Chemistry

Clarification Instead of Confusion

As I struggled to support him with his arm around my shoulder, he suddenly stopped walking.

"You still don't get it, do you?" he said, his voice thick with alcohol.

"Yes, yes, I get it," I replied, trying to pull him toward a taxi. "Look at how much you drank; you smell like a brewery!"

He stopped again and pulled his arm away, nearly falling over before steadying himself.

"No, you don't get it! Until today, can't you see how much I've done for you? I became the person you wanted. I always check up on you, I do the things you like, I learned your hobbies... but why do you still act like you don't notice? I've liked you since the first time I saw you. You were too kind, and I hate it for making me feel this way. My friends say you're just like that with everyone, but for me, it's different. I like you."

He started crying right there on the sidewalk. I didn't know how to respond. I just helped him stay upright, got him into a taxi, and drove him home. His mother was waiting at the door.

"Oh, it's you, dear. I'm sorry about my son, okay? Thank you for walking him home. Would you like to have dinner here?" she asked kindly.

"No problem, Auntie . And it's okay, I don't want to be a bother. My mom cooked dinner too. Thank you for the offer, though. I should head home now," I replied.

"Oh alright, take care, dear. Such a beautiful girl," she said smiling.

"Alright then, goodbye," I replied as I continued to walk toward the waiting shed for a taxi.

The road was quiet, and Leon's words kept echoing in my head. I finally realized that Hezi was right—I was completely blind to the fact that he had liked me for a long time. Even though he seemed genuine, I couldn't reciprocate his feelings. I only see him as a brother. I don't know when I'll have to say this to him; maybe when he brings it up, I'll just pretend that I didn't know about it.

Once I arrived at the waiting shed, I stood alone, watching the empty road for the bus. Suddenly, a car pulled up right in front of me. Panicking and thinking it was a kidnapper, I bolted. "Help! There's a kidnapper!" I shouted as the car trailed me.

Someone jumped out and caught me, his hand firm on my shoulder. I spun around and punched him square in the face. As I turned to run again, he grabbed my hand. I screamed, and he quickly covered my mouth with his palm.

"Can you calm down for a minute?" he said, his voice low and steady. "It's me, Reign."

He released me and took his hand away. When I looked back, sure enough, it was Reign, looking a bit dazed.

“Damn, your punch really hurt. I feel like my teeth are about to fall out," he groaned, clutching his cheek.

I dragged him back to the waiting shed where his car was idling. In the dim light, I could see his cheek turning bright red. I didn't realize my panic-driven punch was that strong. I pushed him down to make him sit.

"Hayst! I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know it was you, and then you started following me when I ran!" I pulled some wipes from my bag and started dabbing at his face. He didn't pull away; he just stared at me. "It's your fault, anyway. Why would you park right in front of me like that?"

I continued cleaning the scratch. "Do you have a Band-Aid? You might lose some admirers because of this mark on your face," I joked, finally offering a small smile. Then, I sat beside him, my tone becoming serious. "I'm sorry for today and what I said earlier. But I really meant what I said at the mall... and now I've bumped into you again and even left a scratch on your face."

Reign stayed quiet, the silence of the night stretching between us.

"Why aren't you saying anything? I missed the last bus because of you, and now you're ignoring me?"

He looked at me intently, his eyes reflecting the streetlights. "I can drive you home. But as for that idea of us never seeing each other again? That's not going to happen," he replied firmly.

He walked to his car and held the passenger door open for me.

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered,

"Nothing. Just get in the car," he responded.

I decided to get in because I had no choice. It was already late, and I had even forgotten to tell my mom I was still out. As he started driving, he leaned over to help me with my seatbelt. I glanced at him then quickly looked outside, but I noticed him peeking at me through the mirror now and then.

In the middle of the drive, he broke the silence. "Do you have any social media accounts?"

"Yeah, I do," I replied, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

It went quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Huh?" I muttered.

"I asked if you have social media and you said you do, so automatically, you should tell them to me."

I was so tired that even talking felt like a chore. I kept my eyes closed and handed him my phone. "Just check it. Add yourself, whatever you want to do," I sighed.

He took the phone from my hand. Suddenly, he started laughing. "Oh, your mom has so many missed calls and messages. Didn't you tell her you were going out?"

I quickly snatched the phone back. "Why would you even bother looking at that?"

"I wasn't. It was right there in the notifications, so I noticed and read it," he replied simply.

"Can I at least have your name on socmed?" He was so persistent. I figured it was better than getting into an argument while stuck in his car. I gave my phone back, and he added his account. He didn't say anything else; he just handed it back and said a quiet "thank you."

As he continued driving, he asked for my address. Once I told him, the car fell silent. Maybe he noticed I was drained and decided to let me sleep. The last thing I saw before my eyes gave out was his steady hand on the steering wheel.

When I woke up, I felt a weight around me—his jacket was wrapped over my shoulders. We had stopped at a place I didn't recognize. I checked my phone; it was only 9:00 PM. Reign wasn't in the car, so I stepped out to look for him.

We were parked near the sea. The view was beautiful and peaceful under the moonlight. The wind was so strong it made me shiver, so I pulled Reign's jacket tighter around me. We seemed to be in the middle of a quiet, coastal road.

Leon's words still echoed in my mind as I stared out at the sea. I didn't know if something was wrong with me, but I truly couldn't see that he liked me. How was I supposed to know? He told everyone but me. Was I expected to distinguish those feelings myself and just assume?

I feel like he wasn't sincere enough. If he really has feelings for me, why did he hide them and let others become confused? It makes me feel foolish for thinking his actions were just kindness and friendship.

I'm the type of person who never assumes anything unless it is clearly stated. Even so, I only ever saw him as a friend. That's why the thought of him having feelings for me never even crossed my mind.