Star -

Chapter 6 - Whispers of the heart


"Dr. Ramirez... you have flowers!" Ren Jie, one of Kelsi's colleagues in the hospital, said in a sing-song tone as soon as she got inside the emergency room. Ren Jie handed her a bouquet of flowers, and while she was reading the card included in it, Ren Jie and Nurse Xin Lei were giggling like school girls. Kelsi smiled as she read who sent the flowers. It was Yi Quan. "It's been a month since superstar got admitted here... doesn't he ever get tired of saying thanks to you?" Kelsi looked up and saw Jian Hua approaching her. "Good evening, Jian Hua. It was nice seeing you tonight." Kelsi said, smiling at him. She just ignored his remarks about Yi Quan's yet another thank you gift.

Jian Hua put his arm around Kelsi, as they walked away from the Nurse's station. "Kelsi... is there something going on between you and superstar?" he asked. Kelsi looked up at him and smiled. "Nothing... but if there is, you'll be the first person to know, Wallace..." Jian Hua sighed, as he gave her a faint smile. "Kelsi, you know you have always been like a sister to me... really... and I really don't want to see you get hurt because of Zuo Yi Quan..."
"I know Wallace, I understand why you are protecting me... but whatever it is that I do, whatever it is that I decided... if ever I get hurt, there's nobody to blame but me..."
Jian Hua then hugged Kelsi. "Just take care of your heart..." he whispered to her. "If he ever hurts you, you know Jian Hua Ge Ge will alaways be here for you..."

--

"And so, slowly, you're starting to be in his heart..." the little girl said. Though she can't see her, she knows she was smiling because of her news. "I don't know... but since he got out of the hospital, he has been constantly sending me flowers..."
"That would be a great start..."
"But I'm scared..."
The little girl paused. She could hear from the other line her sniffling. "I'm scared... I'm starting to get scared..." she cried. Yes, she is happy about what's happening in her life now, but she is scared... she's scared that everything she have now, everything she's feeling right now... the happiness she's feeling right now would suddenly all go away in an instant. "Sssshhh...." the little girl said. "Hush now, ate..." She knows not everything will last forever... and all she have to do is make happy memories and to enjoy every moment with him....

--

"Yes, a bouquet of red roses... yes... address it to Dr. Kelsi Ramirez... the message would be... welll yes... Thank you and take care.. yes.... that would be from Jason Zuo... yes... yes... send it to National Taiwan University hospital... yes, yes... that's right... thank you..."

Yi Quan ended his cal. He sat on the couchand closed his eyes. It's been a month since he last saw Kelsi. He have been planning to personally visit her at the hospital, but with his hectic schedule, he was not able to do so. There something about Kelsi that made him think of her everytime. There's something about her... that seemed so familiar yet so different. Like how his hear beat whenever she's beside her... or how he smiled at the thought of her smiling face... or how warm her touch is or her angelic voice... it's something about Kelsi that he could not explain, or even his mind and heart could not comprehend.

He looked at his phone again. He just have to see her now. He felt like he's going to explode is he would not be able to see her at this instant. He dialed that same number again. "Hello... please cancel the delivery. I'll be picking it up..."

--

As he walked, everyone stared at him. Obviously, the people around him knew it was him, Zuo Yi Quan, Taiwan's heartthrob. Even though he have disguised himself in a cap and shades, people in the hospital knew it was him. He approached the nurse's station, hoping he would be able to see Kelsi here. And he was right. He saw Kelsi, reading a paper in her hand, probably a report on one of her patients. "Kelsi?" he called her. Kelsi looked up at him, and gave him a startled look. She was not able to recognize him. He took off his shades and smiled at her. "Oh! It's you, Mr. Zuo..." she said. Yi Quan smiled at her. "Please call me Yi Quan... and I hope you don't mind that I call you Kelsi instead of Dr. Ramirez." he said. Kelsi nodded her head, and gave him a faint smile. She could feel her cheeks turn into bright pink as Yi Quan talks to her.

"Anyways, Kelsi, are you busy?" he asked. She glanced at her watch, and she was relieved that her shift it almost finished. "Actually, my shift's about to end in a few minutes..."
"Great! I was thinking... maybe we could have dinner together..."

Kelsi looked at him disbelief. Wait, this is Zuo Yi Quan, the famous actor and singer. The guy she have been admiring since she saw his boyish face on TV. This is Taiwan's heartthrob asking him out. For Dinner. "Well.. I... ah... kasi... ahh... uhmmmm..." she stuttered. Slowly, the smile on Yi Quan's face started to fade. Maybe it was a bad time asking Kelsi out. "Well... it's OK if you're not free... I mean you're a doctor and I know you have a lot of things to do -"
"No!" Kelsi shouted. She didn'nt know it, but she held Yi Quan's hand. "I mean... Yes... Yes we can have dinner together..." she said. Then she looked at her hands, and when she saw how tight she held him, she let him go. Yi Quan smiled at her again. He was amused at her reaction. "Well then... it's a date." He said to her. "Let's go?" she asked. Yi Quan nodded her head. As they were about to leave, Kelsi realized she was still wearing her scrub suit. "Wait... wait... I can't go out like this... wait for me here I'll just change..." she said. Yi Quan laughed as he watched Kelsi hurriedly ran to their locker room. He knew being with Kelsi would be alot of fun...

--

"Where would you like to eat?" Yi Quan asked Kelsi while they were driving aroung Taipei. They were looking for a private place where they could have their dinner. "I'm not sure... we've been driving for almost an hour now... where do you really want to go, Yi Quan?" Kelsi asked. "Somewhere where the paparazzi can't follow us..."
"Are the paparazzi's that bad?"
"No, they are worse... especially when they flock around you."

Kelsi just smiled at him. She understand that Yi Quan just want to have time for himself that's why he's driving around to find a private place. Anyways, if the paparazzi would see them together, she knows they would not stop to haunt her down. She looked at Yi Quan who was busy driving around and looking for a nice restaurant. Then an idea hit her. "Yi Quan..." she called. Yi Quan looked at her. Then, Kelsi held his hand. "Do you trust me?" she asked. Yi Quan looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"If I lead the way, will you trust me? Don't worry, I'll make sure no one would follow us..."

YI Quan just smiled at her. "I trust you." he said.Kelsi smiled at him. "OK then, turn left at the next corner..."

--

They ended up in a small Filipino Restaurant in one of Taipei's busiest street. Well, the place is not much crowded now, and the only people around is the boss and his assistant. The moment Kelsi opened the door, the lady boss greeted her. "Kelsi! Long time no see! I see you brought a date!" she said as she noticed the guy beside him. Kelsi smiled at the lady boss. "Hope you're not closing yet..."
"Of course not yet, sweety!"
"Then great! Me and my friend would like to have your specialty..."

Yi Quan smiled at the lady boss as he took off his shades. The lady boss was shocked to find who he is. "Oh my God! Kelsi, di mo naman sinabi si Jason Zuo pala ang date mo!" the lady boss shrieked. Though he can't understand a word she was saying, Jason find it amusing. "Ok, ok... I'll cook you my specialty and it's on the house!" The lady boss said once again before she went inside the kitchen.

"You eat a lot here?" Yi Quan asked as he settled next to her. Kelsi smiled at him. "Of course. Taiwanese food is great, but I miss Filipino dishes a lot..."
"Then may I know what's your favorite food here?"
"It's chicked adobo..."

Yi Quan was surprised at her answer. During their stint in Manila, he also enjoyed eating chicken adobo, that he even asked for a recipe of it. "You're kidding! I love chicked adobo!" he said. Kelsi was surprised. "Really? I know how to cook one..."
"Then maybe sometime you can cook me some of those..."
"Sure, no problem. I'll cook for you when I have time."

After a few minutes, the lady boss came back with a dish of chicked adobo. The two wolfed on it as they talked about each other's lives. Kelsi soon find out that she and Yi Quan have a lot of things in common, like Yi Quan wanting to be a cardiologist. Both of them liked strawberry ice cream. They're a Bleach fan, and they both love Utada Hikaru and her song, First Love. "Can you sing a line for me?" Yi Quan asked her. "I have a terrible voice..."
"I don't mind... please? I love that song..."

Kelsi put her chopsticks down and began to sang the chorus part.
" You are always gonna be my love

 Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo 
 I'll remember to love 
 You taught me how 
 You are always gonna be the one 
 Ima wa mada kanashii love song 
 Atarashii uta utaeru made"

Yi Quan just stared at her dreamily as she sang. She had an angelic voice... something in her voice made him feel relaxed. Something in the way she sang have caught his attention... "I have a terrible voice, don't I?" Kelsi said. Yi Quan shook his head. "No... it's very... angelic..." Kelsi just blushed as he said that. "You really know how to flatter a girl..." she said in a low voice. Yi Quan just smiled at her. 

--

They were heading home, when it began to rain. "Hey, Yi Quan... have you tried playing in the rain when you were young?" Kelsi asked him. Yi Quan looked at her and shook his head. "I have always been sick when I was young. I wasn't allowed to go out when it rains..." he answered. It was sad, Kelsi thought. She remembered when she was young, she and Jeff would always go out and play in the rain. "Why don't you stop the car for a while. Quan..." Kelsi asked. Yi Quan gave her a startled look. "Just stop the car. You trust me, right?" she said again. Yi Quan nodded his head and stopped the car in the middle of the road.