Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Cakra didn't know where to take Inez for a ride. Especially by riding a bicycle, a strange vehicle for dating, according to Cakra. In the end, Cakra chose a park that was actually not too far from his house, where Cakra now sat with Inez, sitting on the green and smooth garden grass. At first, Cakra was hesitant, but seeing Inez, who did not argue or refuse when he brought her here, Cakra secretly smiled. He felt relieved.

Cakra glanced at Inez, who was sitting next to him. "I'm confused about where to take you, here, you really don't mind?"

"As long as I'm alone with you, I'll be fine. It's not bad here," Inez replied quietly as she glanced around. "It's not quiet here, there are quite a lot of people."

Indeed, Cakra nodded in agreement. There were quite a few people visiting this park. Cakra tried to calm himself down. He looked up. His smile appeared again. "The sky is nice," he murmured.

Cakra's words caught Inez's attention. Slowly, Inez raised her face, looking at the sky. The next second, Inez nodded, agreeing with what Cakra said. "Yes, it's good. There are so many stars."

"But how come there's no moon?" Cakra said it again as he looked at the sky more carefully.

Inez confirmed that she didn't see it either. "Yeah, the moon isn't ... there is!" Inez pointed upwards, her index finger pointing at the moon that had just emerged from a dark cloud.

Cakra chuckled softly, "hiding."

Inez looked at Cakra's smile, making him smile too. Her heart trembled seeing him this close. Slowly, Inez rested her head against his shoulder, leaning her body against him.

"Is it okay, Kra?" Inez asked in a low voice, her gaze straight ahead.

"It's okay if you're comfortable, Nez," Cakra replied softly, looking at Inez. Slowly, his hand moved and touched her shoulder. Cakra trembled slightly, but he tried to control himself to calm down. Not to mention his heart, which somehow didn't stop beating too fast when he was with Inez.

Successfully, Cakra stroked Inez's shoulder up and down. The corners of his lips lifted again.

"This is our first date?" Inez murmured.

Cakra nodded slowly. "And I can't take you anywhere decent, Nez. I didn't take you to cafes, movie theaters, or fancy places. Instead, I brought you here, to a place that's cold and not interesting at all."

Inez slowly lifted her face from his shoulder, sitting fully upright. Her sharp gaze pierced Cakra, making him stare at Inez in confusion. Chakra misbehaved himself, he rubbed his arm.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't like what you said earlier."

Cakra gave a short sigh. He understood what Inez meant. "But that's the truth, right, Nez? Being honest with me is better, Nez, it's not what you want, right?"

Inez laughed at Cakra's words. "Don't be such a smartass. Did I say that you have to take me to places like that, Kra? You're not, right? Don't say things that you don't know."

His head lowered, and he wrestled with himself. He felt that he had disappointed Inez. "I just feel that I've disappointed you."

"I'm not disappointed, I'm not sorry at all. In fact, I'm too happy to be here with you, alone like this. Wherever you want to take me, I don't care, as long as I'm alone with you, I'll be fine. I like being alone like this, do you see what I mean?"

Cakra was silent after that, he looked deeply at Inez's beautiful face. Then, his long breath came out of his mouth. He nodded his head.

"I don't want to fight with you," he squeaked softly.

Especially for me, I don't want to ruin this moment by arguing with you. Look, I don't mind where you take me at all. You must remember my words."

"Sorry."

Inez smiled, and she touched both of Cakra's shoulders. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I really don't mind, I like it here. Look, it's really cozy here. I like the night air like this."

"I'm actually a little confused with you, Nez, why do you even like me? I'm too ordinary for you, who are special and ordinary. Look at me, I have nothing."

"Because my heart is only interested in you, my heart chose you as the anchorage of my love. Do you understand that? And who says you're ordinary? You're even too extraordinary for me. You're everything to me."

"And I don't know what I've done to be so lucky to get you, Nez. I've liked you for a long time." Feeling too embarrassed, Cakra turned his face away. He looked in any direction, as long as he didn't look at Inez. "You know, I would've gone out of my way to join basketball because you like boys playing basketball." Cakra realized that his face must be bright red by now. He had tried to extinguish his embarrassment again.

"I also don't realize how long that feeling has been in my heart," he continued. He was now fully looking at Inez. He let out a long breath. "I don't know Nez ... Everything just kind of happened. You've successfully caught my attention."

"Cakra ..."

"So I'm begging you, don't go ..." Cakra smiled slightly, he slowly took Inez's hand and squeezed it gently. "Stay here, Nez, by my side. Don't ever let me get away from you, let alone make it hard for me to reach you."

Inez struggled for words, her eyes looked deeper at Cakra. Inez swallowed her saliva roughly. The touch of Cakra's warm hand made Inez tremble. Behind her chest, Inez's heart was already beating fast. Cakra had succeeded in making Inez transfixed and unable to take her eyes off.

Next, Inez attacked Cakra with a sudden hug. Inez hugged Cakra tightly, resting her chin on Cakra's shoulder. Inez's eyes were closed tightly. Inez was silent, not finding the right words to say. She was too afraid that her words would make the situation chaotic and uncontrollable.

Cakra smiled, there was a warm feeling that entered and crossed his heart. Cakra returned Inez's hug. "Thank you, for coming into my life. Thanks to you, I know what it's like to fall in love, Nez, and thanks to you too, I feel my life is much more enjoyable. Because of you , you've given me many unexpected surprises. No one is luckier than this Nez, I love you ..."

Tonight, Cakra is the one who gives Inez a surprise with his words, which really make Inez's stomach feel like it's being flown by thousands of butterflies. Inez then let go of Cakra's embrace. They both looked at each other after that, for quite a long time. Their gazes clashed. And it felt like Cakra wanted to hug Inez again.

Cakra's lips curled. "I don't know why I'm saying this, but my feelings for you are real, Nez. I'm ashamed to admit it, but you should know. And I don't know where I got the urge to speak this boldly." Cakra looked down for a moment, then he glanced at Inez, who was smiling.

"I believe Kra..." Inez spoke softly with trembling lips. "I really, really believe that you won't be far from me, ever." Inez paused her sentence for a moment to take a deep breath. "Granted, I can't guarantee anything, but because it's you, I really believe it, Kra."

Cakra nodded firmly. He had no intention of leaving Inez at any time. After all, Cakra really had high hopes for that girl. Inez was the first girl who managed to open Cakra's heart. Not only that, Cakra had never been close to the opposite sex before. It's not that he was against women, he just found it hard to get along with them. However, Inez was different.

"I remember the first time I met you," Cakra recalled while thinking about the incident at that time. "You were drunk, Nez, you were staggering, a car almost hit you that time."

"And damn it, until now I don't remember about that incident." Inez sighed, "I don't remember anything. But, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't know you."

"Somehow I feel lucky to have met you at that time. Well ... Although my shoes were also the victim." Cakra glanced at Inez for a moment, the girl looked at Cakra sharply with her lips turned forward.

"Bringing up that shoe of yours again, I'm really sorry about that one."

"I already forgave you, Nez, it's not like we discussed it before. Besides, you've changed into new ones, with a better fit and model." Cakra said as he pointed to the shoes Inez gave him that he was wearing. "Look at these shoes, a gift from you. I like them!"

"It's not a gift, it's a compensation."

"No, it's a gift. I'll never forget all your kindness, Nez. Moreover, you also bought a phone for me, even though I didn't ask for it and didn't need it."

Inez shook her head slowly. "Don't talk about the phone anymore, it's for you. I'm sincere, just think of it as something that will make you remember me. Agreed?"

Cakra smiled, then nodded his head. There was a sudden silence in their midst. Inez was silent, while Cakra locked his lips. Cakra looked up again, and then he remembered one thing.

Startled, Cakra blinked his eyes. He glanced at Inez. There was something that Inez hadn't known so far. He wasn't sure whether to say it or not. He was considering it. Perhaps what he was about to say was not important at all. He needed to consider.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Inez asked.

"Hmm?" He blinked his eyes.

"What are you daydreaming about? Why are you staring at me like that?"

He grimaced softly. "I don't know why you're so beautiful, Nez," he replied. A sentence he didn't think about before he said it. Cakra himself was a little shocked and couldn't believe he could say it that smoothly.

Inez laughed softly, "You could have just been flirting. I'm surprised, I didn't expect you to say something like this." Inez shook her head in amazement.

"I didn't expect it either." Cakra innocently confessed. Making Inez chuckle softly. Cakra then cleared his throat. He had thought of a secret that Inez didn't know yet, and Cakra was determined to tell her now. According to Cakra, Inez needs to know about it.

"Inez ..."

"Yes?"

"I have something to talk to you about."

Inez's brow furrowed, she watched him with blinking eyes. "Is it really important?" she asked. Suddenly her stomach twisted, and her heart also beat fast.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if this is important to you or not, but I think you need to know."

And Inez was hesitant to listen to what Cakra had to say. She felt like she wasn't ready. "Bad news or good news?" Inez asked again.

"I don't know if it's bad or good, it could be both. Or maybe not both. You want to know now?"

Inez was suddenly confused, she wanted to know what Cakra was actually going to say. Inez let out a long breath, then nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm ready. What do you want to talk about?"

"It's about me and Rian."

Instantly, Inez's eyes bulged. "What's wrong with you two again? Fighting? Rian threatened you to stay away from me again? Or what's wrong with you?"

"None of that."

"So what?"

"Me and Rian, we ..." Cakra held his breath as he paused. Inez's eyes sparkled with curiosity. He swallowed his tongue. Then he said it, almost in a voice that was hard to hear. "We are brothers."

"Brothers?!" Inez spontaneously screamed. Her eyeballs bulged even wider. Truly, Inez was shocked by what Cakra had just said. Inez held Cakra's hand firmly. She would demand an explanation.

"Yes," he replied, nodding in affirmation.

"How so?"

"We're not siblings," he continued.

"Why are you talking to me about this now?"

"I didn't think it was that important."

"It's not that important, but I need to know!" Inez spoke quickly. "Can you explain in more detail? I want to know the story."

Cakra's head then nodded. He was lost in thought for a moment. Before speaking, he moistened his dry lips. "You know, that I only live with my grandmother now. Grandma is all I have now. My father died a long time ago, and after he died, my mother remarried."

Inez was a little dreamy and knew what to expect next. If her prediction wasn't wrong. "And your mother married Rian's father?" Inez asked.

"Yes, that's right." Cakra replied quickly, "It happened when Rian and I were in elementary school. Mom married Rian's father. But not long after that, mom died, Nez." Cakra looked at Inez with teary eyes. His heart trembled. A thick feeling of longing immediately burst out, penetrating her solar plexus. "Mom followed dad."

Inez stroked Cakra's arm lightly. "After that, I wasn't considered a child anymore by Rian's father. I was left behind by them. I didn't have anything back then. Besides, I was too small at the time. They didn't let me come."

"Rian's father was that kind to you, Kra?"

"I don't know Nez, but they definitely didn't want me to come. That's it, that's all. And Rian also seems to be really happy when I'm not around. Yes, Rian doesn't like his father marrying my mother. That's why he hates me so much."

"Cakra ..."

"Until I finally met my grandmother. I was really upset with Rian's father, I was disappointed. And you know, yesterday he went to grandma's house and apologized to me. I don't know how Rian's father knew where my grandmother and I lived. I was still too angry, I didn't accept his apology. I was still hurt, Nez. And I don't know if my anger is justified or not. I don't know, and for now I can't accept Rian's father's apology. But I don't know."

Inez looked at Cakra, whose face was now filled with clouds. Inez felt both pity and concern. At his young age, Cakra had to be strong because of his circumstances. Both of his parents were gone. No wonder, Cakra grew up to be a hardworking child.

Inez wanted to hug Cakra right now.

"That's what I want to tell you, Nez, and I'm sorry I can only tell you now. Now don't ask why Rian is still like that when he meets me. He's still hostile to me."

Inez didn't know what to do, she wanted to say something, but she was afraid she would say the wrong thing. Inez then got closer and hugged Cakra.

"You are strong." Inez gently stroked Cakra's back. "You're great, I'm proud of you."

Cakra closed his eyes, and at that moment, his tears spilled out. He had been holding them back. He didn't want to cry, but he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I miss mom, and dad too."

Inez released her embrace, then looked at the boy's tear-stained face.

"I know what you're feeling." Inez said softly, her hand now lifted and ending at Cakra's face. Using her thumb, Inez wiped away Cakra's tears. Inez smiled slightly. "I know you're a strong boy, will you survive?"

And Cakra immediately rushed into Inez's arms again. Then shed all the tears of sadness that he had been holding. Cakra cried so hard, his heart ached. The wound was open again.