Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Sixteen - Home

Mom nodded her head knowingly. "I see. And this disagreement is stopping you from opening his gift?"

I shrugged, "I guess." I paused in thought for a minute and then elaborated, "I think I don't want to open it and feel even more guilty than I already do..."

"So this disagreement you had," she said slowly, "Were you definitely the one in the wrong?"

I hung my head in shame. "Completely. I really messed up Mom."

She reached her hand around my back, gently pulled my head onto her shoulder, and began slowly stroking my hair, combing it through her fingers. I shut my eyes and breathed in the smell of her perfume. She'd worn the same one ever since I could remember; it was warm and rich with the distinct fragrance of cinnamon and cloves. It smelt like home.

"My love," I could feel the vibrations from her chest as she spoke, her voice was soft and calm, "I don't know what you did, or how it can be fixed. What I do know is that I raised a smart, kind, loving boy who will always try his best. If you hurt your friend, I know you can't have done it on purpose. I know with all my heart that you will right whatever wrong you've done, that's just who you are." She lowered her hand and rested it delicately on my cheek. "So don't beat yourself up too much, okay?"

I nodded and lifted my head off of her shoulder. She smiled down at me, "I wonder if that café's cursed to make people bicker. Your father and I always had our biggest disagreements there."

I cocked my head to one side in confusion, "You and Dad went to Koon Chai Cafe?" Mum laughed and smiled back at me sweetly, "Of course! It's where we met, my love." This didn't make any sense at all. I shot her a puzzled look, "I thought you said you guys met at a French café that Dad worked at?"

"It was, once upon a time, but after I bought the lot I thought a Thai cafe would be a little more 'On brand'." She chuckled at the shocked expression on my face and continued, "Oh yes, your father and I had some of our worst arguments there. That's what happens when two opposite forces fall in love." At this, she pulled off one of the many elegant rings from her finger and presented it to me. A familiar shape in black was etched into the front of the silver ring.

"This was the proposal ring your father gave me, since he always joked that I was the Yin to his Yang," she chuckled. I ran my thumb gently over the small engraving on the side where my mother and father's initials were etched, 'HM & OS'.

She smiled lovingly at the ring, as though it recalled fond and precious memories. "He was a bright, shining star that never stopped working, whilst I was a cynical, spoilt, self-centered kid who was so angry at the cruel world," she mused. "He taught me to see the genuine good in people, not just the mask they wear. I think I taught him that it was okay to not be okay, and that he was allowed to feel angry and upset."

"We were complete without each other, but together..." she reached her hand under the front of her shirt and pulled out a silver-chain necklace, on the end of which was a matching ring, larger than the first. "We were invincible," she concluded placing the two rings side-by-side.

Against my will, I felt my eyes well up with tears. I now remembered why the symbol had felt so familiar, and my heart broke seeing the two rings next to one another, knowing the owner of the larger one will never wear it again. I could hear my voice choke up as I spoke, "Do you miss him?"

She smiled affectionately and cupped my face in both of her hands, "My beautiful boy," she whispered. "I miss him every minute, but I have you and you are my whole world." I smiled back and she let her hands fall onto her lap.

She placed the box into my empty hands and stood up. "You better get some sleep; you've got a flight to catch tomorrow." She blew me a kiss and then closed the door behind her. I dropped my gaze down to the gift in my hands.

I finally let my thoughts drift to the one subject I'd managed to avoid, the questions I didn't know how or want to answer.

Did I truly have feelings for Park?

Did that mean that I wasn't straight, even though I still like girls?

And if I wasn't, would the people in my life still love me the same?

Park

I lay face up on my bed, surrounded by books and papers that I had been organising for my return to school the next day. I tossed the red gift-wrapped box up and down, catching it just above my head, examining the fine gold bow once again and then tossing it back up again.

"Why haven't you opened that thing yet," Sunny groaned from her seat on the floor with her back against the door. "The suspense is killing me!"

I tossed the box up once again, caught it, and held it on my chest. "It's complicated," I sighed. There was a muffled 'flump' as Sunny sat beside me on the bed and I turned my head to look at her expression.

She picked up the box from off of my chest and examined it in her hands, "Why is it complicated?" She asked, flipping the box over as if to look for hidden clues, "It's just a gift from Kopter, no big deal."

I covered my eyes with my hands, not wanting to see her reaction. "He kissed me," I whispered. I heard a muffled thud as the box fell onto the bed, "Be careful!" I cried, sitting upright, picking up the box and dusting it off.

"He... WHAT?!" Sunny exclaimed, her mouth fully agape. I nervously held one finger up to my lips to quieten her, I didn't need Mom or Dad hearing about this. "He really kissed you?" Sunny whispered, shocked. I nodded.

Sunny let out a long breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I knew my makeover skills were good, but I had no idea of the power I clearly hold..."

I furrowed my brows and lightly punched her in the arm, but I couldn't stop the smile that had spread across my face. She grinned back as she asked, "So, are you guys finally an item then?"

My smile fell, I slumped back onto the bed, and closed my eyes. "He was just teasing me," I muttered, "He said it was a parting gift so I 'wouldn't forget him'. Like I was gonna do that in a hurry..."

"Maybe he knew about my feelings all along, just wanted to tease me one last time before he left. If that was his aim he definitely succeeded."

Sunny let out a 'humph' of disapproval. "If that was the case then it's not teasing. It's just straight up mean, and we both know that's not in Kopter's nature." She paused for a few seconds and then prodded me in the stomach, forcing me to open my eyes. "Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way?"

"Don't talk rubbish," I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, "Kopter's straight, remember? That's impossible." Sunny raised one of her eyebrows and gave me a withered look.

"News flash," she sighed, "Kissing another guy isn't the straightest action. Maybe he's not straight and just confused, it takes time for people to truly understand their feelings."

She gave me a comforting pat on my shoulder, "Just because you think you're undateable, doesn't mean everyone else thinks the same. I know for a fact that Kopter adores you, platonic or romantic." She pressed the gift into my hands. "So for God's sake, open it, before I do it for you."

I wanted to retaliate, to list all the reasons Kopter would never like me, even if in this unrealistic hypothetical universe where he wasn't entirely straight. Instead, I picked up the box and finally untied the decorative golden bow.

Inside the red wrappings was a dappled-grey case. I ran my thumb over the latch, and then prised it open. Inside were two necklaces, both with elegant silver chains. I slowly pulled them both out and placed them gently on my outstretched palm. I instantly recognised the Yin & Yang symbols side-by-side and placed one next to the other. They clicked into place, forming the iconic circle.

"Park..." Sunny whispered, a hint of victory in her voice. "Don't they look like... a couple's set?"

I stared down at them in disbelief. This... this I couldn't explain away.

Was Sunny right, did Kopter actually like me? If he did, then why did he kiss me then say it was just a joke? Why would Kopter say he was straight if he had feelings for me?

What the hell does this all mean?!