Her epic strategies failed. Cheska wanted to please her parents, that’s the reason why she accepts blind dates arranged by them. But when she finally met them, she just suddenly felt sad. She couldn’t feel any excitement. She was looking for something that wasn’t there. He was looking for something that was not there. Spark maybe? Whatever was missing, she knew it would still not be enough for them to waste each other's time.
But her family sees that as a failure. They wanted her to marry and have her own family. Or at least have a boyfriend. They would not stop until she finds a decent man to go on a date with and eventually find the right man for her.
She leaned against the headboard of the bed. “I really don't want to go on dates anymore because I’m so tired of it. But I gave in to Mama’s request to go out with Retchie because he was Mama’s godson and I had a crush on him when I was in high school.”
"That's a good start," Mikha said, turning down the TV’s volume.
“For a good thirty minutes, we discussed about our old school. Where we are now in our lives and I could say that his record was impressive. That's why my parents like him because he's an accomplished engineer in an international construction company. So, he travels a lot.”
"So, what went wrong?"
"He insulted the Koreans."
"What?"
“He said he was in Korea last month. I was excited to hear his stories but he only insulted his Korean colleagues. He said they were so full of themselves as if he wasn’t acting so high and mighty himself. Of course I would defend the Koreans. I told him Koreans were not like that in Korean dramas. Then he laughed at me so I just left him.”
“Oh, my goodness, Cheska!” Mikha burst out laughing. “Where you living under the rock? Fiction is different from reality. What the hell are you thinking?”
"He would have been okay if he just didn’t open his mouth against Koreans,” she said through her pouted lips. "You know they have a special part in my heart."
“They are special to the point that your basis of reality is through Korean dramas? What kind of logic is that? That was his experience with the Koreans, and that’s his opinion of them if he found them unfavorable.”
“I still have the right to decide if I like his opinion or not. Besides, he humiliated me.”
“He humiliated you with reality? And you think your date was still the one who has a problem.”
Cheska turned away. “Who wants to be laughed at? I went home because I don’t want to have an argument with him.”
"This isn't the first time you've left your date just to watch a Korean drama while crying and eating an ice cream cake."
Cheska gave out a sigh. "I feel better this way."
“Do you really feel better this way? This is way beyond pathetic. Is this the only reality you have? Work, Korean drama marathons, and talk about them as if they exist in the real world?” Mikha rolled her eyes.
“This is what makes me happy. Why do you speak over me?”
“This isn’t just about Koreanovelas. You are depressed. You want that because until now you still haven't recovered from Doc Darryl. It has been seven years, Cheska.”
She’s starting to get annoyed with her friend with the way Mikha looked down on her. "Seven years, ten years, twenty years, what can I do if he is still the one I love?"
"You didn't even know him personally. He is just an illusion. ”
“How dare you! He is not an illusion. Just because we haven't seen each other, doesn't mean he's not real. I loved him. I felt that I was important to him.” Her teeth chattered. “Do you know how hard it is to love someone who is already gone? Who wanted to live in the past anyway? I tried to go out on dates. I really tried. But he is still the one who makes me feel special. I-I won’t settle for something less. What good would it give me to have someone by my side but never make me feel special nor happy?”
“What you have is real. Something tangible. And in the real world, nothing is perfect. You just have to accept people for what they are. ”
Cheska gave out a dry laugh and got out of bed. “I’m the one who should adjust? That I should just be happy with what’s available? That I should just settle for what my parents offer me to go out with just so I wouldn't look miserable?”