Ruby Red

XVI

Ken pokes his scrambled eggs with his fork. Through his sunglasses, I see his eyes budge from my half empty plate to his full one. The entire hour we've been at the café, he hasn't looked around once. Just at the table, and his food.

"Those are edible, you know." I say, stuffing my mouth with toast. He glances at me for a moment, then brings his fork up to his mouth with a sigh. The egg seems to be to his liking, because he quickly scoops more onto his fork. I feel a nudge of guilt as I watch him scoff his meal faster. It must have been a long time since he's had a breakfast that doesn't come in a tin.

"Hey." I say. He looks up from his plate with a mouth full of scrambled eggs. "Try putting some on your toast with a slice of ham. It's really tasty." I hold up my toast as an example. Using the leftover ingredients on his plate, he mimics my toast, and nods in approval when he takes a bite. By the time I've finished mine, he's already finished his drink too.

"I'll be right back." He says, getting up from his chair. Before he walks off to the toilets, he glances at me over his sunglasses as if to say: stay here. I nod at him. I won't go anywhere. The sneaky smile before he walks away doesn't go unnoticed.

The café is full of students and people rushing to get a coffee before work. Seeing groups of students laughing together brings up memories of when I went to college. I was in a group too. Well, am. It's only been a few days since I last spoke to them, but I miss them a lot. When we were in college we would get early morning coffees and sneak pastries into lectures. Aria had a thing for strawberry cupcakes. She still has. I miss her.

I rest my chin on the palm of my hand and sigh. How is Aria? And Leo? Ravi? Hakyeon? Even though we're in the same city, it feels like we're worlds apart. I feel homesick in my own home. I lean forward to drink the last sip of my smoothie through the straw. The mango flavor feels somewhat bitter on my tongue. I place the empty glass on my empty plate, and lean back in my chair with a sigh.

Ken's extended hand stops me from dwelling further into my sad thoughts. With slight hesitation, I place my hand on his and he helps me up.

"We should enjoy the weather while it lasts." He says. His mood seems to have changed since this morning. A few hours ago, he was in denial. Yes, he hurt my feelings (and ego) by saying those painfully truthful words, but for some reason... His actions reflect the total opposite of them. He stays close to me, steals glances at me every now and then, makes sure I'm eating and drinking well. What's the truth?

Our hands linger together as we walk to the exit. Just before the door opens, we let go. I expect him to lead the way to wherever he wants to go, but what disrupts my thoughts is the fact that he intertwines his fingers with mine. I look down at our hands, and feel heat stretch out across my cheeks. With a quick glance at his face, I confirm what I had secretly been hoping for. The corners of his mouth slowly curl into a reassuring smile. This is his way of saying: I don't regret it, either.

We stroll down the busy shopping streets, an occasional squeeze reminding me of our intertwined fingers. Ken seems to be enjoying the weather. With his sunglasses shielding him from potential accidents, he looks around. There are plenty of shoppers, despite how early it is. The bright 'sale! 50% off' signs give all the explanation I need. That cute shirt? On sale? Ken catches me staring at the signs, and licks his lips. He digs his free hand into his pocket and after rummaging for a bit, he stops walking.

"If you want something from there..." he says, nodding towards the shop. I feel instant guilt. "No no no, it's fine, really." I say quickly, trying to pull him along. He is stronger than me, and pulls me back to him. "See it as a thank you, for saving me." He insists with a sincere smile. I look at the undeniably cute shirt in the window display, and bite down on my lip. I sigh. So far, he has given me a place to stay, food, and new clothes. If he gives me more things I don't know how I'll ever repay him. He's too generous, for some reason.

"You've saved me a lot more. Trust me, if that weren't the case, I'd probably take up the offer." I give his hand a gentle squeeze and bid farewell to the shirt in my mind. "Let's go."

The shimmering sunlight reflecting on the river's surface nearly blinds me, but I secretly use Ken to shield me from it. His tallness comes in handy. "Do you miss home?" He suddenly asks, staring at the road ahead. It makes me think. For the past few days, I haven't really thought about it. Living in a basement isn't exactly my cup of tea, but I haven't felt the need to complain either. The only sad thoughts I've had were during breakfast, today. I've been... surprisingly okay (despite all the near death experiences, of course). And besides, my apartment isn't exactly the place to be at the moment. Unless I have a death wish.

"Even if I did, I can't go there now." I look up at him. "I believe there is a reason I'm immune to your curse, and I want to figure it out before anything else. I want... to help you." From the side, I see his eyes soften.

"I've lived half of my life in fear, never knowing when and if I'd give up. Becoming close to people would only end in heartbreak and pain, so I distanced myself from the world, and everyone in it. I kept thinking that one day it would all be over. My mindset grew more and more pessimistic as I continued to live my lonely life." His voice nearly breaks, but he continues. "I thought that maybe by giving in to the curse... my misery would end. But that was all until I got my first vision of you." He looks at me and through the tinted glass, his eyes meet mine. "I gave in to my first instinct, which was to go to the nightclub alley... to save you."

I stare at him blankly, painful memories flooding my mind. I remember feeling helpless in that drunk guys strong grip. I remember trying to call for help, but not being able to. The mysterious stranger who saved me that night... was Ken. All those nights I had spent twisting and turning in my bed trying to figure out who he was... It all comes back to him. My savior. Before I allow tears to well up in my eyes, Ken continues.

"The reason I haven't given up since then, is you. Something about you felt different. When my eyes didn't kill you that night in your apartment... those feelings grew even stronger. Like you, I became curious." He stops walking. Our fingers slowly slide out of each others grip. He takes his sunglasses off. 

I almost stop him, but the determined look in his eyes makes me hesitate. Taking his sunglasses off in public is extremely risky, yet here he is. Never once breaking eye contact with me.

"No matter what happens, promise you will put your own safety before mine. Don't get hurt because of me." He says. I want to protest, but he speaks before I can. 

"If the curse fulfills itself... don't come back to me. Get as far away from me as possible. Promise."