Chapter 22: Chapter 22

After finishing his sentence, Cakra lowered his face.

Inez laughed for a long time after Cakra's words. Making Cakra even more incomprehensible to Inez. Inez smiled at Cakra after her laughter stopped. It was her turn to move her face towards Cakra.

"You'll see, you'll eat your own words. Sooner or later, whether you realize it or not, you will become my boyfriend. You'll be interested in me. Do you understand?" She said, ending with a lopsided smile.

"Stop talking about it, I don't like it."

"Okay, I'm not done talking about the cigarette," she said. "If it's not yours. Then why is it in your bag?"

"I don't know," Cakra replied casually while shrugging his shoulders.

"Someone must have put it there. So why don't you tell the truth to Mr. Sultan?"

"You forgot?" Cakra looked deeply at Inez. "I said earlier that it wasn't mine. But it was useless, no one believed me. I don't even have any evidence to prove that it wasn't mine." He closed his eyes.

Inez nodded her head. "Then who put the cigarette there? How could anyone be so mean to you?"

Cakra laughed at Inez's explanation. "You're funny, there are no good people in this world. Maybe everything is full of falsehood, or maybe there are. But few. And you're wrong if you think I'm nice, you don't know who I am, Inez. You know me only on the outside, you don't know what I'm like on the inside."

"Then why don't you just let me be your girlfriend? I'll know you inside out if we stay close. How's that? Right?"

Cakra clicked his tongue. "Stop talking about unimportant things. How many times have I told you, I don't want to date."

"Are you sure you don't want to date me?" Inez smiled at Cakra. Then she shook her beautiful hair. "Are you sure you're not attracted to my charms?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head.

Inez narrowed her eyes. Then she looked into Cakra's eyes for a while longer, making the boy's jaw drop.

"What are you doing?"

"I suspect that if you like the same sex, you're gay, huh?"

Cakra glared. "You're talking nonsense!"

"You're weird anyway," Inez said with a sigh. "I emphasize and remind you once again, I'm the only one in this school who can conquer all the boys. And if I offered to be their lover, no one would refuse. Whereas you? I was clearly in front of your eyes and offered myself. You just don't want to. It's a sin to reject fortune."

"What fortune? A new burden, yes."

Inez smacked her lips. "It's ugly when you say that. I'm like gold—always sought after and awaited by people. Whoever gets me will be very lucky. It's a big loss for you to reject me."

"Just go out with another boy, why should I?"

"Because I like you. You're the only one I'm interested in, there are no other boys. Understand, right?"

Cakra chose not to care and looked away. "Why do you bring such unimportant things to school?" he asked, changing the subject to avoid silence.

Inez patted his shoulder. "Hey, you know, you're a boy. Girls can't be separated from makeup. Do you understand?"

"Well, not really, but..." Cakra thought for a moment to find the right words. "You're overreacting. Things like that can be left at home. None of the other girls have them either, right?"

"Some do," said Inez. "It's just you who doesn't know."

"So why aren't they in counseling if they brought it? Why only you? Don't go overboard like that. School is for learning material, not learning makeup."

Inez chuckled. "Who the heck are you to tell me what to do?"

"I'm not controlling," Cakra said. "I'm just telling you. Even without makeup, you'd—"

"Beautiful, you mean?" Inez spoke quickly, making Cakra sigh because his sentence had been cut off.

The boy slowly nodded. "Hmm."

"What? Are you really complimenting me on my beauty?" Inez was stunned, seemingly unable to believe Cakra's response. She laughed as she looked closely at his face. "What genie are you complimenting me on?"

Cakra sighed softly.

"But I'm pretty anyway, thanks for the compliment. Hopefully from here you understand that I already have the physique to support it. And hopefully you'll accept me as your girlfriend."

"Who else also said you were beautiful?" Cakra replied. "My feelings don't speak."

"I don't want to admit it anymore, kid." Inez sneered. "Earlier, when I told you that I was beautiful, you mumbled incoherently. You're already a hypocrite."

"Mumbling incoherently, right? That means your ears are the problem."

"What's so hard about admitting it? I'm really pretty. Juxtaposed with you, who has a pretty good look, I'll let it go."

"Who would want that," Cakra replied indifferently while shrugging his shoulders.

"Uh, I just remembered." Inez suddenly straightened up and shifted her sitting position to be closer to Cakra.

"There's no need to be so close, right?" Cakra grunted tiredly while shifting his body away from Inez. Fortunately, the white-painted iron chair he was sitting on was very long. So he could sit freely.

"Yes, yes, let me move again," said Inez, repositioning herself in her original place. Her eyes rolled sarcastically. "Satisfied now?"

"Yes."

Inez grumbled a little before remembering her original intention. "I have a question."

"You've been asking questions for a while now."

"That's fine if you can't."

"Tsk... It's up to you. What do you want to ask?"

"What did you have to do after school to want to advance this punishment? Do you have a problem?"

Cakra's forehead formed a straight vertical wave, indicating that he did not understand Inez's words. Her two thick eyebrows almost came together. "What does that mean?"

"What do you have to do after school?"

"I'm really curious," Cakra quipped. Making Inez cluck her tongue and show a sardonic look. "Nothing. What's the matter?"

Both of Inez's shoulders shrugged simultaneously. "It's fine, I'm just curious."

"I work." He doesn't know what compelled him to tell Inez this. It was the first time he had shared a bit of his problem with someone else.

Inez's mouth seemed to round at Cakra's words. Her head moved up and down. She stayed silent while looking at Cakra for a long time and thinking about it. "What do you do?"

Cakra let out a short breath. "Part-time at the restaurant."

"Why do you have to work so hard?" Inez asked again. He looked directly at Inez, making her grimace a little in guilt.

"Privacy, huh?" Inez said unpleasantly. "If it's really annoying, don't answer it. I'm sorry if I've gone overboard like this."

Cakra smiled slightly, completely unnoticed by Inez. He was staring ahead, far away. "If I don't work, I can't eat."

Inez stiffened in place. Surprised by what Cakra said. Realizing that Inez wasn't saying any more words, Cakra turned to the girl. "Why are you silent? Shocked?"

"Do you work? Where did your parents go?"

"They're gone."

Inez's breath caught in her throat. "Sorry, I didn't make—"

Cakra stopped Inez's speech by grabbing her hand. "There's no need to apologize," he said softly. Meanwhile, Inez was frozen in place. She stopped breathing for a few seconds. Her gaze locked on Cakra's handsome face. "You don't know, so it's only natural."

Cakra gave a slight smile, this time noticed by Inez. The boy then realized that he was holding Inez's hand. He hurriedly released it while apologizing repeatedly, to which Inez responded in the wind. The wavy-haired girl didn't bother with that.

"So how come you didn't work yesterday?" Inez asked when she found a small irregularity.

"I was on leave for a while, the boss had some business that couldn't be left behind. And it's only open again today." Although initially reluctant to go this far with Inez, Cakra felt something a little different. Something he had never felt, thought, or imagined before. Something that made his heart feel calm and cool.

Inez was reminded of something else. "And now I realize why that shoe is so precious to you."

Cakra looked down, fiddling with his fingers. He smiled a little. "I don't really have anything, but those shoes were all I had before you lost them."

Inez felt guilty when she thought about the shoes. She thought about it for a moment, wondering whether she would be honest or not. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Inez dared to say what happened.

"About the shoes, I want to be honest with you." Inez said as she lowered her head, reluctant to look at Cakra's face. She felt afraid.

"Honest?" The confusion was obvious from the expression that Cakra had on his face at the moment.

Inez looked up. "But promise not to be angry with me, okay?"

"Why should I be angry?" Cakra asked back.

Inez gave a long sigh. "Just in case, promise you don't get angry first, then I'll explain." Inez pointed her little finger at the boy beside her. Cakra did not immediately catch it. He looked at Inez's face for a split second, before deciding to keep the promise.

"Yes, promise," he said as he hooked Inez's little finger with his own.

Inez smiled and nodded. Her breathing was a little heavy. "Actually, your shoes are not lost," she said. Inez glanced at Cakra, who was silent. Inez grinned at the horse. "Your shoes are actually..." Inez shook her head slowly. "I mean, my mom found your shoes in my room, and then she gave them to someone who asked for help. My mom thought they were my shoes that I didn't use. So she gave them to someone else."

"Oh," Cakra understood as he nodded his head.

Inez blinked her eyes. "You're not angry?"

"It's already done, there's no point in getting angry, right? My shoes are with the right person anyway. I would have been angry if you had told me that my shoes were thrown away. Besides being the only shoe worth wearing. They're my favorite shoes. Grandma gave them to me."

Inez felt even more guilty towards Cakra. She still felt bad, even though he said he wasn't angry. "I apologize once again."

"It's okay," said Cakra. "I've got the money too."

Inez suddenly remembered Cakra's words at that time. "Now I understand why you were angry when I brought you the new shoes you're wearing now instead of your old ones. I also now understand when you said that the shoes I bought for you were new, but not the memories."

"Hm."

"Do you have a grandmother?" Inez asked again. She really wanted to know about Cakra's life. From the beginning, Inez was interested in anything related to that boy.

Cakra mumbled softly. "I do, I live with my grandmother."

No wonder Cakra had to work, apparently he was the backbone of the family. Inez didn't realize that Cakra was already carrying a burden that he shouldn't have at his age. Inez felt pity, her gaze staring at Cakra.

"What does your grandmother do?"

"Really want to know?" Cakra asked back.

Inez was stunned. Her heart felt bad again. "I just want to get to know you better, if you're not ready to tell me, I can't force you. The decision is in your hands."

"Grandma is old, I can't let her work. I'm afraid she'll get sick." Cakra finally continued to answer Inez's question. He did feel calm and a little relieved to have someone to vent to. Although Inez was a blunt girl, Cakra had a feeling that she was a good girl.

"I didn't know your life was so hard."

He turned his head quickly, his gaze turning flat. "I don't need pity from others. I live comfortably with my grandmother, there's nothing that makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm happy living like this. I'm not as miserable as you think. I don't feel burdened at all living like this, the important thing is that there is a grandmother who is always beside me. That's more than enough."

"Sorry," said Inez.

"Remember, Inez, God never gives trials beyond the limits of his servant's ability. If you feel problems and trials coming to you, it means that God believes that you can pass the test. You are capable."

Inez carried a smile. "Thank you."

"Yes."

"By the way, where do you live? I'd like to meet your grandmother. It's okay, right?"

"No need to know, I'll just leave a greeting for your grandmother from you."

Inez immediately punched Cakra's shoulder, her lips pursed. "That's a different story, I want to get to know you."

Cakra snorted weakly. "Yes, I'll introduce you sometime, but not now."

"You promised, didn't you? I'll pay you later if you lie." Inez pointed at his face with her finger, her gaze piercing.

"Are you really that nasty?" Cakra looked at Inez through the tails of his eyes with a small sneer.

"How do you feel now?" Inez asked.

Cakra looked questioningly at Inez. He was confused by the sudden change of topic. But Cakra didn't bother. He exhaled tiredly while looking down.

"I'm worried," he admitted. "I've already let my grandmother down. I promised her I wouldn't cause trouble here, but now I'm in the counseling room. I don't want you to be disappointed and not believe me anymore." Cakra looked up, staring at the leaves on the tree branches swaying in the wind. The boy smiled bitterly.