Depend On Me

Bittersweet loving

The suit fit perfectly. They say a man looks best in a suit and for Leo this saying proved to be true. He displayed innate power and elegance, which made him look sophisticated. He was naturally handsome, but with tailored clothes he shone.

The rest of the afternoon he spent reading up on wines and Italian cuisine. Luckily the information stuck into his head quickly. This left him time to find a gift for her. He knew absolutely nothing about her, so it proved to be difficult to find something. Flowers, but what if she was allergic? Chocolate, but what if she didn't like it? A book, but what if she hated books? A bottle of wine, but what if she didn't usually drink? He sighed deeply as he passed store after store. Suddenly a thought popped up in his mind: He could ask Hongbin about it. He grabbed his phone and unlocked it. His eyes scanned over his contacts until he realized he had never asked for Hongbin's phone number. He swore under his breath and looked at his watch, 4.30. Maybe Hongbin is still at work, he thought, I might cross him if I go there. And so he went on his way through the city towards the large shopping centre with his favourite café. Slightly out of breath he reached the centre. He quickly went inside and took the stairs up to the café. Once there he didn't see Hongbin. He slowly walked through the doors to the counter.

The delicious scent of coffee filled the air around him as he waited for the lady to finish filling a cup. "Hello, can I help you?", she asked turning around to him. "Yeah, I'm looking for Lee Hongbin. I know he works here. Is he still in the café?", Leo answered. "I'm sorry, he left literally two minutes earlier. I think you could still catch up to him, if you tried. He always takes the same way home. Go out of the door, then to the left, then right, then straight-ahead for a long time and when you see a small church take a right. You should be able to cross him if you're fast." "Thank you for your help, I'll try my best." He bowed and walked out of the café again. Well just my luck, he has left only two minutes earlier. Reluctantly he started running again. Left, right, straight-ahead. A sigh of relieve left his mouth as he saw Hongbin strolling in front of him.

"Hey Hongbin!", he said slowing his pace.

Hongbin turned his head in surprise and smiled widely. "Ahh Leo, what's up?"

"This might sound stupid, but what would your sister like me to give her tonight?"

"I nearly forgot you were getting dinner together, but uhm... she really likes those tropical-looking flowers. I think they're called hibiscus flowers. She said something about the meaning behind them being beautiful... I'm sorry, sometimes she can be a bit incomprehensive."

"Thanks anyway, is there anything she's allergic to?"

"Not to my knowledge, she's never been sensitive to anything."

"Thank you, I just don't want her to get an allergic reaction when I give her something."

"No problem, good luck tonight.", he started chuckling and added, "I heard my sister went a bit over with her restaurant choice. She tends to be like this around people she admires, so please take it as a compliment. She's trying her best."

"How could I see this as any less than a compliment? She's a sweet person and it is extremely credible that she took out time to give back to me."

Hongbin looked at his feet. His sister had been there for him whenever, wherever. They had been through a lot together, which had left a strong connection between the two of them. He leaned on her and she leaned on him. Together they made it work, when they alone would never have been able to. His voice grew shaky as he said, "Treat her well and she'll treat you even better, but if you treat her like shit, you'll find yourself in deep shit as well. She's all that I hold near. Without her I'm not even a shard of what I am now. I need you to take care of her."