Chapter 75：Defensing My Right

When the glass door is opened to show Yu Jin's figure, everyone in the cafe stop their activities and impatiently stare at the young man. Seems like not realizing those stares, Yu Jin casually puts his helmet on the cashier table then puts off his jacket slowly.

"How is it ?" Finally Tian Tian, representing three other heads, asks. Yu Jin stares at each pairs of eyes that still waiting for his answer. Only a minute later he widely smiles. The smile at once replaces all the tension into burst of excitement.

"Congratulation !" Tian Tian says while running and hugs Yu Jin. Mr. Bai also approaches him and proudly pats his shoulder.

"Congratulation, Yu Jin !" Xiao Ping says, unable to hold her relieved tears. "Hey, why are you crying ? Aren't you happy with my graduation ?" Yu Jin asks teasingly.

"Stupid !" Xiao Ping says then hits Yu Jin's chest playfully. "This is happy tears," she continues while wiping her tears then hugging Yu Jin's waist. "I'm soooo happy." She tightens her hug when saying "happy". Xiao Ping only releasing her hug when she heard A Lin's voice to congratulate Yu Jin. He receives her hand shake and says thanks.

"We better go to Europe restaurant. I want to make you bankrupt for once by ordering some caviar," Tian Tian jokes. "Sure.. It's fine.. but you should not run if you are told to wash dishes by the owner," Yu Jin replies, responded by loud laughter by Tian Tian.

After his laughter subsides, Yu Jin realizes Xiao Ping's sad face. "What's wrong, Xiao Ping ?" he asks after approaching Xiao Ping. He stands slightly bends in front of Xiao Ping that wiping a table with head low. "I can't come," Xiao Ping reveals.

Yu Jin's eyebrows are knitted. "Why ?" Xiao Ping sighs. "My Father forbids me to come home late, and also ... " Xiao Ping gropes her uniform skirt's pocket and takes a key, "actually.. my father also forbids me to come to your apartment again."

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"Forgive me, Young man. I didn't mean to offend you, or suspecting you did anything inappropriate to my daughter. My wife said that you are a nice person, and I really believe her. I also didn't forbid Xiao Ping to be friends with you. It's only .. I will mind if she comes to your place, even more until late at night. Xiao Ping is no longer a child. Honestly, beside I worry about her safety, I also don't want people to say bad words about her. We are only small people, boy. the only thing we still have is pride and good name. I hope you understand that."

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The sound of music that a bit deafen ears is heaped up by laughters of several young men on women who are Yu Jin's college friends when Tian Tian sings Britney Spears' song with a falsetto voice. The laughter grows louder because now Tian Tian and one of Yu Jin's friend stand on front and follow the dancers' move in the video clip. The craziness makes a thin smile appears on Yu Jin's face and draws back his attention from his own thought.

Yu Jin really understands Mr. Yuan's worry. Even though he himself had never thought there was something wrong for a girl come to a guy's place, but he also realized that norm and tradition can not be ignored. He forgot that how outdated a norm is, it still needs to be respected. Yu Jin sighs. Actually Mr. Yuan's forbidden only affect a little for his frequency of meeting Xiao Ping. Next week the cafe will be reopened. It means he can regularly see Xiao Ping just as before. But.. Mr. Yuan's suspicion about him makes him feel discomfort. He has never had a thought to do impropriate thing to a girl, even less Xiao Ping. He would never hurt her, in any way. Because I love her, Yu Jin says inwardly, Uncle, don't you know that I love your daughter ?

Once again, Yu Jin sighs. This time his sigh is heard by A Lin that secretly glances at him.

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"You were so quiet tonight," A Lin says, forcefully with a loud voice to be heard by Yu Jin's ears that covered by helmet. "I'm alright," Yu Jin replies shortly.

"Was it because Xiao Ping could not come ?" A Lin asks. Yu Jin does not answers, whether because he could not hear the question or just because he doesn't want to. A Lin has no courage to asks further. But few minutes later, Yu Jin pulls off the road and cuts off his bicycle's engine.

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"Thank you," A Lin says while handing helmet to Yu Jin. After two steps to her house's gate, suddenly A Lin turns around. Her sudden move halts Yu Jin to rides his motorbike.

"Actually, I'm agree with Xiao Ping's father," A Lin finally reveals her opinion. After Yu Jin told her his problem, she has buried her opinion to herself, afraid to be misjudged by Yu Jin.

Yu Jin turns to her while taking his helmet off. There is no surprise in his sight, as he already knew it from the start. A Lin quickly adds, "I mean.. I believe you didn't do anything." Yu Jin's eyes show no change. A Lin step forward to Yu Jin. "But I care for you. I don't want anyone has bad words about you, to be consider as per.."

"The problems in the world would be much more simpler if only mankind doesn't have negative thinking to others," Yu Jin cuts as if talking to himself. Nevertheless, A Lin feels like the words is to satirize her.

"Don't you know that she doesn't love you ?" That question is just spilled out from A Lin's lips. A second later she regrets it. Yu Jin stares at her than smiles crookedly. "I know. I also know that she has a boyfriend," he confirms. That calm answer makes A Lin even more unable to understand him.

"Then.. why are you still with her ? Are you trying to seize her heart ? Is that your purpose all this time ? Smother her with all attentions and kindness so she can fall in love to you ?" A Lin assaults in emotion.

Yu Jin's crooked smile turns into amused smile. "Did you realize that you were actually questioning yourself ?" Yu Jin asks her back. A Lin gasps. Her face is suddenly flushing hot out of embarrass when she realized the truth of Yu Jin's words. "I..." A Lin loses all her vocabulary.

Yu Jin looks up to the sky before inhales and straightens his back. Then while exhaling, he moves his sight forward. "You know, loving is everyone's rights, so it should not be inhibited, even more forced. I love Xiao Ping is my right. Xiao Ping loves her boyfriend is also her right. I can't inhibit them, all I can do is defensing my right," Yu Jin says then looks back at A Lin. "So is your feeling to me is your right..."

Instead of finishing his sentence, what Yu Jin does then is saying good night, wearing his helmet, then goes with his motorcycle's soft roar. A Lin turns around and walks slowly to her house's gate. While opening the lock, her thought is continuing Yu Jin's sentence, "he loves Xiao Ping is his right. You can't inhibit, only can defense your right." A Lin sighs together with the click sound of locked padlock. "Can only defense my right. I'm not sure it's enough for me," she says to her self.