Unpredictable Connection

13. Date?!

Engfa's POV:

After Freen and Becky took off, I climbed onto my bike and gave a subtle nod to Char, signaling her to hop on. She slid in behind me, but instead of holding onto me like any normal passenger would, she awkwardly clutched the edge of the seat.

I blinked, annoyed and amused all at once.
"Hey," I called out over my shoulder, my tone sharper than I intended. "Hold me tight, or you'll fall."

She flinched a little but replied softly, "No need, P'Fa."

Her voice was hesitant, unsure. Did I scare her? Was I too blunt?

I sighed and softened my tone. "Char, listen to me. Stop acting like this is your first time on a bike."
There was a pause before I felt her arms slowly wrap around my waist.

A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of my lips when she added in a barely audible grumble, "I'm not a kid."

Seriously? Acting like one and then pouting when I point it out? I chuckled under my breath and started the bike.

As we rode through the streets, the morning breeze brushing past us, I felt her grip tighten slightly, her body warming my back with a cautious kind of comfort. I slowed down as we passed a small café on the corner. And there they were—Freen and Becky, sitting together, sipping drinks and sharing small smiles like the rest of the world didn't exist.

"Well, well. Guess who's going to be late."

Char followed my gaze and leaned a little to peek.
"But they look cute though, right?" she asked, a small laugh escaping her.

I returned my attention to the road, but her words lingered.

Cute? Yeah, they did look... peaceful. Comfortable. What if Becky really is the girl who was unknowingly tied to Serena's accident? What if her return stirs something darker than before? Her face was too familiar... too perfectly placed in the center of everything. And yet... I wasn't sure.

My thoughts were interrupted by a light pat on my shoulder.
Char's arm was still around my waist, steady but not possessive. Her voice came gentle but chipper, "Engfa... want to grab some ice cream?"

I blinked. "What?"

Her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, and she cleared her throat like she'd been caught in something scandalous.
"I mean... look, even Freen and Becky are having their moment. The others will probably do the same. So I thought... maybe we could enjoy some time too."

I chuckled at her defensive tone. She was adorably awkward, trying so hard not to sound like she was asking me on a date—even if that's exactly what it felt like.

"Hmmm... I guess we could," I said with a teasing hum. "Ice cream parlor, then?"

Her eyes lit up as she nodded, and I couldn't help but smile back. Damn. That smile of hers—it could melt stone. I wasn't sure if it was her innocence or the way she looked at me like I wasn't made of jagged edges and walls. But for a fleeting second, I felt it.

That small tug at the heart.

I shook the feeling away and turned the corner toward the nearest parlor.
"This one's nice. Let's go."

She hopped off the bike as I parked, still smiling—completely unaware of the war she had unknowingly started in my heart..

Char's POV:

I couldn't believe she actually agreed. I mean... it wasn't a date. Not really. Not intentionally, at least. It's just that... she's different. There's something about Engfa that doesn't quite fit into any of the boxes I've known before. She's sharp, distant at times—but underneath that cool front, there's warmth. A mystery I want to unravel.

I wasn't trying to ask her out, not in that way. But the words had slipped out before I could stop them. And when she said yes... something fluttered in my chest. Unexpected. Unexplainable. Magical.

Unpredictable.

We walked into a quiet little ice cream shop, the kind tucked away from the main roads where only locals knew to go. It smelled of vanilla and roasted nuts, and the soft hum of a love song played from a speaker above the counter. We each got our favorites—mine, chocolate hazelnut, and hers, a classic strawberry.

We found a small corner table, and she slid into the seat across from me. Not that I was complaining, but... would it have been too much to sit beside me? Ugh, what am I even thinking?

I was mid-bite, lost in my own thoughts when she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Earth to Char?" she teased, one eyebrow raised. "Where'd you go?"

I blinked and smiled nervously, trying to pull myself together. "Just thinking that... the place is nice."

She smirked. That knowing smirk that said she could see right through me.

We settled into a casual rhythm, chatting about random things, and then I found myself blurting out something unexpected.

"So... P'Nam is engaged?"

Engfa nodded, licking her ice cream without hesitation. "Yeah. Why?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off as casual. "Just curious. To whom?"

She chuckled. "To Krik."

I blinked. "Wait—what? As in the Krik? The billionaire?"

"Yep," she replied with a soft laugh. "Yet she somehow didn't have money to pay for my hospital bill."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Well... that's kinda my fault. My friend hit you, remember? So it was my responsibility."

"I know it was Irin," she said easily, finishing off her ice cream. "Though, she didn't seem very sorry about it."

I sighed and placed my cup aside. "It's not that simple, P'Fa. That day... Becky was flying back from England after five years. Irin was overwhelmed—too excited to see her. She left me behind just because I was being slow." I smiled at the memory, even if it stung a little. "She didn't know it was you she hit, but once I told her I helped the person, she was worried. That's also why she was so quiet around you this morning. She didn't know how to face you."

For a moment, Engfa was quiet. Then, to my relief, she smiled softly and let out a light chuckle.

"Well, I forgive her. But she better not make a habit of running people over."

I laughed and nodded. "Deal."

As we stood to leave, Engfa casually reached for the bill and paid without a second thought. I wanted to protest, but her expression said not to. We stepped outside, the late morning sun warming our faces, and walked back to her bike.

As I climbed on behind her again, this time without hesitation, I wrapped my arms gently around her waist. She wasn't as cold as she pretended to be.

In fact... she was far from it.

She was warm.

She was real.

And she was starting to become something I didn't expect at all—
Someone I didn't want to stop getting to know.

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here is the chapter. I unpublished and republished. so trying to make it standard. Not a mess..

Let me know if you guys are fine with it or not, Till then, byeeee