Date-Me-Not

08 - Stranger Meet Stranger

Alright, Ai-Jun do not make anything reckless started from here, I gave myself some courage as I will be facing this mess alone. Sujin had been worried over me by non stop sending me a message, probably ready to merge into the restroom if he needed to done it. I replied that I might not come out any minutes as I had a bad diarrhea. Gladly, he bought the lies although I felt guilty for doing it. 

Call mom. I shook my head, slightly cursed at myself for even wanted to pull mother into this. I did not wanted mother's safety ruined because of her idiotic daughter that believe in stranger without a second thought. Nik. Alright, just her. 

Nik, can you send the map of this mall?

I impatiently tapped my feet against the marble tiles, clearly wanted to shook off the nervousness within me.

Ai-Jun! Thank God!

Where are you?

Do not tell me you lost?!

[Received a map of the mall]

Sweet, I said to myself as I observed the map and once in a while zoom in the zoom out at certain place. I could feel my soul just had been sucked out from my body when the restroom's door slammed force open. Instinctively, I brought up both of my legs then hugged my knees, wildly looked at opening spaces included under my stall. The good thing was I had put my phone on silent since the beginning of the day as I did not wanted any interruption. How relief I was with it. 

I could sense the person checked into each stalls before their shadow speared under the opening space of my stall. Frightened by it, I slammed my hand against my mouth and nose, tried to be as silent as possible with my phone clutched tightly inside my hand. I gritted my teeth until I heard a small crack inside my mouth. Due to how good situation I was in, my phone buzzed then I silently took a peek at the caller; Sujin.  Obviously, I ignored the call- assumed that the person that crashed into the restroom was probably him. I could feel it in my bones! 

The call hung up at the end before a message coming in. It was from the same person.

Ai-Jun?

Did you really have a diarrhea? I mean I saw you perfectly fine earlier,

What is taking you so long inside there?

I am starting to rotting away outside here! ꒰｡•'ｪ'•｡꒱۶

I felt hatred and anger boiled within me when I read the message. Acting I see, again I assumed things. I could feel fat bubble tears started to form inside my eyes when I took a way around of the message he just sent me. Fine, just think whatever you wanted. You will just kept assume that I am all acting when I am sick or when I had a problem in my hand. Come on, Ai-Jun you are stronger than this- you should not let the past devoured you like before or you will lost your path.

I inhaled deeply then exhaled as silent as I could before I finding out that the shadow had vanished into thin air as I could not sense the presence of the person earlier anymore. My arms that held tight around my knees slowly loosened then slowly let it fell on my side. My shoulder tensed up as I bit my bottom lip, enough to make it bloody, clearly being reminded by the scenarios of earlier. My chest heaved, filled it with air and not wanted to release it any moments from now.

Ai-Jun?

Are you angry with me because of something?

I know that I have been annoyingly- charming through this day 

But, you can share anything with me

꒰'꒳'꒱

Another messages from Sujin, feeling nauseous. This was the first time since I went to the high school that someone ever made me felt like this. Completely reckless, I called my mother through my phone as I did not care if something happened to me right there. I want to get home early. I want to get out from this mess right now! I felt a shiver ran through my spine out of nowhere. Was not it usually because I said something like a politician? Or I was embarrassed in front of the crowd? Obscurely, I glanced up toward the big space of my stall. My gaze stayed on its track when I found out what awaited me there. A camera pointed straightly at me, not even shaking a bit. I could sense a smirk painted all over the unknown's face.

I helplessly fell on the floor, not able to do anything as I already forgotten how to breath properly. My head was hung down while both of my eyes were tightly shut, not wanting to look at the next outcome what awaits me in the future. This was no Cinderella, no prince nor fairy God-mother even there will save me if I am not the one whom save myself. Both my hands were trembling as I clutched it against my knees, trying to push myself off from the ground. I clenched my teeth before rushing to open the door of my stall without another word the ran toward the exit of the restroom. 

I ran as fast as my legs could move and gladly I did not bumped into someone on my way out from the restroom. I stopped into an abrupt halt, made me to drag the base of my converse against the floor without having to fall face first, doing so. There stood Sujin, only a few meters from where I stood, on his phone. Sensed the danger, I tried to took off from there without making my appearance stood out within the crowd. I sneaked my way to hide behind people then make my way around the corner before finally making my escape from there.

[   ꒰๑꒪ɷ꒪꒱   ]

I messily wiped my face with my sleeve, tired from hours of waiting for mother whom was nowhere to be seen. Not having to do anything except messing around with my phone that only had 10 percent battery, I tightly hugged my knees with my gaze laid at the food stalls by the car parks not far from there. I rest the side of my head into my knees while letting out a big yawn, making some tears slid onto my cheek. A sigh escaped from my lips.

I had done a long explanation of my roundabout earlier with Sujin to Nik through my phone without adding any lies into it. She gladly proposed me to join her as the group date was not over yet but I told her that I had gone home with my mother. Nik sounded relief when I told her about it and apologize once again to me for even pulling me into the group. It . . . sent a warm through me when she done so and I appreciated it will all of my hearts. I guess. . . I never had a place to a group outing as I preferred to walk and even do everything alone. And that was making me more worried instead of relief. 

What about the future? Will I stay to be like this? Not talking to others, not even trying- scared of others. I have to find a way to escape from the hole. The hole of miserable that held the past that torn me apart.