Chapter Six
Bali, Indonesia
They had just wrapped up the final schedule of the shoot.
Haneul and his colleagues had been camped in Bali for over a week for the filming of a commercial for SecondSkin’s Fall-Winter launch.
His team had headed out to celebrate—the ladies were especially excited to socialize with the film’s lead model, a superstar known as the Thai Lee Minho for having played his iconic character in the Thai version of Boys Over Flowers .
Having excused himself from the celebrations by feigning a headache, Haneul had picked up a crate of beer and headed to the beach.
The FKJ playlist filling up his ears had reached its halfway point.
Lost in the music, Haneul hadn’t paid much attention to the sun that looked like it was going to be gobbled up by the sea any minute now.
Moments like these—by himself, away from work and family—were few and far between, so he treasured them like no other.
Absent-mindedly, he patted his butt and fished out a pack of cigarettes.
He was about to light one when he remembered that smoking in public is banned in Bali.
Dejectedly, he put the smokes away when he noticed a figure, closer to the water than to him, skipping about without a care in the world.
At first, he thought it was a child but on closer inspection, it was revealed to be a childlike adult.
The face was partially hidden behind a large straw hat, but the body definitely belonged to a woman, petite, with a newly acquired beach tan, head full of what looked like soft curls tied in space buns.
As a Star Wars fan, Haneul was amused and suddenly interested.
Headphones still on, FKJ playlist exhausted, he was now listening to Anderson.Paak.
Taking a long sip of beer, he wiped the foam on his mouth with the back of his palm and leaned back against the cane chair he’d been sitting on for the past hour or so.
A tiny burp escaped his mouth. He sheepishly looked around to see if anybody was close enough to have noticed.
Finding no one, he smiled triumphantly and fixed his gaze on the space buns.
What is this Princess Leia up to, I wonder …
The childlike adult was drinking out of a bottle that looked suspiciously similar to one that usually contained a bubbly, mild intoxicant, and she seemed to be involved in a game with the water.
She briskly walked towards it—sarong clasped in one hand and bottle swinging from the other—scurrying back when the waves came crashing, and breaking into peals of laughter.
Haneul kept staring, wearing that same amused smile.
A couple of children joined Princess Leia soon and perfectly mimicked her every move.
She didn’t seem thrilled with the company and stuck her tongue out at the children, making one of them cower and run away to his mother’s safe, gentle embrace.
Haneul, now laughing violently, had almost made up his mind to replace the child when he felt something whooshing past him.
Almost immediately, he saw Princess Leia freeze, and before he knew it, he was on his feet, sprinting towards her.
NO! THIS CAN’T BE! Haneul’s eyes widen in amazement even as he cradles her carefully whilst balancing himself on the soft sand.
This wasn’t a stranger who had fallen into Haneul’s arms. This was the storm he had dodged a day ago …
the storm that was threatening to ravage his heart.
The face that he had only caught a glimpse of but one that had kept him up through the night.
The name that he had, by now, memorized after staring endlessly at the visiting card …
He was about to call her by her name, but stopped himself just in the nick of time.
What sort of a creep will she think I am if I do that …
‘Are you all right?’
‘Oh, whoa, um, yeah, I guess …’
‘Here, let me help me help you up … don’t rush it! Slowly. Grab my arm!’
He wrapped a protective arm around her lower back and allowed her to use the other to hold on to as she wobbled back to her feet. She wavered a little, so he quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her.
‘Would you like to sit for a bit? Let me get you some water.’
He made her sit on the cane chair he had brought for himself and grabbed a bottle of sparkling water from his bro sack. Watching her as she drank in quick, large gulps, he seemed unsure of what to do next.
‘Man, I was parched! Thank you. And, thank you for saving me!’ she said in a sing-song voice, causing a mini short-circuit in his brain and making his heart race.
‘I did nothing. You were lucky is all. Are you sure you aren’t hurt?’
‘I fell ON YOU! Are you sure YOU aren’t hurt?’ she grinned.
Laughing nervously, he said he had escaped unhurt and flopped down on the ground.
What is that bewitching smile?!
‘I seem to have gifted my bottle of champagne to the sea and I see you have a few beers here. Perhaps this is a good time to introduce myself!’
Haneul’s heart was starting to pound.
Stretching an arm out, she said, ‘Hi, I’m Timira. I’m Leia, too. That’s not my other personality, don’t worry. It’s my middle name … sorry, I’m rambling. Very happy to meet you and your beers, sir!’
But Haneul could barely hear a thing over the sound of the frantic beating of his poor, poor heart.
Timira jabbered her way through the next couple of hours.
Haneul didn’t seem to mind at all. Being a man of few words, he relished this opportunity to listen.
He was also thankful to Timira for not letting him drink too much—he wasn’t sure about handling alcohol well this evening.
Although the rising level of Timira’s intoxication did seem like a cause for concern …
‘… is the beer over?’ a surprised Timira asked, her pleasant voice now slightly nasal and pitched higher than usual.
Haneul didn’t answer. He seemed to be lost in deep thought.
‘Ah, yes. Sorry, sorry. I was a little distracted,’ Haneul admitted before adding, ‘Did you ask about the beer? Yeah, looks like we’re done. You’d like more?’ His eyes looked incredulous.
‘Yessss. This feels so good. I feel free and happyyyy …’ Her voice trailed off and she started to get up from the chair. But her head started spinning and almost immediately she was back on her butt.
‘Ouch! Whoa,’ she exclaimed, holding her crown with both hands and trying to steady herself.
Haneul had spent the last couple of hours hanging on to every word that came out of Timira’s slightly crooked, plump mouth.
By now, he had heard her cry over the terrible boyfriend who cheated on her and messed things up at her workplace, laugh while narrating stories about her parents’ love–hate relationship and roll her eyes at being named Leia because her father was obsessed with Star Wars, talk adoringly of Bhaskar and Alice, the best friends she was in Bali with.
At some point, on discovering Haneul’s ethnicity, she even attempted to sing g.o.d’s ‘Road’ with made-up lyrics.
This was the most company Haneul had had in years and he was lapping up every bit of it.
But he was now concerned about Timira. She looked like she could pass out any minute.
‘Have some water, you’ll feel better.’ He gently tilted the bottle into Timira’s mouth. ‘Here.’ He then splashed a little on to her face.
‘Oww! Stop! It’s in my eyes!’ Timira complained.
‘Crap! I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want you to pass out; you might have a concuss—’
Before he could finish, Timira had snatched the bottle away and turned it into a cannon, firing away at Haneul, the hapless victim. Breaking into squeals of laughter and jumping with joy, Timira tossed the bottle aside and leapt closer towards Haneul.
The thud in Haneul’s heart was now louder than ever.
Timira gazed into his eyes for a few seconds. Those seconds felt like minutes to Haneul. Her eyes were twinkling, bright and wide with palpable excitement. She smiled, that bewitching smile again , and flashed her dimples. And then his heart stopped.
The thud could not be heard any longer.
Her mouth had found his. Her lips were wet from the water, and plump.
He could also taste the salt from the sea breeze.
She smelled of beer and of the CBD cigarettes she smoked with great relish.
As he searched deeper, faint notes of spice and lavender hit him.
His eyes were shut, but it was as though he could see her …
leaning in, hands on her arched back to support her slightly unstable legs, baby curls springing out of her space buns, sweat beads glistening across her collar bone, the gentle breeze making her earrings chime like church bells.
Is this what love tastes like? Haneul couldn’t help but wonder. Why does it feel like my soul knows hers when we’ve only just met?
Haneul opened his eyes to see Timira smiling at him before turning sideways and tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears.
Haneul could feel his heart beat again and found his gaze fixed on Timira’s small, pointy chin.
He held it to turn her face towards his.
This time, Timira was taken by surprise.
She bit her lower lip and Haneul felt his heart do multiple somersaults.
He leant in with intent, but this time their mouths don’t meet. Instead, the undigested contents of Timira’s much-abused stomach meet with the spotlessly clean, pristine Bali sands …
Haneul looked up at the sky and smiled ruefully.
* * *
Timira, fast asleep, was sprawled across Haneul’s back—the feat achieved with great difficulty and an almost-incident involving a piece of cloth that had baffled men for decades, aka the sarong.
She felt light as a feather; his back was strong as hell from years of playing sports and weightlifting religiously.