Love Under Parasols

Icings

"You okay now?" she asked me while a genuinely concerned smile. I nodded and let go of her hand, "You made me nervous."

"Sorry, Chewy," I said. She asked the waiter to give me water earlier. I drank it and controlled my breathing again.

"Do you want to stay here or do you want to go somewhere else?" she wiped the tears that were falling still from my eyes. "Aish, seriously, what made you cry this much?" she sounded frustrated.

"I'm hungry," it seemed to distract her because she asked if I wanted to eat the food that was going to be served. I shook my head. I don't want to stay here. Staying here means I'll remember that Jeongyeon stood me up for Hyerin. I don't want that.

"Where do you wanna go, Princess?" Chewy stood up and pretended to bow, making me laugh. She offered her hand, I took it. "There you go. You shouldn't be crying on your special day. Or in any day for that matter."

"Thank you for always saving me, Tzuyu," I mumbled. She chuckled and pulled me close to her so that we'll be hand in hand while going out the restaurant. "Can we eat ramen and sushi?"

She opened the door to her car, "Anything you want tonight. As long as I can give it," she said. I got inside her car and smiled to myself. Chewy's sweet. "So, why were you crying?" she asked when she started to drive.

"Uhh..." I don't know how I can manage to tell her that it was because of Jeongyeon. For some reason, Chewy doesn't like her. "My supposed to be date didn't show up?"

"Why do you sound unsure?" she laughed. "It's fine. I'll always go to your rescue when someone ditches you."

Chewy continued making corny jokes on the way to a ramen place. She chose a not so fancy place and told me that it's the best ramen restaurant in the area. I watched her as she drove. I must say, she looks more than fine. The amount of visuals she has is no joke. She can pass as an idol but I feel like she'd rather sleep than be in the spotlight.

"Auntie! Two ramen special please!" she said as we entered the small house by the suburbs of the city. The old lady smiled and prepared what she ordered. "I discovered this place when I was roaming around and got hungry. Plus, Auntie is a very nice lady. She gives extra dishes on the side," Chewy winked and pulled out a seat for me.

I observed that whenever we're together, she always makes sure I'm comfortable first before she does anything. I found it sweet and it touched a special place in my heart. How I wish Jeongyeon would be like that too. But of course, I can only dream because it's not possible. Hyerin's her sun and I'm just a shadow casted by it.

"Ya, stop thinking about anything else. I'm right in front of you," Chewy raised her brow at me. "Don't you know that my time is precious?"

"Like the gollum precious?" I teased. She frowned and then smiled again. "Alright, I understand. You have my attention."

The ramen arrived and yes, it was delicious. I've never tasted any ramen like this except from Japan.

"Chewy," I started. She hummed as answer so I continued, "Why do you always come to my rescue?"

She stopped eating and wiped her mouth, "I don't know. I feel like it's a crime if I let you cry." she smiled at me and winked. "Don't you like this gorgeous knight in shining armor?"

I laughed, "You're crazy."

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean I'll let you get hurt," Chewy's face became serious. "I know that it was Jeongyeon who left you. I saw her earlier with Hyerin, the cultural instructor, at the grocery."

I sighed, "Let's not talk about it."

"Of course. Anything you want, remember?" I smiled at her and nodded.