Sitting at the same old table where he had written the novel about his junior high school love story, Ko Ching-teng took a sip of coffee. Twenty years had passed, but the taste remained the way he remembered.
Wouldn't things be much simpler now if it has stayed the way it was during junior high school, Ko thought to himself. He began to reminisce on the times spent with his inseparable group of buddies.
Grinning happily as he stared blankly in space, his thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt a familiar jab on his back. It was Shen Chia-yi.
Ko was surprised. He did not expect to meet her there, especially since the last time they met was at Shen's wedding twenty years ago.
"May I?" Shen asked if she could sit opposite him. Ko slightly nodded his head, as he admired her face. Time had caught up with Shen as her face was creased with wrinkles and her previously long and straight black hair became short and grey. However, to Ko, nothing had changed how she looked. Shen still looked beautiful in his eyes.
Like any other best friends who had not met for years, Ko and Shen started chatting and catching up on how they had been ever since the wedding. "How is your marriage life?" asked Ko, as he tried to show his concern for an old friend.
Shen shook her head and let out a sigh, before taking a sip of her coffee. "It couldn't get any worse. He is always picking on my cooking, nagging at my job and insisting that I should stay at home." she continued. She then looked up and gave Ko a smirk after sharing with him how she managed to sneak out of house today.
All this while, as Shen complained about how strict her husband was, Ko was listening attentively and wandering how he would have been a better match with her.
"I have always wanted to ask you this,"Ko interrupted. Shen stopped talking and listened to what he had to say intently. "Do you remember that day when we release the sky lantern? I stopped you from telling me 'the answer' because I was afraid. I feared that our friendship might end if it was a 'no'. I did not want to lose you at that time. But, every now and then I will look back and wonder if things would have been different if I have not stopped you. If you don't mind, could you tell me what 'the answer' was?" asked Ko earnestly, as he had been longing to know what it was for years.
A long pause followed, before Shen let out a chuckle. "I would have accepted you." she replied coolly.
Shen did not notice that her casual and honest answer had shocked Ko. He was dumbfounded. Seeing how upset Shen was with her current husband, Ko thought to himself that perhaps he would stand a chance.
Not wanting to miss another opportunity, Ko mustered his courage to ask if Shen would still accept him now. However, before the words came out of his mouth, a man approached Shen from behind and tapped her shoulder gently.
Ko recognized him - Shen Chia-yi's husband.
"I knew you will be here. Let's get back home now. It is going to be dinner time soon." Shen's husband uttered.
"I thought you said my cooking was bad," grumbled Shen as she turned her back against him.
"That's not what I meant, Dear. I was merely following your doctor's advice to cut down on your sugar intake and make sure you do not overwork." He explained patiently as he moved her cup of coffee away.
Just then, he noticed Ko who was sitting opposite Shen. Stretching his hand out, Shen's husband introduced himself and offered Ko a handshake.
Shen then turned around and teased her husband, "He is the guy who kissed you on our wedding night."
From the look in Shen Chia-yi's eyes, Ko finally realized that despite all the complaints earlier, her husband is still the one Shen loves the most.
Ko stood up and shook Shen Chia-yi's husband's hand firmly, giving them his blessings.