Ivory dropped an apple she was holding.
The girl almost choked on her own spit when she heard the words of the uniformed man in front of her. She made sure that she didn't mishear. She was convinced that her ears were functioning correctly.
"You're the Guardian Leader?" she asked a little hysterically.
Cakara nodded lightly. "Didn't you already know?" he replied lightly.
Ivory slapped her thigh hard.
"Hey, why did you hit your thigh?" Prevent Cakara when Ivory is about to hit her right thigh again.
The girl widened her eyes. Goosebumps were all over her body as the Guardian Leader's hand rested on her thigh. She hurriedly backed away, and her body hit the corner of the table.
"Kelana, are you okay? What happened?"
Ivory looked like she was going to throw up.
"I must have gone mad." That was all that came out of her lips.
Cakara Park shook his head slowly. "No, you're sane. It's just that you look so shocked," he said. "What's the matter, Kelana?"
"How could I have a bold talk with the Guardian Leader? How could I have the nerve to sleep on the Guardian Leader's mattress? I'm presumptuous, sir," Ivory squeaked. Her eyes started to get wet. She looked like she was going to cry. "Please don't kill me," she added.
Cakara frowned deeply.
He thought Ivory had found out his identity. In fact, the girl did not know that she was the leader of a figure feared by most of the Secondary People in Amerta. No wonder the girl looked so surprised.
Not wanting to scare Ivory even more, Cakara shook his head reassuringly.
"Who wants to kill you? No one, Kelana. Have I ever scared or hurt you?"
Ivory shook her head slowly.
"Other Guardians might scare you, but you don't have to be afraid of me. I won't put you in any danger as long as you don't break the rules."
"But I just did it last night," Ivory said.
Oh, that's right.
Cakara cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, that's an exception. Besides, you don't know about sweeping yet." He grabbed Ivory's hand before leading the girl to sit on a chair. "The point is, I won't hurt you. You can keep my word."
Ivory looked at Cakara without blinking. The girl was still shocked, but her eyeballs weren't as wide as before. Her hands began to relax, and she began to breathe normally.
"Is it true you're not going to imprison me?" she asked at last.
"That's true," replied Cakara. "I told you, Guardian means Protector. It's only natural that I protect the people, right?"
It was a little easier for Ivory to nod her head this time. She could see the sincerity in Cakara's eyes. The man seemed to mean what he said. Moreover, to be honest, she also felt comfortable around the Guardian Leader before she even knew the man's position. She felt Cakara looked like someone who could be made a friend instead of an enemy.
"You're right," answered Ivory in a louder voice than before. "Thank you for helping me, Mr. Guardian."
"Mr. Guardian again." Cakara laughed even though he felt a little desperate to ask Ivory to call his name. The man placed two plates with deliciously flavored fillings in the front of his guests. "In that case, just call Cakara if no other Guardians are around you."
Ivory nodded slowly. That one proposal sounded better than calling that Guardian Leader by his first name. At least it would sound more polite. "Alright, then," she answered slowly.
"Feel free to talk casually with me, okay?"
"How could that be."
"Okay, talk casually when we're alone if you mind," said Cakara.
Ivory raised an eyebrow. "Are we going to be alone again?" she asked.
Cakara was silent.
Feeling the question ambiguous, Ivory hastily corrected it. "I mean, this might happen once in my life. We can't be alone in the future. Not just the two of us. In fact, we will rarely see each other," she explained.
"Who knew that." Cakara Park shrugged his shoulders, trying to look nonchalant. "Who knows you need someone to talk to? You can come to me."
The girl, who was often surprised by the actions and words of the figure in front of her, just gaped.
"You are the Guardian Leader. How can I come to you at will?"
Cakara threw a small smile. "I may be the Guardian Leader, but I can be your friend. Friends to share stories, friends to play with, friends to eat. Whatever that is."
Once again, Ivory could barely believe her ears.
"I really didn't expect the Guardian Leader to be such a friendly person like you."
Cakara Park laughed out loud this time.
Only this time, he offered to be a friend of the civilians. A Secondary civilian. No wonder Ivory was doubting him. Even if he was a Secondary, he would think he was just hallucinating.
"How about we be friends? Deals?"
One step can be a meaningful first step for him.
That's what's on Cakara's mind.
"Promise not to arrest me?"
"I promise."
Cakara can't take it anymore. He immediately stroked the newly awakened figure's smooth, slightly messy hair in front of him. He ruffled her hair. That affection occurred for a while before smiling sweetly at Ivory Kelana, who was again dumbfounded by his actions.
"I will try to protect you. That's what friends do, right?"
It took almost a full minute before Ivory nodded slowly.
"Okay, deal."
That one nod made Cakara smile wider than before. Ivory shook Cakara's hand without hesitation. Cakara's heart cheered for having managed to make the girl who caught his attention become more confident in him. He was sure the first step to being a friend with Ivory could bring one good thing for them.
The man handed the food he had prepared to his new "friend."
"Eat this apple too. Drink the juice, and I'll take you back to your partner's house. He's probably worried that you didn't come home last night."
The sweet girl suddenly chuckled at Cakara's words. To imagine Aaron would be worried about her was just bullshit. How could he bother thinking about Ivory if his Joy was enough?
"He will not. He's busy with his girlfriend," Ivory said gloomily. The girl started chewing the spicy fish voraciously. She stuffed the boiled potato ferociously into her mouth. She ignored the heat that almost burned her mouth.
Cakara joins Ivory. He held out a small knife to Ivory to peel the apple off. The young man drank his favorite Americano and sat down next to Ivory. He tried to lure his interlocutor into wanting to talk. "You said your partner is out with his girlfriend?" he asked.
"I like to eat apples with their skin on, Cakara. Thank you." Ivory smiled stiffly because it still felt strange when she called the figure in front of her by his first name. "Yes, it is. They seem to be having fun or planning their wedding."
"Are they getting married?"
"After Copulation is over, yes. They look good together too." She bit the apple fiercely. Chew with energy. "Such a love bird," Ivory cursed softly.
Cakara took back the knife he had held out and began to peel the apple's skin. "You don't love him, do you?"
The F-gene girl slowed down her chewing. Her appetite disappeared again when the puzzling question was thrown at her. That question was ridiculous to just think about because she already knew the exact rules of the game.
"I have no right to love him."