Their Parallel Universe ✓

Chapter 20

"How's your mom been?" Nick leans over the headrest as he talks to Tem who is sitting in front of him in the van. "I thought you and Poll would not be able to make it here on our outing because of what happened on that day. Is it okay to leave her alone now?"

Tem sighs before answering, "Well, she's fine now. Or so she said. To be honest, Poll and I considered just staying behind and canceling out on you, guys, but Mom insisted we should go, saying time with friends is important too. As if I'm not already tired of seeing your faces in the university every day. Anyway, she'll be staying with Risa's parents while we're gone, which is at least reassuring."

"Hey, this lady is so cold to her friends," Nick comments, pouting.

"That lady is my girlfriend," Cloud calls out from the front passenger seat. "And your face is too close to her."

Nick feigns a sneer as he looks at Cloud. "I didn't say she's not your girlfriend. And don't worry, she's far from my type so I'll never look at her that way." Turning to Tem, he adds, "No offense, my friend. You're pretty, you are, but you're just not it for me."

With a laugh, Tem presses her palm on her friend's cheek and shoves Nick's face away from her. "Shut up."

"Now, all jokes aside, it's good to know that Auntie's doing well now." Nick goes back to his seat on the third row, in between Risa and Eujae. "Yours and Risa's families are friends, right? Oh, and I'm sorry that I didn't know when that incident happened, so I wasn't able to visit Auntie in the hospital."

Tem turns her head around and peers over the seat to answer, "It's fine. She was hospitalized for less than a day so that's understandable, and it's not like we would have wanted for her to stay longer in the hospital just so you, guys, could have a chance to pay her a visit. Don't worry, aside from Cloud and Eujae, no one else was able to drop by and come see her in the hospital that day."

"Cloud and Eujae?" A sense of wonder is glossing over the young man's question. Nick turns to the person on his left and stares at him. Even his expression is inquiring. "I mean, Cloud is a given because he's usually with Tem, but I'm surprised you were there too."

There is no response as the person he's talking to is engrossed in staring at a certain pair on the opposite side of the seats in front of them.

"Hey, Earth to Eujae. Hello, are you still with us?" Nick slants his upper body to the side, his face just mere inches from Eujae, and blocks his friend's view of Poll and Lia who are having their happy conversation.

The action grabs Eujae's attention, at last. He blinks and slowly leans his head away from his fist. Lowering his elbow from the car's window frame, he asks absentmindedly, "What?" As he becomes conscious of their proximity, Eujae uses the back of his hand to push Nick's head aside. "Get your face away from me, man."

"Whoa, you, guys, are so mean. Why do you keep pushing my handsome face away?" In spite of his complaints, Nick leans back in his seat again.

"Yeah, yeah, you're handsome. I still don't want that handsomeness close to me," Eujae replies in perfect nonchalance, earning laughters from Cloud and Tem.

Nick grumbles about his friends not being cute, before looking at the side where Eujae was staring a while ago. "What is there to look at that you'd rather see than my face? Is there something more interesting than my handsomeness there?" He pauses as if he just saw the thing that will answer his questions. "Okay, I understand that Lia is beautiful. And of course, you find her beautiful too. She's your cousin after all, but I'm pretty sure she's not the one you're looking longingly at."

Another brief pause, and Nick turns to Eujae, wearing an expression that says a thought just hit him. "Before you misunderstand it, I just want you to know that I don't see Lia that way so don't come at me, okay?" Nick raises both hands as if in surrender. "I was just appreciating your cousin's beauty, but she's only a friend to me."