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"So you\'re saying is, this pot is made from a foreign tribe in the east?" Evangeline asked, eyeing the man in front of her.

His dark hair was loosely tied, reaching the blazer of his shoulders left open over a black shirt. Evangeline didn\'t like long hair guys, but she didn\'t know why she was mesmerized by him. He felt oddly . . . familiar.

Dimitri Hernandez. The man that Eric said was a tea expert and his former boss. She found it strange that Eric seemed to have lots of connection despite his status, but her mother\'s pressing matter took utmost priority. She was so close to figuring how her mother died.

Dimitri seeped his tea and grinned. "Man, I never get tired of this flavor. The richness of the taste and stubble stringency after taste. This tea which I specifically brewed, is not just your normal darleejung. The first sip, there\'s the aroma of caramelized sugar and a hint of almond. But at continued sip, there\'s a flavor of other spices like jasmine, citrus, and mint. Ah . . . don\'t you think that teas are simply divine? A miracle by nature?"

Evangeline\'s impression dropped from ten to negative ten. She made eye contact with Eric and Eric looked at Dimitri with dead eyes.

Dimitri cleared his throat. "Yes. I thought the art was lost, but some remnants were left like this post, for example. If you auction this, you\'ll get a good price but of course not as good as mine. Even though this pot is broken, I\'ll still offer double or even triple your asking price. Speaking of teapot, don\'t you know that teapots are much wider and rounder than the long coffee ware so the tea leaves can move around inside. And this teapot particularly has an added material specifically found in the lost Hulu tribe. They called it muddy stone. This stone is crushed into paste and added to the clay mix. This special material keeps the temperature inside the pot even. Speaking of which don\'t you know that–– ouch!"

Dimitri looked at Eric. His little brother just kicked him under the table. He sighed. You\'re no fun. "Anyway, considering all things I\'ve said. This pot has a downside. Since it\'s made of muddy stone, it couldn\'t be mixed with other add-ons, specifically milk. And since ancient times, the Hulu tribe took their teas raw. They never like add-ons, and they have never known about it until the west began their colonization. So it wasn\'t surprising that they made their teapot––"

"What will happen if you add milk inside?" Evangeline but-in.

Dimitri just shrugged his shoulder at Evangeline\'s interruption. "It will cause the pot to deteriorate and alter its composition leading to organ failure in the long run. But it only happens if you pour pure milk straight from the farm into the pot. Otherwise, it wouldn\'t cause you harm. And besides, milk nowadays is heated, causing the microbes to die inside. And who adds raw milk straight into their teapot anyways?"

"My mother does, and she only drinks milk straight from the farm," Evangeline said in a daze.

. . .

. . .

Eric and Dimitri looked at each other.

"Well, what I said is only possible if you take it consistently for––"

"My mother drank from that pot for five years straight."

". . ." Dimitri was quiet for a moment before he puffed an awkward laugh. "Then that person must really hate your mother to give that pot to her."

"It was my father who gifted that to her."

". . . Oh. Then your father must really ha––ow!"

Dimitri yelp when Eric kicked his foot once more.

"I think we have enough for today," Eric cut in, looking at Evangeline\'s paper white face. "Let\'s go back home first and rest."

Eric pulled Evangeline by the arm when she didn\'t move.

"What\'s the hurry?" Dimitri said, "We still haven\'t finished our tea. Speaking of which, my latest tea creation resembles marbles and blooms whenever hot water is poured into them. I had my group developed a new plant. A hybrid one. Its distinct feature is that it has an orchid scent, but it\'s just a leaf. What sets it apart is its quality of emitting scent even without adding anything! It has a floral scent but a fruity taste! But the best part is when you add whi––"

Dimitri stopped when he noticed that he was the only one left in the café. Evangeline and Eric already left while he was speaking all his heart about teas.

"Heartless as always . . . ," Dimitri murmured.

  ----

"Hey," Eric said, voice low, "are you okay?" he asked Evangeline after they arrive inside his apartment.

"Do I look like I\'m okay to you?" Evangeline snapped.

Eric was caught off guard at the sudden hostility.

Evangeline was shocked too and said, "I\'m sorry. I just . . ." she sighed and gave Eric a weak smile. "I\'ll take a bath first."

That was all she said before she went inside their room.

Eric\'s eyes shot to the ceiling as he breathed a heavy sigh. This was serious. He couldn\'t exactly fault her when she snapped at him. He couldn\'t probably know the web of emotions spinning behind her wall of silence.

He sighed again and went inside the kitchen. He placed Evangeline\'s bag on the table and drank a glass of water. There was so much he wanted to ask her, but he\'d give her the time and space she needed first. He knew that the problem was serious this time as it concerned her family. He didn\'t even know how to comfort her.

For some reason, he wanted to drink a beer.

Shaking his head, he was about to go down and buy one when a ringing sound stopped him. His eyes shot to Evangeline\'s bag. He wanted to ignore it but thinking it might be important, he picked her phone.

Looking at her phone, it was an international call.

He walked towards their bedroom and knocked.

"Eve, there someone on the phone for you."

. . .

When no one answered, he went inside and answered the phone, thinking the call might end if he didn\'t.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hello, this is Design arts studio in Paris. Is this Miss Evangeline Heart?"

Eric\'s hand on the bathroom door halted.

"No. This is Eric, his boyfriend."

"Oh. Well then, please kindly inform Miss Heart to call back if she has the time."

"Can I ask what this is all about?"

"This is regarding her application form."

The phone in Eric\'s hand almost went strain on the floor.

"Hello? Sir?"

The room was spinning right before his eyes, and sharp pressure gripped his heart.

The door of the bathroom opened, and Evangeline went out in her robes. Silver eyes pined her to a stop, and the dazed look on her face disappeared at Eric\'s eyes which were completely blank.

"What\'s wrong?" she asked at Eric\'s silence.

Instead of answering, Eric handed the phone to her. She looked at the phone with an international number on the screen. Fear so visceral sipped into her very bones. She didn\'t have to ask. She already knew what it was.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Eric said amidst the heavy silence.

"E-Eric . . . ," Evangeline choked. She didn\'t know what to say. Her head was in a mess!

"What am I in your life that you don\'t even tell me this important thing?"

"Eric, it\'s not really important," Evangeline replied, "I only meant to apply as a joke."

"Really?" Eric huffed a sarcastic laugh. "It sounds to me that it is not a joke since a prestigious school took the time just to call you."

Evangeline didn\'t have anything to reply to that.

"What will you do?"

"Huh?"

"I ask you, what will you do if you get accepted? Move to Paris? What about us?"

"I . . ." Evangeline was at a loss for words. She didn\'t know what to do since she only did apply on a whim.

"Forget it," Eric hissed, "I guess you only found me convenient, and once you don\'t need me, you\'ll toss me aside like the others."

Before Evangeline could say anything, Eric left the room.

Eric\'s name vanished under the lump in her throat.  Evangeline didn\'t know why she was having difficulty speaking at this crucial moment.

She went out of the bedroom and called for Eric, but only the cold silence answered her call.