I hurriedly grabbed the essentials that had been left in a corner. Well, I was about to move into a house that felt like a palace.
"Ara, are you done?"
Still crouching as I packed the remaining items, I just shook my head before glancing at Chan briefly.
"Just a little more..." I looked up at his face as he stood behind me.
For some reason, his slightly flushed face, probably from sweating, looked... sexy to me.
Aishh, why is my brain acting weird like Amir's?! I shook my head repeatedly, trying to dismiss the naughty thoughts creeping into my mind.
'Ahh, he's too hot!'
'Why does he look so cute?'
'His face... looks just like Amir's!'
"Eh, Ara, why are you shaking your head like that?" I quickly stepped away when I felt him getting closer.
"Nothing! Just keep doing your work. Once you're done, I'll come to your room." I neatly folded a few hoodies and stuffed them into my backpack.
"Alright then, but can you bring me a cup of coffee?" Chan was ready to leave.
"Yeah, boss!"
Chan chuckled before walking away.
"Oh yeah, by the way... don't call me boss. I hate it."
I was about to continue packing when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turns out, this Amir lookalike hadn't left yet... Ugh, doesn't he realize I'm about to explode here?!
"Okay..." Chan patted my shoulder gently before finally leaving. Once I was sure he was gone, I clutched my chest, feeling an unexpected tightness.
Did he put some sort of spell on me? Why do I feel so uneasy whenever he's near? My heart just starts racing out of nowhere!
---
Two Hours Later...
Finally, I was done packing and moving my stuff into my bag. Oh right, Chan asked me to bring him coffee. Good thing I didn't forget!
I quickly made my way to the pantry, which wasn't too far from where I was.
My eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall. I gasped.
I've been packing for two hours?! Ahh, what if that guy gets mad? No, I can't let him control me just yet. Until I fully gain his trust, I can't afford to let my guard down!
I half-ran towards the pantry. However, in my haste, I accidentally bumped into someone.
I steadied my breath before looking up.
"Eh, Farah! Where have you been? I've missed you, you know..." Rayqal drawled as he looked at me.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
"Making coffee for Chan," I answered briefly, stepping into the pantry and preparing the coffee as Alvin had taught me.
"Oh. Wait, did you just call him Chan? As far as I know, no one dares to call him by his name... unless he allows it. Do you have a special relationship with that bad guy?" Rayqal leaned against the wall beside me, his face twisted in a sulky expression.
"No way!" I quickly stirred the steaming coffee.
"Remember this, Farah. You're my girlfriend. If any guy tries to take you away, I won't hesitate to kill him." Rayqal crossed his arms, staring at me.
Tch, now he's trying to threaten me? Does he think I'm scared? He could kill everyone here for all I care—actually, that would be better.
Without realizing it, I was already pouting.
Cup!!
I froze.
I felt something wet against my lips. My eyes widened, and suddenly, my body burned with rage.
"You... you kissed me?!"
I completely lost focus on the coffee and instead felt an overwhelming urge to murder the man standing in front of me.
"Yeah, well, you were pouting like that. Isn't that basically an invitation for a kiss?" He smirked and wiped his lips.
I trembled with anger.
"Don't you dare kiss me again, or—"
Rayqal flashed a crooked smile.
"Or what? I'm not scared or intimidated at all!" He smirked mockingly.
Splash!!
Unable to contain my fury, I grabbed the cup of coffee—meant for Chan—and threw it straight at Rayqal's face.
Serves you right, you pervert! You and your little sister are the same!
"If you try anything again, it'll be much worse next time," I said, grinning with satisfaction as I watched him drenched in coffee.
"Oh, so you were bringing me coffee... hahaha. I thought it was something else. But it's okay—if it means I get to kiss you, I don't mind getting splashed with coffee."
Even with his face drenched and sticky, Rayqal still had the audacity to joke.
"Stop messing around, Rayqal. I'm serious. If you kiss me or try anything inappropriate again, it won't just be coffee—I'll pour boiling water on you!" My anger completely wiped out any intention of making coffee.
Without wasting any more time, I turned and walked away.
"Farah!"
"Farah, come on, don't be mad. I'm sorry, babe!"
"Farah!"
I ignored his calls and went straight to Chan's room.
---
"Reena Annisa!"
"Reena Annisa!"
But there was no response from her. Instead, Reena sat motionless, staring out the classroom window, lost in her own world.
"Reena, the teacher is calling you." Nara nudged Reena's arm, trying to snap her out of her daze.
"Hey!"
"Huh? What is it, Nara?" Reena jolted slightly, turning toward her friend.
"The teacher is calling you." Nara pointed her lips toward Ms. Linda, who was standing with her hands on her hips, looking right at them.
Reena quickly stood up.
"Yes, Miss?"
"I'm asking, where's that so-called 'hot' student? What's his name again?"
Reena frowned, thinking.
"Oh, Fariz?" one of the female students asked.
"He's in the next class, Miss," Reena replied.
Her heart suddenly felt like it was being torn apart at the mere mention of the name she wanted to erase from her memory.
"Yeah, but according to the students from the other class… he hasn't been coming for over a week."
Reena remained silent, listening to her classmates talk about Fariz.
"But, why are you looking for him, Miss?" Nara suddenly asked. She had noticed the sudden change in Reena's expression.
"I heard from the sports teacher that he's excellent in all sports. Since Sports Day is coming up, I was thinking of selecting him to represent the Red House in multiple events," Ms. Linda explained as she got up to leave.
The students nodded eagerly, and soon, the girls started gossiping.
The classroom buzzed with chatter, the hot topic being none other than the most popular guy in school, who had mysteriously disappeared for a week.
Reena felt overwhelmed. She ran her fingers through her hair and rested her head on her desk.
"Relax, I'm always here for you." Nara patted her friend's shoulder, worried about Reena's disheveled state.
"I hate hearing them talk about him. I don't like it! I hate it!"
Suddenly, Reena shot up from her chair.
Bam!!
Bam!!
Bam!!
She kicked the door, silencing the entire class.
Her face was red with anger, her expression fierce.
"Can you all just shut up?! Why do you keep talking about that useless guy? Did he ever do anything for you?!!" she screamed, her breathing uneven.
Nara quickly pulled Reena's hand, urging her to sit back down.
"Calm down, Reena. I'm here. Just say whatever you need to say." Nara wrapped an arm around Reena's shoulders.
"I hate him, Nara. Why is it that every time I try to move on and stop liking him, someone always has to bring him up again?" Reena covered her face and buried it in her arms on the desk.
Nara let out a helpless sigh. Even she was running out of ways to handle this situation.
•••
"So, welcome to my world… baby." Chan flashed a charming smile as he placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me into his house.
"Errm, your house is beautiful." I stepped inside, my heart pounding.
"Okay, you can treat this place like your own home. But make sure you don't enter my room. I need my privacy too." His tone was firm as he looked at me.
I nodded in understanding.
"Where's my room?"
Chan grinned before taking my hand and leading me to a room.
"This is your room. Hope you like it."
I looked around, taking in every corner of the space.
Everything was perfect, making my mission even easier. Now that I was living under the same roof as Chan, gaining complete control over everything would be much simpler.
A smirk slowly formed on my lips.
"So? Do you like it?" he asked while bringing my bags inside.
"Ermm, it's really nice."
Chan let out a small chuckle before stroking my cheek.
"But not as beautiful as you," he whispered teasingly into my ear.
I flashed him a seductive smile.
"I'm heading out for a bit. I have something to do." I pushed his hand away. He frowned slightly.
"Where are you going, baby?"
I started unpacking my clothes and placing them in the wardrobe.
"I'm meeting Rayqal and Alvin for a while."
Honestly, I had no desire to meet those two flirtatious guys. But to gain their trust, I had to pretend to be friendly with them, whether I liked it or not.
"Okay, don't come back too late." He turned to leave, but not before planting a kiss on my cheek.
Cup!!
My eyes widened. Great. Two guys had already taken advantage of me today!
I clenched my fists, trying my best to suppress the anger boiling inside me.
"You…"
Chan, who was now standing at the doorway, nodded and winked at me.
"Yup. By the way… your cheek is freaking sweet."
I wanted to sew his lips shut. Since when were cheeks sweet? If he had said lips, maybe that would've made more sense!
Wait… what the hell am I even thinking?!
Grrr… stay calm.
Stay calm, don't lose your temper here!
I forced a sweet smile at him.
"Close the door properly." I instructed as he started shutting the door.
He nodded from behind the door.
The moment the door was fully closed, I exhaled in relief.
Control yourself. You're here for a reason… not to fall in love with him!
---
Once I finished unpacking, I quickly changed my clothes and got ready to meet Alvin and Rayqal.
But then it hit me—I hadn't even told them anything yet.
I took my phone from my pocket and sent a message to Rayqal.
You: Let's hang out. I miss you.
Rayqal Senget: Wow, yesterday you ignored me like I was nothing… what happened? Did Chan dump you already?
You: Since when was I with Chan? Yesterday, you were just being overly jealous, even though I already told you that there's nothing between us.
Rayqal Senget: How am I supposed to believe you?
You: I can prove it. If you meet me now.
Rayqal Senget: Okay, fine. See you at the usual place. Take care, darling.
You: Yeah, bring Alvin along.
Rayqal Senget: We'll see.
I put my phone away.
Tch. He obviously didn't want me to invite Alvin.
But honestly, I felt way more comfortable with Alvin than with Rayqal, who seemed to have nothing but perverted thoughts in his messed-up head!
I glanced at the clock on the wall. 5:22 PM.
Ah, it's still early. I could enjoy some time with them first.
I got into the car Chan had gifted me and drove toward a place that was once unfamiliar to me.
The blazing sun occasionally cast sharp rays at me. I quickly put on the sunglasses that Chan had given me.
Stepping out of the car, my eyes scanned the area, searching for Rayqal and Alvin.
"Hey, pretty!"
I turned around as soon as I heard the sound of footsteps behind me.
"Yes?"
I studied the man standing in front of me. He was grinning at me from time to time.
"Hmm, I just… want you."
Suddenly, his hand reached out to touch my cheek. I slapped his rough hand away.
"Get lost before you die right here."
I grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back.
Prak!!
His face turned pale as he quickly ran away. I let out a small chuckle watching him.
"Men, such creeps!"
I continued walking, searching for the two guys.
"Where are those two idiots?"
I turned my head when I felt someone tug at my hair from behind.
"Who is it this time? Haven't you learned your lesson after I twisted your pervy hand earlier?!"
I took off my sunglasses.
There stood Rayqal and Alvin, both grinning mischievously at me.
"Wow, this hot queen looks pissed. Who made you mad, pretty?"
Rayqal wrapped an arm around my shoulder, trying to ease my frustration.
"Some random guy just showed up out of nowhere, acting like a total creep!"
Alvin and Rayqal burst out laughing.
"Oh, that guy? If I'm not mistaken, he's Chan's best friend."
Alvin scratched his head, trying to recall.
"Oh, best friend? No wonder they're both the same—perverts who deserve a beating!"
I huffed in annoyance.
"Hahahaha, your girl is hilarious! That's the struggle of being too pretty!"
I smacked Alvin's shoulder.
Rayqal flashed a wide grin.
"Hmm, anyway, let's go. Where are we heading?"
Rayqal grabbed my hand, leading me forward.
"Anywhere." I wasn't in the mood to think.
"Oh, in that case, should I take you to see the marriage officiant? Let's get married!"
Tap!
Rayqal smacked Alvin's head while glaring at him.
"If anyone should propose, it should be me! Not you, with your mosquito-like voice!"
I let out a small laugh.
"Alright, enough. Let's just go have some fun, okay?"
Alvin raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"A nightclub?"
Rayqal asked casually.
"Nope. This is a different kind of fun…"
Rayqal looked confused for a moment before slowly nodding in understanding.
"Oh, okay! I'm in!"
Alvin grinned excitedly.
"Where are we going?" I asked briefly.
"Just follow us!"
Not in the mood to ask further, I trailed behind them as they both grinned at me.
Sigh. These two crazy guys better not take me somewhere inappropriate, or I'll murder them both on the spot!
"Oh, baby, why are you walking so slow? Hurry up!"
Rayqal turned back and pulled me forward with him.
Alvin, watching us, put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
"Having a girlfriend is such a hassle. You have to take care of her, and you can't even get close to other people…"
I shot him a sharp glare.
"Of course you can't cheat."
Rayqal's voice dragged playfully as he gave me a teasing glance.
"Oh no, don't start a soap opera here. Do you guys think I'm a director who's gonna yell 'Cut! Cut!' to stop this nonsense?"
Alvin started rambling.
I grabbed Rayqal's hand and walked toward Alvin before he could continue his rant.
Rayqal seemed momentarily surprised but obediently followed my lead.
Alvin, looking annoyed, quickly caught up with us. From time to time, I could hear Rayqal chuckling at Alvin's frustration.