Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (English)

Chapter 02 - Without Shame and Reservations

Chapter 02 - Without Shame and Reservations

April 30, 2019

"Doc, doc Odyssey?" A young lady knocked on Odi's offiice. She has a brown flowing hair, and a voluptuous body. She's Danielle Garcia. Fellow professor, and a good friend of him. Sadly just a friend.

Everybody knew how she followed him after Lee came out of the picture. It was like she traced the same steps that Lee took into melting his heart, only she wasn't as successful as her. Because Odi's heart is frozen again, and seems not to be melting anytime sooner.

Just like the other ladies who took a move on this elusive professor, Dani is stuck on the friendzone. Odyssey's excuse for not dating: he's busy.

He's a professor by day and a partner in their start-up pharmaceutical company after school. There are also other stints and side hustles like talks and speeches from an autodidact person that Odi is. Far from the rigid and awkward guy in high school. Simon Odyssey Lee has transformed into a very successful self-mad man, 26 years young.

But his business is still questionable even to his only family-- his brother Perseus. In Perci's own words, Odyssey workaholic behavior is like he is sending so many people to college. It's like he will die if he won't work.Many has tried to penetrate his circle, But only a few are successful. But even though some people have already crossed the line that Odyssey has drawn around himself, all of them girls are... friendzoned. And maybe the person who has spent the longest time in this box — is Danielle.

"Are you ready for our Cebu conference?" said Dani.

"Yup."

"Did you bring your anti-allergies?"

"I have them in my pocket. I never leave them. Besides, I asked the menu, and there are no pistachios."

"You'll never know..."

At this moment, another guy enters Odyssey's faculty office. He wraps an arm on Dani's shoulders and pats his other hand on Odi's arm. By his gestures, it's obvious that the three are friends.

"My goodness Dani. Are you applying to be Odyssey's new mom."

Dani just rolled her eyes.

The man who teased Danielle is named Eliseo.

"I was just checking on him!" Dani replied, quite pink on her face. "How about you, Eli? Have you checked on the things we need to bring?" She added.

"Dans, you don't need to come with us..." Eli playfully said.

"I have to come. I'm also a partner in this company, so technically, it's still my company."

"But three's a crowd already."

"Maybe you just didn't want me to come because I am a girl."

"What?! No."

"I'm a girl but I am also as capable as you."

"I know."

"Then what?"

"Because you already confirmed for the reunion. Why are you ditching it? Besides, you've never missed one, right? This one's a grand reunion. Are you afraid to meet your ex-boyfriends from the older batches?"

"W-what?! I didn't have any ex-boyfriends!" Dani even looked at Odi, as if scared to make him jealous. Eli almost rolled his eyes. Because he knew Odi didn't care about her boyfriends, whether or not she had one. Not in a romantic kind of way, but he just wouldn't put his nose into others' windowpane.

"Actually, there are some reunions I've missed. It was actually Odyssey who attended religiously!"

It was too late when Dani realized her slip of tongue. Because although Odyssey never really verbalized why he never missed a reunion, and why it was a very important event for him— it's obvious that it was the only event that gives him hope. That big hope to see someone.

"Uhm, Dani I want to show you something." Eli pulled Danielle out of the office. They didn't want to face this kind of Odyssey. It would be a dark eerie space if they allow this conversation to go on. And there was no way out than completely cutting it off.

He is obviously still so wrecked.

Everybody close to him knew that despite Odyssey's successes, he's empty. He's both angry and yearning for someone he never had a closure with. And nobody knows how to handle him whenever he spirals down to this darkness.

"You are so stupid, aren't you?" Eliseo chided Dani.

"I'm so sorry."

"How are you so insensitive of Odyssey's plight? How dare you hint about his obsession in attending reunions?"

"It was just a slip of the tongue!"

"This is why you might never get him"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Oh c'mon Dani. Everybody knows you liked him."

"Liked. That was before."

"Oh, really?"

"Stop it."

"Are you deliberately hurting him?"

"No!"

"Then?"

"Then... maybe it's really just a Freudian slip. But maybe you're right. He should face it so he can move on. He should realize that Lee may never come back. We should make him face it."

"We?"

"We're his friends. We should help him."

"Oh really? Friends?" Eliseo replied with a mock-Dani voice implying that there's a vested interest in all of these. 

"So what if he finally moves on, but he didn't want you."

"Eli!"

"I'm serious!"

"Then... good. I just hope she comes back."

"Lee? I thought you wanted Odyssey to realize that she's not coming back."

"I don't know... Maybe it's better for her to explain herself. And for them to come back together, or separate with a right reasons." She stared in the long hallway.

Eli chuckled.

"What?" She asked.

"I don't know. Knowing Odyssey, he's just angry. But I kind of guessed he would take her back in a jiffy. If Lee appears in here. He'd take her back even without explanations."

"You think so?"

Eliseo shrugged. "I know you think so, too."

Danielle smiled.

"I'm not saying you should give up on Odi. You can chase him all you want. Besides, that's what Lee did back in high school. She literally chased him. Without shame and reservations. Maybe you can do the same."

"Whatever!" Dani ran her hands through her hair. "I just hope that if they see each other again, they talk about closure. And maybe Odyssey will realize that he's just in love with the idea of her. And their young love. I just wish for her to come back. Oh please Lee, come back." Dani repeated the phrase as if chanting a spell.

"Hey. Be careful what you wish for."

*later*