Slappp!~ …
A slap sounded. A slap that made people couldn't believe what was happening.
Because the slap came from the palm of Aldy's right hand which slapped the face of the person who seemed to be the boss of the thugs.
Yes.
Aldy slapped the thug boss in the face while continuing to stare at him coldly.
People who saw what Aldy did might think that Aldy was really looking to die by slapping a thug boss like that.
The man looked back at Aldy.
Slappp!~ …
Aldy landed his second slap on the person.
Slappp!~ …
Third slap.
It made people confused. Even the online motorcycle taxi drivers who joined the crowd at the food stalls due to the previous chaos were also surprised.
"Are you tired of living?" Aldy asked the thug boss. The person did not answer Aldy's question. Instead, he walked closer to Maureen.
People thought that the thug boss was after Maureen thanks to what Aldy did. They already felt sorry for Maureen, who seemed to be the victim.
But their assumptions were immediately refuted thanks to the boss of the thugs instead grabbing the penknife that was attached to Maureen's neck, and stabbing it mercilessly into the shoulder of the person who held Maureen hostage.
The thug boss glared at them "Go fuck yourselves, all of you useless motherfucker!"
The four thugs ran away with just one firm word from the boss. The thug boss walked back to Aldy.
They looked at each other again, until …
Until the thug boss smiled very broadly at Aldy. His big hand rose and landed on Aldy's shoulder. And the man started laughing very loud. "It's unbelievable to think that we'd meet here, you little demon!"
The people who gathered around the food stall still didn't understand what was going on. But Aldy smiled back at the person. "So you're out of jail, you ugly fat one?"
The person that Aldy calls Stupid Fatty was Aldy's roommate when he was in juvenile prison. Although he looks old with a body size like that of a bear, his age is only one year different from Aldy's. And his name is Mansur.
At least, when Aldy was raging in prison at that time, the only one who could really put up a fight against him was Mansur. Even some prison officers were overwhelmed to stop Aldy's rampage.
From behind, Aldy's jacket was pulled, making Aldy turn around.
"Aldy ..."
Maureen hid her face behind Aldy's back. Even though she knew that Mansur would not do anything worse to them, Maureen still felt scared just by looking at him.
Of course, his appearance was worthy of making everyone feel scared.
Adly turned around. "Why?"
Maureen showed them the two cinema tickets they had pre-booked. "The film is about to start."
Aldy smiled and left the diner. It looks like his reunion with his roommate while in prison could be postponed. And the meeting, which was far from pleasant, ended with Aldy giving Mansur his number.
***
"Reen."
Maureen was still staring at the cinema screen even though the film hadn't started yet. What appeared was still a few advertisements. Even the cinema theater lights had not yet turned off.
"Reen?" called Aldy a second time, but Maureen was still staring at the cinema screen.
It wasn't that she was interested in the advertisement. But, it seemed that what happened earlier still affected her. And Aldy can still see it. Maureen wasn't really the type of person who was good at hiding things. Even her current expression was completely showed it all.
Aldy grabbed Maureen's hand, making her turn to him.
"I'm sorry. It is the first time we've been out together, but twice we've had problems. First, at a clothing store. The second, at a food stall."
Maureen seemed to be trying to look the other way.
Aldy brought Maureen's head closer and pressed it against his chest, embracing Maureen's body warmly.
Aldy brought his face closer to Maureen's ear. "I know you're still scared by what happened earlier. I don't know if this can help calm you down or not, but I'm really sorry. If you want to cry, I won't stop you, but please don't be too loud." said Aldy in a whisper.
Maureen heard this as if the tears she had been trying to hold back finally fell from those beautiful eyes. Aldy could feel it. Maureen's body was shaking.
In his heart, Aldy regretted having invited Maureen to eat there. If only they chose to eat inside the mall area, maybe there would be no thugs around to bother them.
That's if this stupid author doesn't make a weird scenario.
A girl of about eight or nine was seated next to Maureen with someone who looked like her mother. The mother looked at Aldy and Maureen.
"You lovey-dovey youngster, can you not make out here?"
Maureen is still in Aldy's arms. Aldy turned to the mother. At first, the mother thought that Aldy would be angry because someone reprimanded him. Nowadays, many people will be mad if they are disturbed by others. Often they don't even respect their elders.
But Aldy smiled first. "Sorry, but this is my sister. She's not feeling well."
The mother glanced at Maureen, who was still in Aldy's arms. The mother took out a plastic bag containing candy. She put the candies back into the bag and handed the plastic bag to Aldy.
Don't be surprised. Sometimes, what's inside a woman's bag is as unexpected as Doraemon's.
"Are you sick, my dear? Here's a plastic bag if you want to throw up. Do you want eucalyptus oil?"
Maureen, who heard this, quickly wiped her own tears and backed away from Aldy's arms. He turned to the mother and smiled.
"I'm fine. It's just that 'my guest has come."
The kid's mother nodded. "Oh, I see. Are you sure it's okay? I have some sour candy too if you want."
Aldy smiled, seeing a stranger who was so concerned about Maureen. But what Aldy found funny was the offer given by the little girl's mother. He did not know that sour candy can solve menstrual problems.
It reminded him of his late parents. They always provide solutions that are less acceptable to logic whenever there is a problem.
For example, when Aldy hit his head and made him cry, his late mother would rub her own hair against Aldy's head. Then, when Aldy complained of stomach pain, his father even scolded him for playing games too much.
Sometimes parents are hard to understand.
It's really hard.
However, still, Aldy is happy that other people care about Maureen.
They finally ended their date by watching a movie at the cinema.
Even though their date was very chaotic, for Maureen and Aldy, this was their precious first date.