Orchids or Sunflowers

c h a p t e r 4

I wore army-green cargo pants, a tight cottont-shirt with long sleeves and print, and I white platform sneakers.
My hair fell under my shoulder blades and I had it clipped at the sides so that it wouldn't fall into my eyes.

I combed my bangs a few more times with my fingers before I left the school restroom.
It was already early in the evening and the only thing that kept me at the university was a professor of art history. I had tutoring with her, which I was forced into because I was visiting my parents at hometown for a long time, so I missed a few of her classes.

I walked over to my locker, from which I pulled out my jacket and scarf, then my path led straight to the exit. I decided to shorten my way home by shortcut behind the university campus.

It was really cold outside and while I was trying to feel the zipper with my stiff fingers, I slammed my shoulder into someone.
I quickly bowed to the person and apologize at the same time.

But when I wanted to get around the man, his hand jerked me back to him roughly.

,,Where are you going like this alone? You know, it can be dangerous." He said as I almost choked on the alcohol fumes, they were radiating from him. Dark circles under his eyes and tired face only completed the overall uncomfortable feeling.

,,Could you let go?" I tried to keep my voice calm so as not to make matters worse.

,,I will think about it." He grinned atrociously. Then his hand moved from my sleeve under my jacket, from where I immediately gave it away.
But that didn't help, because he moved that hand right away to my neck and slowly squeezed more and more. Then he leaned closer to me until I was forced to hold my breath.
I was disgusted to even touch him, but I had to, because his grip was almost unbearable.
When I wanted to use my foot in my defense, he pressed my neck so hard that I was forced to kneel.

I started gasping for breath as he ran his palm under my jacket and straight under my t-shirt.

I felt completely paralyzed.

And then all that pressure suddenly disappeared.

Finally enough air got into my lungs, and from so much relief I sat down completely on the cold ground, my eyes closed, trying to calm my heartbeat.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw the man lying in front of me on the sidewalk, trying to get up again with strange sounds.

Right after that, someone's hands began brushing my hair from my face.

,,I am here, you're alright, you're ..." I felt his pleasant breath as he held my face in his palms.

I looked at him still in mild shock.
As I focused on his dark eyes full of diverse emotions, straight, distinctive nose, nicely shaped lips and even those mysterious scars, ultimately my pounding heart began to calm down.

Now I knew that everything was fine – that everything was as it may be.

He wouldn't let me look anywhere but his face and I didn't even want to.

,,I'll take you out of here, okay?" he spoke after a moment I used to examine his face.

The man was no longer even trying to stand up. But his rumble still didn't stop. It drove me to get to my feet as quickly as possible with the assist of Su-Jin.

As we walked on the sidewalk full of people along the main road, then my body relaxed a little more.
Suddenly I unknowingly touched my neck with both hands and suppressed the hiss from the pain.

,,Show me." He turned me by the shoulder towards him.

I tilted my head slightly so that he had a good view because I also wanted to know what it looked like.

His expression became more and more frowning until his touch disappeared from me and he turned in the direction we were coming from. ,,I'm gonna break his ... "

,,Aren't you going to stop me?" he asked as I continued on my way without a word.

,,You didn't say you want me to stop you." I replied in a flat voice alluding to the conversation that had taken place between us last time.

Then I almost bumped into street lamp because my thoughts went back in time to a few minutes. That's why I stopped and rubbed my eyes with my palm. Maybe I thought it would erase the image of the man from my mind.

,,Hey, watch the lamp." I heard side by side.

,,Oh, thank you." I smiled ironically.

,,Is Ma-Ri alone now?" I asked as we continued to walk.

,,No."

,,Hm, interesting. I would swear that little girl over there looks exactly like her ..." I nodded toward the benches across the road where she was sitting.

When he followed my gaze to that place, he immediately turned pale in the face and, regardless of me, ran to her.
I smiled at the sight of the little laughing girl and then I turned onto side street that took me home in a few minutes.

At home, I headed to the bathroom, where I took off all my clothes, even the scarf, and threw them in the laundry basket.
Then I took a hot shower during which I focused only on washing away the touch of that man.
I spent at least half an hour in the shower and later, wrapped in a bath towel, I went to the kitchen, where Sphynxie was already waiting for me. So while I was making my herbal tea, I prepared him some cat food, which I poured into his bowl.

When I got in the smaller living room, I had stacks of papers everywhere on the couch, from which I learned regularly. This time I just piled them up and lay down wearily.

After a few moments I fell into a weak sleep, but when I woke up to an unpleasant dream, I didn't want to close my eyes again.

I was about to make myself a strong black coffee, when I grabbed my phone to check the time. But instead I saw some unread messages on the lockscreen, but one of them interested me more than the others.
At first I thought it was down to my drowsiness, but then I tap on it and that opened the conversation of me and Ma-Ri.
However, the last message didn't look like something she would write.

,,U are not sleeping"

,,i am" I texted back without hesitation.

I didn't get an answer until a few minutes later.

,,Even better"

My face wrinkled with misunderstanding, but then he sent another message.

,,U can take this as a dream that will mean nothing in the morning"

Even this did not help me to understand.

The epiphany came only when my phone sounded a ringing tone and his name appeared on the screen.

In a fit of curiosity, I pressed the green icon and put the phone to my ear.

But when I wanted to speak, he overtook me.

,,Do not say anything. Just try to endure a moment without words." His deep voice came as I sat on the couch again.

He probably took great pleasure in confusing my thoughts about him because within a few seconds, the first notes of bass guitar sounded.

I leaned my head slowly against the backrest behind me and closed my eyes.

It was too reassuring and the image of him sitting somewhere now with this musician instrument in his hands and allowing me to listen to it ...