1 Prologue — How we meet

"True love stories never have endings" — Richard Bach

I liked you.

Some scenes are based from the author's experience. The rest are fictional. This story is more on about the characters daily life. I'm planning to make it a manhwa but I'm still beginner in digital art. So I'd like to share my drafts with you.

Prologue

"How we meet"

It was normal day for me. I have this app called "Slowly" installed in my phone for fun. I randomly sent message to anyone and wait if they will respond from your letter. The app is not like messenger, it is not instant, the letter arrives depending on how far you are from each other. I am from South East Asia (not gonna say where exactly lol) and if I want to send letters to Canada, it will take more than a day before they will receive the letter you have sent.

She is from China so from where I am, it takes 6 hours before they will recieve it.

I think it was the next day when I received her letter.

We have been constantly sending letters to each other for months until one day she told me to add her on facebook. Her english name plus her real surname is so common on facebook that it takes me more than 5 minutes to saw her account. She sent me her profile picture which makes it easier a bit to find her.

So I messaged her and we continue talking to each other.

There was a time where the game "Among Us" was so popular and we played it with her and my friends. Sometimes we would talk to each other on our own server which is the "English Only" because we communicate in english, I can't speak Mandarin neither she can speak my language.

Fast forward. I'm working on a I.T. company and after a year, I decided to make a move by booking a flight to China for a one week vacation.

She's working at Beijing in a law firm. She is now an Attorney.

I told her about my vacation few months ago and she asked me what is the exact date of my arrival so she can asked for a one week leave and some details so we can plan it out.

It was 16th of March, a month after the Chinese New Year when I arrived. It was so cold that my hands are literally freezing. As a person who grow up in South East Asia, I'm not use to that level of cold. Wearing my gray parkas that is expensive for me because I can only used it in countries who have winter, I stood there like a lost idiot in the crowd of the airport terminal building.

Why?

Most of them don't wear parkas anymore. They wear normal clothes. I looked liked a freaking Air tube bubble bag that you can get by ordering fragile things online to kee it safe. It was a struggle to move because it is my first time wearing it.

"Where are you? You did not tell me that it is not winter here anymore" I texted her.

":P" She playfully replied.

"I see you already, don't move." She added.

"Okay"

I stood there for a while, my heart was beating so fast, that I was praying not to get heart attack without seeing her.

"I don't know what to say... Welcome to China, I guess." She smiled at me, her deep dimple on her right cheek showing up.

"Uh... Hey" I stuttered like a one year old baby learning to say her first word.

She stepped forward to grab my left hand. My shivering fingers.

"Let's go first to your hotel and let's have a lunch together later."

"Okay... I'm hungry"

She laughed.

After a few minutes spending time with her, our awkwardness to each other slowly vanished.

She accompanied me the whole week, we went to the Great Wall of China, and some museums. She sometimes acted like my tour guide because she have been to some places already.

We have different taste buds. She like spicy foods while I'm into my own safe zone of taste. I liked everything that it is not too much on taste.

She told me her different memories every time we would go to the places she have been.

It was a memorable week for me. We watched a drone show the night before I'm going back home. It was not so romantic. I wish it was a fireworks instead. I never got a chance to told her my feelings.

I gave her a present that night. It was a book. "Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat", It was one of my favorite books. I told her to open it once, I'm home.

She had an urgent meeting the next day so she cannot go with me to the airport. I understand.

I actually lied to her about going home. I got an offer to work in the main branch of the I.T. company I was working which is in Beijing also.

I haven't sign up the contract yet but they offered me a condominium to stay if I'm gonna work here. They gave me the key card and the address to pursue me, I can stay there for a few days.

It was quiet. I'm eating alone on the big table. It's actually getting scary. Ghost can come even in a high end condominium. I need to get up early tomorrow to formally reject the offer and thank them for their generosity.

She has not yet message me if I arrived home safe. Maybe she opened up my present already.

I was regretting writing my feelings on a piece of paper. I playfully slipped it in between pages of the book then I forgot to removed it the next morning.

I had a goose bump when the door bell rang suddenly. I immediately open it, expecting it was the food delivery guy with my order.

"Uh hey..." She awkwardly smiled at me, looking away.

I stared at her for a few seconds before looking down, to see one pink luggage.

She was looking at me when I looked back again to see her face. I just noticed that she was carrying a bag on her back. She was catching her breath as if she was rushing to something.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?" I asked, just to clear up what my mind is thinking.

Don't get your hopes too high. Maybe she did something that's why she is here.

She looked away again and her ears are bit red now.

"You... You said on the paper that you like me." She murmured.

I sighed. I'm going to tell her now. I'm going home tomorrow anyway.

"Yes, I like you." I said. There you go.

She's blushing right now. I'm probably blushing too, but having a tan skin, it makes less noticable unlike her pale white skin.

"Then let me in." She said in a small voice.

"Why?" I asked, sounding curious, but I cannot hide my smile. She like me, right? So it was mutual, all along?

"Because I like you too, and I'm living with you." She confidently answered, pushing me inside along with her luggage.

"I'm not expecting this." I murmured to myself but she heard me.

"Sorry, I had to talk to my parents about it so it takes a long time to pursue them."

I smiled, my heart was beating fast like the first time I saw her at the airport.