"Are you still mad at me?" Andrew asked after they have finished a piece of bread each. He's getting unusually uncomfortable beside her.
"Not anymore. Promise me you won't be annoying again in school. Don't pull my hair tie down. It's a low blow. Very childish." She shook her head disapprovingly.
He sighed sharply, dejectedly. Like before, he appeared as if guilt had been eating up on him.
Lately, he was acting a bit strange. His annoying actions at school could attest to it. It was as if he wanted to seek Red's attention all the time.
In fact, he admitted that he honestly wanted her attention.
With all seriousness, he explained his side, but only after making a brave request, he would not even make in the past.
"Can I hold your hand?"
"Huh?" Red's head whipped sideways automatically. He could see the puzzled look on her face. As odd as his request may seem, she still agreed. Nodding, she concurred, "I guess so."
Gingerly and very slowly, he snatched her hand and gave it an awkward squeeze. And then, he brazenly laced his fingers with hers. The gesture made the young girl's eyes almost pop out of her socket.
She forgot to breath. She wouldn't have remembered breathing if her lungs had not protested against her.
Andrew proceeded with his explanation. "These past days… I don't know why myself but… I've been wanting to make you see me, make you give your attention to me. It irritates me that other people stare at you, especially when your neck gets exposed, you know… when you wear your hair high in a ponytail or bun."
"So…"
"So you decided to jump the gun and pulled the hair tie yourself."
"Yeah, and you look better that way, anyway. In my honest opinion. Hehehe." He shrugged.
"Tsk."
"I opted to act even if so rashly. I'm so sorry. I can't take not doing anything. I think I'll be going crazy." The young lad of seventeen continued with his confession.
"I always think about you, Didi. You're always inside my head. I swear. It's already freaking me out. But then, I figure… That…"
"I like you, Didi."
His thumb gently brushed against the back of her hand, the hand he's been holding so dearly.
Red's jaw almost dropped to the ground. She gaped at him – at his brown curls and mesmerizing green eyes, frozen in place.
Another one of those absurdities. When will it stop? She thought the day – and the night – of absurdities had ended when she arrived at the rooftop of their building.
"Duru…"
"I shocked you, didn't I? Haha. I'm pretty much shocked at myself, too. Spouting such gibberish… I did not plan this."
"Just forget what I said." Very gently he gave back her hand to her. "Maybe I should go home."
"I like you too." Bowed down with her own embarrassment, she blurted out. "All these years, I have a crush on you, Duru. You're the first person that has been so nice to me. And to this day, you're still nice to me. Well, except for the few instances lately when you're acting out of the normal."
"You do, too?" He stared at her side-profile. She looked so timid, just like when they were younger. Lately, she had been mustering enough courage to be more assertive. It was more beneficial for her social interactions, but he preferred her like this more.
To think that maybe she only showed this side of her to him. The idea made him ticklish. "You like me too?"
She nodded and gave him her sweetest smile.
"Hahaha." He covered his lifted face with a palm and just laughed the incredulity over.
He fetched her hand again, and fell silent. Both of them smiled from ear to ear, savoring the magical moment in sacred, solemn silence.
"Would you eat dinner with us?" Red invited. They had almost spent a considerable amount of time in the rooftop. It would be dinnertime soon. Nana would be worried sick if they would not show up on time.
"Sure."
"Then let's play some video games after."
"Cool."
Still holding hands, they went down to the house Red and her Nana were renting.
After dinner, they continued chatting casually while in the middle of an intense videogame. Nana was in the kitchen, checking the current inventory of their supplies in the pantry.
"Maureen invited me to go watch a concert of her favorite group next week. I haven't told Nana yet."
"Do you want to come?"
Both of their eyes were nailed onto the screen, while their hands never left their gaming consoles. Talking about multi-tasking.
"I want to experience going to a concert at least once."
"Then, I'll help you get Nana's approval."
When he knew from his peripheral vision that Didi was staring at him, he winked at her in an instant.
Just by staring at him, Red already jeopardized her performance in the game, but his wink did the trick.
Game over.
"You lost. Haha. Eyes on the screen, hands on the console." He teased.
"Cheater. You made me lose on purpose." She rolled her eyes, riding on to the teasing.
"Hahaha. Another game?" He prodded on. "Don't worry. I will make it up to you."
"Stop doing that."
"What?"
"Don't wink! Don't play dirty! Don't cheat!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Another game!"
"Okay!"
The night ended on a positive note. After perhaps more than ten rounds of videogames, the majority won by Duru, they finally called it a night. Andrew retired to his own house just around the corner.
Red usually had no difficulty sleeping but that night, sleep would not come to her at all.
Once again, she reviewed all the happenings in a day, and she was quite flabbergasted that everything happened in just one day.
'What would happen to me now? To Nana? To Duru and me? What would happen tomorrow?'
'Kyahh~ He likes me too.'
'I thought he has turned into a full-fledged bully sworn to make my life miserable. I didn't think that he would like me, too. Kyahhh~~'
'But the person who sent the letter… who was claiming to be my father… He wanted me to go to wherever he is.'
'Should I tell Nana? How should I tell her? It's so preposterously far-fetched.' She remembered the flying carriage and the spectacular weather changes. Doubt clouded on her before sleep finally found her.