On the side of Joseph and Abdul:
Joseph and Abdul trailed Shin and Maki out of the city and into the open countryside, where the scenic roads wound through fields and forests. Every now and then, they caught a glimpse of Maki's arms wrapped tightly around Shin, her head resting on his shoulder as they cruised along the gentle curves of the road…
Joseph snickered. "Aww, look at them. So cute. Shin's finally winning back his lost points..."
Abdul gave him a side-eye. "And yet, here we are. Ruining his moment..."
"It's not ruining if he doesn't know," Joseph said with a grin. "We're just... observing. Like friends do…"
Abdul shook his head in disbelief. "If that's how you define friendship, remind me to find new friends…"
At one point, Shin took a detour off the main road, following a narrow path that led through a field lined with tall grass and wildflowers. Joseph and Abdul, trying to stay unseen, parked the SUV at the edge of the field and continued their pursuit on foot…
"This is officially the worst idea you have ever had…" Abdul grumbled as they jogged through the grass, trying to keep up with the distant sound of Shin's motorbike.
"You keep saying that…" Joseph said, grinning despite being out of breath. "And yet, you're still here…"
"That's because I have also become an idiot because of you…." Abdul muttered. "And you? You're a bad influence..."
Joseph gave a dramatic shrug. "Guilty as charged..."
Joseph suddenly yelled, "Hey… hey…. Hey…. They are going away. Back to the Suv!!!...."
And Joseph and Abdul kept following Shin…
Back to Shin:
With the detour behind us took the bike directly to the main road. The trail curved smoothly along the seashore and hugged the cliff's edge, with the sea glistening to our right. The sun was low down on the horizon, casting a golden glow on the water. Meanwhile, the sky above it gradually shifted into tints of orange, pink, and lavender.
The breeze carried the scent of salt and fresh air, while the hum of the bike beneath us seemed to perfectly match the serenity of it all.
Maki hugged me a little tighter, her arms warm against my waist. "This... this is really nice, Shin…"
"Yeah!!" I agreed, smiling to myself. "I told you it'd be worth it…"
Maki rested her cheek against my back. "I almost forgot how good it feels to just... be with you..."
I slowed the bike slightly to savor the moment. "Well, let's make a promise, then…."
Maki hummed, curious. "What kind of promise?!..."
I glanced at her over my shoulder, the glow of the setting sun highlighting the softness in her expression. "Let's promise that no matter what happens… no more disappearing on each other… No more distance..."
Maki's voice was soft but steady. "You're really saying no more girls kissing you in bars?!..."
I laughed nervously, "No more bars., I swear… Just you..."
She playfully squeezed my side. "Good answer."
Back to Abdul and Joseph:
A few hundred meters behind us, Joseph and Abdul trailed in their black SUV, their ridiculous disguises still in place…
Abdul sat hunched in the passenger seat, glaring at Joseph as the sun streamed through the windshield. "We've been following them all day. We are officially the creepiest people in the world..."
Joseph grinned, adjusting his cap and sunglasses. "Not the creepiest. Just... committed…"
Abdul scoffed. "This is what they mean when they say 'third-wheeling.' Except we're fourth and fifth-wheeling..."
"Semantics…." Joseph said with a wave of his hand. "We're providing moral support..."
Abdul shot him a side-eye. "Moral support!!! Stalking is not moral support…."
"Stalking sounds so negative…." Joseph said thoughtfully. "I prefer 'supervised dating….'"
Abdul let out a long sigh. "I knew it. I'm going to hell just for knowing you..."
Joseph grinned mischievously. "Come on, admit it…. you're having a little fun…"
Abdul crossed his arms, grumbling. "The only fun I'll have is when Shin catches us and throws you off a cliff…"
Joseph winked. "Then the joke's on you because I'll grab you on the way down."
Back to Shin:
The bike cruised smoothly along the sea road. The sunlight reflected off the water like thousands of tiny diamonds. The wind tugged gently at Maki's hair, and I could feel her relaxing more and more with every mile we traveled…
"Hey…" I said, my voice low and playful, "Are you actually enjoying this? Or are you still mad at me?!..."
Maki let out a soft laugh. "You can say a little bit of both…"
I chuckled, my heart light. "That's a fair point…."
She shifted slightly, resting her chin on my shoulder. "You know, if you try anything stupid again…. like going on a 'friend vacation' without texting…. I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life…"
I grinned. "Duly noted. No more unsupervised trips with Joseph…"
Maki gave a playful hum. "Good. I'll hold you to that."
Back to Joseph and Abdul:
In the SUV behind us, Joseph leaned forward while tapping the steering wheel with excitement as he watched the couple ahead of them…
"Look at them!" Joseph said with a grin. "They're getting all lovey-dovey. Mission accomplished..."
Abdul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, great!!! Let's head back now…."
"Not yet now!!!" Joseph replied, flashing a sheepish grin. "We have come this far so we have to see through this…."
Abdul groaned. "See what through? Their make-up session?!..."
Joseph smirked. "We've come this far. We can't abandon the mission now. It's like pulling out of a rocket launch mid-countdown..."
Abdul shook his head in disbelief. "You're insane. You know that, right?"
"Maybe… for a bit… I guess…." Joseph said with a shrug. "But it's kind of fun, isn't it?!"
"No!!!" Abdul deadpanned. "It's weird. And exhausting…"
Back to Shin:
As we continued down the coast, the sun dipped lower. The dipping sun painted the sky in brilliant colors. The road twisted gently along the cliffs, and every turn felt like it brought us closer together…. Like the distance between grew between us was finally fading away...
"I will say again Maki I really am sorry…. For what I did…", I said, my voice quiet and sincere...
For a moment, she didn't respond. Then she exhaled softly. It was like releasing the last bit of resentment she was holding onto…
She whispered in my ear, "I know you are… And... I forgive you. Just... don't make me feel like that again…."
"I won't…." I promised. "I'll do better... I swear…."
She rested her cheek against my back, her voice soft. "I believe you…."
Back to Joseph and Abdul:
Back in the SUV, Joseph's phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. He glanced at it briefly before grinning…
"We should totally take a photo of them and send it to Maki as 'proof of supervision...'"
Abdul groaned, rubbing his temples. "Joseph, I swear, if you don't stop…."
"Relax man!!!" Joseph said, stifling a laugh. "It's just for fun. I'm basically a hero for making sure Shin doesn't screw this up…"
Abdul sighed deeply. "I swear, one day... one day Shin's going to throw us both off a cliff, and I won't even fight it..."
Joseph grinned. "Until that day comes… we ride."
On the bike, As the bike hummed softly beneath us, we reached the top of the hill, where the world seemed to stretch out infinitely before us…
As the road ended and the trail leading up the mountain began, Joseph and Abdul found themselves faced with an unexpected challenge: They had to continue on foot since his car couldn't climb a hill…
They parked the SUV at the base of the hill and stared up at the mountaintop. Shin's motorbike's sound could be heard faintly in the distance. They were already making their way up the slope with ease….
Abdul wrapped his arms around his chest and shot a murderous look at Joseph.
"This was a terrible plan from the beginning..."
Joseph grinned, slipping off his sunglasses and adjusting his baseball cap backward.
"Oh, come on man…. It's not that bad. Just a little exercise. Think of it as cardio…"
Abdul scowled. "You didn't tell me there would be climbing involved. I'm dressed for a stakeout, not a hike..."
Joseph shrugged nonchalantly. "All great plans come with surprises. And hey, think of the good memories. Years from now, we'll laugh about this..."
Abdul gave him a flat look. "I'm not laughing now…"
"Then start practicing," Joseph quipped. "Because by the time we reach the top, you'll be too out of breath to even complain..."
Abdul groaned, glaring at the mountain path ahead. "We're going to die. I hope you know that…"
They started climbing up the trail, struggling through the uneven dirt path lined with shrubs and loose rocks. Joseph led the way, whistling cheerfully, while Abdul followed a few paces behind, muttering and cursing Joseph in Arabic with every step…
"Why couldn't Shin just propose at a nice, flat cafe or something?!!" Abdul grumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead….
Joseph glanced over his shoulder. "Because Shin has no sense of timing or convenience. That's what makes him fun..."
"This isn't fun," Abdul muttered, slipping slightly on a loose rock. "This is torture... pure hell…."
Joseph snickered. "Aw, come on. It's a romantic moment. We are just... making sure it doesn't go too smoothly…"
Abdul shot him a glare. "You mean ruining it..."
Joseph grinned and said, "Did you say something!! I couldn't hear you…"
Halfway up the mountain trail, a rustling sound came from the bushes lining the path.
Abdul immediately froze, his eyes wide in shock. "What was that?!..."
Joseph glanced lazily at the bush. "Probably just a squirrel…"
Abdul narrowed his eyes. "That didn't sound like a squirrel. That sounded more like a snake…"
Joseph rolled his eyes. "You're being too dramatic. We're not in the Amazon, Abdul…"
"I swear, if something bites me, I'm throwing you off this mountain," Abdul muttered, carefully sidestepping the bush.
Joseph grinned. "That's the spirit. Embrace the adventure..."
Abdul shook his head, muttering under his breath. "This is not an adventure. This is literally a suicide mission…"
They reached a small plateau about halfway up the mountain. Both of them were panting and drenched in sweat. Abdul leaned against a rock, pulling out a water bottle from his bag…
Joseph sat down on the ground with a thud. "You're in great shape, Abdul. For a guy who's about to collapse…"
"You're the one who made me climb this stupid mountain…" Abdul huffed, taking a long sip of water.
Joseph watched with an exaggerated pout. "Did you bring water for me?!..."
Abdul shot him a side-eye. "No. Why would I? You didn't tell me we were going hiking..."
Joseph groaned dramatically. "You hurt me, Abdul. How could you leave your best friend to die of thirst?"
"You're not dying," Abdul said flatly, taking another sip with zero remorse.
Joseph held out his hand expectantly. "Just one sip?!... pretty please…"
Abdul narrowed his eyes. "You'll drink the whole bottle..."
"Promise I won't," Joseph said with a grin that screamed liar.
Abdul reluctantly handed over the bottle. Joseph immediately drank half of it, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Abdul stared at the now half-empty bottle. "I hate you…"
Joseph grinned. "Love you too…"
As they neared the mountaintop, both of them were struggling to take a breath. Abdul leaned heavily on his knees, gasping for air, while Joseph tried to keep up the tough act, though his flushed face betrayed him.
"This... was... a mistake…" Abdul wheezed, glaring at the last stretch of the trail.
Joseph bent over with his hands on his thighs and nodded. "Big... mistake. But worth it..."
Abdul shot him a murderous look. "Worth it? We haven't even seen what's at the top…"
Joseph smirked between gasps. "It doesn't matter. The journey is the reward…"
Abdul snorted. "The only reward I want is for Shin to never find out we were here..."
Joseph gave him a mischievous grin. "Where's the fun in that?!"
Abdul groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I swear, you're trying to get us killed…"
TO BE CONTINUED