Lying has not been my forte, as Hana gave me a quizzical stare.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP0x3qpG8S
"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?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqPGQXDs6e
"No, no, don't worry." I changed the subject, "By the way, it's about time, let's go, Kevin and Penny are waiting."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n54NTFerU
"Okay, got it."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WAeosvM3b
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... ?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyI8tI5qP5x
"She's my colleague, named Hana." I turned to Hana, "This is Kevin, a college classmate I mentioned before."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzQmvRhXxV
"Hello, Mr. Kevin." Hana smiled and extended her hand, "I heard that you're also a talented IT person."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8ffsmy0It
"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."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbvBtpK0qf
"There you go again!" I rolled my eyes, "By the way, is Penny busy right now?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XtRK4bvJJ
"It's okay, not too busy. He was just chatting with some regular customers a while ago." Kevin said.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeTgg9N2HO
"Okay, then I'll go get some drinks. What would you like to have?" I asked Hana.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtYnroDeGr
"Mocha, please."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9Hr5fop4t
"Sure, you take a seat first then."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo08Qo9Kheu
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'..."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiZ2ZVflRP
"I wouldn't dare skipping this big event!" I laughed, "Wow bro, who dares to get to the wrong side of petty Penny!?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus3heBWpDa
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.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgUugpupdb
"Let's go sit over there. Do you have time to chat?" 227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXLPB1jZnc
"Yes, of course!"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MXuRkLXdw
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!"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoDxy1MnEX
"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'?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHklHffM8f
"Get a grip and don't be ridiculous! How's the opening going today?"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLpj0xqhL9
"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'!"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7euPFXMZId
"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."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3cZGylhxd
As soon as he finished talking, Kevin couldn't help but laugh, but it was Hana who laughed the heartiest and loudest.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFwFPKP1og
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.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYNd5M0AaI
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."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTHniADsYQ
"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..."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNfHjB4p9D
"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.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSabRNfYHh
"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..."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS3IhYVeWQ
"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. "227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkwZY7kJen
"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..."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx2z2L8Vmo
"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!"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmgn7cYOgB
"I said I need time!" I insisted, "And.... I also need a reason."227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBgF3Gghzc
"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!"227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2ga9ZT3z4
I wasn't sure. All I knew was that my heart and mind was hardly still that sleepless night.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6N78IsBwZC
Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was Hana's face.227Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3xLqgHYov
