Paradise Street

7

When Zi Hong arrives at the restaurant that Brent chose, he is guided to one of the private tables upstairs. His childhood friend is already there waiting for him, putting meat in the hot pot.

"Why a private room?" Zi hong asks, when the waitress leaves them alone.

"Because I give up on waiting for you to stop being an idiot," Brent says, looking at him.

"Brent...," Zi Hong starts to say.

"Brent' nothing, sit," his friend says, pointing to the chair in front of him and Zi Hong sits.

"I can explain," Zi Hong says.

"Explain why are you cheating on Joyce?" Brent asks.

"Is not that simple," Zi Hong says.

"Is with a man, doesn't it?" Brent asks.

Zi Hong world stops, how could he know? How does Brent know that he likes men? He never said that for anyone, he never said that out loud. Always changing the pronoun when they talked about liking someone, always hiding in a dark corner so no one could see him, always changing the subject of conversations about girls....

Joyce is the only serious relationship he ever had, Zi Hong really thought he could get used to being with her, that with time it would be easier to touch her. It didn't get easier, got harder, it all started with a lie about his sexuality, and now Zi Hong doesn't recognise himself anymore, everything seems fake, even things that have nothing to do with it. He knows that she doesn't deserve this, but she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He needed his parents to stop asking questions, and she was in love with him, so he thought he could learn to love her.

"H-how... w-why do you think that?" Zi Hong asks in a whisper.

"Because I known you since we have six years," Brent says and the expression on his face is serious. "I understand why you never told to your parents, your mother would probably breakdown crying and praying for your soul... but, I? What I did to you think that you can't trust me?"

Zi Hong feels the tears in his eyes, he doesn't know what to say, and from the lump in his throat, he knows that won't be able to say anything without cry.

"You're okay with this?" Zi Hong asks and his voice comes out weak.

"Of course, I'm okay with this," Brent says firmly.

"Why you never said anything?" Zi Hong asks, taking a paper napkin and wiping his nose.

"I wanted you to tell me when you're ready, but I can't see what you're doing and not say anything," Brent says.

"I know I'm an idiot," Zi Hong says.

"Good, so we can move to the next topic, what are you going to do?" Brent asks.

"What I'm going to do?", Zi hong says and sighs. "I don't know."

"Dude...," Brent says.

"Brent, I need some time... right now, I have no idea of what to do," Zi Hong says.

"You like him?" Brent asks.

"Is not that simple, but yes, I like," Zi Hong says, "I really like him."

"And shouldn't that be what really matters?" Beent asks.

"I wish it were that simple," Zi Hong says.

"He knows that you are married?" Brent asks.