| Fan Fiction |
by Kaiyrah
*BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit, train system that services the SF Bay Area
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Cafe Murano was probably one of his favorite places in the City, right from the friendly owners to the strange PacMan paraphernalia thrown in with the kitschy European decor. It wasn't the most sophisticated coffee shop in San Francisco, but ever since he left Taipei, he found that he had lost his expensive tastes. It wasn't as if he didn't enjoy the occasional gourmet meal, it was just that... he didn't feel the need to indulge in that anymore.
Didn't quite want to anymore.
Especially because he had dined upscale quite frequently when he was with... her. There were now too many fond-turned-painful memories surrounding fine dining.
He shook his head as if to discard those thoughts from his mind.
Three years. It had already been three years since he left Taipei. He really should have moved on by now. Yet still, here he was...
"Hey, freak. You've got something on your face," a rather abrasive comment broke him from his reverie.
Ya Lun blinked and put both hands to his face as if to examine it. When he determined that there was nothing there, he frowned up at the person who had spoken. "Very mature, Hebe."
She grinned and plopped down on the chair opposite him. "Aren't I always?"
At that moment, one of the baristas approached them with a smile and placed Hebe's cappuccino and sandwich on the table. "Here's your usual, Sweet Cheeks."
Hebe immediately lit up. "Thanks! Gilbert, you make the best paninis in the world."
He winked at her in response. "You know it. Sorry I don't have much time to talk today," he gestured to their bustling surroundings, "We're pretty busy at the moment."
"Oh, no problem, Honey. You go back and do your thing," she answered, and with that, the barista ambled back behind the counter to take orders. She giggled upon seeing the design swirled into the foam of her cappuccino; it was a heart this time. "Isn't that cute?"
Ya Lun smiled slightly. "I have to hand it to you, Hebe. I wouldn't have ever found this place if it weren't for you."
She shrugged. "Well, I've been living here since college. I've had to find places that I like."
It must have been fate that caused him and Hebe to cross paths again. It was soon after he'd left Taipei; he had settled himself into his apartment in the City and had landed a few job interviews. The memory brought a wistful expression to his face. "You remember when we first saw each other again?"
She snorted. "Of course I do. I was just gonna go shopping that day, nothing out of the ordinary. Imagine how surprised I was when I saw your ugly mug in front of me on BART* that day."
"And imagine my surprise when I found out that you haven't changed. You're still a jerk," Ya Lun rolled his eyes.
"But aren't you glad that I struck up conversation that day? Otherwise we would have acted like strangers for the rest of our lives," she reasoned, sipping her cappuccino.
That was true. Hebe had always been the more outgoing one. It was thanks to her that they were friends again. She didn't hold his past misdoings against him either, and for that he was glad. There were times when he figured that he didn't deserve her friendship... but in the end, he counted his blessings.
"Anyway, you looked pretty distracted when I first came in a while ago," Hebe spoke. "What were you thinking about?"
Ya Lun shook his head and said nothing.
"Your lady love?" she guessed, and judging by his sharp intake of breath, she was right. She smiled wryly. "See, Ya Lun, I knew that something like this was bound to happen. I warned you for a reason."
At his dejected expression, she quickly added, "But what's done is done."
"I miss her," he murmured, his voice lined with misery.
Hebe sighed. "If you miss her, then go after her. Haven't we established this already? If you two are really meant to be, then Ying Jie will realize that you really do love her, and she'll forgive you."
Still he shook his head and clenched his fists. Many, many times he had considered doing exactly what Hebe suggested, but... "No. I can't face her. I'm too ashamed."
She shrugged as if to say, "I tried" and turned back to her coffee. Trust Ya Lun to make any meal outing depressing.
---
The past three years had been tremendously difficult, but in the end, it had all paid off. She had dedicated herself to school with a vigor that made even Wang Zi look like a slacker, and now here she was, just beginning the second half of medical school. A few weeks ago when she put on the white coat for the first time and looked herself in the mirror, her heart swelled with pride. Her father had gotten a little teary-eyed as well.
"My little girl's all grown up now," he said softly. "If only your mother were here to see. She'd be so proud of you."
How she missed her.
But she knew that her mother was somewhere up there, watching over her. She knew that she was indeed proud of her, even if she wasn't physically there to tell her so.
Ying Jie sighed and took a sip of her coffee. She slipped her free hand into her lab coat as she meandered down the path and took a seat on the nearby bench. For the past couple of years, she was too busy studying, applying to med school, and studying even more. She barely had any time to herself. School was her break from her personal life. And now that she had begun clinical rotations, the roles were reversed -- her personal life (what was left of it anyway) was her break from school. As a result, she had been getting lost in her own thoughts quite frequently.
From her vantage point, she had a clear view of the basketball court. A few of the healthier patients were up and about for a scrimmage. One in particular stood out -- not that he was abnormally tall or short, but he had a decently muscled frame, healthy tanned skin. His brown hair shone in the sun, his eyes glimmered in happiness.
Her heart constricted in her chest. That patient was so painfully familiar.
Something struck her on the back of her head, and she blinked and rubbed the sore spot. "Why do you do this to yourself?" a voice asked her, and she watched as her closest friend took a seat next to her.
"Wang Zi."
He gestured to the ball court with a cock of his chin. "I'm working on his floor this week."
Ying Jie averted her eyes. "Whose floor?"
"Don't BS me, Ying Jie. You know exactly who I'm talking about," Wang Zi sighed, then raised his coffee cup in salute to said patient, who shot them a grin. "Ah Cai."
"Oh really? So that's his name, huh?" She answered in feigned nonchalance. When she felt Wang Zi staring at her, she took another sip to serve as a distraction.
Wang Zi turned his gaze back to Ah Cai. The boy had to be no older than 20. But still, his smile and his energy were unmistakeable. "You know, I never met him -- Ya Lun, that is." He was able to see Ying Jie stiffen in the corner of his eye. "But the way you've talked about him, and the way Ah Cai can draw this reaction from you... I know they've got to be similar."
Honestly, he knew this was a sore subject, yet he still chose to broach it? She closed her eyes. "I don't want to talk about this, Wang Zi."
"Well, you can't avoid it forever," he answered, and gently pried the cup out of her grasp. "Better out than in, you know?"
"I've told you everything," Ying Jie insisted. "And he's gone now," her voice cracked on the last syllable. Wang Zi took her hand, and instinctively her fingers curled around his. "I've been looking for him for three years."
"He's out there," he assured her, "You'll just have to keep looking."
That was easier said than done. She had scoured Taipei, even gone out to the countryside, and still there was no trace of him. He very likely had left the country. And if that was the case... she might as well give up.
"Trust me. It'll all be okay," Wang Zi said, and as much as Ying Jie wanted to believe him, she just couldn't. Instead she forced a weak smile and turned her attention back to the basketball court.
A very slight vibration shook the bench, and she noted (albeit not very closely; her eyes were still turned to Ah Cai after all) when Wang Zi pulled the phone from his pocket and read the message on the screen.
"Who is it?" She asked more from courtesy than anything else.
Still, when he didn't say anything, she frowned and turned to him. He gave her a smile. "Let's go to Taida this weekend. You know. For old time's sake."
Ying Jie raised an eyebrow. What was this about? Why did he want to visit their old school all of a sudden? "Why --"
"Oh, what do you? I'm being paged," Wang Zi stood from his seat. Ying Jie was positive that the contraption hadn't made a sound. "What--"
"I'll call you when I pick you up, okay?" He shouted to her as he ran back into the building, leaving a confused Ying Jie behind to wonder what on earth just happened.
---
Ya Lun was nearly attacked by a renegade t-shirt when he walked into Hebe's studio apartment. After he blocked the offending object, he took the time to survey the surroundings and he frowned. "Hebe, what the hell? This place is a pigsty."
"Sorry, no time to explain. I've gotta go," she shot him an apologetic glance. "I just got a call from Chun. Ella's in the hospital."
Worry crossed over Ya Lun's features. He had met Hebe's family in college when they were still dating. Now, even though they were broken up, his relationship with them had stayed the same. Ella was much more like a sister to Hebe than a cousin, and Ya Lun shared that same sentiment. "What happened? When was this?"
Hebe shook her head frantically as she pulled out another rollaway suitcase and began stuffing it with clothes. "I don't know. Chun wouldn't tell me the details. He was way too upset. So I'm taking a leave from work and I'm going to Taipei to see what's up. Be there for them."
Fear gripped Ya Lun's nerves. What if something happened to Ella, and he wasn't there to offer his support? He would never be able to forgive himself. "When are you leaving?"
"The flight leaves tomorrow at one."
She had barely finished speaking when he turned swiftly on his heel and responded, "Get me a ticket. I'm coming with you!"
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tbc
uploaded 2 March 2010