Chapter 30: Chapter 30

CLOSE FOR ROUTINE TREATMENT DAY

A holographic cross with the font Helvetica welcomed them again. Behind the bar, the gate that served as the entrance to the national park of Cirillo city, which he only found out about today had it not been for Edward who took him here, was also closed, as were the fifteen places they had visited. His lips pursed, holding back indignation, cursing whoever was the one who created that damn routine daycare. After his plan to spend time on the ice skating rink failed because they didn't make a reservation before coming to the rink (and he forgot if he had to), Edward took the initiative to take him to various places, which might be still open during the day. The results are clear, impossible.

He looked at the man who was now squatting beside him while cursing himself and tried his best to stop himself from laughing. All this time, he thought that Edward Groningen was the type of perfectionist who could do everything perfectly without any gaps. Like earlier, for example, designing a meal that he had to admit was the first perfect meal he had ever had. As it turned out, there were also things that Edward could not do perfectly.

'Sorry, Raymond. I forgot today is off because of routine maintenance day. Even though my calendar already notified me.'

He decided to prank Edward a little, putting on a disappointed expression. He wanted to see how Edward would react when he did it. 'It's a pity, eh? I think someone said to me that he had prepared everything for today.'

Edward looked up, looking at him with a tearful look. 'Even though I'm pretty sure everything is perfect. Sorry, I'm really lousy ...'

'Yes, really lousy.'

Seeing Edward, who immediately hid his face when he heard what he said, he could not help but laugh. Raymond crouched beside Edward as he tapped the man on the shoulder. 'I am kidding.'

'Don't cheer up, Raymond. You're right, I really suck.'

'But the meal was perfect, really.'

'Still, I failed. Can't take you to the ice skating rink. Can't take you anywhere else because everything is closed. Even though I have lived here for a long time, I always forget about the routine maintenance days in Cirillo city.'

'We can still have some time to do that in the future. Just relax.'

'I failed,' Edward looked away, frustrated. 'You can tell me too if you want.'

'I won't.'

'Just say. It's okay.'

He lowered his head, trying to hide his laughter when he saw Edward's cute behaviour. Then he looked back at his manager, resting his head on his hands that hugged his knees. 'Geez. It's just hanging out together. Not counting as a date. We still have another day.'

Edward turned around, staring at him with his eyes fixed on him, looking disbelieved at what he had just said. 'Your friend was right. You really are not sensitive at all.'

'About what?' he said, frowning.

The man shook his head slowly, then stood up. 'There is one place that should still be open now. Want to go there?'

'Are you sure they're still open? You also said that at many places we visited before, and it was closed. Like this place, for example,' he said, pointing behind them.

'I just found out about this one. Because as far as I know, this place usually stays open on Routine Maintenance days, just like the ice skating area earlier.'

'This time, I'm trying to make to believe you. Watch out if that place also closed, okay?'

'No, I guarantee this one.'

***

Thankfully, this time Edward was right. The last place they went to was a riverbank that was rarely travelled because of the cold air, and almost the entire land surface was covered with snow. The snow cleaners only do their work for the road and path areas, so that the places they currently sit were not in the scope of their work being left alone, successfully forming the accumulated snow until it looked like a fur carpet. The sky was completely dark by the time they got here on the last bus. Luckily, this place was not far from Edward's apartment, so maybe he would stay at Edward's house again.

'Your coffee,' said Edward, who had just returned from the minimarket, which was located not far from where he was currently sitting, holding out a paper cup containing the black coffee he ordered. He happily accepted the coffee, because it had been a long time since he smelled the aroma of black coffee that always made him feel calm. Apart from cigarettes, of course.

'It will be perfect if there are fireworks,' Raymond said as he took a slow sip of the coffee, enjoying the hot sensation of the coffee that spread throughout his body.

'You can't do it here. It is prohibited by law because it endangers wild animals and also the ecosystem.'

'Sorry. I think you can do that here too,'

'You're not from here, so it's natural not to know,' Edward laughed softly. 'The government here is very serious in trying to make the city sustainable. Therefore, Cirillo city is known as the pilot city. Well, because of that, I also considered this town as my second home. In my old place, London wasn't a very interesting place.'

'Oh.'

'By the way, Hazel said you're from Morozov city.'

He nodded.

'I've never been there, so I'm curious—'

'Nothing interesting,' he said quickly. Hearing Morozov city only sparked a memory he did not want to remember. He took another sip of his coffee, trying to calm himself down so that his panic attacks would not arise. As much as possible, he did not want to trouble Edward like what happened the other day when he was attacked by his attacker.

Edward took a slow sip of the tea he bought, staring at the river that seemed calm. 'The man who was at the hospital ...'

'Oh, Verdict?'

Edward nodded. 'Was he your ex?'

'My ex? No, no. FYI, Hazel was my first ex.' Raymond waved his hands in the air, laughing softly. 'He is the younger brother of my late friend. I've considered it like my brother. Yes, he's childish, but he's a good person. Why do you think he was my ex?'

'Just asking. Because you guys look very close.'

'Naturally. I've known for a long time. Two years? Five years? Hm, I don't know. I don't remember anymore.'

'Oh. Then your family?'

'My family? I don't have,' Raymond smiled bitterly, looked away as he drank his coffee again. 'To be more precise, I thought that after my parents gave up on raising me when I was 14 years old.'

'Sorry, I didn't mean—' muttered Edward.

Raymond spun around the paper cup, which was now empty because it had run out. 'Relax. It's all in the past. By the way, can I ask you something?'

'Sure. What do you want to ask?'

'About your parents ...' Raymond hesitated a little, worried because what he was asking was a sensitive topic. 'When did it happen?'

'Ten years ago. I was a fool back then. I always loved fighting. Very hard-tempered. Thinking that strength and violence was my everything. Anyway, if I think about it, everything I did was really stupid. Seriously.'

He burst out laughing at the last sentence Edward said.

'I am serious! How come you're laughing?'

'Sorry, I can't help it. The way you say that ...,' he said between laughter.

Edward put his paper cup to his right side, pushed Raymond away until he was now lying on the snow, and locking his movements. The paper cup he was holding fell at once, beside him. The man's eyes looked straight at Raymond. 'Are you done laughing?'

His laughter stopped at once. He swallowed hard. From this close, he could clearly see Edward's face. He looked annoyed, but he was sure the man was not really upset. He turned his eyes away, not daring to look at Edward's eyes, which seemed to force him to keep looking into his green eyes.

'That…'

'Look at me when you talk,' whispered Edward, as he brought his lips to Raymond's ear. 'Why did you stop?'

He was pretty sure that Edward was doing it on purpose. His whispering voice sounded very sexy in his ears until it made him a little… interested. He closed his eyes, trying to stop himself from being seduced by Edward. 'Th-that ...'

'Yes?'

'T-t-tha-that ...'

He moaned as Edward's tongue licked his ear, then kissed his neck before he looked back at him, raising an eyebrow, then laughing, moving his body away from Raymond. 'I feel satisfied now, seeing your reaction.'

He remained to lie there, frozen. The sound of his heart pounding sounded clatter in his ears when he heard Edward's laughter, and he tried desperately to stop the pounding of his heart that was making him short of breath. His face felt hot as if it was not affected by the cold air that hit his face at this time.

'Raymond? Are you all right?'

His eyes flickered. His hand stroked the part of his neck that Edward had kissed earlier. 'I-I'm… fine. Yes, everything is fine ...'

'But you were shivering. Want to go home now?'

He just realized that his body was shivering with the cold the moment Edward said that. He nodded as he continued cursing his heartbeat getting louder as Edward pulled his hand, helped him to stand up picking up the paper cup and threw it into the trash bin not far from where they had been. Grasping his hand as if it was the most normal thing that the man would do. He closed his eyes, began to question the feelings he had been feeling for Hazel.

This was different. Far different from how he used to feel when he was with Hazel. Together with Hazel, there was a feeling of wanting to protect that woman. But with the man who walked beside him and kept smiling without stopping, he wanted to be protected.

Wait. Protected?

Argh! What was he just thinking about earlier? How could he think of such ridiculous things!

'Do you mind if we go to the supermarket first? The groceries in my house run out.'

He nodded. Edward stroked the back of his neck, biting his lower lip.

'Er, Raymond? Do you want to go straight home or stay at my house today?'

He took out his smartphone, pretended to check the clock, then put on a sad look. In fact, from the start, he had planned to spend the night at his manager's house. 'Can I stay at your house tonight? The last bus has already passed its schedule.'

He heard his manager vaguely mutter happily, then cleared his throat. 'Y-yes, we have no choice then.'

He rubbed his nose under his nose, held back a smile, satisfied that he had managed to turn around his manager who had teased him earlier. Edward's clumsy face was more than enough for him to pay for the man's pranks on him earlier.

***