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[Chapter 1]

It was an afternoon with scorching heat - and my flight just arrived there. The night before, I told her that I would be stopping there in her city for a stopover. She told me that she would be busy and that she had plans to go out with her friend on that day - and let's not meet again.

I turned on my phone right after the aircraft turned off its engines - hoping I would catch a signal. I did!

"Let's have a lunch later."

I was ecstatic. As I rushed towards the immigration checkpoint, drenched in sweat from all the rushing and running while having a rucksack and a baggage, I told her that it would take me around an hour to get into town. "I'm hungry - I did not eat my breakfast." she said, but she unsent the message a minute later. I told her to eat something first, because it's going to take a while for me to get into town.

"It's okay, take your time. I don't want to eat anything else."

"I'll be there as early as possible - when I'm on the cab, I'll tell you. What would you like to eat later?"

"The hotpot."

I quickly got my travelers' sim card, and booked a cab to the town. As she may hate the idea of me dragging my baggages across the shopping mall, I thought hard about whether to head to the restaurant first - or to check-in to the airbnb and put my stuff down first. After weighing all the options, I picked the latter. Right when I arrived on the accomodation, the host told me that the water heater isn't functional and he wanted to switched my room for the inconvenience - but it would take another half an hour.

I requested to just let me put my stuff as quick as possible, as "my girlfriend" is waiting for me for a lunch. I put down my stuff, washed my face, brushed my teeth as quick as possible, sprayed my signature perfume and rushed to the mall.

"Have you arrived?"

"Almost. 3 stations away."

"Alright, I was just done with the airbnb. I'm heading there."

I took the monorail from the closest station, but there was a slight delay. She arrived first, and I told her to get in and order first.

"I'm almost there. Eat something first, I'll be there in no time."

"Take your time! Meat is on discount here today. I want to eat lots of meat!"

The last sentence pained me a lot. In my mind, she might not have a proper meal. She probably ate cookies for dinner, for days. She resigned from her job a month ago following her friends in suit and hadn't found a new one. Her family is in debt, and she had spent what she had on a music concert before.

She broke up with me 2 months before. With all the misunderstandings between us and her friends "advices" to her, it was rocky for us.

"Hey. How have you been? Have you ordered?"

"Good. I ordered some. Look at that!" She pointed out to the table behind her, insinuating how much meat they ordered. "I want to eat lots of meat today!" she repeated. As she picked the menu, I noticed how the skin of her palm dried. I tried to grab her hand, take a closer look and hold it.

"No. Don't."

"What happened to your hand? Why didn't you wear gloves when you wash dishes? Didn't you have them at home?"

"Sometimes I did."

I told her several business ideas that might help her family. She didn't have much to talk about, but she told me she has been cooking herself. I was quite relieved, but doubted she's just pretending to be fine. Between the silence and the meal, I kept looking at her and holding back my tears.

[to be continued]