Memory of the heart #WATTYS2020

Chapter 10: Doki-doki

"How did your date with Didi go last night?" asked Jia Qi excitedly. They were at the staff area on the rooftop, dressing up, getting ready for serving hours.

"Good." Yue said, casually.

"Good? That is not a proper answer. Tell me more! What did you do? How do you feel? Did you hold hands? Did he kiss you?"

Yue scrunched her nose. "Gosh, Jia! Do you really expect all that physical contact on the first date? Or was that what you did with Xi Ze, huh?"

"Xi Ze held my hand on our first date." she smiled. "But we started out as friends. Yours is like...."

"Like what?"

"At least for Didi, he likes you. You...Shen Yue is just playing hard to get." Jia pointing at Yue, accusingly.

She smiled. "He said he likes being with me, but that is different from liking me, okay?"

"You idiot. How can a guy like being with you if he doesn't even like you? Anyways, you didn't even answer my question about last night. Were there fireworks? Sparks flying? Butterflies dancing?" Jia Qi grabbed her arm.

"Jia! Don't be melodramatic. I enjoyed myself. You know I love opera. I think he..." she paused. "...he is being himself."

"Too gentleman?"

"He is like the perfect boyfriend material."

"Wah!!"

"And that scares me. I mean he is a good guy. But I'm thinking I just met him. How would I know he doesn't have a dark side?" Her brows were furrowed.

"Everyone has a dark side. It's a risk we take. Hey, you have your dark side. When you get angry, you explode. Didi hasn't seen that yet. If he knew, he might not even come near you!"

Yue stuck her tongue out at Jia. She fixed the belt on her yukata and adjusted the hem of the top. She reached out to the basket of okras they had harvested earlier and casually toyed with it.

"The most important thing is how you feel about him." Jia continued.

Yue bit her lip. "I enjoy his company so far." But this is too fast, too soon.

"Yes! That sounds good. When is the next date?"

Yue threw an okra towards Jia Qi. "Stop being such a nosy parker!"

"Don't! That's our staff lunch! Shen Yue, I'm gonna get you for this," she screamed as more okras were shot her way. They laughed as they chased each other around the rooftop.

Jia Qi finally stopped running as she panted. "All right stop! I'm all drenched. Pick up all the okras and wash them before you pass to Chef. I don't know what Didi sees in you, really," she shook her head as she took the stairs down.

Yue smiled as she picked up the green veggies on the ground, her mind travelled back to last night after the opera show.

They were standing on the same bridge admiring the lights in the garden, when Didi spoke. "Yue."

"Hmm..." she replied. After the show she had felt a wave of exhaustion over her and she was feeling slightly sleepy. It had been a very eventful day, from her studio recording to lunch with Didi and now this.

"I like you. A lot."

She turned to look at him. His smile was soft as he tilted his head slightly to look at her.