Our Winter

trust

"And then?"
"Then he left."
"H-huh? He just... left?"
"Oh come on Jia, what did you expect?"
"I-I don't know. I mean, do you have feelings for him?"
The line was silent. Mei held her hook and yarn in mid air, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Mei? You there?"
"Uh yeah. I was just counting stitches you know?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot you started crocheting there. It's only been a week but it feels like ten, and you've still got two weeks left."
"I know what you mean, it feels so weird not coming home to you and Jun."

"Mhm." Her friend agreed over the phone.
"Well anything else?"
"Not really, nothing interesting is really going on right now. I mean Jun ate a fly yesterday while ranting about something but that's the best of it."
"How does he always do things like that?" Mei could see Jia's expression even from Korea. "I truly have no idea. People always think he's more responsible 'cause he's older and all that but that's only till they actually get to know him."

"So true. You know it's barely been that long but I already miss talking to you. You're honestly the best friend I always needed."
"You too Mei Mei, don't think any less of yourself okay? I always wanted a sister when I got stuck with that donkey but you're the sister I never had so never think less of yourself, okay?"

Mei chuckled. "That's the second time I've heard that"
"Whaaaaaat? People don't appreciate you enough then, I'm sorry I never told you how much you meant before this." Jia honestly sounded a bit guilty.
"No it's okay, the first was Minghao when we were still dating, and then now I guess. So don't worry, I know you show love through actions." She smiled while saying it.

"Thanks Mei."
"Of course. Also did you-" Mei was cut off by a knock on her door. "Hold on Jia, I'll call you back." She quickly said before hanging up and setting her slightly wonky frog charm down. Mei looked through the door's peephole, involuntarily fixing her hair. She opened, a smile on her face. Minghao looked up from the floor, leaning against the edge of her doorway.

"Oh hi Hao. All okay?"
"Oh yeah, I just wanted to know if you were interested in having dinner with my father after the last meeting of the summit." Uh what?

Truth be told, Mei was still slightly flustered from the events earlier, so when the same guy offered dinner with his father, that too seemingly unbothered, Mei was a bit taken aback. Something in her made her say yes almost immediately. And although a small part of her reminded her Minghao's dad was her dad's ex-boss, her ex-boyfriend's father and the chairman of her company she currently worked at, her brain malfunctioned in that moment, choosing to ignore all of that go with a 'sure, I'd love to.'

"Great, I'll let him know." He turned around, almost touching the keycard to his room's door when he did a 180° and turned back to face her. "I just wanted to say I'm uh, sorry for-"

"NOPE. IT'S FINE, OKAY UH ILL SEE YOU LATER YEAH? OKAY BYE." She squeaked, cutting him off. Her voice was way more high pitched than she intended, and Mei shut the door, seeing him raise his hand to wave bye before the polished door replaced his confused face.

Mei walked over to her bed and plopped down, moving her unfinished project to the side before lying down on her back. She stared at the ceiling, her mind wordlessly going over the day's events. After a tiring day at the summit watching the American branch's progress, Mei was ready to crochet and go to bed early, despite Korea being ahead of China. But now, as much as she wanted to, Mei's heart wouldn't slow down and she simply could not stop her mind from going back to her little 'moment'.

"Ughhhh" Mei groaned. She turned on her side, her eyes glazed over the beautiful sunset painted in the sky. Splashes of red, orange and pink came together, projecting the entire room in warm colours. "He's your boss." She whispered to herself. "He's your ex. You don't like him." She said, curling her legs closer to herself, adjusting herself to the fetus position. As Mei was lost in thought again, a wave of tiredness washed over. Mei didn't know when or how, since adrenaline coursed through her body just a while ago, but her eyes eventually closed. Her thoughts slowed down. And the last thing she heard in her head was a tiny, tiny voice, trying to make itself heard: 'don't you?'.