Chapter 5 Save Me

I felt everything go quiet around me at that moment. Can you imagine a scene where a huge guy trips over, in a manner which has his face getting planted directly into the ground in a crowded street?

The ever-moving crowd stopped in their tracks, with everyone gazing upon me, some even covered their mouths, barely containing their laughter. How I wish that I had the ability to go invisible then, so that I could immediately vanish or disappear on the spot. Another option would be to have a hole to hide in, something large enough for me to hide my handsome face should suffice!

However, reality was often disappointing and cruel. I desperately wished that the hustling sound of the city and the loud booming sound of music from afar could cover the sound I made when falling onto the ground, at least so that Miss May could not hear it.

Unfortunately, since I fell down behind her, she did hear me. She was close enough that I could make out the faint specks of dust on her heels and also notice that she was wearing silk stockings.

When she turned around and saw the messed up look on my face, struggling to lift itself up to look at her, the astonished look she had turned instantly into laughter akin to bells in the wind.

This time, without needing much consideration, I could tell that she was undoubtedly laughing from the bottom of her heart, a genuine laugh like no other.

Miss May walked over and gave me a hand.

After getting up, I noticed that she was still on the verge of laughing, and was trying hard to hold it in.

Upon seeing her holding it back with enough perseverance that it was as if her life depended on it, I knew it was over. All my fantasies, imaginations, and dreams crumbled to dust.

I never expected that this “slip of the century” would lead to her slipping away completely from my life.

“Alright alright, just laugh it out if you want to. Your face looks like it’s going to implode.” I responded frustratedly.

She really did not hesitate at all. She sniggered, and let it all out. Her laughter went on uncontrollably, noticing this she went ahead and turned her back towards me.

I just stood to the side, patting away the dust and dirt all over me, with a disheartened look on my face.

At this point, I had given up on the plan to ask her for her contact, as it seemed to be pointless now even if I managed to get it.

Realizing that she had been overdoing it with her reaction, Miss May tried hard to stifle her laughter and forcibly attempted to bring up a serious look on her face. She even worked herself up to exhibit a look of sympathy while turning back towards me.

Yet the moment she turned around, all her efforts went to naught in a flash, again reverting back to bursts of laughter.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen a grown man fall down like this, I really couldn’t hold myself back.” She laughingly apologized.

“It’s alright, first time for everything I guess. Just take it as something new, so next time when something similar happens you won’t have such trouble containing your amusement like you are now.” I retorted with a frown.

“Just now you came back again … to call me?” Miss May asked.

“Nope.” I quickly denied her. “It just so happened that I was heading that way as well.”

“Oh I see, I thought you were trying to call me instead.” She replied.

“Aren’t you supposed to be busy with something? Please continue as you were and have a nice day.” I responded.

My heart could not bear even a single second during that moment. Feelings of embarrassment, frustration, and depression all lingered within me, clashing against each other. I was so desperate to leave the place which brought me such shame and disgrace.

“Alright, sure. Are you alright?” She asked.

I felt resentment building within me, why had she not left yet? Why was there now a conversation going on?

“It’s nothing to worry about, a little fall like this is nothing to me. You won’t need to call an ambulance at the very least.” I explained.

Miss May giggled. “Alright. Then I shall be on my way.”

I nodded back in silence. Not even waiting for her to leave, I hurriedly turned my back and left the area.

I knew that the unfortunate fate of events that arose ten years ago that afternoon, finally came to a stop ten years later today this afternoon. A comical one for that as well to be exact.

It did not matter how it ended I guess since the outcome is the same anyway. This simply just means that everything was and has been concluded.

Unexpectedly at that moment, I heard the voice of Miss May calling from behind me. “James.”

My footsteps came to a halt and I froze on the spot. Seemingly in a daze, I dared not turn around and look.

Was she calling me? I could not believe the things my ears were hearing.

It was when she called out my name the second time that I fully believed my own senses.

I turned around and saw Miss May smiling gently at me, it truly was a sight to behold.

“I was so caught up in the conversation just now until I forgot to give you my contact.” She told me.

I calmly took out my phone and swapped Wechat IDs with her. I was the only one who knew of the tension that swept through my heart like a tsunami at that moment.

On the way back home, the negative feelings I had about the fall were dispersed like the clouds after a rain. I even felt that the nasty humiliating fall I took was worth it!

Back home at night, I was trying to work on design plans, yet kept finding myself distracted by the phone. Hoping for that familiar notification tone to ring and receiving a message from Miss May right after.

However, that was not what happened at all. My phone indeed had a lot of Wechat notifications, but they were about messages from my workgroup chat. There was not a single commotion on her profile icon, nothing at all.

I suspect she was being like me, having her phone beside her, and waiting for me to make the first move and send her a message.

I would not be the one to initiate the conversation, and doing so would make me look laid back and chill. I would need to play hard to get on purpose, as this constant teasing will get her chasing me eventually. Research done has since concluded that at the start of the relationship, the one who was most needy and direct will usually become a slave of another’s affection.

It was nearing eleven o’clock at night now, and I had not received a single message from her.

I picked up the phone and hesitantly typed in a few words, and deleted them instantly right after.

This would not do, I had to be more patient and wait a little longer. Unless she was also being hesitant now as well.

The early phases of love were like a mental game. One must possess both the attitude and patience of an eagle, in order to truly conquer the girl.

One more hour, I steadied my resolve. During this one hour, I would not pick up my phone. I must be firm and immovable like a rock, if the enemy refused to budge, so would I.

I went back to my laptop and seriously dived back into work.

Just after two minutes, I let out a deep sigh and picked up my phone. I tapped on Miss May’s chat box and typed. [You asleep now?]

F*ck it then, if I was to be a slave then so be it, all men are slaves to something in some way or another. A certain song describes this perfectly, something about the singer willing to be a sheep, and follow her while she gathers the herd, something about wishing she grabbed a whip and kept hitting him on his back.

If famous composers were willing to become slaves, willing to submit to the lashing of the whip, why would I complain and see any difference? If Miss May really was wearing a pair of short jeans and hitting me using a whip … I guess I would not really mind that much.

I originally expected her, who was waiting in anticipation for my message on her phone, to reply to me with haste once I took the initiative.

However, as midnight approached, and drowsiness started to take over while my eyelids got heavier, nothing came. I struggled to keep myself awake, but all this effort had been in vain it seemed.

I was very depressed, saying just how I should have the perseverance of an eagle. Instead I became a night owl, great.

Just when I was falling asleep, I heard a sound from my Wechat notification. That was the best kind of sound, better than the sound of a recess bell or the sound when clocking out. That was the cute wheezing sound of Gillian Leene!

I was so happy unlocking my phone to check but was overcome with disappointment straight away. The message was not from Miss May, but from Chloe.

The message she sent was strikingly similar, not even a difference in the punctuation at that.

[You asleep now?]

I actually thought of being polite and replying to her, but I hesitated, placed the phone away, and chose to ignore her instead.

Within the darkness of my room, I figured Miss May must be asleep, so she had not read my messages. She was in her thirties after all, and cannot stay up late at night. If not, how did she manage to maintain such nice skin, this must be the case for her.

A few days had passed and I started to accept the bitter truth that was reality. Yes, the way that Miss May and I exchanged contacts was very natural and smooth. It was not acted or faked, yet was definitely out of politeness.

I never sent her any messages since, as I felt there was no need. If someone did not reply to your messages, you should never message them anymore. It was meaningless to do so, and would only reduce your pride and self-respect, besides annoying those on the receiving end.

It seemed that Chloe understood this as well, as she had stopped messaging me.

I felt like I had a broken heart, but I had never been in a relationship before, so how could it be broken? Nonetheless, I knew this was what heartbreak felt like, I knew that for a fact.

I could only occupy myself with more work and got busier to make my feelings fade away.

Initially, I thought this was the end, and that my feelings would disappear as time passed by.

Surprisingly, just when I was about to move on, a message from Miss May came out of nowhere one night. The message was short, but shocked me to my very core!

The message read as such: [I’m at unit 1402, Cloudback neighbourhood, come save me!]