He called me Pudako

A heart that's beating for her.

11:59 pm  Wed. Nov 02, 2016

"Krisan." 

I try to get her attention  for the third time but she seems to be spacing  out. She's  manually  writing  the price on the bottle on bleaches. But obviously  her attention  was not in her work at all.

"Ai Krisan! Stop."

 I snatched  the bottle  that she was about  to put a price on. 

"This one should cost 50 not 30."

I show her the difference between the  volume  of the same brand of bleach. 

"See?"

"Oh dear. I'm  sorry.  I got confused " 

She answered in a low voice.

"Obviously your mind is not here. It's  about Mond,  isn't  it?"

"N - no. I just got  confused.  Really. "

"Yeah.  Tell me about it." 

She knows  I'm  not  buying  her excuse. 

"We've  noticed  since  this morning that you  and Mond were trying  to avoid  each  other."

"We are supposed to be discreet specially  during work. You know  what  will  happen  if they find  out the  relationship between  me and Mond."

Yeah. This  store  has a crazy rule. You can't have any romantic relationship with your workmates at any department. Else they'll kick you out. The very  reason why Krisan and Mond can't make  their relationship in public.

But this  one is different. They've  bumped into each other  several times. But they're not in their usual sense. No exchanging of glances. No flirtatious smiles. No Winking. It's just not them. Aside from the fact that they both look  devastated.  Specifically Krisan.

"You're really not gonna tell me, are you?" 

She did not respond. I just tap her by the shoulder.

"Well then. I'm  not gonna force you to speak up. though  I just  want to remind you that  we're here."

"Thanks " 

Krisan smiled. but it doesn't reach  her eyes.

"Er. .." I nod at her.

 "Just pay attention to what you're doing. Else you'll be in trouble."

I headed back to our station and saw Mark anxiously waiting for my return. As if I've been to a far away place to deliver the news. 

'Gee... it's just a few shelves  away from here to the toiletry section.'

Actually this  guy here is the culprit why I left the station just to peep on Krisan. It's not that I don't care about her, she's my friend too. It's just  that this annoying partner of mine keeps bugging me the moment he saw how down krissan is when she walked in and literally kicked my ass and commanded me to go after her and check.

"So,how was it? Did she tell you anything? "

"She won't speak up."

"W - what?  Why not?"

"Maybe she's not just ready to open up yet. Give her a bit of a time."

He anxiously walked back and forth biting his nail.

"How much time would it be?"

"I don't  know."  Seriously? I'm starting to get annoyed with this conversation. 

"She'll talk when she's  ready. Don't  worry,  knowing Krisan, it won't take a week."

"But I'm worried!"

I could  only sigh. 

'Damn! this guy is hopeless.'

"I know. But give it time. Besides, they're a couple.  It's quite normal in a relationship to have an LQ or to face problems once in a while.  You cannot expect lovers to just stay lovey dovey all the time. If they do, then they do not truly love."

He didn't respond. He just stands there as if he's trying to digest what I've just said. Then moments later he cursed under his breath.

"Better  it be just an LQ. If I  find  out that Mond does something terrible  causing her to be so down like this, I'll make him pay."

He said almost inaudible. Worry, Affection and anger were written all over his face.

"Er..."

I don't  know what to say. 

Krisan and Mond are my friends too. I can't  just take sides w/out any knowledge of what's going  on.

But more than that... I can't seem to figure out how to deal with seeing Mark acting like this. I don't know.  As for  now there is only one thing that keeps floating in my mind...I took a deep breath and looked Mark in the eye. I don't know what happened but the words  in my head just come out of my mouth  right after Our eyes meet. 

"Now tell me, for how long does  this …"

I point at the left side of his chest. 

" …this has been beating  for her?"

He's now looking at me with wide eyes. He can't seem to find a word to say.

My finger barely touched his chest. But why do I feel like someone just squished my heart  tight. I Don't know why I feel that way myself but I just did.

At the same time, I don't know  why I am hoping  for him to say no and make excuses? I felt my world seem to come to a sudden  halt  when he lowered his gaze and said...

"It's been years. Since I met her in high school."

Then he look at me w/ a pleading eye. 

" Please, Sean. Don't tell her. She doesn't have to know."

[end of entry]