To the forest,
Emily arrived and stood in the garden field.
"Hmm, this is the spot where Aldwin was sitting. I was here. I see a deer running from my left side, then to my right.."
Emily began walking to her left. She headed towards the deep forest and felt like someone was following her, but she couldn't quite understand it. Suddenly, she stopped upon hearing the rustling of leaves from behind. She looked back but couldn't see anything.
"Maybe it's an animal," she thought before continuing her walk.
"What was that day? What was that terrible roar?" Emily pondered, lost in thought. She started to think that someone was behind her again. Without delay, Emily turned around and looked back. She felt a gust of wind and heard the sound of fluttering wings.
"Maybe it's a bird."
After some time ,
Emily looked ahead, got up in a panic, screamed in fear, and ran in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Aldwin arrived in the jungle at the speed of a storm. Suddenly, he heard a scream and looked ahead. Without delay, he went towards the source of the scream. That morning, he had seen Emily with Jennifer in the university canteen, but when he saw Jennifer alone in class, he asked her about Emily. Jennifer had told her that a friend of Emily's father had come to pick up an important file from Emily's house, which was why she had gone home. Aldwin didn't believe it, but he had hurried to Emily's house after finishing class anyway. He didn't find Emily there, and that's when he suspected she might be in the jungle.
A leech is chasing Emily from behind as she runs through the jungle, clinging to trees and cutting her throat in the process. Suddenly, she looks back and bumps into something, but quickly moves away before a pair of hands grab her. Emily closes her eyes, but when she realizes she's still there, she looks up to see Kus standing in front of her. Kus straightens Emily's beard, wearing a white t-shirt, silky black hair, and red-brown eyes. He has a six-pack body. Emily looks back and realizes the leech is gone.
"Don't worry, the leech is gone," Kus reassures Emily.
"Thanks," Emily replies.
After a while, Aldwin separates the boy from Emily. Before the boy can say anything, Aldwin starts beating him, leaving Emily staring in amazement without understanding anything.
"Stop it, Ald. How did you know I was here?" Emily asks.
Aldwin pauses at Emily's words, his eyes gazing to her throat, where blood is flowing.
"What's happened to you?" he asks with a hand on her throat.
"Did he hurt you?" With that, Aldwin rushes back to Kush to beat him again. But Emily grabs Aldwin's hand.
"No, Ald. Stop it. He saved my life from a leech," Emily says before Kush can finish.
Aldwin turns to Emily and asks, "What were you doing in that terrible jungle alone?"
"I mean, actually, I am," Emily says, bowing her head.
"Ok. I understand. Let's discuss it later." Aldwin grits his teeth and says these words.
"By the way, I am Kush. Emily's senior," Kush says, extending his hand towards Aldwin.
"I am Aldwin."
"You are our university's professor, right?"
"Yes. You have such a good memory. By the way, thanks for saving her."
"It's my responsibility." Kus exclaimed.
"What!" Aldwin fixed his eyes on Kus and observed him carefully.
"I mean, she is a girl and also my junior. So, it's my responsibility to take care of my juniors. By the way, how do you know each other?"
Emily and Aldwin looked at each other, unable to understand what to say to overcome the situation. After a while, Aldwin opened his mouth and said, "We are old friends, and Jennifer told me about you."
"Emily has a male friend, which is quite abnormal," Kush interrupted.
"I don't think it's important for you," Aldwin replied, his gaze hardening on Kush.
"Umm, he is a senior from my previous college," Emily responded in-mid of their conversation.
"Okay, well, I'll go then," Kus said, turning to Emily; he continued,
"Emily, don't go anywhere alone without telling anyone. And yes, take care of yourself." He then glanced at Aldwin and left the place. Aldwin's mood worsened with Kush's behavior, and he clenched his fists to control his anger.
As Kush wandered off into the jungle, Aldwin took Emily's hand and said, "Who told you to come to this forest without telling me? Where did you get so much courage? I warned you yesterday that this jungle is not safe."
Emily bowed her head and replied, "Actually, that incident happened yesterday... I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would happen."
"Okay, let's go home," Aldwin said, starting to walk away. After a while, he turned around and saw that Emily was walking slowly and was far behind him. He went back to her and said,
"Do you still want to stay here? If you say so, I can arrange to build a house here. Then the two of us can start a family together." Aldwin thought Emily would react, but without saying anything, Emily was thinking to herself, "What a hobby! With so many places in the world, he wants to start a family in the jungle. Idiot. He doesn't even notice the pain I have, which is why I can't walk properly." Aldwin was surprised and happy at the same time. He said nothing and took Emily into his arms.
After taking a bath, Emily missed her father very much. It had been a long time since she last saw him, and she had no contact with her mother. Emily's mother did not keep in touch, and whispers were heard that she had married again. Emily often wondered if her mother remembered her at all. The definition of a mother is sweet and heartwarming to everyone, but the opposite is true for Emily. Every woman cannot become a mother just by giving birth. There is so much responsibility involved in raising a child.
Emily sat in the drawing-room, leaving the TV on. She did not usually watch TV, as there were no good shows or dramas on any channel. She kept changing channels, one after another.
"It's so boring to watch TV," she said.
Emily was startled when Aldwin appeared next to her on the sofa. "Ald, where did you come from?"
"Ald! Aldwin to Ald! There's been a big change!" Aldwin smiled wickedly, and Emily was embarrassed.
"Not really," she replied.
Aldwin paused and said, "Stay!" Aldwin raised his right hand, "You don't have to give a round of applause to explain now."
They both laughed together, and Emily exclaimed, "You deserve a big 'thank you' from me."
Aldwin was surprised and asked, "A small 'thank you' is okay, but why a big one?"
"I wouldn't be able to answer that question if you weren't in class today." Emily replied with a smile.
"Isn't it inconsistent for me that you were able to answer that question when I'm in class?"
Aldwin leaned forward and said, "I mean, is there any connection between your explanation about love and me?