When Worlds Collide (Taynew)

episode ✍️ 44

When they arrived at the restaurant, everyone was already seated. Tay and New sat next to each other, and soon after, Jeni approached them. She smiled and asked, "Can I sit here, New?"

New glanced at Jeni and then looked over at his friends, who were subtly signaling for him to say no. But instead, he nodded. "Yes, you can."

Jeni smiled brightly and took the empty seat beside Tay. New ate quietly, glancing at them every now and then. The atmosphere felt heavy, and everyone ate in silence until Gun spoke up. "New, tomorrow everyone’s planning to take a boat trip to the middle of the ocean. You’re coming, right?"

New nodded but didn’t say anything. Jeni then chimed in with a cheerful voice, "Oh, Tay, thank you so much for giving me your phone number. It’s really helped me a lot."

New froze at her words, thoughts racing through his mind. "Didn’t Tay say he doesn’t give his number to anyone? Was he lying?"

Without another word, New stood up abruptly. "I’m full. I’m going to sleep early," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Tay looked at him. "Wait a minute, I’ll be done soon, and we can go together."

But before Tay could finish, Jeni interrupted, "Actually, Tay, I have something personal to talk to you about. Can we speak privately after dinner?"

New glanced at Tay, waiting for his response, but Tay didn’t hesitate. He nodded in agreement with Jeni, and that was all New needed to see. His heart clenched. Without a word, he turned and quickly walked away.

His friends called after him, "New, wait! We’re almost done, let’s go together!" But New didn’t stop. He rushed back to his room, tears welling up in his eyes.

he cried quietly, wiping his tears away before they could fall. Not long after, his friends followed him into the room, seeing the state he was in. Gun sat beside him. "New, it’s okay. You say you’re not sure about your feelings for him, but look at you—you’re crying like this."

New shook his head. "I want to stay with you guys tonight."

Gun sighed. "New, don’t think like that. It’s not the end."

New cut him off. "I don’t want to hear anything! I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. That’s it. You don’t need to do anything."

Gun gently replied, "New, why are you getting angry?"

New stayed silent for a moment before saying, "Tomorrow, I’m going back home."

Force frowned. "Didn’t you say you were going on the boat trip tomorrow?"

"I don’t feel like going anymore," New muttered.

Gun wasn’t about to give up. "New, why are you giving up so quickly?"

New shot back, "What do you mean giving up? I never liked him, and he doesn’t like me! What’s there to give up on?"

Force looked at him seriously. "Then why are you crying?"

"I’m not!" New snapped, but his voice faltered.

Gun sighed. "Just give my plan a try. If Tay really has feelings for you or someone else, we’ll find out for sure."

New shook his head. "Didn’t you see? They’re getting closer. It’s clear he likes her. Otherwise, why would he give her his number and agree to talk privately? From what I know about Tay, he never does anything he doesn’t want to do. It’s obvious—he likes her. He’s only ever cared about work until now, and suddenly, he’s making time for her. It’s clear."