved. Both would make a mental note of the things they ought to seek revenge for hence disharmony between the two.
Then there was Chris who had only failed attempts to get Eugene to talk to him after the lips touching business.
One fine Monday morning, during the lessons break, Chris walked to Eugene's desk- which was on the last row contrary to his. She was busily reading the new manga she had recently purchased when she sensed him walking in her direction.
Her next action was just pretty much as Chris had predicted. He had prepared a letter beforehand which he slipped into the manga she was reading before she scurried away.
The letter read :
"I know you must have been taken aback by my untoward action back at the restaurant but I promise that I have been feeling sorry since then. Please hear me out at least once. I will be waiting at the terrace after classes."
Reading the letter, Eugene felt her heart twinge. It was the fact that he felt sorry about it. The fact that he had used her again. Toyed with her regardless of how she felt.
"He is sorry again." Eugene folds the letter into two before sliding it into her bag and letting it rest somewhere between her books.
Amidst her contemplation of whether to go see him and hear the truth she has been purposely avoiding rose a memory of him that she had kept at the back of her mind. One of the memories she had cherished and yet had her heart ache at the same time - Her very first kiss.
Eugene is taken back down the lane of memories of a 15 year old Chris. They were having lunch at the cafeteria as usual except that Chris looked pitifully sad and unusually solemn.
"So how would your confession go?"
Although the answer is quite obvious she still asks.
He stares at her. "Can we go talk outside?"
He got up first and she followed him.
Once they get out the school building, still within the premises, Chris comes to a halt. He heaves before beginning "Hubris be damned, you are my best friend. I believe you won't judge me."
"So yeah, she kind of rejected me saying that she wants to focus on her studies and is not yet ready for this stuff." He narrates, eyes welling up. "I was trying to be fine and all untill I found out that she started going out with another boy." his voice began growing stronger and livid clear in his eyes.
Students that passed by them threw him some pitiful, some disgusted gazes and he decides to decrease his volume.
Eugene tried to comfort her depressed friend by drawing circles using her palm on his back.
An abrupt grab of her hand immobilezed Eugene. His a finger-length away breathe wafted across her philtrum sending slight tingles down her senses. Slow-motion. That's how the whole moment felt. He leaned in without any contemplation. His cold lips landed on hers with his hand still grabbing her wrist which he had glued to the wall she was leaning against. Subconsciously, she too, with her eyes shut, reciprocated the act.
She felt a sudden adrenaline rush.
A moment of magic that brought to light the deep obscure feelings. It was a novel yet exhilarating feeling. She was stuck in the moment and wished it never ended.
He was the first one to pull away from the kiss. "She is gone. Sorry about that."
"Sorry?" Eugene with a puzzled expression asked.
"She just walked by while holding hands with her boyfriend as if to show off. I just wanted to show her that I was over her." He clutches his fist.
Eugene was dumbfounded. She was in an utter disbelief of what had just happened. She felt embarrassed but played it cool anyways.
What Chris had done might be a facade to him but it had awaken feelings within Eugene.
The turmoil that swirled in Eugene's head remained unnoticed by him. All it took was a feigned smile and white lies. "I am glad I could be of help. How do you feel now?" Eugene asks on their way back to the cafeteria. "It will be easier getting over her now that she believes I am over her." He gave her a reassuring smile.
It was after his first breakup that Eugene had figured out that the role she had in his life was to give him a shoulder to cry on. She was always the one to deal with his miserable state after breakups from relationships that never lasted. She felt used but if that meant she could stay beside him, she was willing to be used. It was a wretched way of living but none of her tactics to get over him ever worked.
It was when Chaerry joined the school that she had most of her time spent with her. It helped. In keeping her distracted. The feelings got hidden again somewhere deep down her. She still tended to his pathetic self after breakups.
She was still always there for him. What was gone was hopes and wishes to have her desires of him fulfilled. All of that got buried.
Now here she was again. It felt like a Deja Vu. All her feelings were awakened again. She believed it was another facade. What was it this time? To keep the girls away. She had kept ignoring him for days now just to avoid hearing him say sorry again. Hopes had risen in her and if she were to talk to him would he break her hopes? She wanted to keep the feeling for a while but she has to confront him anyways.
She rehearses the words she was going to say to him when they meet at the terrace over and over mentally making her pay less to no attention to the teachers for the remaining periods.
She decided to end it for once and all.