00 | Foreword
“One question, yes or no.”
My patience was running thin, I badly wanted to get away from where I am currently standing. But it sucks because no matter how much you want something, the universe will conspire to not give it to you instead. That's how unfair life is, and I'm already used to it by now.
I did my best to not slip off my mask. I don't want him to see how much I hate talking about this. That I don't want to go back to the past. That I already buried every single memory of us and I have no more plans to bring it back from the grave.
I gave him a bored look, to let him think that I don’t give a care on what he’s talking about. “Hurry up, I still have somewhere to go to.”
He just gave me a teasing smile that made me want to wipe it badly off from his face. “We’re in a reunion right now, where else are you gonna go?”
“I’m a busy person,” I answered, lacing my voice with venom to make him feel that he’s wasting my time and I hate him for doing so. “Just ask whatever it is you’re going to ask.”
“Do you still like me?”
As soon as I heard him ask, I was brought back ten years ago, when I also heard the same question from him.
“Do you still like me?”
I was frozen... I never expected him to ask me that.
I mean, why would I even expect this when he already rejected me in the first place?
"Why ask?" I tried so hard not to stutter through my words. I don't want him to see how much my knees are shaking right now. I can’t let him see how affected I am because of his question.
“It’s just a yes or no, Jeanne. Is it that hard to answer? I'm just curious, that's why.” he replied.
However, his provoking eyes filled with mischievousness didn't leave my sight. It's so obvious how he's playing with me as of the moment, and I hate it.
And just like ten years ago, I gave him the same answer.
“No.”
He nodded. Even until now, I still can’t easily comprehend his reaction. He’s doing a great job hiding behind his mask. Just like before, I never managed to perfectly read him. Nothing did change after all.
“I’m busy,” I reiterated. I started taking my steps away from him. "We have nothing else to talk about, we're done."
I was about to leave when he decided to speak his last words to me that day.
“For the record, it’s an always. For me.” The last part came out as a whisper, but my ears still managed to catch it for me.
But unlike what he’s expecting me to do, I continued to take my steps away from him. For I was so done with everything.
I was once hurt. Badly.
And I don't want to experience any of it once more.
I finally became better. It took me so long to reach this point.
Never again.
