Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Sunny

"Mom! I will go now." I bid goodbye to my mother.

"Tell Steven to get well soon, okay?" My mother reminded me.

I nodded before running out of our house. I will visit Steven today in the hospital. I want to make sure he is okay or not. I fished out my phone to video call Mavin.

"Hey, Sunny!" Mavin greeted her happily. "You are on your way here now?" He asked when he noticed that I was walking out into the street.

I nodded back. "I am on my way there. Are Auntie and Uncle there?" I asked back.

"Yeah, they are still here. Take care on your way." Mavin replied.

I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "Thank you. See you soon." I said before ending the call.

Before I could ride the bus, I bought fruits for Steven. Grandma handed me money and told me to buy fruits so Steven would gain more vitamins with them. I purchased different fruits, such as bananas, apples, and oranges.

After a few minutes, I reached the hospital and headed inside. I quickly went to the information desk and told them I would visit patient Steven Rendezcah. They let me enter after checking Steven's name.

I headed to his room and knocked three times before opening the door. "Hello, good afternoon, Auntie and Uncle," I greeted them as I entered the room. I blessed Uncle while Auntie hugged me. "I brought some fruit for Steven." I said and handed them the plastic with fruits.

I turned to Steven and Mavin. "How are you?" I asked Steven.

"I am okay now." He replied.

I lightly hit his shoulder. "You made me worried. Do not ever do that again. If you are not fine, just stay at home and rest. Go to the hospital if you think that it is not normal anymore." I told him.

"You already told me that one last night." He replied.

"Because it feels like you are not listening at all. That is why I need to remind you again," I talked back. "Anyway, what did your doctor say?" I asked about his health condition.

"Oh, right. We are still waiting for the result to see if he can go home." Mavin commented.

I nodded. "Let's hope that the result will be fine. Are you sure that you do not have any other illnesses? Have you checked it already?" I asked once again.

"I am fine. I do not have any illnesses. Maybe I am just stressed." He replied.

We were interrupted when his doctor and a nurse came inside. They told us the result was that Steven was good and okay to go. Auntie and Uncle first headed to the counter to settle the bills, and we waited outside the hospital.

I went with them until we got to their house. Steven was advised to take some medicine and eat healthy foods. That is why I volunteered to cook for our lunch. I just cooked boiled beef, which they enjoyed eating. Auntie and Uncle praised me for my cooking skills. I humbly told them that our family knows how to cook everything since our ancestors were fond of cooking as well.

After our lunch, Mavin volunteered to wash the dishes. I fixed my things so that I could go home after Mavin finished washing.

"Steven," I called him when I saw him going downstairs with his laptop. "I will go after your brother finishes washing the dishes." I added.

"What? You will go home already?" He asked back.

My forehead creased. "Yes, why should I stay here more when you need to rest?" I asked him back. "You, too, stop using your laptop for once, and do not mind our schoolwork for now." I added, pertaining to the laptop since he looks like he is going to study.

He shook his head. "What? Just leave the schoolwork. I will hand you our notes. Just rest while you can. I know you will attend our class tomorrow because you are stubborn." I added.

He sighed deeply before looking at me. "I am not going to study. I got my laptop and can see where in the episode we are already. I was about to tell you not to go home early." He replied.

This time, I was the one who shook my head. "No, you rest first. We can watch it next week. You need to rest," I told him. "You just left the hospital and want to watch drama already?" I asked, almost scolding him.

I saw him make a move. It was evident on his face. I could not help but snicker at him. "What?" He asked, frustrated. "Do not laugh." He added.

I laughed at him.

"I told you not to laugh." He whined.

"Okay, okay." I replied and stopped myself from laughing.

He glared at me before sitting down on the couch. "Just do not go home yet. Let's watch a few episodes, and I will send you home." He said.

"Are you sure that you will be okay?" I asked again. "You can just tell me if you want to rest." I added.

He nodded and started browsing on his laptop. After checking the last episode we watched, he played it on their big television.

Mavin went back to his room after washing the dishes. He said he needed to rest because he could not sleep last night. Auntie and Uncle are also relaxing in their room, so Steven and I are the only ones awake in the house and watching a drama.

I even cooked popcorn and set a water pitcher on our table. While watching, I was busy getting some popcorn when I caught Steven's finger instead of the popcorn.

"Sorry." I said giddily.

I started focusing on the drama again. After we finished the popcorn, I put the bowl on the table and put some sanitizer on my hands from my bag. I also handed the sanitizer to Steven, so he would not need to go anywhere to wash his hands.

After an hour, I was startled when I felt someone touch my hands. It was Steven. He was touching my little finger and squeezing it. I looked up at him and saw his eyes were also staring back at me.

Shyness engulfs my system. I do not know what to do or what to say.

"Can I?" He asked.

I nodded unconsciously. He just smiled and continued playing with my little finger. I cannot help but feel my stomach fluttering. Instead of focusing on the drama we are watching, I can't help but think about many things right now.

It's been a year since someone did this to me. Jake does not like to do this kind of thing. Although he did before when he was still courting me, after a few months, he stopped doing it.

I was not able to follow the flow of the drama. I kept looking down to see how he held and squeezed it.

"Let's stop watching here," He announced it as he turned the television off. "Your hands are soft. It looks like you are not doing anything." He added.

I quickly hit his arms. "You know, I do many things, including cleaning your house. I just want to remind you." I responded.

He smiled before squeezing my little finger once again. "I was just joking. It's cute and soft. It makes me want to squeeze it more. Would you mind cutting it and giving it to me as a remembrance?" He suggested, which made me hit him again. "Joking again." He added.

I shot him a glare. "You like to joke now, huh." I told him.

"I will send you home," he said. "I will just clean this." He added and quickly brought the bowl, water pitcher, and the glasses we used.

I checked my things and put the sanitizer back in my shoulder bag. I also fixed my hair and tied it again. "Steven, I think I can just go home by myself. I do not want to tire you out." I told him when he got back.

Steven shook his head. "No. I will send you home. It is dangerous outside." He replied.

"But I do not want to tire you out. You still need to rest. You just got out of the hospital." I responded.

"I also want to remind you that I do not have any serious illness. What happened yesterday was because of stress," He explained. "Do not think of me as a weak hu―"

He stopped talking. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing. Let's just go." He initiated.

I followed him and just left a message for his parents and Mavin. "I sent them a message that I am going, and you are sending me home." I said as I kept my phone in my bag.

He nodded and showed me his palm. I looked at it and waited for him to talk again. "Why?" I asked him.

"Hold my hand." He replied, which surprised me.

"Huh?" I asked again, stuttering.

I am unsure of what he meant by that.

Instead of answering me back, he just held my hands. We entwine our hands.

"Are you comfortable with it?" He asked. I nodded again unconsciously. I heard him snicker. "You are blushing." He said. "Cute."

I was not able to reply. It seems like my system is not working well. Steven is playing with me.

"Hey, Sunny, you told me you would not change your mind if you knew I was not the person you knew. Right?" He suddenly asked.

I nodded and threw a glance at him. "How often should I tell you I will still be with you whatever happens? As long as you are not going to make a bad decision." I explained to him.

"Of course, I won't. I just want an assurance that you would not change your view of me." He said.

I squeezed his hands. "You can trust me, Steven. I will try to understand you as long as I can," I told him. "I might be confused at first, but I will be fine. I will still come to you. Remember that." I added, assuring him.

We walked quietly until we got home, with our hands still intertwined. "Do not attend school if you are not fine tomorrow." I told him.

He nodded. "I will, Ma'am." He answered.

"Thank you for sending me home. Take care on your way home." I told him.

He looked down precisely at our hands. I can see him smiling as he stares at it.

"Do not text Mavin anymore, as long as it is not an emergency. If you have any questions, call me immediately, not him. Are we clear?" He suddenly said.

I nodded unconsciously again. Why do I feel like I will nod even if he says I am ugly? He let go of my hand. "I enjoyed this day. I love your boiled beef." He said.

"Of course! I must not disappoint my family, especially my ancestors." I replied.

"Go inside."

I nodded. "I will head now. Take care on your way, and message me when you get home." I reminded him and entered our house.

After that, I sat quietly on our sofa.

Did we just hold hands?

Is it normal?

For friends?

Why do I feel like I want to squeal?

Why did he do that?

"Why did he not tell me the reason first?" I said and crouched down, pulling my hair.

"What the hell is happening to you?" My sister, Fei, asked when she got out of her room.

I quickly sat down and shook my head. "Nothing. I am fine." I answered.

“Mom! Sunny Clyde is getting crazy! She was pulling her hair out!” Fei told our mother.

We had dinner with my sister, telling me that I was crazy. After dinner, I headed to my room to change my clothes. I also took a half-bath before lying down.

I opened my phone and saw Steven's message that he was home already and his mother was preparing their dinner. I do not know what to reply to him. I would like to ask him about what we did a while ago. I do not want to assume anything, but my mind keeps doing so.

I would not deny that I liked it too. I can lie to everyone, but I can't lie to myself. But I think I should not feel this way toward him.

We are friends, aren't we?