HEMP ROPE

28.

 

The sky was inky dark. Christmas songs were played throughout the mall. Decorative lights created a festive atmosphere for visitors, embraced by the year's cold weather.

 

Team walked in a good mood, hands in his pockets. He planned to spend all day having fun with his friends until the mall closed.

 

"Those two pieces of cake, please."

 

The familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. Team searched for the voice and found the familiar face in front of an expensive cake vendor. 

 

Hia? Eh, didn't he say he had things to attend to?

 

Before Team called him, his cellphone buzzed with a text from Win himself.

 

Winnie the pool: Are you in your room today?

 

The young man hesitated, intending to say no, but the jolly voice of the cake vendor's staff stopped him.

 

"Enjoy it with your lover."

 

"Thank you." The big guy smiled. One hand held a bag of cake, and the other held a bag of potato chips and soft drinks. Team's face was on fire, and his goddamn cellphone buzzed again.

 

Winnie the pool: I'm coming.

 

The young man muttered, responding with a weird sticker that said "OK". Then he whirled back to walk where he came from, the parking lot

 

"Hey, guys. I can't make it, something came up." He started the engine, talking to his friend via earphones. "Yeah, it's really important. Talk to you later." He cut off the line to escape the ruckus and looked up at the navigator to give him the fastest way back to his dorm.

 

Lights up, and Christmas carols are faintly audible from somewhere.

He couldn't help the smile on his face…

———-

 

P.S.

Win: /gets pushed on the bed/ hmm?

Team: You stay still; leave it to me today.