Within the spaces

Episode 13

Faye woke up with a slight headache and a stiff neck. The sofa, as cozy as it looked last night, was definitely not meant for someone her height. Groaning, she shuffled to her bed, hoping to catch a little more rest. But sleep didn't come. Instead, she found herself scrolling through her phone.

Her notifications were filled with posts from friends. One photo caught her eye—a candid of her and Sunny from the night before, shared by a friend on Twitter. The sight made her smile for a moment, but then her thoughts drifted to Yoko. It was nearly 11 AM, and there was still no reply to her text.

Is she okay? Faye wondered. Worry gnawed at her. She decided to check again.

"Yo, are you okay?" she texted.

The message was marked as seen, but there was no reply. Faye frowned. That wasn't like Yoko. She told herself Yoko must be with her family and left it at that.

The day stretched on. Faye filled her time with badminton, errands, and long walks with Sunny, but her mind kept circling back to Yoko. Why hadn't she replied?

By the evening, Faye noticed Yoko replying to fans' comments on her Hong Kong photos. Relief washed over her—she's fine!—but it was short-lived. If Yoko was fine, why hadn't she replied to her?

Faye sent another message:
"Is something wrong, Yo? Did I do something?"

This time, Yoko replied almost immediately:
"Everything is okay, P'Faye. Go back to texting your friend."

Faye blinked at the screen. My friend? And then, as if a light bulb flicked on in her brain, she realized. Yoko was upset about the mistaken message. The one she'd sent to the wrong person. How had she missed it?

"Nong, are you upset with me?" Faye asked, though she already knew the answer.

Seen. No reply.

"Nong, I didn't mean anything by it. It was a mistake!" Faye sent another message, but the moment she hit send, she regretted it. Why does that sound so defensive?

She sighed, pacing her apartment. Ten days until she'd see Yoko again on set. I can't let this drag on for that long.

Desperate for advice, she called P'Wan.

"P'Wan, what do I do?" Faye whined, explaining the situation.

"First, greet me properly," came P'Wan's teasing reply.

"P'Waaaaan, help me!"

"Send her something—flowers, food, cake. She loves that kind of thing," P'Wan suggested.

"Great idea! Do you have her address?"

"Didn't you drop her off every day? Use your brain, Faye."

Faye slapped her forehead. Of course.

"Thanks, P'Wan! You're the best!"

"I know," P'Wan said smugly before hanging up.

Faye decided to send Yoko her favorite udon noodles, complete with an "I'm sorry" note. Even though she knew the address, she hesitated—it might seem odd to send something directly to Yoko's family home. So, she reached out to Neko on social media.

"Neko, I'm sending something for Yoko. Could you give it to her?"

"P'Faye, how could I say no to you?" Neko replied almost instantly.

Faye chuckled. The similarities between the sisters were uncanny.

That evening, Neko delivered the noodles to Yoko, who stared at the package for a moment before spotting the note. She let out a small, begrudging smile but quickly masked it.