J9 One Shot

Gift

Joong

Raining. Damn. I needed to rush, and now I was stuck. Looking at my watch, there's only another half an hour to spare, or else I would miss my mid term test.

If I ran to the next building, then my art paper would be soggy. Not good. Let's wait for 10 more minutes, and then I would just run. If I lost my paper, then I needed to ask my course mate for some, then give it back later.

"Joong!". I heard a loud call coming from my back. Nutti, one of my friend from another course that I'd known through drama club, was almost out of breath trying to reach me.

"Woo, slow down, Nutti. What's wrong? You looked worried..", I asked Nutti, holding his shoulder while he's heaving.

"The Prof said you need to perform the main act for our show!", Nutti said with pleading eyes. Nutti was the scriptwriter for our drama performance, that would be showing in a week!.

"What happened to Arc? This is crazy Nutti! I am just in the props team, and now I am short of time for my test, that will start on 3pm".

"Accident! His mother called just now. Broke his leg and now in the hospital. We are going to see him in a short while. Here, the scripts. You already heard most of it during the rehearsals, right?"

"Yes, but, I never practice with the costar".

"If you are not that busy with your work, you'd have been given the main act role, actually. You're an actor, Joong. Improvised. Please help the club, or our credit for curricular activities would suffer for this semester, could you? Please, Joong.."

Looking at the sorrowful face of Nutti;  although I knew it would cost me the sleep for the week nights; what with assignments and event schedules; I nodded in agreement.

Nutti dimmed eyes lightened immediately, and he said goodbye as he received a call from his friend, who would go together to visit Arc. I sent my regards and said would visit later. Talking with Nutti, almost 10 minutes had passed. So, there's no time to wait anymore.

I ran so fast through the rain, yet because it was not a light one, I was soaked to the toes. Gosh, I would be shivering badly during the test with the aircond blasting inside the room.

I went through the test with discomfort, some sneezing and feeling so cold to the bone. Lucky my hand was steady enough to finish the speed  sketch test, looking at the things arranged in the centre of the room. As soon as the test was done, and submitted, I called the cab to go back to my aunt's house. I needed to change fast or else I'd become sick and they would have to find another main act.

****

I was alone, my aunt had to go to another city for a few days. I was sitting on the sofa, looking at the scripts in my hand, when the doorbell rang. I went to the door, looking through the peephole and saw the sweet face of Nine. I didn't see any call or message on my phone, so this was quite a surprise.

"I brought food!", Nine said while coming in and immediately took two plates and cutleries from the kitchen.

"You come just to bring me food? Oi P'... don't have to..", I said feeling touched and a little guilty.

"You would eat junks if I didn't come, isn't it? I saw that cup noodle on the table and soda!", Nine said, shook his head and laughed a bit.

We sat on the floor with a small table to put our dishes on.

"What's that, scripts?", Nine asked, pointing to the thick paper on my thigh that I looked through.

"Emergency acting role,for my drama club show".

"What? Aren't you just painting the props?", Nine was surprised too, for he knew that the show would be on, in just a week.

"The main actor got into accident today P'. So, I am the substitute. Tomorrow need to practice with my costar. So, forgive me if I couldn't focus on you while we eat", I said and looked apologetically at Nine.

"Let me see", he said and reached out his hand. I gave him the scripts and he browse through, "Wow, this is a lot, Joong, to be remembered in a week time".

"I know, but it's for everyone's benefit, P'. This would be just a small deed, or else everything we worked for, in the past 2 months, would go down the drain".

I reached out my hand to take the scripts back, but Nine put it at his back and smiled, "Eat first na Joong, or else you don't have enough energy to stay up to practice".

"Practice? But, I haven't read it through, yet...".

"I'll stay for tonight and help, at least until you memorize tomorrow scenes first, then we'll keep practicing for the week, alright? Now, eat... ", he said and pointed to my plate, asking me to start eating. I took a deep breath and looked at him. How many debt do I owe this guy already? Piling higher, day to day, uncountable.

"You have an early class tomorrow, what time would you go back to your dorm, then? It's alright, P', I'll manage", I said and scooping the rice with my spoon, yet my hand freeze, listening his words.

"Nobody's counting Joong. Your thinking mind, spoke too loud just now, when you looked at me. I'll be offended, if you think that way", he said gently.

"I couldn't help to think that way, P'. The hands that give is always better than the one which received".

"And you think I received nothing at all?"

I looked down, and shook my head lightly, "Almost on all things, I depended on you heavily. Though I am already in Uni myself, I felt still you give too much and and received too little".

"I have you", Nine said, simply, and smiled, "and that's the greatest gift I received, material or not, in my existence". I was stunt. "Here, the scripts... it's in page 143, by the way... What I just said... ". He gave my thick scripts, back, and started eating.

"Oh...", I was a little dissapointed, I almost thought it was sort of a confession.

"And, it is also, what I feel about you, outside of the scripts too, Joong".

I smiled, put the scripts away... and just focused on the person in front of me. Our talk continued, till we both felt full.

The End