I Hope Love Is... [On Hold]

Fourteenth Verse

Fourteenth Verse

I hope this means more
than I'm just the one who's here
I hope I mean more to you
than just being your friend...
-translated from “Do You Really Know”
from Future Colors' first album Future Colors

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Present day...

“What do you want me to say?” Bea asked, turning away to sit on her bed and rummage through her bag again.

“How about the truth? Why are you avoiding me?”

Say the truth. Why do you need to think about it?

Because I'm not a starry-eyed eighteen-year-old anymore...

“I'm not avoiding you.”

“If you aren't, then I hate to think what you'd do if you were truly avoiding me... run away to the other side of the world, maybe?”

“I'm not avoiding you, Minha... I'm sorry if you feel that I am. I'm just doing what I have to do. Graduate from college and find a job.” 

“That used to not be a problem before.” Minha braced his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward, looking intently at her. “What changed?”

* * *

Two years ago...

“Bebeh, I'm out of cooking oil and vinegar. Go to the store for me.”

“Okay, Nay.” Bea tied up her hair in a bun at the back of her head and jammed a butterfly clamp on it before taking the money from her mother. It was one of the rare weekends she was home; school and school-related activities were taking up more of her time. Plus, weekend nights were the best time to go online and chat with Minha; although she tried not to, she found herself resenting the times she had to go home, since it meant two whole days without the possibility of talking with him, even if it was only online.

“And get some garlic and onions as well,” Nanay added, going back to chopping vegetables.

“Are you sure you don't need tomatoes and ginger too? Or black pepper?”

“Run along, already!” Nanay waved the knife at her.

“Fine, fine!” Bea ran out of the kitchen, laughing.

The nearest store was T'ya Meling's, a little farther down the road. There was no one inside when Bea got there, though. She was about to knock on the little door in the window when she heard a voice say, “That's why you're refusing me? Because of that Korean guy?”

That sounds like Biboy. 

“Don't bring Junhee into this, Boy, he hasn't gotten anything to do with it.”

And that's Carol.

Bea realized they were on the other side of the bamboo fence, which had slats placed so closely together that it was hard to see inside the yard.

Junhee? As in Future Colors Junhee? I know she met him during the dinner when they were here, but... did she really end up crushing on him?

“You still think he's going to come back?” Biboy asked. Bamboo slats creaked. So they were sitting on the bench beside the store.

“Why not? You said Minha still keeps in touch with Manang Bebeh.”