Evergreen

With the arrival of April, the weather became brighter and warmer. Sun rays and the harmony of bird chirps had already surrounded the city. Although schools were open, there're not many people in the library. So, there was hardly any sound in the hall other than the occasional chirping of birds from outside. Footsteps coming after a while drew attention.

"A, where have you been?" said the girl who was sitting at the table by the window.

"I thought I'd see you the place we met last time, didn't know you're this far." said the boy who was approaching the table she sits.

"It was more heartwarming here." she said.

"No surprise, N and a light." he said.

"Be quiet please, you were more polite last time." said N whispering.

"Come on N, it was quite crowd here then. Now, there're only two people and they're at least twenty meters away." he said.

N turned her head and looked back.

"You're right." she said in a more normal tone. "You were so late, I thought you couldn't get permission again." she said.

"Actually, that's what happened..." said A, "He didn't let me go, so I solved the case radically." he said with a smile.

"What did you mean "radically"?" she asked, "Did you resign or something?" asked N with fear.

"Why are you surprised?" he said "You already knew I didn't like it there, didn't you?"

"I knew of course, but what are you gonna do now?" asked N anxiously.

"It will be a good break for me, not working for a while. Like a summer holiday, you know?" he said with a smile.

"But it's not a summer holiday yet A, and you're not a student." said N.

"What's the difference between me and a student?" asked A.

"Let me tell you..." said N sarcastically, "You're not a student A." she was talking more like a mother now, "Do you know why? Because you don't study anywhere, so you have to work."

A didn't say anything. N continued after a bit of silence:

"It worried me that you quit your job because of to see me, A."

"Are you crazy, N? Who said I quit my job to see you?" said A after the seeing her sadness, "You know what, sometimes I think you feel yourself too precious."

N realized his joke and laughed. A laughed back.

"What do you write?" asked A curiously and he was looking at N, who had a notebook and a pencil on the table.

"Nothing." she said, "I was just scribbling."

She closed the notebook and put the pencil on it.

"You've started already?" asked A, excitedly.

"To what?" N didn't understand him.

"To write a novel. You said you wanted to be a writer."

"Oh no. I... I don't write." she said, "I still have no story of my mind."

A's earlier excitement suddenly disappeared.

"Then, can I find out what you're hiding from me?" asked A friendly.

N opened her notebook and handed it to him to show that she wasn't hiding anything from him. There was a drawing on one page of the notebook. A started laughing as soon as he saw the drawing. N got angry and took the notebook in front of him.

"I'm joking N, that's gorgeous." said A, while trying to pick up her notebook.

"Oh, come on A, if it were "gorgeous" you wouldn't laugh that much..." said N with rolling her eyes. She was still looking angry. She put her notebook on the table and put her hands on it.

"I'm not lying N, I swear. I really liked it." said A, trying to speak in a more serious way, "Can I see it again?" he asked.

After thinking for a second or two, N opened the notebook again and she re-extended the page to A, which contained a sketchy drawn caricature of a boy and a girl.

A looked really serious this time. N paid special attention to his facial expressions. The boy was squeezing himself so hard that he seemed to be looking at the caricature with a sad expression this time.

"You're kidding, right?" said N, looking his serious face, "You're not upset, are you?" she asked.

"Ha? Upset?" he said, "I was just trying to look more serious."

A laughed again. But N didn't seem mad this time.

"I was just trying..." said N, "What? I couldn't just sit here and wait for you for half an hour, could I?"

"Why not? Isn't your favorite thing to look out the window? I know why you've chosen this place." he said arrogantly.

N took her eyes off him and looked out the window involuntarily.

"I was just kidding N, I liked the drawing." he said again, in a pleasant voice, "But I didn't get why you've drawn my nose so rough?" said A humorously.

N looked at her drawing carefully to see A's claim.

"It's a big deal though." he said, "At least it looks like a nose..." said A for making fun of her.

"Whatever..." said N, "At least I could draw your that half-curled hair." said N sarcastically.

A, touched his half-curly, brown hair as if he was trying to make it better.

"What's wrong with it?" he said, "I think it looks attractive."

"It seems like my 6-year-old brother's." said N and laughed.

"So what?" said A.

"Your age is three times his age, but there is no difference between you and him in appearance. Don't you think it's a problem A?"

"Look who tells me that! As if you..."

"Can you speak a little quieter please?" said the girl nervously, who was sitting behind N. N blushed and said, "I'm sorry", and turned A angrily. Apparently, they forgot that they were in the library, because they were busy talking.

But A didn't care her. As he opened his mouth to speak again, N looked him and kept him silent.

"Well, N. What are we doing here then, if we don't talk?" asked A, seriously, "By the way, why the library? We would be more comfortable if you came to my cafe. We would've spent a nice time for the last time there." said A, and noticed his voice tone rising involuntarily again, so he continued calmer. "I could offer you our new delicious chocolate ice cream."

"I didn't want to keep you from work again, when I got there." said N, she picked up the pen again and scribbled in her notebook. "But it doesn't matter anymore..."

"Don't worry N, I told you. I didn't like it there, you saw how they treated me." said A seriously.

N replied him by her head nod. She kept scratching her notebook.

"H is also dissatisfied with it. But I couldn't persuade him to resign." said A.

"A!" said N, and raised her head from the notebook rapidly and looked at A angrily.

"Well, well. I'm just kidding..." said A, smiled as a naughty child. "Actually, H is not as unlucky there as I am. K didn't rebuke him as much as he rebuke me. Being a waiter is not an easy job N, you would understand me if you worked too. Honestly, you better study."

"Yeah..." N replied indifferently.

"But you don't seem to be any different from me either."

He took her pencil from her to get her attention.

"What are you doing?!" asked N in surprise.

"We've known each other for months, but I haven't seen you while doing your homework." said A. Now, it was A's turn to speak like a parent.

"That's not the case." said N.

"Do you have anything in your mind about to study or graduate?"

N rolled her eyes in displeasure, without saying anything. A picked up the notebook and stared at N seriously. N was also watching him attentively.

"If you have an idea to become an artist..." said A, and N was listening him very attentively, "Better give up, you'll not be able to be an artist with such skills..."

N got angry again and took back the notebook.

"How many times should I tell you? I was just scribbling something to clear my head."

"Yeah, true. You will be a writer." said A, to mock her.

"Why not? You better worry about yourself instead of making fun of me..." said N, "Tell me, what do you intend to do? Where're you gonna work after that?"

Now, it was N's turn to scold.

"Don't worry about it. I'll find a new one soon." said A in a confidence, "Don't be afraid, H didn't kick me out of the house..." He sounded extremely relaxed.

But on the other hand, N seemed anxious.

"Do you really trust H?"

"Of course." said A, "He is great! He is my friend. I know him before you N."

"Good. Anyway... You know him better, apparently."

There was a bit silence. Then A asked her "why she is here today" to resume to conversation.

"I couldn't be home today." she said, "My dad will come home in the evening. Can you imagine what the house is like now?" she said with a bit of smile

"I got it." he said, "You probably miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah." said N and watched out of the window, "I haven't seen him for about six months."

"Six months isn't so long N." said A, trying to comfort her who looked sad.

But N thought he was joking again.

"It isn't so long? Do you think half a year is not a long time A?" asked N in a surprise.

A just smiled, without saying anything.

"Anyway... I better get a book." she ended the conversation and put her hand in her bag.

She took out her library card and stood up.

"Can you wait for me here for a minute?" said N.

"Yeah, sure." said A in a pleased manner.

N left there to take a book.

While A was waiting for N there, he lost himself in thought, looking at the bird perched by the window...