After quite a while, the noise at the door stopped.
I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and opened the door a little, still hoping to see Jason.
However, his figure was nowhere to be seen outside.
I felt a wave of disappointment.
Just as I was about to close the door, an arm suddenly stretched out from the side, pulled me out, and wrapped around me quickly and firmly.
Jason explained, “Are you mad at me because I didn’t tell you about my family?”
All sorts of emotions tangled together, leaving me momentarily unsure of how to respond.
“Please don’t be angry,” he pleaded. “I really care about you and don’t want to lose you.”
“No, it’s just… If you came for that girl in the first place, why did you say you liked me?” My eyes reddened, and my voice carried a hint of choking.
Jason looked at me with a bewildered expression. “What girl?”
“The one from earlier.”
“I already explained, didn’t I? I see her as my sister. There’s nothing between us like what you’re thinking.”
In truth, I had always been curious about why Jason lived in this seemingly run- down and unremarkable neighborhood when, given his circumstances, he could easily afford something more upscale.
“I used to live here a long time ago, back when I was in primary school. When I was a kid, I was chubby, and other kids would bully me. There was this one girl who stood up for me, encouraged me to lose weight, and even supervised me. Later, I found out she just wanted to eat my snacks.” Jason watched my thoughtful expression. “But I’m still grateful towards her. She was cheerful, warm like the sun, and genuinely treated me as a good friend.”
“Are you the Jason Lister?” As I listened to his story, a strange sense of familiarity welled up in my heart.
