Girls can be friends with boys without falling in love, or can they?

As we were sitting at a bench, overlooking this beautiful signage,

I probe a question to Achis, considering he is the only thorn among the roses.

This is basically how our conversation goes:

*note: This is a translation from Iban to English

Me: Cis, considering you are a guy, and you're the closest guy friend I have, I wanna ask you something.

Achis: *looking at me horrified* Okay, go ahead.

Me: So actually, once upon a time not so long ago, I met this guy. We started texting for quite some time, and somehow during that short period, he almost made me fell in love....

Rachel: *looking at me quite surprised* What? When did this happened?

Me: Hahaha... This happened a few months after I broke up with A. Second semester right?

Rachel: Yeah... around that time. Okay, continue. 

Me: Yeah I know. I never told you guys about this. Actually, not many know about this anyways. Now you know. Haha. He almost made me fell in love with him, but then shits happen so we stayed in contact. Although, we contact each other less after that incident, and even less cz I have my own life with you guys at the time, and I assume he moved on lah. But he still contacted me once in a blue moon, teasing me, asking to bring me out, yadda yadda. But whenever I asked him when, he said 'whenever lah'. So obviously we never met up during all those time. Until the night before yesterday night, he suddenly texted me out of the blue, asking me how am I doing and what am I doing, at 11:35 PM.

Achis: Wait, he texted you at NIGHT?

Me: Yeah. 

Achis: Okay, go on.

Me: So I told him lah, how am I doing bla bla bla, and I asked him straight up, what was his purpose texting me. So he reply, he just wanna inform me that he's in town for work and wants to meet up. So I said, okay, fine. If that's the case, you set the time when you can meet me up since you're the one who's working, and I am not. But he only reply me the next evening, which is last night. He asked me when I'm free, so I told him that Saturday I have plans with you guys, and Sunday I might need to send my dad to the airport since he's in town; but I did told him that I'm free during the day lah. I thought that, if he really wants to meet up with me, irregardless of what time it is, night or day, he will meet me up. But instead, he replied, 'why don't we meet up now?', as in 10 PM, at the time I received his text. And again, I asked him straight up, 'why must it be now, at NIGHT?' and he selamba replied, 'oh really? I thought it's still early.' And with that, I stopped replying him altogether. Told Hany about this and she said that this guy might have hidden agenda cz let's face it, why do you want to meet a woman, at night, unless you want something, right? And I actually agreed with what she said. But then again, she's a girl, and I'm a girl. And we both can only assume. So now, I have the chance to hangout with you, might as well I ask this question from the perspective of a guy, which is you. Now, my question is, do you agree with Hany about this dude or do you have your own opinions about it?

Achis: This is my honest opinion. I believe, he have hidden agenda. I mean, why of all the hours in one day, you choose to see a girl only at night, when you clearly said that you're not free at night. You didn't even say that you wanna see him on Friday night, right? 

Rachel: Yalah kan? Of all the time, he asked at night. He's just weird.

Me: Yeah I know! Actually, deep in my heart I know. But I just want an answer from the guys' perspective. Okay, let's assume that he sees me as someone he wants to include in his life, someone important. Okay Achis, let's assume this guy is you, and you are trying to court your potential girlfriend. Will you bring her out during the day or at night, if you can choose?

Achis: If it was me, I would prefer to go out during the day rather than at night. But then again, we never know, what if this guy prefers to go out at night cz maybe it's more romantic?

Me: But, this guy wants to go out at 10/11 PM, AT NIGHT. When I clearly said otherwise kan?

Rachel: True. If you really want to get to know someone, irregardless of what time it is, day or night, it doesn't matter bah.

Achis: Well, that I've got to agree lah. If he really wants to get to know you, he wouldn't mind to go out during the day, like you clearly suggest to him instead of suggesting at night when you didn't even mentioned about it. I would advice you, it sounds like he has bad intentions to you, from the story that you tell. Try your best to avoid him, unless he is really sincere about getting to know you.

Rachel: Yeah, I agree with what Achis said. That's not how you wanna get to know someone.

Basically, that's our heart-to-heart session last night.

But this is not the first.

We've had so many heart-to-heart sessions before, along with Victoria and Martina, and sometimes Mijot.

So if you ask me if girls and guys can be close friends without falling in love, I would say,

yes, you can.

Our (as in mine, Rachel, Victoria, and the rest of the kumangs) friendship with Achis proves that we can be good friends irregardless of our gender.

Plus, Vic once told me, it is better to have one male (for the female)/female (for the male) best friend, so that you'll understand, if not fully, about the other gender. 

And maybe, if you have problems with your other half and not sure why they acted the way they are,

you can ask your opposite sex best friend about it. 

Like Achis, for example, he said, for being around us makes him understand well enough about female nature, and in the end, helps himself in how he deals with his girlfriend. 

So for you ladies, or gentlemen out there who have a best friend who is of the opposite sex, there is nothing wrong actually.

Just as long as you don't fall for them (and they already have a boyfriend/girlfriend which might complicates things), then all is well.