UNTOUCHABLE - TIAOM

BREAKDOWN

"I'm curious," said Jane, turning sideways to Pie, "did you even follow her out?"

Pie had an expression like she couldn't believe Jane is asking her that. "Of course, I did. I just had to put on some clothes first since I just came from the bathroom. But yes, I did follow her out. I looked everywhere but couldn't find her. Tried calling but I couldn't reach her. I even tried calling Conan but her number is no longer available."

"Okay. That's good to know."

"Oh, c'mon, Jane. You know me better than that."

"I know. It's just that I never got the chance to hear about your breakup in this way. You told me what happened but you never gave the teeny-tiny details."

Pie sighed, her eyes returning to the screen. "Maybe because I felt ashamed of myself for what I did to her. She didn't deserve to be treated like that."

"Are you saying that you weren't planning on telling her about Peter?" asked Pie's mom, inserting herself in the conversation. "Well, in my opinion, she needs to know that you're not happy with her anymore."

"Mom, first of all, there's nothing to tell about Peter at that time. He and I were plain friends," said Pie, glancing at her mom. "Second, yes, I was sad because I keep on missing her. But that doesn't mean I'm no longer happy with her. And third, Peter's case has nothing to do with me and Kim. He was just someone who's willing to listen to me, someone whom I can talk to about my grievances. We instantly built this connection because he's dad's intern."

"But you liked him, right?"

"Yes, I won't deny that," said Pie, shrugging. "But it's not like what I've felt for Kim. It's just that I found comfort in him because he's the one who's always there. But I never considered him to be someone who'll take Kim's place. At least not during that time."

"Then what's with the change of heart?" asked Jane.

Pie contemplated for a moment before saying, "I stayed in the hotel the whole night waiting for Kim, hoping to make it up with her. But after seeing the morning AEF news about the new SAU members flying for Brazil, I knew she'd left me for good. I knew she's no longer coming back to me."

---

"I bet our training in Brazil was a perfect distraction for a broken heart. Right, Cap?" asked Zee. "We're almost dying there due to exhaustion. Jeez. I even thought I wouldn't make it out alive."

"Well, the training takes my mind off the pain somehow during the day," agreed Kim, nodding, "but night times are freaking hard for me."

"Now I know why your eyes were always puffy in the morning," teased Conan. "I'm not sure if you guys can recall, but Cap was like a berserk Zombie that time. She was always aggressive during the training and is always willing to try all the dangerous stuff."

Kim chuckled, remembering how she felt that time. "I guess I found new strength after the breakup. I wasn't afraid of dying anymore." She looked at the kid who's sleeping in her arms. "No one's gonna cry for me anyway."

"That's not true, Cap. I'm sure there are other people out there who cares for you," encouraged Yam. Zee punched her affectionately but she swayed the hand away. "So, after the two-year training in Brazil, did you ever hear anything about her?"

"Yeah, I did. From Conan." Kim gestured to Conan. "After the training, I was assigned to the Northern Lands while Conan was assigned back here. Didn't know that they still keep in touch."

"We ran into each other, had a quick catch up, and exchanged numbers," said Conan in defense. "Besides, we were good friends during college. Your breakup doesn't mean that we have to stop talking as well, right?"