Unlovely Kind

05 His likeness

Chapter 5

"So don't be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known."

Matthew 10:26

"You tempt me! If you succeed, you stay; if not, you leave!" Eri comically imitated Cliff as she went out of his office, though she was still standing in front of it and throwing some punches in the air and copying that taekwondo pose; not noticing that CCTV camera attached to the ceiling near her which enabled Cliff to see through the monitor all her ridiculous gestures.

"She can't be her." Cliff thought. His mind, departing from reality and events from thirteen years ago slowly filled his thoughts...

Young Cliff found himself on a rooftop of an old, abandoned building; he was not in sanity. Without doubt, he drastically stepped on the edge. He could hardly move his legs nonetheless due to their bruises. His face was swollen too, that though it was snowing, he could not feel the cold because his entire body had grown numb already. Forcing more strength, he looked down and watched while cars in the highway sprang to and fro. Nothing matters now to him; if he's going to die at that moment, he deserves it – such his kind deserves nothing but death.

But that name, that girl...

"She must not be..."

Until a phone call distracted Cliff from pondering things. He reached for his phone and answered the call which was actually from overseas.

"Dr. Reed." Cliff greeted.

**************

"He did not!" Heather blasted in excitement that mid afternoon of what Eri told her about her encounter with Cliff. She was at Eri's place and feeling the smooth and soft cushion of Eri's couch; she smells money and high expense everywhere.

"He did, actually." Eri responded to her friend unexcitingly while sitting opposite her friend; she did the eyes roll.

"You're damn lucky!" she answered her back enviously; still lying in the couch like it's hers.

"Lucky??? Lucky my ass! Who does he think he is?! Always playing the 'cool guy' role!" Eri cringed in anger.

"Well basically, he's just your agency's CEO and your crush."

"Oh, you got a point there --- wait! I didn't say he's my crush!" Eri looked so flustered while denying Heather's statement; she snapped her in the left arm.

"O really?" she threw a pillow at Eri and hit her in the head, "Didn't you admit it to me yesterday saying, 'it indeed hurts in here! It hurts so much that---!"

"Heather!" she snapped her again which Heather responded with a huge laugh and made Eri feel more embarrassed.

"I thought we're best friends! You should take my side and not that jerk's!" she demanded while pouting sourly.

"Excuse me? I was once your enemy and your number one hater before we became best friends!" Heather teased her even more.

"Right." Eri thought of it and wondered how they miraculously became friends.

*********

"So I guess this is goodbye now." Eri said to Mr. Jung and Jeremy the next day who were seated opposite her. She was again inside the premises of SKY building and was planning to bid goodbye to her handlers personally. She has made up her mind--- not to stay in that place any longer and go on her own. She has accepted Cliff's offer to enroll in that fashion school and she doubts if she could ever come back to singing after she finishes school. What a mishap.