Chan's score was not that bad although it was average, but Marzia believed that the kid had the potential to garner even a higher score as he was quick-witted. For this reason, she explained to him why he got some questions wrong and did a quick exercise so that she could gauge if Chan understood it. As it turns out, the kid knows the answers without a hitch and he's just purposely writing the wrong answers for some problems. Marzia's in a bind, but she decides to become lenient and not push the kid too far because not even a minute later, Chan already looked extra bored. "Can we stop? I don't want to study anymore," Chan grunted, harrumphing in objection. Marzia knew she needed to pause for a while. She didn't want to force anything, after all, because it might be useless as he could just as easily forget it.
Marzia brushed the boy's hair. "Alright, we can." She returned his book and notebooks to his bag and asked, "You seem to know the answers, Chan. Why are you purposefully getting the questions wrong?"
Chan shrugged. "I don't know."
Marzia didn't persuade him to respond to her. She then tried to divert the question and stated, "I'm really glad that you're behaving and following your teachers now, Chan." She rubbed his back and smiled.
"It's his fault," he muttered while gripping his fist tightly.
"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows curled upward.
The boy shot her an exasperated glare. "Uncle said that I should not be rude to you! He told me not to act badly toward you because you're my teacher!" Chan shouted. He stood up from the bench and kicked the sand on the ground. "I hate him! He's becoming like you!"
Marzia was startled by his confession. It didn't occur to her that Chan was already growing his anger toward his uncle because of her. However, Marzia also felt flattered that Ian was starting to learn how to treat Chan with fair and unbiased pretenses.
Considering that, Marzia returned the favor to Ian by telling Chan, "Don't say that. Your uncle is kind, thoughtful, and really generous." She held his arms and looked him in the eye when she continued, "He's doing the best he can to support and love you like his own son. He just wants the best for you and will do anything to give you what you need and want, because that's how much your uncle loves you."
"But I don't like him being friendly with other girls. I hate them. They are all phonies!" Chan's face grouched, pouting his lips in dismay.
Marzia couldn't help but chuckle. She wiped the tiny, beaded sweat dripping from his forehead and said, "Well, I don't blame them!" Pinching his stubby nose, her cheeks flustered as she added, "Your uncle is quite handsome, and…" She spaced out a little and recalled the man's face. The moment he saved her twice from bad guys replayed in her mind, and she quite remembered how reliable he was with those puny attempts at fighting back. "Hot…" Marzia eventually added faintly.
Much to her chagrin, her harmless and comical attempt at changing Chan's discernment to his uncle came to a devastating turn when a voice behind them echoed along the silent breeze of the air.
"Is that so? You think I'm hot?"
Marzia's face went aghast when she shifted at her back and met Ian's condescending yet enthralling smirk. 'Shit... You and your talkative mouth, Marzia!' she rebuked herself inwardly as she greeted him with an awkward gait.
She was completely caught off guard by him; she didn't know how to face the man without looking like an utter idiot. Her body stiffened, and her ajar mouth locked when she noticed him walking closer to them, still staring at her like he had found out an interesting piece of news. The man was wearing his usual fitted suit and tie, which even stressed his regal and blue-blooded posture, making her thirst worse. Ian simpered as he approached the two, his eyes transfixed on her while he strode to Chan's side. Leaning down to his nephew, he greeted apologetically, "Sorry, bud, I was late."
Marzia couldn't let his pompous smirk pass by as she wanted to explain herself to the man. Moreover, she didn't want him to think that she liked him in any way of sorts. However, by the time she opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by Chan, who looked unamused and irritated. "What are you doing here? I thought Romeo was going to fetch me."
Ian tilted his head and glanced at Marzia, pointing at her like it was her fault. "Why don't you ask your teacher?"
Marzia's eyes narrowed. "What? I just told him to get some rest since he had been guarding my mom last night. Your driver needs a break, by the way..."
"I'm not contesting that, Marzia." Ian chuckled. He straightened his back and faced her. "That's why I'm here to pick up my nephew."
The shy lady chewed her lower lip. "You don't have to let Romeo look out for my mom. Thank you for the offer, but I think I can handle her from now on."
"If you say so." The wrinkles in Ian's eyes appeared as he smirked slyly.
Marzia felt her cheeks flush as she directly looked him in the eye. She couldn't help but feel the flapping beat of her chest and the waves of stupor on her skin. Ian was the kind of man who you'd definitely gape at twice if you met him on a random street. But Marzia had also suspected that he was already aware of his effect on the ladies.
Meanwhile, Chan, who was just beside them, was already getting bored. "Why are you so late? I was here for an hour!"
Ian then shifted his gaze to the sharp and shrilling voice of his nephew. "Sorry, I was in a meeting."
Chan huffed. He stomped his feet on the sanded ground and grumbled. "Who cares? Let's go! I'm already hungry. "
He then dashed to the parking lot, leaving the two adults to deal with the awkward situation they were in. For a while, the air between them was the only thing that could be heard as they surreptitiously exchanged gazes with each other. Ian kept on shifting his gaze away and on her while she tried to bear not to catch a glimpse of him. The man didn't even bother stepping away even though the kid was already in his car. It could only mean one thing.
When it dawned on Marzia that what they were doing was foolish, she decided to break the silence between them and uttered, "I—-I didn't mean what I said earlier." She paused, trying to come up with better words. "I mean—I didn't mean to sound like I like you. I just said that to get a sense out of Chan because he hates that you scold him... you know."
Ian wet his lips, looking serious as he nods after every word she says.
"Please don't misunderstand," Marzia blurted out for the last time.
"So, you tried to tell him I'm hot and attractive so he won't get mad at me? Is that right?" Ian pursed his lips, splaying his arms to the side.
Marzia choked, as though she was caught by her own doing. She then coughed in a reflex reaction, clearing her throat of the embarrassment she had just perpetuated. "Uhm, no—Gosh! It's not that—Chan told me he doesn't like seeing you with other girls, and I explained to him that he can't blame those ladies since you're attractive. But I swear that's just it! I didn't mean anything."
Ian's eyes flickered. The smile on his lips couldn't disappear, so he grinned like a Cheshire cat. "But you do think that I'm handsome and hot, right?"
For a moment, she couldn't speak. Still, who was she kidding?
"You know that you are, Ian." Marzia gave up in defeat. She knew she couldn't circumvent her way out of this sticky situation. More so, Marzia had grasped that if she kept on pushing herself to deny it, he would just force her to admit it and he might keep bringing it up. He didn't answer her and stared for a long time. Marzia was so confused by his reaction that she looked away with a pout. "Oh, come on! As if you don't know it!" she groaned and was about to walk out.
However, she paused when she felt his hand pulling her arm to halt her from leaving. Turning to her back, she caught him laughing at her. It was not the kind of laugh that was derision, but a laugh that was pure, happy, and oddly victorious. Despite this, she still gave him an exasperated look. "What is so funny?"
Ian gently turned her shoulders around to meet his gaze and politely said, "Sorry… Alright, I won't push it, Marzia." He lifted her hands as he held them before adding, "It was—uh… I don't know… It's pleasant to hear that from you. I like your honesty."
Marzia was tongue-tied. She felt reassured, yet jittery from his affirmations. Deliberately, though his skin felt nice against her, she removed her hand away from him and finally replied, "Um, okay. I think Chan is already waiting for you in the car. You should go and stop rejoicing from a single compliment."
Ian moved his hand away from her and gawked at the car in the distance. "Ah, yes! You're right." He laughed awkwardly, hunching his head down and scratching his nape. When he lifted his head to look at her, he asked, "Uhm… By any chance, do you want to go with us for dinner?" Ian pointed at his car.