Not Sure, Not Me

5

"Since you don't know my friend, Yuyan, suppose you don't know my friend, Keyin?" Xueer asked, as their conversation continued at the Suan La Fen stall.

Jiaqi shook her head from side to side.

"You should really get to know her though. She is hilarious. Do you know what she told me the other day?" Xueer asked Jiaqi.

Jiaqi shook her head again.

"She was like, 'Xueer, the most terrifying thing happened to me the other night'. And, in my head, I was wondering, what was it that was so terrifying?"

Jiaqi had her eyes locked on Xueer as terror flashed across Xueer's eyes at the scary story that she was telling Jiaqi.

"Do you want to know, Jiaqi, what was it that was so terrifying?" Xueer whispered.

"What was it?" Getting sucked into Xueer's story, Jiaqi whispered back in anticipation.

"Keyin was like ...'Xueer, the other night, I closed my eyes...'" Xueer's eyes widened even more in horror if that was possible as she paused for dramatic effect.

"And...and...and..." Xueer leaned towards Jiaqi.

Jiaqi felt fear grip her heart.

"And....she couldn't see!"

Jiaqi audibly gasped.

Xueer nodded her head, agreeing with Jiaqi's reaction.

"Keyin closed her eyes and she couldn't see! Can you believe it, Jiaqi?! She closed her eyes and she couldn't see!" Xueer kept saying.

"I cannot believe it! That is so terrifying, how can it happen to your friend?" Jiaqi became more and more shocked.

Xueer burst into laughter.

"You are so odd, Jiaqi." Xueer clapped her hands like a seal as she doubled over in laughter.

"W-why?" Jiaqi stuttered as she watched Xueer in confusion.

"Well, that is because..." Suddenly sounding serious, Xueer knitted her eyebrows in concern as she stared intensely at Jiaqi's face.

"Jiaqi..." Xueer frowned as she cocked her head to the side.

"If you were to..." As Xueer leaned towards Jiaqi once again, with their eyes only inches apart, Jiaqi felt something other than fear grip her heart.

"To..." For a split second, Xueer glanced at Jiaqi's red lips before she returned her attention to Jiaqi's hazel brown eyes. Xueer continued to lean forward.

Subconsciously parting her lips, Jiaqi closed her eyes.

"..." Jiaqi heard nothing for a while and she opened her eyes to see a smirking Xueer.

For the third time that night, Jiaqi's face became red.

"To close your eyes, you would be unable to see anything too." Xueer ended off.

Xueer's crescent eyes made another appearance.

For the third time that night, Jiaqi wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide there.

→

After they were both done with their dinner and their conversation that became centred around data types, datasets, variables, arrays and strings had come to a lull, the two got up and joined the crowd in the night market once more.

Xueer told Jiaqi, "I want to show you something."

Jiaqi hesitated, "...Our project."

"Our project can wait." Xueer answered, "The night is still young."

"Have you seen my eyebags?" Jiaqi mock-yawned as she stretched, "I think it's time for us to head back."

"I think that you will like it." Xueer continued to persist.

Noticing Jiaqi's pout of reluctance as she focused on a spot directly on the ground in front of her, Xueer added, "It will be quick. Promise."

After a short pause while Jiaqi thought about it, she ended up agreeing and giving small nods.

"Only cause it will be quick. You promised."

Xueer smiled eagerly as she skipped ahead of Jiaqi.

"Catch me if you can. You wanted it to be quick." With that, Xueer disappeared into the dense crowd under the blanket of the night sky in the busy night market.

How is she so fast?

Jiaqi thought as she quickened her pace and tried to keep up, amidst the orange lights decorating the night market.