Lying has not been my forte, as Hana gave me a quizzical stare.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEa1QmnDTd
"What's wrong with you?" She looked bemused, "One moment you were laughing, and then the next you became solemn. You are freaking me out a bit you know? Is there something wrong or was the training too harsh this morning?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYJ94xpbio
"No, no, don't worry." I changed the subject, "By the way, it's about time, let's go, Kevin and Penny are waiting."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBarvisy61
"Okay, got it."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7AyGFtgFv
After Hana finished her cream soda, we left the fast food restaurant and walked to the coffee shop. When we arrived, Kevin was there, chilling out with his cup of coffee.
"So late, Jan." Kevin noticed Hana, "Hello, and she is... ?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgwRNaY5xi
"She's my colleague, named Hana." I turned to Hana, "This is Kevin, a college classmate I mentioned before."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhDJNJug28
"Hello, Mr. Kevin." Hana smiled and extended her hand, "I heard that you're also a talented IT person."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43BPEJOfp0
"You're exaggerating. I'm just a 'jack-of-all-trades' who has to do everything." Kevin shook hands with Hana and winked at me, "Unlike your Jan, a magnificent manager who leads a large team, haha."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH269m2yLF
"There you go again!" I rolled my eyes, "By the way, is Penny busy right now?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnyRQzF9OY
"It's okay, not too busy. He was just chatting with some regular customers a while ago." Kevin said.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzXVObYpZn
"Okay, then I'll go get some drinks. What would you like to have?" I asked Hana.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzbsdpZt4b
"Mocha, please."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo8W4LjRkQ
"Sure, you take a seat first then."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtFMSRd2tz
After ordering the coffee at the counter and waiting, Penny walked over to me.
"Why are you so late?" Penny complained, "I thought you won't come as you are someone 'with hundreds of thousands of ups and downs every second'..."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReQ1Wt1XbP
"I wouldn't dare skipping this big event!" I laughed, "Wow bro, who dares to get to the wrong side of petty Penny!?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa5SHYMAHA
Just as Penny was about to retort, the barista delivered two cups of Mocha. I took the opportunity to change the subject, dodging his endless lines of tease from Stephen Chow's movies.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlUe2HprIi
"Let's go sit over there. Do you have time to chat?" 150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOuwpPt3lk
"Yes, of course!"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UsIhG4JbP
We walked to Kevin and Hana's table. Kevin was discussing the latest popular mobile games with Hana. When Hana saw us, she took the initiative to greet Penny.
"Hello, I'm Hana, Brother Janny's colleague." Hana was very excited, "Nice to meet you, the talented dreamer, Mr. Penny!"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxImxPcWaUX
"Hahahaha! So I'm famous, and my 'decades of hard training' are not in vain!" Penny laughed heartily and turned to me, "When did you change to a girl's name and become a 'Brother'?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8shYbOue5
"Get a grip and don't be ridiculous! How's the opening going today?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LP7e5tt58
"Of course it's going well! How can my shop not do well?" Penny patted his chest, "We're one step closer to 'Initial Public Offering'!"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzT13S7c4CV
"Okay, we got it Mr. Chow." Kevin chimed in, "I'll eagerly look forward to eating 'Lai Liu Beef Balls' and 'disheartened (gloom and doom?) rice' (*famous food at Stephen Chow's movie 'The God of Cookery' in 1996) at your store."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2BmwtenMD
As soon as he finished talking, Kevin couldn't help but laugh, but it was Hana who laughed the heartiest and loudest.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP52BT2xAHa
After chatting for a while, Penny said his computer had a small problem and asked me to check it up for him (for free of course). So we went to the back of the counter, and just as I was about to take the keyboard and mouse to start working, he pulled me aside for some gossiping.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxz7jvv9xB
He looks were extremely serious, which is a rare thing.
"There's no need to check anything." Penny lowered his voice, "Kevin has already checked and updated configurations. Everything is working perfectly."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpIhtZRzJD
"Oh so why did you ask me to come then?" I put aside the keyboard and mouse, replied, "What's up bro? You're scaring the shit out of me..."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs67tdQEmT
"Of course I had a reason in doing this. I have a question about you." Hainan (readers may not remember this is the same person as Penny and got confused) had a quirky expression and he cleared his throat.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWYHJm3gfB
"About me?" I was surprised.
"You have a crush on that girl named Hana, right?"
I didn't expect Hainan, who was rough around the edges, to be so direct. I was caught off guard and couldn't respond for a while.
"Wait... what?" I was obviously shocked with the question, "She's just my colleague, man..."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9B1dO4U6Sj
"What do you mean she's 'just your colleague'! After knowing you for so many years, do you think I can't tell?" Penny widened his eyes, "Don't beat around the bush with me, you know I don't like that. "150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGHNGMShjO
"Okay, I think I... need some time to sort out my feelings." I replied honestly, "Well in a way, i cannot deny that I like her as a person..."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47MrgE4Qyz
"As a programmer, I thought you have always hated these double-negative statements" Penny interrupted me, "Come on man, what's the point in hesitating? Just go for it!"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUkIJ8hH2u
"I said I need time!" I insisted, "And.... I also need a reason."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXQtSQPdDY
"Reason? What the fuck do you mean by 'needing a reason'?" Penny was furious, "I never thought you need a reason to fall in love with someone! And how much time do you need? Ten years? Ten thousand years? Look, Lolly is gone and everything with her is past tense. If you have guts you should go and tell her your feelings right away, you know when I was..... "
Penny advanced relentlessly and incessantly, but I remained silent.
After leaving the coffee shop, Hana told me she had plans to meet her friends at a bookstore and said goodbye with me. I wandered around the area and hastily had dinner before heading home alone. Penny is direct, no-nonsense and obviously hot-tempered, and his impulsive behaviour has caused troubles in the past. Of course I did not follow his advice - or orders I should say - to confess my feelings to Hana.
Nevertheless, he had a point.
As I laid in bed that night, I pondered one of his lines.
"I never thought you need a reason to fall in love with someone!"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczrl4On287
I wasn't sure. All I knew was that my heart and mind was hardly still that sleepless night.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhefDVF1eZu
Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was Hana's face.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJHTyIu5Nt
