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You’ve never thought the comfort you’re searching for will be in the form of a man named Lee Felix. He’s not a friend. You can call him a classmate but one that you didn’t have chance to talked to because he’s a foreigner and a loner. Rumours of him being a part of a mafia family didn’t helped either for him or you or anyone in the school to talk to him and be his friend.
Lee Felix is someone you just happened to bumped into when everything in your life seems falling apart one summer night. Going out of the house in the middle of the night is such a bad idea. But you can’t stand the silence between your parents. You figured they can’t talk with you in there so you made an excuse of buying something at the convenience store. They never question you, eager to start the ‘talk’. Probably about your future or the divorce you know they both want.
Your life to be honest is pretty much planned already. You’ll go to abroad for a much nicer education. You’ll get into med school and become a doctor. No Plan B for you because as much as you want to pursue your dream in music, you also want to please your parents.
You contemplated on buying a soju, but decided against it. You settle with a spicy ramen, curious if you can handle the spiciness. An attempt to take your mind off the current situation in your house. You take a bite of he noodles, the spiciness making you cough and teary eyed.
“Here you go.” the man in a black hoodie handing out the banana milk to you. You just look at him with wide eyes. Do you really need to embarrass yourself in front of Lee Felix? He take back the banana milk and put the straw on it. Handing you again the banana milk, looking at you with no interest at all. You take the drink and you immediately sip it. Forget being prim and proper, your tongue is on fire.
You stopped coughing, successfully swallowing the noodles, looking at the strange man. He then invited himself to sit down with you, opening his own cup of ramen. You two both ate in a comfortable silence, making you smile.
“Drinking alcohol is never a good option to drown your problems.” he said quietly, while walking you home. He saw you staring at the alcohol section of the convience store. “Obviously, I made a good choice.”, you said back. “Hardly.”, you heard teasing in his voice, you look at him to see if you are right. He’s grinning like a little kid. “You can smile. I’m surprised.”, teasing him back. He cleared his throat, “You’re not afraid of me, I see.”.
You two stopped at a playground, sitting down at the swings. You sigh, looking at your shoes, tears at the verge of crying. “We never really know the truth about someone’s life. Sometimes what we see is just an act.” He didn’t reply to that. He didn’t know how to, so he stand up from the swing and stand up in front of you. Holding your head softly, putting your head against his stomach. His actions telling you its okay to cry and he’ll keep it a secret. For the first time you felt comforted. At a thought that the one who is comforting you is Lee Felix, you smiled.
“What are you doing Felix?”, you asked, looking at him, acting innocently. He looked down at you, seeing you trying so hard not to smile, teasing him again. You are indeed not afraid of him. “I didn’t know I’ll get a free banana milk and a..” You stand up, smiling, opening your arms, and wrapping it around his torso, “free hug.” He pats your head, also smiling.
Lee Felix is not a friend. He’s someone you find comfort with.