Nighty Night
By Natalia Vega Maisonave
Through a small opening between the window curtains, a soft light enters my room, coloring everything in a blue hue. The only thing that calls for attention is the clock by the dresser marking 11:41 PM with its bright red LED light. I get up from the bed and walk to the window, opening the curtains fully so the light can reach whatever it wants. The road outside is lined in both sides by bars and restaurants in full swing.
From this third floor, one can clearly see all the people’s faces. I search for the one I always search for. After a while of waiting, I see her walking through the tables of an outdoor restaurant, picking up plates and glasses left by customers. Without her school uniform on, she seems older.
“Saulo, again?” My little brother’s voice brings me back to the room.
I give him an apologetic glance. “It’s alright, Corin, go back to sleep.”
“If you’re going to stay up all night, you might as well go and talk to her,” with that, he went back to sleep and I went back to watching her, Yoonah. As I see her working, memories start replaying in my head.
~~~
“Hurry up, they’re going to close the door soon,” Marco said as we ran to the classroom five minutes late. We turned left into a corridor and I fell down after crashing into someone, my stuff spreading all over the floor along with me and the other person.
“I’m so so sorry,” I sat up and began picking up everything, Marco went ahead.
A soft and low voice responded just as urgently as mine. “No, don’t worry, it’s okay.”
I looked up to see who it was I crashed into, and it was no one other than Yoonah. To say everyone wished to be her friend is an understatement. Everyone wants to date her, and those who don’t are the ones who want to be her. Her long black hair fell over her face as she helped me pick up my things, meanwhile I did nothing but watch.
“Um… here are your things,” she placed them in my arms.
“Th-thanks.” We both stood up. As I was going to pass by her, she stopped me by gently placing her hand in my shoulder.
“You’re Saulo, right?”
“Oh, yes, Saulo.” Hearing my name from her lips makes it sound better for some reason. “And you’re Yoonah, correct?”
Yoonah laughed, “Yes.” She tucked one side of her hair behind her ear. “I’ve seen you before.”
“Yeah, we go to the same schoo– “
“No, not here,” she chuckled, making me glad she interrupted. “You live near Yodan Street, right?”
My eyes widened. “How do you know that?” I asked, surprised she knew about me.
“I’ve seen you pass a couple of times by the street with your little brother. I work at the Night Life Bar & Cuisine.”
“Oh, cool. I live at the apartment complex on that street. I haven’t gone to that restaurant, but it looks nice.” I was late for class, but it would’ve been rude not to make conversation.
She looked up and smiled, “Really? You should come by; I’ll treat you to somethi– “
“Yoonah,” someone called from behind me. “Let’s go.” I glance back and see two of the guys from her friend group. There’s usually another girl, she’s probably in class on time, unlike us.
“Coming,” she yells to them. She then looks at me and clasps one of my hands. “You should stop by.” With that she goes and leaves my hand feeling bare.
I walk away as well, the encounter leaving me in a dream-like state. Stop, I tell myself. It was just a normal conversation. To fantasize about romantical possibilities with her because of one talk with her is absurd, she could be with anyone she wanted, and no way that someone is going to be me.
I enter the class and Marco waves me over to our table, the teacher hasn’t arrived yet. Curious about what me and Yoonah talked about, I told him. His reaction was exaggerated to say the least.
“You have to stop by, then! Tonight!”
“No! Even if I wanted, and I do… it’s not going to happen. It’s Yoonah we’re talking about, I’m not going to set myself up to fail,” I hide my head in my arms over the table.
“Who needs an enemy when one has thoughts like that?” he said sarcastically. “So what? You’re going to ignore her?” he nagged.
“Yes.”
~~~
Although I had decided that I wouldn’t go, I couldn’t really ignore Yoonah. It seemed like a sincere invitation, so after a week of the encounter I went when I saw her through my window.
“Took you long enough,” she said as she prepared a table.
“Sorry.”
Her family ran the restaurant, so she asked for some time off to talk to me. We spoke about school, friends, her job and even about the new movie that was going to come out.
We met up like that for various nights a week for months, talking for hours after her shifts were done, and sometimes even during her shifts. Her family came to know me as well and I helped with the restaurant a bit, so that Yoonah was done earlier. Her shift normally ended around 9:00 PM on the weekdays but ran longer on the weekends. Each day we got closer and closer, becoming best friends. We mostly spoke outside of school, as if our friendship was secret. And in a way, it was.
Every time we said goodbye, I said, “Good night,” and she replied, “Sweet dreams.” And when I fell asleep, my dreams were of her. Our conversations went for hours, and they were never boring. One night my heart skipped a beat when she brought a new topic.
“So, do you have a girlfriend?”
I choked on the water I was drinking.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” she patted on my back to help.
“Yeah, yeah,” I cleared my throat. “As a matter of fact, I don’t have a girlfriend.” I fumbled with my fingers, “Umm, do you have a boyfriend?”
“Wow, you seriously sounded like how I was coughing yesterday. And… I don’t.”
We were sitting on a bench at a nearby park, the restaurant and my home were within earshot. Being at a breezy night in the park, alone with a beautiful girl whom I loved spending time with seemed like the perfect opportunity to me. And she just asked if I had a girlfriend, if I didn’t try, I would regret it. It was an obvious sign, right?
I sat a little closer. “Yoonah,” I called to make her look my way. As soon as she did, I closed the gap between us. Our lips met, and for a few seconds, there was no cold in the night, that is before she abruptly pushed me.
“Stop,” she heaved, her breath visible in the cold night.
“Oh no. Oh my God, I am so so sorry, Yoonah.” I stood up and gathered my things from the bench.
She stood up as well and tried to speak, but my rambling apologies didn’t give her a chance to talk. I didn’t want to be more embarrassed than I already was.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I’ll just leave. Good night.” I didn’t wait for her ‘Sweet dreams’ reply, and it didn’t come even after I walked away a bit.
After that, I didn’t speak to her at school or at the restaurant. I left school faster, so that I didn’t cross paths with her. When we saw each other in the school hallways, she tried to reach me, but I couldn’t handle looking at her in the eyes. She waited for me at the school entrance in the mornings, so I waited until she left. I knew it from the beginning. She’s Yoonah, she could have anyone she wanted, why would she choose me? I should’ve stayed away as I planned.
~~~
And here I am now. Looking at her through my bedroom window, slightly hoping she comes and knocks at my door. The same curiosity that made me go to the restaurant the first time was now telling me to go over to her. Her shift is probably about to end, Friday nights run very long. I should at least go over there and apologize for avoiding her.
“Corin, I’m heading down.”
“Finally,” he mumbled into his pillow.
I put on a coat and made my way down the building’s stairs. As I walk and side-step to avoid clashing into other people, I try to see where Yoonah is. The street is extremely busy, people filling all the bars, muffled music escaping through momentarily opened doors. Through the crowd, I don’t see Yoonah. As I enter the restaurant’s outdoor space, a soothing piano melody from their sound system starts playing, making the area a peaceful haven in the midst of pub music and karaoke.
I don’t see her, could she have left already? The courage I gathered to come down here starts to wither away. A poke on my shoulder from behind makes me turn quickly.
“Took you long.” Yoonah stood there, her arms crossed, her brow furrowed, and her eyes glaring at me.
“Yoo-Yoonah… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… you know…” The courage was definitely gone, the words I had prepared were erased from my mind as if I hadn’t spent the past half hour thinking on what to say to her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. What are you referring to? You didn’t mean to kiss me, or you didn’t mean to avoid me for the past two weeks and make me feel horrible about myself?”
When she says it like that, it sounds even worse. “Umm, both? But more about avoiding you… I just didn’t know how to talk to you anymore.”
“And your solution was never talking to me again?” she spat.
“At the moment, it felt like that was the only thing I could do and– “
“And you never even thought of how that made me feel?” she cut in.
I crossed my arms, my patience leaving me slightly, “Well, that’s why I’m here now!”
“Well, it’s too late now!” she said louder.
I pointed to my watch dramatically, “Would you look at the time. IT IS LATE. Good night!” I walked past her, pushing her with my shoulder slightly. Hearing her huff in frustration at me.
After a stride or two, I hear her curse under her breath as she turns me and pulls me closer to her, locking my lips with hers. The soft melody seems louder than it did a few seconds ago, and faint cheers from strangers can be slightly heard over it.
We break the kiss.
Heat rushed into my face. “I… I don’t understand. That night you pushed me and–and– “
“And you left running without letting me explain,” she continued.
“Yes. But why? What happened?”
“I had a cold, you idiot!” she smacks my arm. “I was sick and didn’t want you to catch it.”
My guilt and embarrassment vanished as soon as she said it. “That makes sense.”
“Idiot,” she repeated as she leaned in for another kiss.
THE END.
