Fashion Me, Sweet!

6. Her Friends’ Views

Translator: Nina Mel

SHANI IN THE HOSPITAL: HER FRIENDS’ VIEWS PART 1

 

DONNY LI

 

I realized Sei had called. However, Shani grabbed another bottle and drank before she smashed it on the countertop and bruised her arm when she fell on the floor. She laughed rolling back and forth hitting her head against the high stool at the bar.

 

“Ow!” she cried out.

 

Her outfit was covered in puke munches, clearly, I wasn’t ready for this.

 

I sighed as I answered Sei, “Yeah…”

 

“Where are you, guys? I’ve been calling for the past half an hour,” Sei asked.

 

“What? I didn’t hear my phone ring,” I said.

 

“You’re serious! Everyone left the club. I’m at the park with Ruby. ZT is with Aya and Lau went with Elena to some restaurant, I think,” Sei explained.

 

“We’re only ones here? No wonder I haven’t seen you guys. I can’t believe you ditched us,” I frowned.

 

“Sorry, bro. It was Ruby’s idea,” Sei laughed.

 

I looked up rolling my eyes and spoke, “I should have known. We’ll leave now but Shani is drunk.”

 

Without listening to Sei, I observed Shani had stood up rubbing her head.

 

“My head hurts…” she muttered before she fainted on the floor. Her knees got cut by the broken glass shards that fell from the countertop that was knocked by her hand.

 

“Shani!” I yelled dropping my phone and reached out to her.

 

I came beside her lifeless body and took her in my arms.

 

“Shani, Shani, wake up! Shani!” I shouted realizing she had a very high fever as everyone crowded around us. I faced them and instructed desperately, “Someone call 911!”

 

Sei, on the other line, overheard the ruckus, as he called out, “Donny! What’s happening!”

 

Minutes later, paramedics rushed into Neon Lights. I watched the medical carriers, lifted Shani’s body placing her lightly on the stretcher. Before being boarded into the ambulance. I got inside claiming to be her boyfriend as I sat on the bench holding her hand.

 

“Shani, stay with me,” I said looking at her pale face.

 

RUBY

 

I furrowed my eyebrows strangely watching Sei’s outburst.

 

“Donny! What’s happening?” He yelled.

 

He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at me.

 

“Sei, what’s wrong?” I asked concerningly.

 

“Shani fainted,” Sei explained.

 

“What?” I yelled. “How did this happen?” I thought aloud.

 

I felt worried about this situation. You might know this but Shani has been like an older sister to me. Although she is younger than me, she’s a wise elder. She’s always the one who smiles us happy with her jokes and acts of kindness.

 

“I don’t know. I heard Donny Li shouting in the background called 119,” Sei said.

 

“They probably went to Shidong Hospital, it’s the closest one in the capital,” I answered. “We should go, Sei.”

 

“Ruby, calm down. Donny Li is with her,” Sei replied.

 

“I can’t calm down!” I yelled. ‘What if Donny Li harms her? Or he sleeps with her?’ I thought frowning without noticing he had grabbed my hand.

 

“Ruby!” he called out for the final time, absolutely annoyed. ‘She’s so lost in her thoughts. She can’t even hear me,’ Sei thought before squeezing her hand tightly.

 

“Ow! Sei, that hurts! Why did you do that?” I frowned pulling my hand away.

 

He snatched it back again gently and he shook his head, “I’ve been calling you nonstop but you seem so trapped in your conscience.”

 

Before he poked my nose with his index finger and asked, “Want to talk about it?” He smiled.

 

I blinked staring at his finger on my nose before looking at him. ‘How are you smile like this? Why do you do this to me, Sei? I still like it, though,’ I thought. Somewhere, I kind of felt relieved a little just looking at his handsome face sweep my burdens away.

 

“I’m just worried about Shani, Sei. I know Donny Li hates her,” I sighed.

 

He laughed, “You think Donny Li hates her? No, no, no. I think you got it wrong, Ruby.”

 

“What do you mean?” I asked.

 

Sei span me towards his chest while I laid my head on his shoulder quietly.

 

He whispered in my ear, “I can assure that Donny Li will treat Shani like a princess.”

 

“Why do you say that?” I questioned looking into his eyes.

 

Sei smirked, “Because he likes her, Ruby.” Then he regretted, “Opps, I shouldn’t have said that part.” Before he giggled.

 

“Really? Unbelievable,” I laughed removing my head off his shoulder and slide my fingers into his hair and ruffled it.

 

“Ruby, stop it! You’re messing up my hairstyle,” Sei grinned.

 

“It looks better now than before,” I teased trying to escape from his embrace.

 

“Come here, don’t think I’ll let you off the hook,” Sei smiled and started tickling me.

 

“Oh my gosh, Sei, please stop!” I chuckled loudly.

 

“That’s what you get for ruffling my hair,” he answered.

 

“A-Yah, Oppa….!” I whined, using the Korean term for boyfriend or older brother. Literally, crying tears of joy when he lifted me into the air and then stole a kiss from me.

 

Sei blushed and pulled away, “You’re pretty special, you know that.”

 

I blushed shyly and giggled, “Of course.”

 

He smiled and kissed my forehead with his warm strawberry lips.

 

‘Shani, you can wait a while I’ll visit you tomorrow with the girls. Let my night with Sei last forever,’ I thought blushing as he hugged me. Honestly, I melted like ice cream in his arms. ‘This is heaven on earth,’ I thought happily.

 

SEI

 

‘She looks cute when she blushes,’ I thought while I held Ruby in my arms.

 

Her eyes lit up with the moonlight’s shine. She snuggled closer to me like a kitten. She smelt like blueberry muffins freshly baked out of the oven. Ruby made me feel like I achieved an award or I’ve arrived home after a long journey. Somewhere, she becomes the most essential part of my life.

 

‘I can’t live without you, Ruby,’ I thought. “Life without you would be impossible,” I mumbled.

 

“Huh?” Ruby questioned looking up at me. “Did you say something, Sei?” I asked.

 

Out of the blue, my phone rang changing the subject. I pocketed out my phone and realized it was ZT calling.

 

“It’s ZT?” I blurted out.

 

“ZT? Why is he calling?” Ruby asked.

 

“Maybe he got the news about Shani,” I assured.

 

“Answer,” Ruby said.

 

“Okay,” I nodded picking up the call.

 

“What’s up, ZT?” I asked.

 

“Bro, where are you guys?” ZT questioned.

 

“In the park. You?” I replied.

 

“Aya and I are at the Sweet Cafe. I’ve been calling Lau and Elena but no answer. Do you know where they went?” ZT asked.

 

“I think they’re at a restaurant called Fortune. That’s what I heard Lau mentioned before they left us,” I explained.

 

“Oh okay, Donny Li called me. He said Shani fainted at the club and was brought to the hospital. Tomorrow we’ll visit her,” ZT explained.

 

I nodded, “He told me so.”

 

‘My feet hurt, my waist hurt? Why can’t he just end the call already? I feel restless and hungry. Maybe I should just go home,’ Ruby thought as her stomach ached.

 

I noticed Ruby glared at me and started walking away.

 

“Alright then, bro. Talk to you later, Ruby is getting pissed off,” I said.

 

“Deal with your trouble, Sei,” ZT joked and hung up.

 

“Ruby, wait!” I yelled as she halted a taxi.

 

“I’m going home, Sei,” she answered plainly.

 

“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It’s not my fault ZT won’t stop blabbering.”

 

“Sei, my ankles hurt and I’m tired,” she yawned.

 

“I’ll drive you home,” I suggested hoping she would stay.

 

“No need, thanks for tonight, Sei. Bye,” Ruby smiled weakly and entered the taxi.

 

It drove off while I stood there dumbfounded.

 

“What did I do wrong?” I muttered to myself watching the vehicle vanished down the street.

 

‘I miss my chance to kiss her. Well, there’s always tomorrow,’ I thought smiling before I went back to my dorm: INSANE’s house.

 

LAU

 

I never thought I would be sitting here with a beautiful girl like Elena. Her flawless untouched skin was like white marble. I felt tempted to hold her hand that rested lightly on the table beside the menu. I knew she wasn’t an easy woman. I sensed walls and guns are guarding her heart. Any wrong move, she did fire a missile into my chest without hesitation. ‘I have no idea where to start with her?’ I thought and it began to rain heavily.

 

“I’ll be right back,” I blurted out nervously.

 

She laughed a little and then smiled, “Alright.

 

I decided to order, two stew vegetable chicken noodles and two bottles of Pepsi.

 

“Is that all, sir?” The cashier, an old woman, the owner of Fortune Restaurant asked.

 

“Yes,” I answered.

 

“Okay,” she nodded.

 

“Thanks,” I thanked her and watched her deliver my order to one of the chefs, who rushed back into the kitchen to prepare our meals.

 

I headed over to our table and sat down beside Elena. ‘What should I say?’ I thought and then improvised a little.

 

“It’s raining,” I told her yet my hands were sweating like they had run a damn marathon.

 

“Yeah. Is something wrong? You seem kind of nervous,” she looked at me.

 

Her question really caught off guard.

 

“No, I’m fine. I just like looking at your smile. It’s beautiful,” I replied.

 

She raised her eyebrows and blushed, “My smile? Is that the only thing you’ve been looking at?”

 

I felt my face heat up while I blushed, “I’m not looking at your assets, Elena,” referring to the rest of her attractive body especially, her cleavage.

 

“Well, I have nothing to offer either away,” she teased shrugging her shoulders down.

 

“You have plenty to offer,” I flirted as she blushed with surprise.

 

I unwrapped my chopsticks from the white paper-bag casing.

 

“What makes you say that?” Elena asked curiously, smiling.

 

Banging my chopsticks together to make a dancehall rhythm. I responded calmly, “Because you’re different and you’re cautious of your actions. Even though your heart is telling you to go for it, you have the consequences printed in the back of your mind like a barcode, Elena. You’re the only woman who revived my heart with your meekness and warmth. I haven’t felt that way in a long time, Elena.”

 

Elena blushed and smiled, “Lau…”

 

Suddenly, the waitress interrupted us.

 

‘Seriously? Now? You couldn’t have a show half an hour ago,’ I thought a bit irritated by her presence.

 

“Here you are,” she smiled winking at me while ignoring Elena.

 

She placed our meals and drinks down on the table. Instantly, Elena got jealous of her kinky actions.

 

‘She just had to show up to ruined the mood,’ Elena thought rolling her eyes and started sipping her drink.

 

I smirked at her reaction as the waitress left. She lifted her lips from the straw and caught me watching her quite amused.

 

“What’s with the silly smirk?” She asked raising her eyebrow at me.

 

“Why so curious?” I questioned smiling.

 

“I’m not,” Elena lied biting her lower lip and frowned.

 

I laughed lightly, “I thought you were jealous when that waitress winked at me.”

 

“Me?” She gulped. “Jealous? You’re kidding yourself,” she replied confidently and faced the windowpane to see if the rain had stopped.

 

Her cheeks were red as puffy bell peppers and long satin black hair shone like the night. She placed her forehand under her chin and sighed.

 

“When will it stop raining? I want to go home,” she pretended to yawn.

 

I grinned, “Probably in the next hour I guess.”

 

“Urg….” Elena whined before she looked at me and blushed.

 

I smiled looking away and pretended to eat my meal as I thought, ‘I hope it doesn’t stop raining.’ I continued to secretly gaze at her.

 

 

ELENA

 

Completely forgetting my existence, the waitress had just winked at Lau. I couldn’t tell if he enjoyed it or he was just annoyed by her disturbances. Moreover, I felt angry and irritated when she showed up flirting with Lau.

 

‘She just had to show up to ruined the mood,’ I thought rolling my eyes.

 

I started sipping my drink and thought, ‘Am I jealous?’

 

I watching him smirked at her as she blushed.

 

‘What the heck is he doing? Men. They’re all the same,’ I thought frowning before she left.

 

“What’s with the silly smirk?” I asked.

 

‘He better gives me a good reason not to walk out of this restaurant?” I thought, tapping one of my heels on the tiled floor.

 

With a mischievous glare in his eyes, he grinned, “Why so curious?”

 

“I’m not?” I denied cheekily.

 

‘Liar,’ Lau thought. “I thought you were jealous when that waitress winked at me,” he smirked.

 

I gulped in thought, ‘ I can’t let know I am’ and continued, “Me?”

 

I scoffed, “Jealous? You’re kidding yourself.”

 

I turned my attention to the windowpane as my face started to get hot. I felt him staring at me.

 

“Don’t blush, don’t blush, Elena. He will know you’re lying,’ I warned myself in thought.

 

Hoping to change the subject, with a hand beneath my chin and elbow resting on the table supporting my head, I blurted out, “When will it stop raining? I want to go home.”

 

I pretended to yawn. ‘Hopefully, this swift diversion can solve my embarrassment.’

 

Lau smiled watching his phone’s screen and answered, “Probably in the next hour I guess.”

 

“Urg….” I whined before observing him and end up blushing more.

 

I noticed Lau started eating his meal when my phone alarm. I got a text from Aya. I read.

 

“ZT is such a gentleman. He’s so funny. I’m about to pee my pants. Please save me right now, Elena,” she said.

 

“Nope, you deserve it, good luck, Aya,” I replied with a smiley emoji.

 

I chuckled realizing Lau was looking at me, wondering who I was texting.

 

AYA

 

Inside Cherry’s Cafe, drinking milky teas with ZT. I couldn’t believe how hilarious he was. His jokes about INSANE’s members’ reactions at the amusement park’s haunted house made me laugh so hard. I had to use the restroom before an accident happened.

 

“ZT, I’ll be right back,” I chuckled escaping.

 

“Okay!” he replied nodding with a smile.

 

I pulled out my phone and texted Elena when I entered the restroom.

 

“ZT is such a gentleman. He’s so funny. I’m about to pee my pants. Please save me right now, Elena,” I typed and send in the message.

 

I quickly used the bathroom and then washed my hands when my phone was alarmed. I realized Elena had a reply.

 

“Nope, you deserve it, good luck, Aya,” she texted back with a smiley emoji.

 

“Some support you are,” I grinned rolling my eyes.

 

I exited the women’s restroom. I found ZT sipping his milky tea. He was also taking out selfies of himself with cute poses. When he gazed my way, he began snapping pictures of me.

 

“ZT! Stop it,” I blushed as everyone looked at us smiling.

 

“Come on, babe, do a cute pose for the camera?” ZT asked.

 

“Okay, whatever,” I sucked my teeth.

 

I stuck my tongue out with a peace sign beside my right eye and smiled.

 

“You’re super cute, Aya,” ZT giggled childishly and snapped my photo.

 

“I’m always cute,” I boosted sitting down beside the table facing him.

 

He smiled, “Yes, you are, angel.”

 

I observed him looked at another photo on his phone as he complimented, “Ha, ha, this is really cute, don’t you think?”

 

He showed me a toddler caking his cake greedily. He was messy but adorable.

 

“Yeah,” I chuckled as we looked at the same toddler in the picture by his mother.

 

He was smiling, giggling, and waving at us all of a sudden.

 

‘I wish our kid look just like him,’ I thought smiling as I blushed as I sipped my milky tea.

 

I saw a white flash and turned in the direction it came from. I realized ZT had taken another photo of me.

 

“Really, ZT?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

 

“What?” He laughed cheekily. “The camera loves you, Aya.”

 

“No, you do,” I said and buried my face in my crossed arms on the table.

 

ZT blushed and responded, “Since you know I like you there’s no denying it, right?”

 

‘He likes me?’ I thought quite happy inside but I didn’t react quickly.

 

“Let me your beautiful face, Aya. I capture your beauty with my eyes. So it can be trapped in my memories forever,” ZT flirted.

 

I coughed a little and he chuckled patting my back gently.

 

“Aya, are you okay?” He asked.

 

I lifted my face from my arms and stared at him. Outstandingly, handsome with such a sweet, fun, and caring personality. I made my heart scream through the clouds as my echo danced on the sun, a salsa routine.

 

“Yeah,” I replied and smiled.

 

He took another picture of my blushing face.

 

“A-Yah, ZT! Stop already! I’m not your muse,” I frowned trying not to smile.

 

“You’re more than my muse. You’re music to my heart, Aya,” ZT flirted and smirked in deep thought.

 

‘But you so cute I can’t help myself,’ he thought giggling and blushing like a baby butt.

 

Curiously, I asked, “What are you thinking now, ZT?”

 

“Nothing,” he lied and got up before sitting down beside me.

 

We cuddled as I kissed his nose lightly and pulled me closer to his side.

 

“Honestly, I’m complaining but I’m loving this,” I muttered.

 

“Me too,” ZT smirked and kissed her cheek.