Rule No. 1: Don’t be too emotional : Chapter 60

Physics = Love “In the equation of life, where even the ‘mass’ changes: the value of ‘U’ remains constant.”

Jiya Khandelwal

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The tall man wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in. even closer than before. He kissed me back with expert skill, returning a deep kiss that was both sweet and powerful.

I slowly reached up to drape my arms around his neck. We claimed each other’s lips willingly. I felt as if a thousand butterflies were taking flight in my stomach. My legs might have given out and left me in a heap on the floor if P’Jane hadn’t been holding me up. For me… this was my first kiss. After the kiss ended, I felt so shy I couldn’t even meet his eyes.

Like I said, it was my first kiss! And more importantly, I was the one who kissed him first! I don’t know where I got the courage, but in that moment, I just felt like I couldn’t let him go like that. Okay… logically it wasn’t my “actual” first kiss, but it felt like it, and I couldn’t help it. The tall man peered at the pharmacy, which was completely dark with the lights off, before speaking.

“Get inside safe, okay?” “… ”

“Jane.”.”… ”

“Jane, we’re home. Aren’t you getting out?”

“A-ah! Right! Getting out!” I acted flustered, moving my hand from where it was busy touching my, own lips to grab the door handle of the incredibly expensive car. But P’Jane stopped me with a loud voice.

“Wait.” He leaned in close. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to be kissed again. I felt his warm breath brushing against my cheek. But things didn’t go as expected; I heard a soft click, and then he moved his face and body away.

“The seatbelt. You didn’t unbuckle your seatbelt.” “… O-oh.” Dammit! Why did I have to act so embarrassingly? And I made it so obvious, too! He wasn’t going to kiss me; he was just unbuckling my seatbelt for me! P’Jane suppressed a smile, looking at my burning face with twinkling, knowing eyes.

“Do you want another kiss? Come here then.”

“Goodbye! See you later!” I shouted as he moved his face close again, then scrambled out of the car and bolted toward the pharmacy door. I fumbled with my keys, my hands shaking. I’m certain I heard a soft laugh following behind me, but I plunged inside without looking back even once. This was embarrassing enough already. I am not looking back! I walked through the pharmacy area into the main house. Jet and Jean, dressed in pajamas-old t-shirts and shorts-were lounging around watching Netflix on the big smart TV. My siblings turned to look at me in unison. Jet opened his mouth to greet me, but l blurted out first: “Where are Dad and Mom?” I had to cough and clear my throat after asking. Jet was a bit startled by my higher-than-usual pitch, but he answered anyway.

“They went to Auntie Phongsi’s funeral. They’ll be back late.” The person Jet mentioned was a fruit vendor in the market who lived one alley over. She had passed away in an accident the day before yesterday. My mom was close to her because she’d been buying fruit from her for over ten years.

“P, is something wrong? Why is your face so red?” Jean asked immediately.

Jet joined in the observation.

“You’re sick, aren’t you? Mom said before she left that you had a headache and P’Jane rushed you to the hospital. Is your blood pressure up? Come sit here and let me take a look.”

“By the way, why is P wearing a student uniform?”

“Yeah, what were you doing at the Uni?” The two of them looked at each other in surprise as I remained silent. Finally, I uncurled my tightly pressed lips and whispered softly.

“What was that, P?”

“We didn’t hear you.” I covered my face with both hands and yelled: “We kissed!” Jet actually stood up from the sofa to give me a round of applause, nodding along. Meanwhile, Jean grabbed the pillow she was hugging and started beating the sofa frantically. She screamed out loud. My face was as red as a ripe gourd. Jet even turned off the television.

“P, sit right here. Tell the nurse-what are the symptoms?”

“Tell the nurse’s sister, too!” I slowly sat down between my two siblings. Usually, Jet doesn’t care about my love life, while Jean is always interested. But Jet was interested now because…

“So, how was it? Did it make you remember anything?”… Because he was the one who told me I should hold hands, hug, kiss, and touch P’Jane a lot, as it might trigger memories of our love. He also said he would be “monitoring the results of this experiment closely.” I shook my head.

“I don’t remember a thing.”

“Wait, but I remember Mom being so excited,” Jean said .

” She said you remembered P’Jane a little bit.”

“It was just a blur, little sister! It was disconnected. I couldn’t feel the emotions, and I couldn’t form a coherent story. And after we kissed, I didn’t remember anything more. But still, you have to count today as progress.” Jet and Jean nodded. Then Jet asked, “And what did you remember, P?”

“When P’Jane ruffled my head. Suddenly, it just came to me like a scene in a movie.”

“I think it’s because of repeat patterns,” Jet theorized.

“It’s something he did to you very often, and the student uniform acted as a trigger. It made your brain feel a sense of familiarity, so it pulled the memory from the deep subconscious.”

“Is this an actual medical theory?”

“No, I just made it up.”

“Ugh!” Jean and I groaned in frustration. We’d been listening intently to his rambling, and he’d even used such a serious, professional tone to make it believable.

“Hey, there’s still a lot in this world that modern medicine can’t answer. Even though I study Public Health, I don’t feel like it covers everything. So, I think physical touch does help; it just might not work every single time.” I sighed.

“I don’t know, Jet!” Jet ‘patted my shoulder encouragingly.

“It’s okay, P. You did good. Keep it up.”

“Yeah, I agree with P’Jet,” Jean added .

“You have to keep going. At least finally agree to walk hand-in-hand with P’Jane. Think about how many times you’ve held hands in this life-it might make you remember even more.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… ”

“Actually… I have an idea.” Jet’s voice took on a suggestive tone. I raised an eyebrow immediately. Jet glanced at Jean and spoke sternly.

“Jean, go upstairs.”

“What?! P, you can’t exclude me like this! I’m sitting right here.”

“I told you to go up. The men are talking.”

“Am I not your sibling? Why can’t I know?”

“Jean, you’re a girl.”

“Sexist! Patriarchy!”

“Ugh, just go to your room! Go!”

“Don’t chase me away like a dog! I’m not going. P, whatever it is, just say it. Or are you planning to gossip about me?”

“Don’t be crazy. It’s not that.”

“Enough! Stop arguing right now!” I stopped them both, unable to handle the rising decibels.

“Alright, Jet, whatever it is, just say it. We’re all siblings here.”

“See?” Jean smirked.

Jet looked uneasy, then leaned in to whisper to me.

“I want to talk about something… a bit deeper.”

“What! You’re going to talk about 18 + stuff, aren’t you? Just say it, I can listen!” Jean wedged her head between us.

“Jean! When did you start eavesdropping?!” Jet cried out.

“I’m eighteen! In a few days, I’ll be nineteen! In some countries, that’s a full-fledged adult. I can definitely listen!” Jean argued stubbornly and showed no sign of backing down. Eventually, Jet gave in; since she already knew the “topic,” hearing the details wouldn’t change much anyway.

“So, my brand-new theory is this: when people in love have sex, the brain releases oxytocin, right? Which is the ‘bonding hormone’… ”

“And?” I raised an eyebrow.

“So, I think you should have sex with P’Jane-like, a lot. Just in case it makes all the memories come back.”

“Have sex?!” I shouted in shock, grabbing a pillow to smack Jet.

“I’m only eighteen! I’ve never even done it with anyone, you jerk!”

“P, eighteen is me. You’re actually twenty-six,” Jean chimed in, pursing her lips. She stole a knowing glance at Jet, both of them clearly trying to stifle their laughter. Once she composed her face into a calm mask, she continued, “The thing is… I don’t think it would be your first time, P.”

“Are you saying… I had had sex with P’Jane before!?”

“Whoa! Probably countless times. There’s no way there’s anything left to lose,” Jet added .

“It’s something everyone just… knows, even if we don’t say it out loud,” Jean said .

“I mean, you guys lived together. Did you forget? What do people in love do? Just lie there holding hands and stroking each other’s hair?” I was so embarrassed I thought my burning face would explode. To me, I still felt like a virgin with zero experience in the bedroom. My tongue felt tied.

“B-but even so, sex is… ”

“Stop. Don’t look at your younger brother with that furious face. Don’t take your shyness out on me, P. I’m speaking from a theoretical standpoint, right?”

“Technically, you’re right, but just hugging, kissing, touching, or even talking can release oxytocin!” I snapped.

“But it’s not as much as sex. Trust me on this. P, you were an Arts-Math student, but I’m a Science student. And Jean is even worse-she’s Arts-Language.”

“Hey! Is that a ‘track-shaming’ comment? Are you saying Arts students aren’t as brilliant as Science students?” Jet grabbed a pillow and bopped his sister on the head, looking exasperated.

“Stop being obsessed with interpreting everything as ‘shaming.’ You spend too much time on Twitter. This is what we call ‘factual knowledge, ‘ okay? Or are you going to claim you two studied as much science as I did?” Jean and I couldn’t argue with that. Then Jean turned to shake my arm, asking excitedly as if it were her own business: “By the way, P, how was it? That first kiss-well, not actually the first! How did it feel?”

Jean squirmed and twisted as she asked, looking more flustered than me, the actual subject of the story. I lowered my head and answered her: “Uh… it was good.”

“How good? In what way? Tell us everything!”

“It was… just good. Let’s just say… I want to kiss him again.” This time, Jean literally rolled around on the floor in a fit of pure fan-girl ecstasy. Jet started stomping his feet repeatedly, his hands curling up as if he were having a spasm. I couldn’t tell if he was shy, thrilled, or just cringing, but it looked like the latter.

“P! I’m so excited! It’s like you’re hitting puberty all over again!”” You brat.” Jet finally stopped stomping and looked at me with sparkling eyes.” Just like I said. Make that bonding hormone flow. And what’s the best way to get the maximum dosage?”

“Have sex!” Jean raised her hand straight in the air and answered.

“Ding-dong! Correct!” Jet stood up and pointed at his sister like a game show host before turning back to me.

“Get that oxytocin flowing at max capacity. It shouldn’t be hard since you like him anyway. Who knows? If you have sex with P’Jane again, all the memories might just come rushing back!”

“Which way are we supposed to go?” Dad asked , looking left and right incessantly.

“It’s the same place as when Jane graduated. Isn’t it that building over there?” Mom said .

“I can’t remember. It’s been years,” Dad replied .

“Don’t ask me. I definitely don’t remember,” I chimed in quickly. We were back at my university again because today was Jet’s grand rehearsal for his graduation. Jet told us to come today instead of the actual ceremony day because it would be too chaotic and cars wouldn’t be allowed in. Everywhere we walked, there were the smiling faces of parents, bursting with pride at their children’s success. Seeing this made me want to remember my own graduation even more. I wondered if Dad and Mom were this excited then-or maybe even more, since I was the first in the family. Mom was wearing a lotus-petal pink silk dress she’d had specially made, and she’d woken up early to get her hair and makeup done at a famous salon.

Even Dad was wearing a suit that matched Mom’s outfit. Jean looked like a cute Korean idol in a long-sleeved floral dress, white Nerdy sneakers, and hair she’d styled into soft waves herself. My sister really is quite pretty; I saw several guys stealing glances at her, but no one dared approach since she was flanked by her parents and older brother. As for me, I wore a lilac short-sleeved shirt tucked into black slim-fit jeans with a belt. I had on my black and white Converses, and I’d even styled my hair with gel and worn perfume. I usually don’t wear perfume unless it’s a special occasion. I figured I looked pretty handsome today too-Jean had been complimenting me since l stepped out of my bedroom.

“Hello? Bambie, honey?” Mom shouted over the roar of the crowd.” Where do we go?

I can’t find it. No one is picking up Jet’s phone.”

[ Jet left his phone with me, Mom. I think it’s on silent so he didn’t hear it. ]

Jet’s girlfriend wasn’t graduating this year because she’s a medical student and has another year to go. Still, she’d been there since morning to take care of him. I’d become quite familiar with Bambie, even though I didn’t remember a thing about her. My future sister-in-law is very kind. Jet once told me that Bambie makes him want to be a better person.

I suppose that’s the kind of influence love should have on us.

“Dad! Mom! P! Jean! I’m over here!” Jet called out, waving his hand with a bright smile from a distance.

I greeted him loudly.

“Whoa! You look sharp!” Jet had woken up at dawn to have his makeup done by a pro and had hired a photographer. Jet teased me back: “You’re not looking too bad yourself, P!”

“What about me? Am I not cute?” Jean pouted, acting like she was offended no one praised her.

“Yeah, you’re cute. Anyone hit on you yet? P, keep an eye on our sister,” Jet said , suddenly playing the overprotective brother.

“Yeah, I’ve got it under control. No one dares get close,” I joined in, playing Protective Brother Number Two.

“Ugh, you guys don’t need to be so protective! If any of your friends like me, give them my Line ID immediately. I want to end this single life!”

“Hey now, how old are you, talking about wanting a boyfriend?” Dad scolded.

“Here, your bouquet.” I handed the flowers to the new graduate. Jet accepted them happily.

“Beautiful! Did you pick these yourself, P? What kind are they?”

“Jean and I picked them. Lilacs.”

Jet grinned.

“Awesome. Come on, let’s take a photo together. P’Oak, can you take a photo of me and my family?”

“Sure thing, Jet. Everyone, stand at this angle. It’s clear of people right now,” the photographer directed.

“Bambie, come join the frame, dear!” Mom called out.

So, Bambie hopped in for the family photo. P’Oak, the photographer, led us through different spots to capture memories of Jet’s big day. Along the way, friends and juniors hopped in for photos with Jet. Now, P’Oak asked for a shot of just Jet and Dad. Jean and I would rotate in next. Bambie and Jet had already taken plenty together.

“This reminds me of your graduation day, P. It’s like a movie on repeat.”

“Sigh… I wish I could remember.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I totally forgot you still can’t remember,” Jean said , her face falling.

“It’s okay. Tell me, what was I like that day?”

“Just like P’Jet. Except the stripe on your gown was blue. Makeup, photos, people swarming everywhere. Dad and Mom had the exact same ‘proud parent’ faces.”

“I’m waiting for the day Jean graduates,” I said, lightly tapping her forehead.

“But first, you have to pass the entrance exam.”

“Hey! Don’t look down on me. I got a sky-high score on my GED, you saw it!”

“Right, right. Good for you.” I gently stroked her head. If I messed up her hair, she’d probably scream loud enough for the whole university to hear.

“Jane. Jean.”

“Oh! P’Jane!”

Jean greeted the person who had called out to us. I whipped around and saw a tall, elegant figure wearing a navy blue long-sleeved collared shirt. He wore black slacks that fit his strong hips and long legs perfectly-no belt today. The owner of the padlock necklace had styled his hair into a “comma” shape, looking as sharp, polished, and powerful as ever.

In his hand, he carried a medium-sized gift box.

“Oh, P’Jane! How are you here?” I asked in surprise.

“Jet invited me.”

“P’Jane! You’re here! Come on, let’s take a photo together!” Jet shouted .

P’Jane paid his respects to Dad and Mom before handing the gift box to Jet with a faint smile.

“Congratulations on your graduation, Jet.” “Thank you so much! What is this? Can I open it now?”

“Go right ahead.” Jet pulled the ribbon and unwrapped the paper. His eyes went wide when he saw it was a luxury brand. He let out a joyful shout as he opened the lid.

“A watch!”

“Yes. Do you like it?”

“I love it! It’s beautiful. Does it have a special meaning?”

“Because the most important thing in human life is time. And it’s something you can never get back. So, make every moment count.”

“That’s amazing. I’ll take great care of it.” Jet beamed. P’Jane was still smiling as he added in his deep voice: “Keep it safe. There are only eleven of these in the world.”” What!?”

“Once given, it can’t be returned,” P’Jane said, cutting off Jet, whose hands were shaking as he handed the watch to Mom to keep safe. He was terrified of losing it in such a thick crowd. I noticed Mom’s hands were shaking too as she tucked it into her shoulder bag. At this rate, my mother was going to turn into a human car alarm today-paranoid if anyone so much as brushed past her. Only eleven in the world… It must cost hundreds of thousands, or maybe millions. Oh, god. Just thinking about the amount of money made me feel lightheaded. Even though Dad and Mom told me he once gave me a high-end condo, I still wasn’t used to his level of wealth. Regardless, P’Jane isn’t the type to give things away pointlessly. He says that makes people lose sight of an item’s value. He only gives on important occasions.

Except for me-I don’t count because I’m his boyfriend, and he finds happiness in giving to me without expecting anything in return. He told me I changed him; before, he never gave anything to anyone for free. Does that mean I made him a better person? Or is it unrelated? I don’t know. “Big Jane, come take a photo with us! A family photo,” Mom called out.

“That would be wonderful.” P’Jane beamed. The phrase “family photo” seemed to bring him an unusual amount of happiness. We all crowded together for another shot. Bambie and Jean linked arms with Jet on either side, looking like the leading lady and the jealous rival in. a drama, while the “hero,” Jet, just laughed. Dad and Mom stood next to Bambie with smiles plastered on their faces. P’Jane and I were next to Jean at the end of the line. We were both smiling, and he reached out to loosely wrap his arm around my waist.

“Smile, everyone! Great pose. One, two, cheese!” I think… this is definitely going to be one of those family photos that Dad gets framed and hangs on the living room wall. “Are you hot?” I asked P’Jane as we strolled slowly through the campus toward his car. Even though it was past 7: 00 PM, the university was still packed. The crowd was thinner than during the day, but you certainly couldn’t call it empty. Jet went home with the family and Bambie, while P’Jane and I split off to be alone. No one objected. P’Jane shook his head.

“Not really. The weather is actually quite cool today. It’s unusual for Thailand-a lucky break for everyone.”

“True. I was thinking the same. The darker it gets, the colder it feels,” I agreed, turning to look at his face. “By the way… are you happy today?” He looked at me with a curious yet smiling expression.” Of course I’m happy. Why do you ask?” I shrugged.

“Well, you aren’t exactly a chatterbox, so I never know what you’re really feeling. You’re very good at hiding your emotions.” He shrugged back.

“Yes. I have that poker face.”

“Yep. That’s so true.” From what I could see, he was well aware of it.

“I’m truly happy. I told you before-your siblings are like my own siblings. But I guess… you forgot.”

“Oh, so you did say that,” I nodded vigorously.

“But it’s quite chaotic. I never did my graduation in Thailand, sol had no idea it would be this hectic or crowded.” I stole a glance at his face under the dim glow of the streetlights. Does he realize how charming he is? His voice, his eyes, his smile, the way he moves his wrists-every little motion is perfectly captivating. Or does he do it because he knows? To me… P’Jane is still a mystery. A mystery that is mysterious, alluring, hot, and sexy all at once. I cleared my throat.

“Oh, you didn’t graduate here? What happened?”

“Because someone… ” he trailed off, glancing sideways at me,”… around here dumped me.”“ Who?” He only smiled. I pointed at myself, looking bewildered.” Me? I dumped you?”

“Well, of course. I only dated one person. Who else could it be?” He tapped my forehead lightly and pulled away.” But calling it ‘dumping’ isn’t quite right. You asked me to get out of your sight.”

“Whoa… that’s harsh. Is it too late to apologize now?” I scratched my head in embarrassment.

“It’s in the past. Our relationship back then wasn’t good. A break was the best solution.” I nodded. We had made it from that point to this one, so let the past be the past. If it was that bad, there was no need to dig it up and ruin the mood. But seeing as P’Jane wasn’t stressed at all, it meant that before I lost my memory, our relationship must have been good enough that we could talk about the old wounds comfortably.

“But I agree it’s incredibly chaotic. Just seeing all the different faces coming to take photos with Jet made my head spin.”

“It’s because Jet is popular. He was the runner-up for the Faculty of Nursing ‘Moon’ (pageant). It’s normal for well-known people to have a lot of visitors.”

“To be honest, I never thought Jet was that handsome. Maybe because I’ve seen him since we were kids. Seeing him today, I was like, ‘Damn, you actually are handsome, you jerk.’” “Could he be the runner-up if he wasn’t?”

“And what about you?” I leaned in to ask him.

“Since you’re this hot, did you have any titles at the Uni?” P’Jane gave a playful grin. “Haven’t you heard? The most incredibly handsome guys in a university aren’t the ones doing activities, or the drum majors, or the Faculty Moons.” “Uh-huh… ?” “It’s the quiet seniors who like to sit in the dark corners of the bars.”“” “And that was me.”

“Ugh! So full of yourself!” I couldn’t help but shout, even though I knew it was absolutely the truth. The guys who are drop-dead gorgeous often don’t like to show off or seek the spotlight. They don’t hold positions or titles, but everyone knows they’re stunning. Especially with a face and body like P’Jane’s-the perfect blend of hot and cool-it was impossible for people not to be crazy about him. He probably had an army of fans hidden away during his school days. But no one dared do anything because he radiated that cold, intimidating aura all the time. It was an aura only he could pull off-more of a trademark than a personality trait. How did I ever break through that aura and fall for him… ? Or did he lure me in?

“If you don’t believe me, go ask anyone from my year if they know P’Jane.”” “Ugh, ugh, ugh! I can’t listen to this anymore!” I covered my ears and ran away laughing. P’Jane chased after me relentlessly until he finally swept me into a hug.

“You don’t believe me?” “I don’t believe you!”

“But you were the one who told me I was ‘quietly hot’ in the first place.”

“Really? I don’t remember.”

“Of course. As if I’d care about trivial things like that.” Right.

“But come to think of it, we did have a title together at this university.”“ Huh?” “We were once photographed for the ‘Cute Boy’ page together.”” Wait, I think I read about that in the letters.” He smiled .

“That’s the one.”

“I think Jet showed me some couple-shipper pages and Twitter accounts too, but they’re inactive now.”

“I never let them take my photo. I flatly refused for four years. I didn’t even use social media. I only agreed when they asked for a photo of us together. Because I wanted everyone to know that Little Jane already belonged to Big Jane.” I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just rubbed my forehead against his firm chest like a maniac. Then I pulled away and ran at full speed, a mix of happiness and shyness. I finally stopped in front of something-an outdoor stage left by some faculty for graduates to use as a photo backdrop. It had a beam decorated with purple wisteria hanging down beautifully. It matched my shirt.

“Hello! I’m Mr. Jenalee, contesting for Faculty Moon!” I burst out laughing as soon as I said it because I never liked this kind of attention. But right now, I was just having fun. P’Jane walked slowly below with his hands in his pockets, looking up at me. His expression…

“Does the senior down there have a problem with a contestant like me? Out with it.”

“What’s wrong? What about me?” P’Jane played along perfectly.

“You look like you’re looking for a fight! Don’t you realize?” The tall man’s smirk deepened.

“I didn’t realize. Tell me about it.” He used his long legs to step up onto the stage without using the stairs, standing right beside me. His raspy voice spoke in close proximity.

“Tell me. I want to know.” My heart thudded. Being the loser in this exchange, I averted my face and took a small step back. I sat down on the edge of the stage.” It’s like… when you look at someone, you’re so still. You don’t even blink. Often, your face looks like you’re looking for trouble.” P’Jane sat down beside me, legs dangling.” I think it’s more of a face that ‘isn’t afraid of anyone.'”” “Yes! That’s it! I’ve been looking for that word. A face that isn’t afraid of anyone.’ Are you looking at me? You want to pick a fight? Come on then.’ That kind of look.” He laughed softly.

“So I’m the villain, then?”

“Not at all. To me, you’re the hero.”

“Just a hero with a ‘bad boy’ character.””… ”

“But regardless… a hero is a hero.””… ”

“No matter what anyone says, you are always my hero.” I said all of that without looking at his face, staring instead at the artificial flowers on the ground. A silence fell for about a minute. Then P’Jane spoke. “Thank you.” I turned to him.” Thanking me for what?”

“No one has ever called me a hero before. You’re the first.”

“Don’t be silly.” I felt that strange shyness again because he seemed so genuinely happy over such a small thing. “Actually, in the past, you used to call me the villain. You even called me the antagonist. So, thank you for the promotion.” “Hmph. You make it sound so dramatic.”

“I’ll be a hero for Jane only.” I smiled and reached out with my right hand to lightly pinch his cheek under the moonlight. A sense of pure, harmless joy surrounded us. My light perfume mingled with P’Jane’s cool, fresh scent, creating something wonderful. His beautiful eyes-both sharp and sweet-stared deep into mine.” Truly… ” “What?” “I’ll be a hero for Jane alone.” I really loved this moment… I nodded, scratching the back of my neck because a mosquito had bitten me. Then I remembered something very important and sat bolt upright.

“Oh, P’! Speaking of which, I really want to know something.”“ What is it?”

“Did you like me first, or did I like you first?”“… ”

“Sigh. I knew it. I must have liked you first. It’s pretty obvious.”“ No.”

“Does that mean you liked me first?!” I was happy as a child. P’Jane chuckled. “No, it wasn’t like that either.” My face fell into a pout.

“Then what does it mean?”

“Please… why are you so cute?” he murmured, slapping his forehead with one hand as if his heart were in pain. Then he reached out both hands to pull my cheeks until I cried out.

“Ow, ow! Dat hurths!” (that hurts!) “Well, you’re the one being cute. It’s so cute my heart actually hurts. How are you going to take responsibility? How many people have died because of your cuteness? Have you ever counted the bodies?”

“Wha are ya talkin’ ’bout? I didn’ do anythin’!”( What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything at all!) The tall man finally let go after pinching my cheeks to his satisfaction. His eyes crinkled into half-moons before he answered my question in a deep, enchanting voice.

“Our love… it is one of the most perfect fallings-in-love in the world.””… ”

“It was love at first sight, the moment our eyes met.” “… ”

“Our chemistry reacted through these two pairs of eyes.” He traced a finger from his eyes to mine. “Releasing a charge that created an electrical wave between us from the first look.” “While gravity is not responsible for people falling in love… ” “… ”

“… if we had to find a value in physics, it could be said that we both fell in love with equal momentum, at the same time, at the same moment in the universe.” His sweet, sharp eyes reflected only me, while my heart pumped blood frantically at that incredibly romantic answer. A perfect falling in love? Chemistry, physics, biology, philosophy, astronomy, psychology-everything had conspired to make us fall in love. How much more was he going to make me obsessed with him? Even if I can’t remember him, I’m definitely going to fall in love with him all over again. I could only look down, chin to chest, biting my lip-until I felt a large hand reach out and take my “key” pendant, locking it into his “padlock” pendant. The tall man moved in until he was pressed against me. His raspy voice spoke again, this time as soft as a whisper.

“And now, the love between us is bound tight, just like this necklace that has become one.””… ” “Jane.””… ” “I love you.” And beyond that, our love was as sweet as honey. Sweet like the taste of our kiss under the moonlight and the wisteria, at this place, in this moment.