"What time do you back home?" Asked Max, he suddenly appeared in the convenience store where Leah was busy sweeping the floor.
"Hey, you're here. Don't you have class?" Instead of answering Max's question, she returned a question.
Leah quickly tidied up the broom and mop, cleaned the long table where the students could brew coffee and instant food - of course for students with heavy jobs so they didn't have time to eat -
Max shrugged and widened his lips. "I'm done, I finished the task a little faster. So, I have free time!" He said making excuses.
He's right! It's just that to quickly get out of class, Max tried hard enough. He tried to focus and study hard. He is indeed born intelligent with an IQ high averager, it is not difficult for him to be number one in class.
"Sounds cool. What do you want?" Leah asked.
"Cool? That's normal. Em... I want a cup of coffee." Max replied, rolling his eyes.
Leah furrowed her brows. "Are you a caffeine addict? You already drink coffee in the morning, is that good for you?"
Hearing Leah's words made Max smile happily. "Are you worried about my health?" He asked confidently.
"It's not like that, but is your stomach that strong?" Leah tried to find an excuse for why she cared about Max.
"Then, what other drink is healthier and suitable for me?" Asked Max then.
Leah shook her head before she finally landed the box of milk in front of Max. The man laughed.
"Okay, I'll drink milk to be healthy." Max's words made Leah's lips chuckle too.
"Do you want me to accompany you?" Leah asked then, of course, Max nodded quickly. When else will he drink milk accompanied by his crush?
"I haven't eaten since lunch, now my stomach is hungry." She said then pulled the chair next to Max.
Max turned to the instant noodle cup in Leah's hand. "What did you eat?" He wanted to know.
His eyes tried to read the writing on the package. Because it was blocked by Leah's hand, he had a little blocked reading.
Leah watched Max's gaze at the instant noodle cup she was holding. She let go of her hand so that Max could read the writing on the cup.
"Instant noodles?" Asked Max with a confused face.
"Yes," Leah replied briefly.
The girl opened the instant spices that she had put out first. She waited for the hot water to the boiler the noodles while she was busy unwrapping the seasonings.
Max could smell the scent tickling his nose.
"Hatim !!" He was engrossed. His nose got itchy.
Seeing Max's nose turning red, Leah laughed funny. The smell of this instant noodle is quite strong.
Leah opened the glass window for a moment while stifling a laugh.
"Geez, you hurt my nose .." Max whispered as he touched his sharp nose with a finger, the nose turned red.
"Hahaha .. you look cute with your red nose. I didn't know that your nose is sensitive. I'm sorry... I can't eat instant noodles close to you." Leah said then took the cup of noodles from the table, she was about to move away from Max.
"Wait!"
Max held Leah's arm, grateful that the noodles didn't spill out of her grasp.
"Yes?" Leah's face looked surprised when she saw that her arm was being held by Max's sturdy hand.
"Don't go, eat here, beside me. I'm not allergic, my nose lately is just a little sensitive. So .. please don't go! Stay with me .."
Max was talking about eating in a convenience store sitting next to each other, only that! Found how the look in his eyes looked at Leah, how his hand firmly gripped Leah's wrist. It felt different as if he was asking Leah to come closer to his life, to be a part of his life, even though in the end he was a little hardship and suffering, he wanted Leah to continue to be by his side.
Leah looked nervous with the look in Max's eyes, plus the warm grip on her wrist. She was confused and awkward at the same time.
"Eum .. yes, yes." The answer was nervous.
Max pulled out a chair for Leah, inviting the girl to come back to sit next to him.
Leah put the cup noodles on the table, she took her hair fall behind her ears. Her smile bloomed beautifully, she returned to sit beside Max.
As Max turned around, he could see Leah's pretty side face, sharp nose, healthy skin with long flowing golden brown hair. Unconscious, he continued to stare at Leah's face.
While Leah seemed very hungry, she ate her instant noodles quickly. She forgot there was a handsome man who was often the center of attention sitting beside her.
Max smiled when he saw how passionate Leah eating the instant noodles.
"Looks like instant noodles are delicious .." Max's flat voice startled Leah, geez .. she forgot about her dining companion.
"Ah sorry, I'm so greedy, huh!" Leah replied awkwardly in embarrassment.
Max shook his head. "I've never seen a girl eat so passionately as you."
Aish, just say I'm greedy! Inwardly Leah cursed herself.
"Are the noodles good? You forgot about me while eating earlier." Asked Max as he brought his face closer to Leah so that his eyes could see into the cup noodles in Leah's hand.
"Ah! Eh .. yes .." Leah replied awkwardly, she tried to pull and take a little away from Max's body. They are too close.
"Can I try?" Asked Max curiously.
Leah quickly shook her head, "You can't! You'll have a stomach ache!" The reply forbids.
"I haven't tried how you know I'll have a stomach ache." Max still wants to try.
"Max, this isn't your food. You guys and you don't eat trash like this." Leah replied trying to explain with a strange sentence.
"Trash food? You guys? Who?" Max doesn't understand more.
"Yes .. that's it! Just don't!" Leah asked, she hurriedly got up from the chair,
"Hold on!"
Max caught the plastic fork in Leah's hand with his mouth, leaving Leah gawking in surprise.
Wait, Max! Leah was speechless. Max's face in front of her chest was so clear that it made her heart jump in surprise. She could feel her face heating up.
Max lifted his body from Leah's face, he was already happy to feel the charm of MSG on his tongue.
"The taste is not bad .." he said then with a happy face.
Leah froze for a moment until finally she regained consciousness and had to throw away the pack of instant noodles she had finished.
"When you finish at seven, I can take you home." Said Max behind Leah's back who left him.
Leah didn't answer, she couldn't stop thinking about Max's weirdo behavior. How could the man bribe her used fork? Geez!
It's called an indirect kiss! Then why, haven't they kissed before? Not knowing, Leah felt her face and ears were burn.
***
Jack woke up in a single bed in a dark and cold room. He tried to lift his back even though his energy still didn't return to good health.
"Have you realized?" A trembling voice greeted him.
An old man with wrinkled skin, round glasses chained to his ears. He helped Jack sit up on the bed.
"How long have I been unconscious?" Asked Jack then.
The old man did not immediately answer Jack's question, he opened the curtains on the window until the room became a little bright.
Through the light from the window were several Brass and silver cups on a wooden table not far from Jack's bed.
The old man took a step, he poured water from the kettle with the image of a golden rooster.
He brought the silver cup towards Jack. Proffered to the man who looked pale on the bed.
"Drink, these are herbs for your health." He said then while forcing Jack to take the small cup in his hand.
Jack did not refuse, he swallowed the silver cup with an ugly face. It seems that the taste of the herbs is not good.
"You've been unconscious for two days. You're pushing yourself too hard. Where's your protective pearl?" Asked the grandpa.
"I lent it to someone," Jack replied, he got out of bed and put the cup on the table with slow steps.
"You lent someone a pearl of protection? Certainly not just anyone until you want to harm yourself."
"Jack, you have to realize, you're not a complete vampire, you're not as strong as them. You killed two Altes in one night without a protective pearl, isn't that too desperate?"
Jack did not answer, he said nothing and then sat on the edge of the bed.
"You can't underestimate the Altes, they have cunning thoughts."
Jack nodded in agreement with the advice of the grandfather.
"I'll take my pearls when I'm better." Replied Jack later.
The grandfather nodded in agreement. "Finish your herbs, I have to open a shop. You .. be careful!" He said with warmed voiced before the grandfather left Jack's room.
Jack had an irritated face. He was upset and disappointed in himself.
"Why am I so weak and helpless. How can I protect her with my abilities like this!" He was irritated by herself.
He was silent for a moment before he finally remembered about someone.
"Grandpa Lewis!" He shouted suddenly.
Jack called out to the grandfather who was no longer in the room.
He put on his shirt and then followed grandfather out of the room.
"Grandfather!" Call Jack.
He interrupts Lewis's chuckle who is preparing to open a shop.
The old man opened an antique shop. His name is Lewis's grandfather, he is thousands of years old, he survives in this city by hiding his identity as a pure-blooded vampire.
He did not want to submit to the aristocratic hierarchical vampire system. He prefers to be alone, open a shop and help fix old things that are broken.
"Why are you awake?" Asked Lewis's grandfather to see Jack's appearance at the shop.
"I have something to ask you," Jack replied with a face that looked so serious.
"What is that?" Lewis's grandfather replied he was still busy cleaning the contents of the shop.
There are many old and neglected items in the shop. Old clocks, silver, brass, and copper tableware. There are stone cabinets, carved wood, old urns with carvings of ancient Chinese dynasties.
"Did you know that Eduardo has a son?" Jack's question makes Lewis's grandfather's hand stop working.
He turned to Jack's curious face with blank eyes.
"Does Edward have children?" Asked Jack one more time.
"Jack, what do you mean by his son, are you talk Edward's past life, when he was a human ?" Lewis's grandfather asked, confused.
"I don't know. I heard he's Edward's son. His name is Maximilian Eduardo .."
Grandpa Lewis was silent for a long time, making Jack curious.
"The brave Edward Altes. He gave up his human blood to become a vampire follower because of family and economic turmoil. He risked his family to become what he is today."
"So, Maximilian is his new family as Altes?" Asked Jack impatiently.
"I didn't hear about it. As far as I know, Edward is married to a demon dog breed, we are called Chupacabra*, and their marriage is legally registered." Explanation of Lewis's grandfather.
"But, I can't smell his body, I can't read his mind," Jack replied in surprise.
Grandpa Lewis fell silent again. There was disbelief on his face.
"He has eyes, when he glared at me, that gazed can make my chest hurt!" Jack continued, making Lewis's grandfather's face turn pale.
*Chupacabra: the mysterious dog that sucks blood on the goat farm. (myth)