Chapter 45: Chapter 45

With a mischievous smile, Inez surprised Cakra with such a sensitive question. Inez raised her eyebrows, teasing Cakra. Meanwhile, the boy was already glaring wide.

The look on Cakra's face made Inez instantly burst out laughing. The girl laughed widely, Cakra's expression really made her stomach churn. A split second after her laughter stopped, Inez shook her head.

"No need to take my words so seriously, I'm just kidding." Inez chuckled again. Cakra, who was previously shocked and was about to send her a protest, then snorted long.

"It's not funny, Nez," said Cakra quietly, "I don't want to go to that place."

"Yes, I understand. You're not a bad boy. You're different, and somehow I like you."

"Don't go to that place again, Nez, I don't like it, it's a dangerous place. If you get drunk again, you'll pay the price."

"Yes, yes, I understand. I won't go there again," Inez replied lazily in response to the boy's words.

Inez's playful response made Cakra sigh softly. The boy sharpened his eyes, looking at Inez more focused and sharp. "I'm serious, Nez."

For a split second, Inez was pensive. She looked straight at him until, finally, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm not going to that place. For your sake."

"Not for my sake. Promise yourself," said Cakra quickly.

"I promised myself I wouldn't go to the club again. Already, what's wrong now?"

"There's nothing wrong." Cakra replied as he shook his head. "You promise?"

"Yes, for my own good."

For some reason, Inez felt like she was drugged by Cakra's words. His girlfriend said, Inez would just go along with it. After all, what Cakra wanted was not detrimental to Inez herself. In fact, it was all for Inez's own good. It has nothing to do with Cakra at all.

"Thank you." He lifted the corners of his lips, creating a very sweet smile. And Inez liked this one thing, because according to her, Cakra's good looks would increase dramatically if he showed off his smile.

"Well, then where do you think we should go?" Inez asked then. One eyebrow raised, she threw her gaze back to Cakra's face, waiting for an answer from the boy, who wore a dongker blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Why don't you come to my house first, Nez? I want to take a shower, I'm so sticky. Do you mind?" he suggested.

Inez nodded quickly, without thinking. "I think it's necessary, you also look really rumpled. Okay, I don't mind. I also want to see your house."

"It might take a while to get there, I'm riding a bicycle."

"No problem, I also want to ride a bike with you. I haven't ridden a bike in a long time. When was the last time?" Inez wondered for a while, remembering. Then, she shook her hand. "I don't care, I forgot! It's been so long, I can't even remember."

Cakra felt that Inez's suggestion bothered him a little. He looked at Inez while grimacing softly. It wasn't a good idea that Inez would ride the bike with him.

After thinking for a moment about the right and suitable sentence to say, with the aim that Inez would not feel offended, Cakra finally sighed softly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Nez, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?"

Cakra shook his head. "You better get in your car and let me ride my bike. You don't want to join me. Besides, where will your car go if you join me on the bike?"

"Why are you forbidding me? Am I not allowed to join you on the bike? I want to too!" Inez flatly refused. "Riding in a car is normal, I want something unusual. I don't want to know, but I have to come with you. About the car, you can let me stay here too, right? Just talk to the owner of this restaurant, and I'll come back here."

"It'll take a long time to get there, Nez," said Cakra, quietly. Still trying to convince Inez that she should just take the car.

"What if I take a car. It won't take long?" Inez asked Cakra a counter question, complete with one eyebrow raised. Cakra locked his mouth, unable to answer. Inez rotated her eyeballs. "No, right? Arriving at your house is the same. I don't know where your house is yet. I automatically followed you. Instead of riding a car at a slow speed, it's better to ride a bicycle with you, right? If I go by car, people will slap me because I'm too slow to follow you."

Inez's words made sense too. Cakra had no other choice. He looked down at his bike again. He was hesitant to take Inez on the two-wheeled vehicle. Inez also often rides in a car, and Cakra feels very bad. But, Inez was so insistent on wanting to ride a bicycle with him, that Cakra finally gave up too.

"Okay," broke up the boy finally.

"Is it really okay?" Inez blinked her eyes, looking at Cakra with a smile as wide as the sky and eyes that sparkled brightly. In answer to that question, he nodded slowly.

"That's the way it was! What's the point of arguing? It's a waste of time, isn't it? Look, it's getting late." Inez shook her head. "You wait here for a while, I want to go in and get permission to park the car here."

"Yes."

After Cakra responded with a low murmur, Inez immediately darted off, the girl moving swiftly with her long legs into a restaurant that was very famous. Not long after, Inez came out again with a big smile.

"Permitted?" asked Cakra.

"Of course, I don't just give permission. I'm going home to buy food here. Doesn't it feel bad to just park there?"

"Well, what are you waiting for? So are you going to my house?"

"It's not funny to cancel something like that, let's go!" Inez chuckled softly. She quickly climbed on Cakra's bicycle. Since Inez was now wearing a short skirt, she sat sideways. Cakra, who was ready, slightly turned his face back.

"I'm going now, Nez?"

Uh, wait, I'm not ready yet." Inez immediately exclaimed, while Cakra waited for Inez. Suddenly, he felt his body stiffen as Inez's hand wrapped around his stomach.

Slowly, he lowered his face. His breath had stopped in his throat. A strange feeling suddenly invaded his stomach. He doesn't know what is feeling right now. A sensation that was so foreign and had never stopped by. Swallowing his saliva, Cakra tried to focus. His gaze returned to the front. His heart was already beating harder than before. It was strange, but he didn't reject it.

"I'm ready, let's go! What are you waiting for?" Inez exclaimed while patting Cakra's shoulder with her other hand.

He blinked twice, before finally nodding awkwardly. Clearing his throat to get rid of the hoarseness, Cakra finally started pedaling his bike. And Inez hugged his stomach even tighter, making his blood rush.

He pedaled at a slow pace.

"How come I feel like you're tense, huh?" Inez muttered softly.

"Tense?"

"Yes, tense, or is it because I'm hugging you like this?"

"Eng-not really. You can't say anything, Nez." Cakra denied it, even though what Inez said was not wrong. Cakra swallowed, afraid of being caught if he was lying. No, Inez shouldn't know that he was nervous like this. He must be able to calm down.

"Honestly, why?"

"I'm not nervous, just don't talk out of your ass. Just shut up, Nez, or do you want me to drop you here?"

"So fierce, yes, I apologize. I was wrong." Inez rolled her eyes. "Is it still far to your house?"

"Not far, but not too far," Cakra replied casually. His long legs were still pedaling at a slower pace. Cakra is now more relaxed, there is even an urge in his heart to enjoy moments like this longer with Inez.

"It's good to ride a bicycle, isn't it? It's so relaxing."

"Do you like it, Nez?"

Inez nodded her head. "It's not too bad."

Cakra's lips immediately spread into a wide smile at Inez's words. He couldn't even stop the corners of his lips from pulling upward for a long time.

"We'll be at Grandma's soon," said Cakra.

"Oh, yeah?"

Cakra nodded his head quickly. "Yes, it's right in front of there."

Then the silence quickly spread, taking over the atmosphere between the two of them. Cakra felt awkward for a moment, but fortunately, he could breathe a sigh of relief because his grandmother's house was visible from afar. Letting out a long sigh, Cakra also slightly accelerated his bicycle pedaling. It was already late afternoon, the sun had gone down to its resting place.

Cakra braked his bike when he reached his yard. He turned his face away. "Get off Nez, we're here," he said softly to Inez. As soon as Inez got off following his words, Cakra got off too.

Clearing his throat softly, Cakra watched Inez, who was staring unblinkingly at her grandmother's small house. Yes, Nez, this is the house I live in with my grandmother. It's a small house, I'm not from a rich family like you, Nez. I'm sorry if you're bothered by this."

Inez quickly turned her head to the side, looking at Cakra with blinking eyes. "What are you talking about?" Inez asked in a sharp tone of voice. "Why would I object? I didn't say that."

Chakra shrugged his shoulders softly. "Just in case you're not comfortable. This house is small and cramped. I wasn't sure if you wanted to come in or not."

"I want to go in, I'm out here. I don't want to be kidnapped by a crazy person, do you have the heart, huh?"

"You really don't mind, Nez?" asked Cakra once again. "Or do you just want to go home? Let me take you back to that restaurant?"

"Oh my gosh, Cakra! I don't mind at all. I don't care if your house is small, big, or like a palace, I don't care about that at all. I just want to go alone with you, that's all. I like you from my heart. I don't look at anything else. And damn it, until now I haven't gotten the green signal from you." Inez looked at Cakra for a moment before taking the first step towards the small house in front of her.

Cakra hurriedly followed the beautiful girl. Arriving at the door, Cakra prevented Inez, who was about to take off her shoes. "No need to take them off, Nez, just go straight in!" Cakra smiled slightly, then opened the door wider as he greeted her.

The greeting from inside the house was immediately heard. Cakra saw his grandmother, who was walking towards him. Cakra's smile immediately became full.

"I'm at home, grandma," Cakra said as he kissed the back of his grandmother's wrinkled hand.

"Thank God you're home, how's the work going? Is it going well?"

"Safe, Grandma!" Cakra gave his grandmother a thumbs up as he chuckled softly.

"How come you're coming home in the afternoon?"

"Yes, Grandma, I was told by my boss to come home. I actually refused and didn't want to, but my boss insisted. So I had no choice but to comply." Cakra explained his grandmother's question. Then, he remembered Inez. "Oh yeah, Grandma, I brought a friend from school here. Do you want to meet her?"

Cakra looked at Inez and nodded his head. Inez then approached Cakra's grandmother and shook her hand, exactly as Cakra had done before.

"Hello grandma, I'm Inez, Cakra's school friend. Nice to meet you." After greeting her politely, Inez smiled.

Grandma looked at Cakra and said, "Your friend is really beautiful." Cakra was surprised to hear what his grandmother said. He just grimaced and glanced at Inez.

"Come on, Inez, come here, sit on this chair with me." Grandma took Inez by the hand and led her to sit on the rattan sofa in the living room.

Inez didn't argue, she just obeyed. Cakra's grandmother was very kind. Inez smiled softly. After sitting down, the girl looked at Cakra's grandmother, who sat beside her. "Thank you grandma, i'm so happy to meet you."

"I'm also happy to have you at my house. It's really nice of you." Grandma smiled very broadly. Her heart was so happy, her gaze didn't move from Inez's beautiful face.

"Thank you, Grandma."

Cakra then approached Inez and Grandma after closing the door. He cleared his throat softly and said, "Grandma, will you accompany Inez first? I want to take a shower and then pray."

"Yes, just calm down," replied his grandmother.

Cakra nodded enthusiastically, his gaze shifting to Inez. "Nez, let me go back first, okay? Are you okay with grandma being here?"

"It's okay, just relax."

After getting approval, Cakra immediately went to take a shower. Half an hour later, Cakra returned to the living room to meet Inez and her grandmother. After arriving, Cakra stopped and looked at them with raised eyebrows. Inez and Grandma were laughing together, which made Cakra's heart feel very cool and peaceful.

"WowInez is you two are talking about me? Grandma looks so happy. And Inez laughing too."

"No." Grandmother spoke to Inez as she laughed softly.

Inez glanced at Cakra and nodded.

Cakra just shook his head. He looked at his grandmother and Inez in turn. Grandma got along with Inez very quickly.

"Inez."

"Yes, Grandma?" Inez quickly responded to her grandmother's call.

"Cakra never brings a beautiful girl home."

"Grandma..." Cakra immediately cried out in protest.

"It's just you," Grandma continued, not caring about Cakra's protesting response.

Inez chuckled softly. "Oh yeah, Grandma?"

"Yes, I'm not lying," she said. "I'm getting suspicious, are you two dating?"

Her question made Cakra and Inez look at each other for a moment. He held his breath for a moment, his heart beating fast.