Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Cakra didn't know what was wrong with him. He felt ashamed of himself. He should not have acted like that, which would indirectly plunge him into Inez's problems.

For some reason, seeing Inez giving Rian a drink, half of his heart didn't want to see that. Cakra also felt a little unwilling for Inez to do that.

And now he was trying to thicken his face in front of Inez. Cakra walked quickly without direction, occasionally glancing back, Inez was chasing him to collect Cakra's explanation.

Cakra himself did not have an answer to Inez's question. That's why he ran away from the girl. But Inez never gave up. Inez felt that Cakra's treatment of her on the basketball court earlier was really strange, as if the boy felt that Inez should not have a relationship with Rian.

Let's just say Inez was overconfident, but that was the truth.

Inez ran fast, then stood right in front of Cakra with her breath rushing. Inez spread both hands, blocking Cakra's way.

Feeling that dodging was futile, Cakra surrendered. He sighed and looked at Inez.

Inez smiled happily. "You can't go anywhere anymore," she said proudly.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Why me? Why you!" Inez rolled her eyes. Then she pulled Cakra's hand without his consent.

He groaned in protest. "Where are you taking me?" asked the boy as he matched Inez's hurried pace.

"I want to collect your explanation," said Inez without looking at Cakra.

"I have business," said Cakra, trying to deny that he was free from Inez.

"No need to lie, just come with me!"

"Tap-

"Can you shut up?!" Inez snapped while glaring, making Cakra immediately lock his mouth tightly.

Inez took Cakra to the rooftop of the school, she thought it would be a good place to talk. After reaching the top, Inez released her grip on Cakra's hand.

The boy noticed his surroundings, seemingly amazed at the beauty from up here. This was the first time he stood on the rooftop of his new school.

"Now explain everything to me," Inez demanded as she folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes focused on him with emphasis.

He sneered. "Explain what?"

"Why did you suddenly appear on the field?" Inez asked.

"I just happened to be passing by," replied Cakra without looking at Inez's face.

Inez fumed at herself. "If someone talks, look at their face," she quipped. Cakra immediately looked straight at Inez's face.

"There's no way you can pass that way," said Inez.

"I did pass by," said Cakra.

"I don't believe it."

"That's okay." He shrugged his shoulders unconcernedly. His face still looked flat.

Inez's face reddened, she punched Cakra's shoulder while stomping her foot irritably on the floor. "You're such a bummer."

Cakra was silent.

"Honestly, what's so hard about me?" Inez said it again.

"Am I lying to you?" He turned the question around. One eyebrow quirked up. Staring at Inez, not understanding.

Inez chuckled in annoyance. "Be honest with me, are you actually jealous of me and Rian?"

Cakra glared. "No," he said, shaking his head firmly. "Why would you think that?"

"Yeah, I thought so. You came out of nowhere, and then you got angry like that when Rian told me not to go."

"I wasn't angry!" Cakra defended himself.

"Well, the point is, you're jealous that Rian and I are getting close. Do you?" Inez smiled mockingly. "I know what you're up to, there's no need to lie or cover anything up. I already know everything."

Cakra tried to stay calm. Inez was really hard to deal with. "I'm not jealous, so what?"

"You don't want to admit anything anymore," sneered Inez as she waved her hand in front of her face. A lopsided smile was painted on her beautiful face. "What were you doing there?"

"I just care."

"Care about me?" Inez laughed widely, while Cakra exhaled tiredly. His gaze was still the same, flat.

"I'm serious," he said.

"Now let's do this," Inez said, then paused to take a break. She cleared her throat, looking at Cakra seriously. Meanwhile, Cakra also watched Inez, locking gazes with each other. "Instead of you being confused, let's start dating now. I know you already like me, but you're too proud. I really like you, you know. Do you agree?"

Inez smiled widely. Her white and neatly arranged teeth were visible.

Cakra immediately gave her a sharp reply. "No," he said firmly. "You've talked about this before. Why bring it up again?"

"Well, you don't want to be my boyfriend yet."

"No, Inez, we're not going to be boyfriend and girlfriend forever." Cakra looked away.

"You're shy, but you want to, right?" Inez chuckled. "Just admit it. How long are you going to keep it to yourself? I'm sorry that you're hanging around me all the time."

"Inez, don't be silly," said Cakra.

"So explain honestly why you're acting as if I can't have anything to do with Rian. You don't want me to be with him, but you're not asking me out. You're weird."

"I did that out of pity."

"Pity that your father's nutmeg is broken!" Inez said, making Cakra immediately look at her sharply.

Inez, who had just realized that she had misspoken, immediately corrected herself. She covered her mouth and shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

Cakra exhaled tiredly. "Did you say that already?" she asked. "Then I'm going back to class."

"I'm not done yet!" Inez grumbled, "Just come here for a while, keep me company. It's still free time too, what are you doing in class? Studying?"

"Yes," he replied with a small nod. "It's more useful than talking to you."

"You do have a mouth sometimes, don't you?" Inez smacked her lips, before finally moving towards a bench not far from where she was.

Cakra followed behind, and they sat next to each other.

"It's far, come close to me," Inez said as she patted the bench beside her. "It feels like my virus if you sit far away like that."

"I don't want to," said Cakra.

Inez chuckled. "I can't lean on you, right?"

"Why should I?"

"I want you."

"I don't want it."

Inez gritted her teeth in annoyance. She mumbled to herself in front of Cakra. "Are you really like this? No wonder you've never been in a relationship, how can anyone want to date you if you're this annoying to girls."

"So why do you want to?" Cakra turned his face to look at Inez flatly.

"Who would want to date you?" Inez chuckled. "You're very confident."

"Then who do you like?" Cakra's gaze became more serious.

"Rian maybe." Inez relaxed her shoulders. Her sweet smile returned. "Who knows what the future holds, right?"

Cakra's face became more and more flat and expressionless. He took a long breath. "Don't ever date Rian," he said. "I don't like it."

Inez blinked her eyes. "Then you want to date me?" Her cheeks already feeling hot, Inez looked down while holding back her smile.

"Not me too," Cakra replied. "The point is you should never get close to him again, Rian is not a good boy. I know him better than you do." Cakra got up from his seat and stepped away. But after only three steps, he turned his face towards Inez. "Oh yeah, don't make me worry about you."

***

How could Inez not be confused? Cakra said that he didn't like Inez and kept refusing when Inez asked him out. However, his words on the school rooftop made Inez feel stupid.

"That boy really confused me, I swear!" Inez grumbled all the way to the school parking lot to go home. Occasionally, she growled in frustration. "If you don't like me, why worry about me?"

Isn't that the way to play? After all, why should Cakra worry about Inez if he doesn't have any feelings for her? Or is it actually Inez who has expected more, so she has already been flying first? Who is actually at fault?

Inez let out a long sigh and shook her head quickly. She had to get that thought out of her skull. Her head might go bald if she kept thinking about Cakra.

Until finally, after arriving at the parking lot, Inez immediately went to her parked car. But her steps suddenly stopped when her eyes caught a boy.

Squinting to make what she saw clearer, Inez then muttered softly. "Cakra?"

Inez blinked her eyes, then she continued walking. However, Cakra suddenly stood in front of her, causing Inez to accidentally bump into the boy's chest. Inez groaned in pain, cursed, and rubbed her forehead, which hurt a little. Until she finally looked up.

"Can't you just look around when you're walking?"

Inez immediately shut her mouth, and at the same time, her eyes blinked. In front of her stood a boy who had confused her since before.

Cakra raised one thick eyebrow. Staring straight at Inez.

"What are you doing here?" Inez snapped.

Cakra looked around. "Did you forget that the parking lot is a place to put vehicles? I'm going home," he replied.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Inez sighed tiredly. "Move aside, I'm going home too."

"Ah, wait a minute!" Cakra hurriedly prevented Inez when the girl was about to take another step.

"Why?"

Cakra looked confused. He repeatedly rubbed his neck. Inez became annoyed with him for procrastinating like this. After all, Inez was still a little miffed with that boy.

"Why are you silent?" Inez asked. "Not going to talk?"

"Hold on," said Cakra, again not letting Inez leave.

"What the hell!" Inez gave Cakra an annoyed look. "What do you want to say? I'm hurrying back here. Don't delay, you have to go to work too, right?"

He sighed heavily. "You shouldn't get close to Rian," he said later.

Inez smiled wryly. She scrunched her waist as she walked closer to Cakra. Now they were almost touching.

"Why can't I get close to Rian?" Inez challenged.

Cakra swallowed harshly. "What will happen to you, Rian is no good."

Inez turned her face away and laughed sarcastically. "Who are you to forbid me? My boyfriend? My brother? My parents? Or my grandfather?" Inez chuckled and shook her head. Then she looked up again. "Don't try to boss me around. Got it?"

"I don't want you to—"

"You don't want me to get hurt, is that what you mean?" Inez smiled wryly, again.

Cakra let out a long sigh. He was silent, not having the ultimate answer to Inez's question.

Inez moved closer to him. Their bodies almost touched, making Cakra hold his breath for a moment.

"Listen to me, okay?" Inez took a pause. "You have no right to stop me if you have nothing to do with me. It's a different story if you're already my boyfriend."

"Not really Nez," said Cakra. "Am I not allowed to worry about you?"

"Here's a kid..." Inez fumed to herself. Her teeth chattered in annoyance. "Why are you worried about me anyway? If you like me, don't hang like this. I don't like being left hanging without certainty. You better hurry up before I change my mind." Inez rolled her eyes, she was about to take another step, but she stopped herself for a moment and looked at Cakra. "And don't make me confused about the meaning of your worry. I don't like it! Rian is also not like what you said, he's really nice to me. It's just that I don't want him there yet. I don't know, right? Feelings can change at any time. Be careful with that, talk to me if you like it before it's too late."

After speaking at length almost without pause, which made it difficult for Cakra to absorb her words, Inez immediately continued her steps towards her car, leaving Cakra pensive while staring at Inez's back, which slowly began to move away.

Cakra finally left, and Inez had time to turn her face back. She thought he would stop her again, but he had already disappeared. Making Inez sigh a little disappointed. Isn't it hard to ask a stiff boy like Cakra out?

Inez shook her head softly, then her gaze touched Rian's eyes. She approached him with a flat face.

"What are you doing here?" Inez asked, to the point. She didn't like making small talk with Rian. Besides, it was already homecoming time, and Inez wanted to rush home.

Rian stood up straight and pocketed his cell phone. He smiled sweetly. "Waiting for you, Nez," he answered honestly.

"Waiting for me?"

Rian nodded. "My motorcycle was borrowed by a friend, he said he had some urgent business. I can go home with you, right?"

Inez glared. "What, go home with me?" Inez asked, her voice rising several octaves in intonation. "You're not wrong?"

Rian shook his head slowly. "So what?"

Letting out a short sigh, Inez replied curtly. "Why me? Why not your other friends?"

"It's quiet in the parking lot, Nez, everyone has gone home."

Inez sighed in resignation. It was true what Rian said—most of the students had left school, and only a few vehicles were left in the parking lot. Unable to bear it, Inez finally agreed to Rian's request. She still had a heart, it would look so cruel if she refused to let Rian ride in her car.

"Alright, but you drive." Inez replied as she threw the car keys, which Rian caught right away. The boy's smile broadened.

"Thank you, Nez, for accepting me," Rian said.

Feeling ambiguous about the boy's statement, Inez immediately turned her head. "What do you mean?"

"What?" Rian looked confused.

"What did you just say?" Inez confirmed.

"I said thank you for being able to ride you home. What's wrong with that? Is something weird?" Rian raised one eyebrow.

Inez shook her head as she exhaled a sigh of relief. "Okay," she said briefly. Before finally getting into the car, followed by Rian. It seemed that just now Inez had caught the other meaning of the words that came out of Rian's lips.