The One Who Listens

Step 6: Let the right ones in

Did you guys miss me? I missed you a lot... 🙃
Celebrating Hua Cheng and Yin Yu's friendship here a bit.
Please don't be mad for not putting Xie Lian in as a childhood friend.

The neighbourhood was a bit restless. Old aunties were more frequent to their balconies, even when they were out of excuses to be out there. They scuttled in and out, repeatedly, to drink in the sight across the lane - they were straight cut bewitched.

The trio was standing outside. It was cloudy and humid this morning so much that Hua Cheng's hair tips had curled a tad bit into itself. Unlike what he had said, he was not wearing pyjamas. He really wanted to, but... it is difficult to provoke someone you used to be scared off. Rather he was in a crimson shirt over black jeans, ripped over the knees, intentionally worn to piss his father off, not as much as a pair of pyjamas would have, though. He might be scared of talking to him at the moment, but that does not mean he does not enjoy it when his father is having a hard time, without getting into serious trouble. He realised it was an iffy situation.

He Xuan was in a comfortable black cotton tee and loose black full pants, the white cords of the elastic loosely tied. Yin Yu however, not really wishing to trigger any reaction from Mr Hua, was in a semi casual violet suit. They were waiting to be picked up.

What they hadn't foreseen...

Hua Janelle was eccentric.

A shiny black limousine silently appeared around the bend and rolled over silently to stop in front of them, shocking the entire, already curious neighbourhood. Soon all the balconies were occupied, with no one even trying to pretend to do something else anymore. They were downright gaping now. The uniformed chauffeur got off to open one of the doors and stood there. Hua Cheng sighed.

Could his parents be normal for once?

The three shuffled inside the richness wrapped depths of the luxurious car. Inside, at the far back, on the widest seat, Hua Janelle was seated, knee on knee like a queen, wearing a simple yet classy silver attire, a thick fur scarf draped over her bare shoulders. Clair was in her usual office clothes.

"It's a long way there. Want a drink?" She offered.

Hua Cheng was staring hard out of the nearest window, refusing to make eye contact with them just yet. They had warmed up to each other so recently that it was still fragile, and he was scared of breaking it.

He was scared of a lot of things actually...

"Don't be afraid..." Xie Lian had said, before the last session came to a conclusion. "I am just a call away."

Yin Yu had always been a quiet person, not asking for anything by himself, unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Soda lime," He Xuan immediately said.

As though it was predictable, Clair uncorked a chilled glass bottle and handed it over with a smile.

"You must be He Xuan. It is nice to meet you at last." Janelle finally spoke.

"It is nice" he said after a sip, not really to Janelle but to the bottle.

"Wait, at last?" He asked, when the sentence finally sank in.

"Why? I know your father. A good engineer and a better person. Ever so passionate about submarines."

"Oh."

He Xuan just nodded and returned to his drink.

Hua Janelle and Hua Cheng were now looking at each other. Tense and fidgety. Breaking eye contact before the other gained enough courage to speak first. It was easy over the phone. Too easy rather. Not face to face because now, Hua Cheng is reminded of how her face used to concourt everytime he tried to talk to her. Disgusted, and somewhere terrified. Now, though... Hua Cheng was not so sure.