Chapter 42: Chapter 42

“I’ll take you to the school. Hop in!” Terban said while pointing to the passenger seat.

The rain stopped pouring.

Ryan looked up wondering how long she’s been standing there that she didn’t notice that the rain stopped. She closed the umbrella and carefully breathed out.

‘Kyle confessed to me. He did.’

The fact couldn’t process inside her head. Nevertheless, seeing a grumpy guy like Terban comforted Ryan.

She didn’t expect that looking at a guy she always fights with would be this comforting.

“Are you going to stay there forever?” Terban asked. “Come quick, or I will drag you in.”

Even if they fixed their relationship after getting to know each other, Ryan and Terban still fought each other from time to time. It was hard for Terban to get rid of his grumpy attitude.

“If someone hears you right now, he might think that you came here to kidnap me,” Ryan commented.

She hopped inside his car and buckled the seatbelt.

“I would love to hit you right now. Be thankful that you are Terban.”

“We always fought when we were kids too,” Terban said. “You also changed a lot, Ryan. You were so obedient and timid before.”

Terban closed the window and drove his car.

There has been a huge change ever since Ryan figured out Terban’s identity. She tried to be more patient with Terban even though sometimes, she liked to smack his head because he was so blunt.

Nevertheless, they didn’t interact with each other that much these past few days. Terban and Ryan were busy with their studies. That’s why Vincent, Chaylen, and Kyle didn’t notice the changes between them.

Sylvester was the only one who knew it, so Sylvester caught Terban and Ryan smiling at each other sometimes.

“Why do you drive so slow?” Ryan asked.

“I am being careful.”

“Careful of what? The road is clear. Hello?”

“When will your class start?”

“11 am.”

“It is only 10 in the morning. Why are you in a hurry?”

The truth is Terban purposely drove slowly so he would spend more time with Ryan.

“I should have walked,” Ryan complained before she looked outside the window.

Terban used that chance to steal a glance at her.

“Oh right!” Ryan gasped and looked at him.

When Ryan turned his head, Terban avoided her gaze. He cleared his throat and acted as if nothing happened.

“This is the first time you let me ride in your car,” Ryan said. She wanted to guilt-trip Terban by adding, “You were DISGUSTED TO US BEFORE, right?”

“I am still feeling disgusted when someone rides in my car. But that only implies to the other guys. You are an exception,” he said.

“Wow~ This is the perks of being your childhood friend. Cool.”

“I have a question, though. Why did you agree on living with five men in the same boarding house?”

Ryan pulled out the mocking smile on her lips when she heard the question.

It was a rhetorical question because Terban knew the answer already. But it seems he wanted to hear it directly from her.

“We promised to meet at that University, didn’t we?” she said. “It was you who chose this school as our meeting place.”

Years ago, before they parted, Terban promised Ryan that he would come back for her. That time, Terban saw the University building from afar and he pointed to that place.

[“Let’s see each other at that place!”] the young Terban said to her before.

Thus, Ryan gambled everything just to enter the University even if that means living with men under the same roof. She really wanted to fulfill his promise to the young boy who gave colors to her lonely childhood life.

“When we arrived in the other country,” Terban said, “I thought we would never see each other again. I heard from my parents that they don’t have plans to come back again. At that time, I felt so guilty for you.

Ryan looked at him while he was driving. Ever since Ryan learned that he was her childhood friend, this is the first time Terban talked about the past.

“I purposely forgot everything about you because I don’t want to hope for something impossible to happen,” he added.

Ryan nodded her head.

“Then suddenly, my parents filed a divorce.”

“Huh?” Ryan gasped. Her eyes widened.

As far as she could remember, Terban used to tell Ryan how happy his family was.

‘Is this the reason why Terban changed and why he cannot trust people around him?’ She took a guess.

“My mom cheated on Dad. She left us and lived with her man,” Terban shared.

He parked the car near the school’s parking lot. But he didn’t turn off the engine. Terban unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Ryan.

“Dad came back here in order to forget Mom completely. I thought there wouldn’t be me and you again. Oddly, the first person that came into my mind the moment I went back was you. I enrolled in this University. I endured living with strangers even if I am not comfortable communicating with people I don’t know. When I learned that you are Ryan and that I wronged you a lot, I cursed myself a million times. I was so embarrassed, so it was difficult for me to tell the truth, Ryan.”

Staying quiet, Ryan only listened.

“I am not the Terban you knew,” he said, nodding his head. “I changed into someone you hate. I talk before thinking and that’s why I hurt many people. However, I can change myself for you. If there’s someone I want to trust, I know it’s you.”

“Terban,” Ryan responded. “I accept who you are even if you change. There are times that I really wanted to kill you. But no matter what happened, you are Terban. My dear childhood friend.”

They looked at each other and laughed together.

“So, that means we’re totally okay?” he asked.

“Sure! I will try to forget our bad past.”

Ryan unbuckled her seatbelt and murmured.

“But I am allowed to call you ‘Mr. Negative’, right?”

“What?”

“Because you are still grumpy.”

“I am kind to you now.”

“You went down with a tiny percent.”

“I will t-try to be more like a gentleman,” he stuttered.

“Oh wow~ That sounds so creepy. Don’t say it again. Okay?”

“Why are you playing so hard-to-get? It’s annoying.”

“See that?” she said, pointing at his face. “You are still grumpy. Anyway, thanks for the ride, Mr. Negative.”

She grabbed her bag and held the doorknob.

“Wait!”

Terban held her wrist.

“What?” she asked, looking back.

“About the promise. I think we forgot to talk about the other promise that we made before.”

“What promise?” she inquired while frowning.

Terban let go of her arm. He looked away and took a deep breath.

“I will date you when we grow up, I p-promised that,” he breathed.

Ryan stared at him for a long time; unable to move or say a thing.

Then, when she calmed down, she carefully detached her lips.

“Why are you forcing yourself, dude? We made that promise when we were so young. I mean… I… okay. When I was young, I…”

Terban is her first love.

Ryan dreamed of dating Terban when she grew up. Even when she entered the university, she imagined a sweet romance between her and her childhood sweetheart if ever they see each other again.

However, things changed!

She cannot imagine dating a guy like Terban anymore! But Ryan was still happy to see him though.

“Look. It will be so awkward to suddenly date just because of our promise. We were young at that time. And you will definitely regret it if you force yourself to do something as outrageous as this.”

Terban shut his mouth and stared at his stupid friend.

“Do I look AS STUPID AS YOU to date someone I don’t like?” he dropped in a cold tone. “Fuck Ryan. Use your DAMN HEAD. I will date you because I came to like you RIGHT NOW.”

“…”

“What an idiot,” Terban murmured while blushing.

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Author's note: The second "Chapter 25" should be "26". Will ask the editor to change the title soon~