March 31, 2008

and then..


"it's gonna be Japan?", she said.

"yups. Tokyo, to be more specific", wiseguy answered.

"you said 6 months of what and what?"

"6 months courses and seminars, 6 months practical work; they're probably attach us to publications or studios, etcetera. but it won't be like, 6 months straight of courses and 6 months straight of on field work; more like in quarters"

"you mean 3 months this, 3 months that and so on?"

"yeah. that's what is said in the papers they gave anyway.."

she didn't say anything. it's been 3 days since wiseguy told her about his plans, and asked her if she wanted him to stay. too bad that these past 3 days both of them were busy with coursework and other matters. they had only been calling and texting each other.

curiously wiseguy never mentioned the pressing matter until today. and it was sugar who asked wiseguy out to talk about it. he, of course, had agreed, but his voice never betrayed his emotions. sugar thought about when she had asked him out earlier this morning.

"sayang.. you wanna go for lunch?", she had said.

"sure thing. it's been 3 days, i miss your irritating presence", he had said casually.

"haha very funny. pick me up at 2pm? kita pergi OU yeah?"

"OU it is. as if we go anywhere else, haha.."

then she was silent for perhaps 10 seconds and finally said:

"we can talk, okay?"

wiseguy, in typical fashion, had just said: "yeah. we can talk. see you at 2 ok sayang? wear something naughty, haha". they had laughed at the end, and went on doing whatever it was they were doing this morning.

now here they were at OU, which was(as you could guess by now) sugar's favorite mall. they were sitting inside Shakey's, and had just finished a regular pizza. sugar had started the conversation after small talk and the regular borak-borak over lunch. she had asked wiseguy where he was being sent to, and he had said Japan.

"it's quite a big thing. Canon is a major sponsor..", wiseguy said, probably noticing that sugar had been quiet just a little too long.

"i know...", she replied. she did. she had looked up the competition he had entered and read up the details. so in essence she already knew what it was going to be like, but just wanted to hear it out of wiseguy's mouth. it made it more.. real. scary, but real.

"is there anybody i know going with you?", she asked wiseguy.

"hurm, probably not. a friend of mine from the photo forums got in too, but he's got New York. most of the guys going to Tokyo with me are people i've never met..", he said, and took a swig of pepsi. he smacked his lips. "god i love cola.."

sugar smiled.

"what?", wiseguy asked.

"nothing. you. cute.", she said.

wiseguy cocked an eyebrow at her, but his ears went red. it was a reaction of his, every time he felt embarrassed. sugar sighed, and called for the bill.

"you nak bayar ke sayang..?", wiseguy asked, genuinely bewildered.

"yeaps. my treat. boleh tak?"

"tak boleh. i insist on paying..", he said and took out his wallet just as the waiter came to their table bringing the bill. he was quicker than her; sugar was just about to get out her purse from her handbag but wiseguy had already put a couple of crisp green notes on the cash-receipt thingy.

"oit", she said.

wiseguy winked at her. "sudahlah awak. duty saya okay to pay for meals? haha.."

after the waiter brought back their change they got out of their seats and walked hand in hand. as ever, sugar window shopped... but this time she ended up buying a new blouse and a pair of shoes. wiseguy, who was never into shopping, only got interested at what else but a camera shop.

and when he did.. sugar sighed inside her heart. she looked at him poring over photographic accessories, and listened to him chat with a knowledgeable shop assistant. he even struck up a conversation with a fellow customer about photography. they mentioned words like 'aperture' and 'polarizing filters' and 'purple fringing'. terms which, to sugar, meant whatever at all. but wiseguy; ever cool, ever funny and ever there wiseguy... sugar could see he was really, genuinely into it. going on that year long course would mean the world to him.. and yet here he was, torn, telling her that he will stay if she asked him to.

when they finally walked out of the camera store (he had bought nothing, by the way), sugar had already made her decision.

--

(to/be/continued)

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