HERSHE - TIAOM

Late

The house is dark. No one can even tell that there is a person lying on the couch, not moving, lifeless it may seem, because she hasn't flinched a bit since she plopped herself down there.

The entire place is quite and the only thing she can hear is her own breathing.

I will make her forget you.

Pie closed her eyes tightly and rubbed the creases on her brow.

The conversation with Yam was cut short after Zee and Jane arrived. She couldn't find an opportunity to talk to Kim after that until they went home.

I should be happy, right? I should be happy knowing that someone will be with her if I can't stand up for her. But why am I feeling so distressed now? Uuuughh...

It would've been easier if it's one sided, if she's the only one having these weird feelings. But this case is different now. Yam just told her what she has doubted all along: Kim is serious about her.

But what would she do now? She doesn't want to hurt Kim but she can't make a decision yet. She knows she can't pick Kim but at the same time she doesn't want to let her go either. Selfish it may seem, but it is the exact reason for her confusion now.

What's hurting her more is the fact that Kim obviously feels comfortable around Yam. Pie knows that if she won't make a move anytime soon, Yam will surely be able to replace her.

---

Pie is walking towards the lift when she spotted two familiar figures already waiting there. She smiled at the sight right away, knowing that the back she's looking at belongs to Kim. However, her smile faded as guilt strikes her again when she saw the crutch on Kim's right hand.

Zee noticed her. "Well, hello there, beautiful!"

"Oh, hello there, handsome," she greeted Zee back with her sweet smile. "Getting lost here this early, huh?"

"Best friend duties." Zee pointed at Kim. "Can't drive."

"Well, that's so sweet of you..." Pie turned to Kim this time and playfully nudged her to see if she'll be ignored or not. "Hey, good morning..."

Kim turned for a quick glance, forced a smile and said, "Morning..." She went back immediately to look at the floor signal.

Pie took it in her mental notepad. Kim didn't completely ignore her but something's still off.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Pie asked Zee instead.

"She went ahead of us. I had to pick this brat here first," said Zee, lightly punching Kim's arm, which the latter responded with a harder nudge. Zee laughed at it. "Well, since Pie's here, I better go ahead. Could you assist her for me, Pie?"

Pie unconsciously placed a hand on her chest, emotionally unprepared of being alone with Kim. "Y-yeah, sure..."

"Don't sweat it. I can handle myself," said Kim apathetically. She turned to Zee this time to give an arm punch. "And don't think of me as a weakling!"

Zee stepped backward to keep distance from the attacker who's seriously throwing her punches. "I better go now, Pie, before someone here bruises me."

Pie chuckled. "Okay, you take care."

Zee politely bowed at Pie first before she raised her thumbs to Kim. "Dude, I'll pick you up later, okay?"

"Yah, go already, will you," Kim snorted, pretending to be annoyed. She looked back at the floor signal as she taps the crutch on the floor.

Pie can't take the smile off her face. All the unpleasant feelings she had these past few days just vanished. It's just now that she admitted to herself that Kim's mere presence is giving her solace.