Chapter Twenty Four

Kevin waited for Jacel at the gate. He pulled his jacket a little closer. It looks like it's going to rain again. It's still January, and the temperature hasn't warmed up yet. Kevin slightly regretted his decision to play basketball with his other art class friends. He felt his nose start to run and turn red. When they got home, his mom would definitely scold him and tell him to drink some bitter Chinese medicinal herbs.

"Are you waiting for me?"

Kevin turned and found Jacel standing next to him. The young Kim looked smaller than her actual size, with a thick jacket that seemed too big and a red knit scarf that covered her neck and part of her face. Kevin nodded quickly.

"Sorry, our teacher wanted to talk to me earlier to prepare for the new semester. You should go home first," Jacel said from behind her scarf.

Kevin shook his head. "And hear Mom nag for letting you go home alone? No, thank you."

Jacel smiled behind her scarf. Then they walked towards the bus stop. Kevin wanted to suggest taking another taxi, but she didn't want to. The two of them walked with a distance of about a meter between them. Kevin walked first, and Jacel, behind him, followed with a fixed gaze on the tall young man's back.

They arrived at a deserted stop. There were still four minutes before the bus arrived. Kevin took the headset out of his thick jacket pocket, slinging it over one ear. Kevin glanced at Jacel while showing another earphone. The girl shook her head, showing his eye-smile. Kevin shrugged his shoulders and put them both on.

Jacel sighed and looked down at her shoes. The atmosphere was so awkward, even she didn't know since when the situation had turned like this again. Maybe since their parents came back from Canada.

"Jacel..."

She heard Kevin's voice, and suddenly she turned and looked up slightly. It's just that she was a little surprised when Kevin was standing near her – at a very close distance. She was silent.

"Jacel,"

Kevin said her name again. She blinked a few times.

"Yes?"

Kevin smiled. "You're awake. I thought you fell asleep standing up," he said.

Jacel frowned. "Huh?"

Kevin was still smiling, and he touched her head and rubbed it gently. She still stares at Kevin fixedly without being able to move. Even though she felt this was a mistake, she couldn't avoid it. She didn't want to avoid it.

"The bus will be here soon, so I have to hurry," Kevin muttered.

Jacel didn't understand Kevin's words. But she felt Kevin's hand touch her face and slowly lower the scarf that covered part of her face. She felt time move quickly when she felt something soft touch her lips, and the next second was replaced by cold air.

She blinked a few more times, trying to process what had just happened – in less than ten seconds. She touched her lips, searching for that soft sensation again.

"Jacel, let's hurry up!" Kevin's exclamation as he entered the bus awakened girl.

She then rushed to the bus with dozens of questions running through her head. Jacel sat beside Kevin, who chose the back row of seats. The bus is moving again, and she is still watching Kevin, who is busy with earphones and looking outside.

Did he just kiss me again?

*****

Jae frowned when he saw Blaze smiling. "Is there something that caught your attention?"

Blaze turned his attention to Jae, who was driving. He was still smiling. "Do you think this world is strange, Jae?"

"I think you're the weird one, Blaze Schift."

Blaze focused again on the dozens of cars moving between them. He took a deep breath. "This world is strange, Jae. I think God is weird too."

This time, Jae really didn't understand the lawyer's words. "Blaze, you're making fun of God. You realize that, don't you?"

"Yes, I realized it. Next Sunday I will make a confession, so you can take it easy," Blaze said.

Jae took a deep breath. It looks like Blaze still can't think straight since he mentioned the problem at the bar. Hell, how could just an incident that almost happened make him –almost– go crazy like this. Make fun of God by saying that He is weird. Isn't that a little too much?

"Blaze..."

"If I said I just saw a student kiss another student while we were passing the bus stop, would you believe it, Jae?" Blaze spoke up quickly.

Jae glanced at him. "Huh? Who kissed who at the bus stop?"

Blaze shook his head. "Never mind, forget it. Drive well, Lawyer Jae Legarda." Then he returned to silence and watched the streets of Seoul which were quite busy.

This world is crazy and weird.

*****

Jae glanced at Blaze, who was holding his left hand as they got out of the elevator. The two of them walked through the lobby to a restaurant in the hotel where they would have lunch together. Jordan Reyes's law firm in a month usually makes lunch or dinner events for all lawyers and employees, as a gathering event in the midst of the busyness of all the lawyers who take care of cases.

Today was the day they would have lunch together, and usually Lawyer Jordan Reyes would choose a restaurant in a big hotel or even rent another famous restaurant. But since they arrived, Blaze occasionally gently massaged his left hand. Jae assumed that maybe the wound was hurting again.

"Your hand hurts again? Is it because of the wound?" asked Jae.

Blaze shook his head. "Not because of the wound. Don't worry too much, tomorrow I will go to the hospital again."

Jae sighed again. "If you're going to see Hans again, that's great. Lawyer Reyes won't like seeing his beloved lawyer get hurt for too long. Well, either because of the wound or because of his daughter."

Blaze glanced at his friend, annoyed. "Don't bring it up again."

"I know, sorry. But it can't be prevented. Maybe you can follow the matchmaking like Benice. Well, your sister has attended the meeting again?" asked Jae, who finally changed the subject.

"She has already met the man from the Alejo family and it looks like it will continue. She came home with a smile. That's a good thing. But what if I have to attend the matchmaking? Ah, thanks, but I refuse."

Jae frowned, and together they entered the restaurant. Blaze was now the one who sighed. He saw several other co-workers who had gathered at several large tables.

"Why refuse? If Benice gets married, you will eventually… oh? Woah, are we matched with them?" Jae exclaimed as he looked at the other side of the restaurant.

"Who?" Blaze asked.

Jae pointed at one of the tables with his eyes. Blaze finally followed his friend's eyes and fell silent. He hissed unconsciously. This morning he had met them, but was God venting His annoyance because he had made fun of God in this way?

"Oh, great!"

Blaze immediately rushed to the table before the people from Lowells Group saw him. Jae followed him without saying anything, because he could see the man's irritated expression when he saw Siegfried, Cameron, and the other two.

Well, maybe because they met this morning, Jae thought.

*****