You are My Strength novel Chapter 2

"This night is cold in the kingdom, i can feel you fade away, from the kitchen to the bathroom sink, and your steps keep me awake" - The alarm blaring the tune of Let Me Down Slowly by Alec Benjamin woke her up.
Kai Xin murmured ruefully as she turned the alarm off, "Damn, I need to listen to happier songs."
She looked at her watch and realized that it was almost 11am. After she washed off the mask and threw on a simple skater dress, she texted Jane,
[ I'm going to Cafe X, u knw, the one w the cute barista.]
As she was putting on her shoes, Jane texted her back.
[ You mean the guy you undress with your eyes everyday? *rolleyes* Got it, perv. C u.]
Kai Xin chuckled as she read Jane's text. She checked all the appliances to make sure that everything was off before leaving the house.
As usual, she tapped on the wall next to the lock four times before walking off. She did not recall when exactly she started to do this, but it was now a part of her everyday routine..
As she strolled down the streets, she listened to her favorite tunes on Spotify. Every now and then she would nod at the neighbours that she barely knew and gave them her signature half-smile. Within 15 minutes, she arrived at the cafe. The moment she went in, she greeted the barista loudly.
"Hey, James!"
When he saw who it was, he gave her a 'what-the-fuck-it's-you' look.
"Oh no, not you again." James complaint as he made a cross with his fingers,"I told you before that I have a girlfriend and I'm not interested in older women. Don't make me call the manager on you again."
Kai Xin smiled, "Relax. I'm not in the mood to harass you terribly today. Just give me the usual." She leaned forward on the counter and in a seductive tone, she asked, "You do remember right? Should this big sister teach you again?"
"Americano with a side of milk and 3 cubes of sugar that you never use? Got it." James rolled his eyes as he took her money. They chatted for another minute before Kai Xin went to her usual spot with her tray of coffee, milk and sugar cubes.
Like Sheldon Cooper, she had a favorite spot. It was a corner seat where she was partially hidden from the outside, yet still able to receive the warmth from the indirect sunlight coming in from floor-to-ceiling windows. She loved this seat because it gave her a bird's eye view of the entire cafe.
She was thinking about work when she heard,
"Zhen Kai Xin, what perverted thoughts are you thinking right now?"
Kai Xin turned and saw Jane standing in front of her with a huge smile. "Oh nothing, just wondering what you would look like naked."
Jane immediately crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I don't swing that way, sista!"
"Sit down, you fool. Have you ordered your drink?"
"Nope. I want to eat Korean today. Let's go to the Korean restaurant at Mall K."
"Sure. After I finished this." Kai Xin said and took a sip of her Americano.
"I still don't understand how you can stomach that vile drink."
Kai Xin thought to herself, "Because to me, it serves as a constant reminder of how bitter life can be." Without replying Jane, she took a small sip of the milk.
"So, how was it?"
"How was what?" Kai Xin knew what the question was but she preferred to act dumb.
"Don't play coy with me now. The guy! How was he? Was he any good?" Jane glanced around before adding on with a whisper, "Was he big?"
"Jane Chu! Is that how proper girl behaves?" Kai Xin mocked, jokingly.
"I'm hanging out with you now. Screw proper! Momma wants the story!"
Kai Xin blushed as she thought of her night exercise with the stranger. "He was fine, I suppose. Nothing to brag about."
"Was he cute?"
Kai Xin thought about it. She barely remembered what he looks like, but for the sake of her ego, she nodded after a second.
"Like James?"
They both glanced at James who shivered suddenly despite there being no drop in temperature. He quickly glared at them and mouthed, "I WILL call the manager."
Jane laughed as they turned back to each other, "That kid is so sensitive. So, was he like James?"
"Yeah, roughly I guess. He's a little shorter though. It's a good thing that he was able to compensate for what he lacked in height."
"Kai Xin!" Jane laughed, "That was mean!"
"As if you are with Mo Shaoyun for his beautiful skin."
Jane immediately leaned forward and put her hands over Kai Xin's mouth, nearly smothering her in the process. "Do not talk about my Shaoyun like that!"
Kai Xin was able to breath again after she peeled Jane's hands away, "Trying to kill me over a guy? What a great friend."
"Shaoyun and I are in a pure relationship."
"Pure my ass. I saw you ogling his junk the other day."
Jane blushed. She cleared her throat before saying, "I was checking out his new pants."
"Pants...righttt." Kai Xin mocked her. They both knew the truth. To everyone else, Jane was a good and innocent girl. Only Kai Xin knew how perverted this little lolita is.
Jane sighed as she took a sip of the Americano only to reply with a disgusted expression.
"Shaoyun is so beautiful that I really don't want to taint him. Besides...He has never shown any inclination for that kind of stuff." Jane played with the fringe on her dress. "I don't want to take the first step. What if he thinks badly of me?"
"Don't be stupid. He's 23. That's probably like the only thing on his mind."
"My Shaoyun is not like other boys. He's so pure that he probably doesn't even masturbate," Jane sighed sadly. She looked depressed as she looked up, "What if he secretly thinks less of me because I am not a virgin?"
"Then I will beat the shit out of him." Kai Xin smiled evilly as she comforted Jane, "If your virginity is the only reason he is with you, I would rather you break up with him. He's not worth your time."
"I'm not you, Kai Xin. I don't have the confidence that I would find someone else like him."
"Is this confidence?" Kai Xin thought to herself. She quickly shook her head and patted Jane on the head, "If he truly loves you, he would not care so much about it. A man should love you for your soul. Would you love him less if he was not a virgin?"
Jane shook her head immediately, "Of course not. But he is a guy. The rules are different."
"Screw the rules. We are in the 21st century. You listen to me, Jane Chu. If he cares about things that happened before you guys got together, then he is an idiot who is not worthy of you."
Kai Xin did not add on and merely kept it to herself, "Besides, I have seen how he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. That kid wants you big time."
After she quickly downed the rest of her coffee and milk, she stood up and said "Let's go for lunch now and drown our sorrows with Korean oppas."
They waved goodbye to James - after Jane teased him a little on his 'growth' - before heading to Mall K. They went to the Korean restaurant and bumped into some of Jane's college friends who invited them to dine together.
Kai Xin would've preferred not to, but Jane had already accepted their invitation. In order not to make a fuss, Kai Xin agreed to dine with them. However, she barely said anything throughout the lunch. After all, Jane had enough words for the both of them.
"So, Kai Xin. How's your manhunt lately?" asked one of the girls, Alyssa Min. They used to be good friends when they were still living in City A. However when they met again in university, it was as if they were both different from the person they knew before.
Another reason for the tense relationship was due to the fact that Kai Xin slept with one of her on-off boyfriends.To be fair, she only slept with the guy after they broke up. So she could not understand Alyssa's hatred towards her.
"It was fine."
"I heard that you got pregnant recently. Have you not been careful while having fun? Do you even know who is the father?"
Kai Xin raised an eyebrow as she thought to herself "So you wanna play, huh?". She pretended to clear her throat and rolled her eyes as she said coyly, "Yeah, I was so ooobbbbviously pregnant. I think you know who the father is. Afterall, I heard that you went down on him in a public toilet as you begged him to take you back. Are you guys still together? Come to think of it, do you still give head to guys who don't really want you?"
Alyssa's friends looked at her in shock.
"Bitch, Andy was just playing with you back then." Alyssa snarled.
Kai Xin smirked, "I think you and I both know who played who here. By the way, please tell Andy that I am not interested in him. Ask him to stop texting me. It is getting really annoying."
She took out a wad of cash and put it on the table, "This is to cover Jane and I's meals. It should be enough." Before they left the restaurant, Kai Xin added on, "By the way, I bumped into your ex-sugar daddy and he said that his new baby has a tighter vagina than you."
They left Alyssa sputtering with anger while her friends tried to control their laughter.