One of the reasons that drive Joan to act out of the ordinary without thinking now is his memory of meeting Lynd 10 years ago. That moment for him was a meeting that became a precious, beautiful memory. Joan did not think that after that Lynd would disappear again or be difficult to contact even though they had exchanged contact. As long as they met Joan didn't notice Lynd's odd behavior and thought all was well. Then in reality it turned out to be just Joan's vision-judgment alone. This time after seeing her rushing away, looking for excuses, and secretly crying earlier, how could Joan let her go and part like this. When it became clear that Lynd was hiding something from him.
Joan took Lynd to the hotel lounge. Only that place seemed quieter, quieter than the hotel area other than the hotel room. Joan and Lynd sat there, choosing a spot in the corner of the room.
“Joan, what do you mean bring me all the way here?” Lynd's tone was clear of protest.
"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you alone." Joan reflected on his actions after they happened.
"What are you want?" Lynd was deliberately cold. But that attitude made Joan even more confused.
"You are mad at me? Is it because I forced you to come with me here?”
"What do you want to talk to me about?" demanded Lynd not to answer Joan's question.
Joan's face looked sad, the nuances between them became more sensitive. "I miss you. After our meeting that time, I always think of you, Lynd. Whenever I have a hard time I want to meet you and share stories, just like that day.” Joan looked firmly at Lynd. The look in his eyes softened Lynd's feelings.
Why is it so easy for Joan to say the word missing? Even though Lynd was suffering so much from holding back this desire when she was dealing with him like this alone. Joan had no idea how hard this together was for Lynd. It was the awareness of their status that made Lynd still cling to her senses now. Yes, Lynd and Joan's relationship is only friends. Joan already holds the status of someone's husband. Lynd couldn't shorten the distance she had set since realizing her feelings for Joan.
"Joan, I don't understand what you mean. Do you think we can be friends?”
Joan looked at Lynd in confusion. “Aren't we already friends with, Lynd? You are my friend. And I want our friendship to be closer in the future. I want us to keep in touch, to meet like this.”
“Relate as friends you mean?”
"Of course," he said. "I want us to maintain this friendship, you can also tell me about whatever your problem is. I regret our last meeting, I didn't do anything for you. I feel indebted to you.”
"Debt of gratitude? Haha, that's exactly what I did for you." Lynd's laughter was ridiculous. Besides, Joan's offer did not interest her, to make friends become friends to share life's problems. What if the problem Lynd had was about Joan himself. How could Lynd tell him?
“I survived today because of your words back then Lynd, you gave me strength as well as support. I want to be someone like that for you too, even if it's just a friend to share your pain with."
Why did Joan think Lynd had the same thoughts and desires, even though for her that day the meeting was one of the things that Lynd regretted. If at that time she had not met Joan, surely she would not have this love now.
“No Joan, I can't be your friend. And I also hope we don't see each other again." Lynd refused firmly, much to Joan's surprise.
"Lynd, what do you mean?"
Lynd didn't answer.
"Lynd wait! Did I do something wrong?” Lynd had suddenly left and was crying. Joan began to wonder if Lynd was crying because of her. “Lynd I'm sorry if I did something wrong, or offended you, made you sad. Honestly, I don't understand what I did and disappointed you—”
"Joan, I hope you can respect my wish."
Joan was still looking at Lynd with a shocked expression on his face.
“No, Lynd please tell me that I did something wrong. I'll fix it, can you explain it to me?" again Joan held her, stopping her from leaving. Lynd's hand on the table Joan easily grasped without any weight.
Lynd lost her temper, she was the only one on the verge of madness here. All Joan's words, his actions eroded Lynd's final defense. "Joan you don't understand. Won't be able to understand! I'm not asking you to understand either. It's just... I don't want us to meet or be in touch again." Lynd stood up to leave but Joan still held her hand.
"But why Lynd? What is the reason?"
"Don't make me talk Joan, you'll regret it." If Lynd told him the reason like Joan's request, things and the relationship between them would never go back to how they used to be. Better to end without Joan knowing anything.
"You mean? At least let me understand what you mean by all this coldness, rejection, and distancing of yours, Lynd. Don't go like this." Joan asked. The problem of regretting or not will be faced him once the situation is clear. The reason Lynd was behaving this way to him.
Lynd closed her eyes, feeling like she was on the verge of losing her mind in the face of Joan who was so obsessed with her right now, for some reason. Lynd was determined, her heart had already made up her mind. Taking a deep breath steadied her to dare to speak, not only to be brave but also to forget her shame. Lynd resigned after this her relationship with Joan would be irreparable.
Lynd looked straight into the face of the man in front of her. “Joan I like you, have feelings for you. That's why I want us to stop seeing each other."
The first sentence Lynd said made Joan freeze, for a moment he doubted his hearing. Meanwhile, Lynd tried her best not to run away. The look on Joan's face right now was driving Lynd almost crazy. But she was halfway through her voice, and Lynd decided to let it all out.
"I don't want to see you again in the future. At whatever opportunity comes up in the future, I will avoid you. Wherever you are I will go away. That's why we don't have to talk to each other anymore. And you know very well the reason why I'm behaving like this to you." Lynd could feel Joan's grip weakening. Perhaps because he was surprised to hear her long and too honest confession. Whatever it was, Lynd didn't care, she had already said everything. "Now I have to go."
Lynd still had to meet Sarah and then say goodbye to go from there to go back home. Lynd left Joan alone who was still digesting the situation. A few moments passed, and Joan still sitting alone after Lynd's departure.
“Lynd likes who? W-what does this mean!” Joan's head was spinning, his head stopped working normally after hearing what Lynd said. But his heart was pounding hard, the more Lynd's words replayed as if recorded in memory. “Lynd likes me? No. Joan wait! Lynd said she didn't want to see you again." Joan knew the reason, Lynd didn't want to see him again because of Joan's married status.
Yes, the status as a husband whose wife is pregnant with their future child. She was right, chasing after Lynd wasn't making Joan feel better. It seems that now he chose the wrong path. How did he face Lynd after this.
"Sigh... That right, Lynd doesn't want to see me anymore.." Remembering Lynd's words, something in his heart screamed to reject this one-sided decision.
Should it go that far, Joan is already married then does his status prohibit him from making friends? From the very beginning what Joan offered Lynd was friendship. What's wrong with that.
Time seemed to roll slowly, but it was like torture for Lynd. At a distance Andy unknowingly overtakes Lynd for worrying with a hint of guilt. When he saw the two of them talking, he couldn't get any closer because didn't want to make things worse. “Aren’t we supposed to talk, you’re the one suggest it to me?” Lynd was still speechless, hearing Joan's question that felt not like a question but a reassurance for Lynd to remember the bond between them. Joan didn't care anymore even though he knew that now everything he said could hurt the girl she loved. "Now tell me, who here is guilty? Me or you? How could you do this to me?” Still shrouded in the shadow of the worst ending to the situation that occurred between them, Lynd tried to hold on, bracing herself still to face all overflow Joan's anger. Lynd had to understand Joan's position that it was natural for him to be cold and mean like this. “Did I break our promise in your eyes?” Lynd wanted to find out what Joan really believed
The encounter between Liona, Lynd and Andy that afternoon takes them on a time trip a dozen years ago where Hans meets his old good friend who broke contact without news feed. But the meeting did not last long before Hans was left by his best friend, Andy’s father, for good.Liona told the story she had heard from the father, it's exactly the same story she told back to Andy and Lynd without exaggerating or reducing any part. Except a little from point of view. “At that time, I heard the last request that he could not refuse other than to promise, that he would be responsible for taking care of you. You and aunt Helen.”“The promise he made in the last second of life of his best friend, your faher, An.” Liona paused for a moment, giving pause to Andy who might actually feel heavy-hearted to hear this story. “Mom and Dad's divorce is not entirely your fault or your family. Dad and Mothers who can't stand their own problem anymore. He easily lets Mom go, and Mom gives up fighting for Da
“Sis, where are you?” Call Lynd as soon as enters the house looking for Liona's whereabouts. sHe wanted to introduce Andy first, but Liona wasn't there. “Come in, have a seat. I'll stay for a while looking for her, maybe in the room.” Lynd asked when see Andy who was still standing awkwardly to be more relaxed. Leaving Andy alone in the living room, Lynd walked towards Liona's room. When getting closer, through the open door of the room, heard Liona was talking to someone. Lynd looked into the room through the crack in the door, slowly opening it wider. “Alec, I don't mind explaining to Mom if you haven't been able to take the time.” Liona is on the phone. “No, don't say sorry. I should be the one to apologize, maybe this is too sudden for you.” finally she noticed Lynd's presence behind her door. Liona saw Lynd who seemed to be waiting for her, inevitably she had to end the conversation. “Alec, we'll talk about this later. Yeah, we met on campus. Okay...” Lynd felt embarrassed. “
After receiving confirmation that Liona has returned from college and is at home, Andy and Lynd prepare to go out, as well as Peter who plans to go home. Peter said goodbye to retreat in front of Andy's yard, passing away. Peter's departure leaves only Lynd and Andy there. They walked quite a bit three to five minutes to arrive at Lynd's house. In Lynd's mind hung the one uneasiness and question she was eager to convey to Andy. But Lynd continued to back down after repeatedly considering whether not to cross the line if she asked Andy and alluded to the close relationship between himself and Egy. Lynd anxiously looked at Andy, reading the look on his face. Which Lynd attitude was realized by Andy and make him feel uncomfortable because it continues to be looked at. “Just ask if you really want to know.” Said Andy without looking at Lynd, still looking at road focus forward path. “What?” Lynd woke up from her serious thoughts. “Your attitude bothers me. Just tell me what you want t
Lynd returned home quite late, almost at dinner time. The contents of her mind felt full after talking to Andy, the conversation itself was also not over and they had to postpone it because Lynd was worried that people at home might look for her.“Where have you been, Lynd, just got back at this hour?” Liona immediately lecturing, not too sensitive to read Lynd's face looked very tired.“I’m sorry Sis, I'm not aware of the time. A lot has happened lately at school.”Liona this time observing her sister's face, let out a long sigh. “Quickly clean yourself up and we eat, the story can wait for later.” Liona canceled interrogating her sister because she did not have the heart.Lynd obeyed Liona's orders without rebuttal, feeling that her day was already quite tired and out of energy. Talking to Andy also made mood decrease not excited. Lynd and Andy promised to arrange another day to talk, they exchanged numbers so that it would be easier to contact each other. And because of something e
All this time, of course, Peter was fine because even though the homo speculation appeared, they enjoyed it only as a joke, making the rumor an entertainment fantasy. But this time with Lynd was different, first because she was the opposite sex. And secondly because Andy's words that he always said as an excuse to reject girls who profess love, that he has someone to like. Two things are enough, there's a lot of speculation going on right now.Seeing Andy's unusual expression reveal emotion and anxiety, brought up question in Peter's mind. “Wait! Do not say―” Peter hesitated to continue what was bothering him. “Are you worried about Lynd? You seriously like her!”Andy was astonished why Peter had even summed up the word to being towards the direction. Getting Andy's gaze, Peter continued his speech. “Think for yourself. while on the plane on a field trip way back home. You self said with a serious face that you wanted to approach Lynd's friend at school. Did you care or worry about ho