Chapter 2.23: August 8, 2017
"Hi, Mark."
"Greetings, princess."
"Please, don't call me that."
"Why not, princess?"
"It's just—Please just don't."
"I still don't understand why, but if you insist."
"Look, I just—Did you park your car along the street?"
"Yeah, I did. Are you ready to leave now?"
"Yeah. Let me just grab a sweater."
"…"
"…"
"You do like Italian, right? Because that's where we're going right now."
"Fine by me."
"Cool."
"Yeah."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Look, I didn't mean to make it awkward. I'm sorry. It's just that Kenny used to call me that, and it still hurts to think of him."
"Kenny?"
"Yeah, he's my b—"
"Oh, wait. I know him. You never introduced me."
"Well, it's been a little hectic lately. And now he's gone, so I'm sorry you'll never get the chance."
"Right, yeah. Did you want to talk about it, or—?"
"No, I'm fine. Really, I am. Don't give me that look; keep your eyes on the road!"
"Erunai, don't worry. I've had my driver's license longer than you."
"That's only because you're two years older."
"It still rings true."
"If you say so. By the way, what friends are we meeting?"
"A couple of high school buddies I reconnected with last spring. Don't worry; they're good people."
"Sounds good."
"Yeah, it is."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"How have you been? You know, with the coma and Ken and everything."
"I'll be okay, Mark."
"That's good. Are you sure you don't want to talk about anything?"
"You bet I am. So, tell me about your friends. Please?"
"…Of course, Erunai. What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Everything? No, not everything, but—"
"…"
"…"
"…But what, Erunai?"
"Mark, why didn't you visit me in the hospital after I woke up?"
"That has nothing to do with my friends. Do you really want to talk about this now?"
"Yes, Mark. I don't really blame you for not wanting to visit, anyway. I just want to know why."
"Erunai, it's not that I didn't want to; I just couldn't."
"That doesn't make any sense. Who was stopping you?"
"No one. I just—The last time I saw you—before the coma, mind you—I asked you out. You refused. I was, and I admit it, scared that you wouldn't want to see me."
"Mark, I wouldn't do that to you. I may not have wanted to date you—and I still don't, sorry—but we're still close friends."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"…"
"…"
"You aren't upset about being friendzoned, are you, Mark?"
"What? No, of course not! I respect your feelings. Of course, I don't want you to forget about mine, but I understand that you only feel platonic fuzzies when you see me."
"I wouldn't say that I feel fuzzies when I see you."
"Now that's a lie. But I won't force you into a relationship you don't want. That would be an unhappy situation for the both of us."
"Thanks."
"There's no need to thank me for basic humanity. It is nice to be appreciated, though."
"If you say so."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Just out of curiosity, did you date anyone while I was—you know—in a coma?"
"No, I didn't."
"Mark, I may never grow romantic feelings for you."
"That's not why I didn't date. I just didn't want to completely use another girl as a rebound. I've got to say, Erunai, you have no idea what you've done to me. You're pretty amazing, I must admit."
"You're such a dor—"
"…"
"…"
"I'm such a door? Did the coma get to you? Because your insults have seriously gone downhill."
"Don't be a walnut."
"I'd be more like a mango. Or durian. Because, you know, the best fruits grow in the Philippines. Except I don't smell bad."
"If you say so. If you're a fruit, then I'm a smartphone. Because, you know, the best technology comes from Japan."
"I'd beg to differ. Samsung is based in Korea and is also one of the leading smartphone manufacturers and developers. Also, the United States, aka the country we live in now, has Apple."
"So you named two leading smartphone manufacturers. But do you remember Nintendo? May Iwata Satoru rest in peace."
"I thought we were talking smartphones? In any case, you're over two years too late."
"Fine. Be that way. It's not like it was my fault, anyway."
"Better late than never, right? Because even though it's been a hundred years, you've finally arrived to defeat the Fire Nation."
"Do not get started on that. I am not the Avatar."
"Whatever. I missed having fun like this. You have no idea because you were literally out the entire time."
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Thankfully."
ns 172.71.194.165da2
