CHAPTER 4

               DISCREET NOT DISCREET

June was sitting on his desk in the staffroom where he was working as a substitute teacher. It was lunch time and June was eating his sandwich. He sunk his teeth into his sandwich and savoured the cheesy texture. June felt his phone vibrated against his pocket. He looked at his phone and tapped on the text which was from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey, June! It's Noah, what you doing?

June: Something tells me you don't have a lot of friends.

Noah: I do have a lot of friends.But you are special because you are my new friend!

June: So, once you find a new friend you will toss me away?

Noah: No I won't! You are special! You looked after me when I was drunk! I am giving you the title as my wet nurse!

June: Your keyword is "servant". Wet nurse is some one who is not your mother but breast feeds you. Your use of word is completely wrong and I am blocking you. Bye.

Suddenly, the unknown number flashed over June's screen. He took his sweet time to answer by drinking his apple juice and washing away the bits of sandwich from his mouth.

June finally answered the phone when it rang for the second time.

What?" he snapped, as a greeting.

"Don't block me, June!" Came Noah's frantic voice.

June rolled his eyes even if Noah wouldn't see him, "Fine. Why did you called me?"

"What are doing?" Noah asked his voice cheerful, "Let's hang out!"

June leaned on his chair, "I can't," he replied. "I am just now a substitute teacher. I have around three classes full of brats to teach," June explained.

Noah whistled, "Wow, you sound like Monday."

"I feel like Monday," June paused, "W...we could meet for dinner?" he asked. He quickly added, "I don't want to eat alone, now that I am single. I feel lonely."

"Okay,"Noah immediately agreed, "Where do you want to eat?"

June held his sandwich and chewed it slowly, "I am okay with whatever you choose. Text me the place and time. I will come."

"Okay," Noah said, and then hung up.

"Are you single, Mr. Weng?" a disembodied voice asked startling June. He looked up to see a woman around her mid thirties with dark hair tied into a secure bun and square glass. Her eyes twinkled excitedly as she looked at June with an eager expression.

"Erm..." June trailed off, suddenly remembering what the teacher who he was substituting for had warned him about.

Finn handed June a dark blue file, "Make around thirty copy of this for the class and tell them to go through it for the weekly test."

June nodded his head.

"Class B is horrendous and the students talk back a lot so, please be patient," Finn said shooting an apologetic look at June, "The students are also taller and bulkier than you."

"Okay..." June slowly said, starting to have doubts about being a substitute teacher to earn extra cash.+

"Weng, are you single?" Finn asked.

Surprised at the unexpected question, June shook his head.

Finn placed his hand on June's shoulder and gave him a solemn look, his eyes were no more holding any warmth and frankness,"Then you need to be really careful infront of one staff."

June raised his eyebrows, now really wanting to throw the file at Finn's face and run away screaming but he had already took the advance pay so he didn't had much choice.

"Never mention you are single infront of  Mrs. Lan. She will hunt you down and fix blind dates for you until you don't get into a serious relationship with someone," Finn said, slightly shuddering as if he remembered a very bad memory.

June nodded his head quickly.

June gulpped as he watched Mrs. Lan, her face morphing different emotions of happiness and excitement.

"No..." He trailed off and bit his tongue for sounding so uncertain.

Mrs.Lan frowned, "But I just heard you mentioning you are single!"1

"That..." June trailed of, he bit his lips as he felt himself break into sweats at Mrs.Lan's intense gaze, "...I was talking with my friend who fixed a date for me so we were planning to met."

Mrs.Lan looked disappointed,"Oh," she said and slowly walked away.

Just as June bit into his sandwich, Mrs. Lan turned towards him sharply, "If the date fails come to me, I will fix you one."

June gave her a weak smile and nodded.

Mrs.Lan gave a satisfied nod and walked away.

After June finished eating his sandwich and went to make some copy of the materials required for the next class, when he felt his phone vibrate.

Noah: Dinner at Lan's Restaurant. 8:00 pm.

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Noah stared at his phone and smiled when he received June's "Okay see you later, alligator."

"What is happening to me?", he wondered to himself as he remembered asking his assistant about common dating places a man could like, as discreetly as possible.

"Miss Feng," Noah called.

Lea Feng who was organising some files, immediately froze when her boss called. She slowly looked at her boss, "Yes sir?"

Noah didn't looked away from the article he was reading, "Ten common yet romantic places to take your boyfriend for dinner."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Noah didn't notice the effect the question had on Lea. Is he going to ask me on a date? She thought, blinking. No, Lea get your shit together you have a boyfriend!

"Y...yes sir," Lea slowly answered.

Noah looked at his assistant, his expression unreadable, "Where do you guys go to get dinner?"

Lea's eyes widen. Is he going to stalk her? Wait no, she has been working for him for almost five years now, he has never really showed any interest in her. Could this be something else? Her eyes sparkled when understanding dawned.

She looked at her boss and smiled, "We go to many different places and try a lot of things."

Noah nodded thoughtfully, "Where...where does your boyfriend enjoy going for dinner?"

Lea wouldn't stop the smile from growing as her suspicion started to get more clearer, "He likes going to Lan's Restaurant at the city center to get hot pot."

"Lan's Restaurant..." Noah repeated, he looked at her, "Is it romantic?"

It psychically pained Lea to not squeal and shout that her boss is being as gay as a rainbow and was being too cute. But she managed to hold it back, after all she was the longest female assistant who lasted with Noah, the others either tried to seducehim or just fell in love with him and got rejected. Lea was the most level headed person ever although her imagination went wayward sometimes.

"It is not but my boyfriend always becomes happy after coming from the restaurant."

Noah nodded, "Thanks."

Lea's grin was now comparable to a creepy clown's, "You're welcome, sir."

Assistant Feng kept shooting Noah wide smiles and fell into an endless void of squeals and giggles when she thought he was not looking. Noah was starting to get concerned about her health but along the line was wondering if he was discreet when he asked about places to take a guy for dinner.

Noah put aside those thoughts. He was feeling excited thinking about how happy June would be after they eat hot pot.

And for a moment he forgot he was going to get engaged after this year.

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I aspire to be someone like

Lea Feng.6

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