Chapter 126: A Clear Answer

Among all of Tomi’s ex-girlfriends, in my opinion, only Sasha had extraordinary patience. Even though she had been betrayed repeatedly, Sasha always forgave him. Until one day, when Tomi was flirting with another girl in the library without realizing that Sasha was behind him, Sasha immediately hurled a thick dictionary at his face.

That incident became the end point for them. There was no second chance for Tomi, and the word “breakup” slipped so easily from Sasha’s lips.

The sound of someone clearing their throat stopped our laughter. Kenn came carrying two bottles of mineral water. He walked calmly toward us, then tossed one bottle to Tomi, who caught it perfectly.

In another situation, I might have praised Tomi’s agility. However, right now, I could not even blink when I found Kenn’s sharp gaze fixed firmly on me.

Kenn came closer and handed the other bottle to me. "For you."

"Thank you." I smiled awkwardly as I accepted it.

He nodded and narrowed the distance between us. I tried to remain calm, even though my heartbeat was already out of control. To divert my nervousness, I immediately drank the water.

"All right, it seems my presence here will only disturb you two. I’d better go." Tomi patted Kenn’s shoulder with a mischievous smile. "Good luck, Cousin."

I intended to stop Tomi from leaving, but Kenn held me back. "Let him go. There’s something I want to talk to you about."

I glanced at the watch on my wrist. Less than fifteen minutes remained before the school bell would ring. I hesitated, wondering whether I should agree to his invitation or not.

"It’s useless for you to go back to class, anyway we’re going home soon," Kenn said again. "Come on." I stood still, staring at Kenn’s hand stretched out toward me.

I swallowed hard. "You go first. I’ll follow you from behind."

Kenn looked at me in silence. When he realized that I did not welcome his outstretched hand at all, those fingers slowly curled into a fist and then fell to his side.

"All right." Kenn replied briefly.

He looked at me for a few moments before finally walking ahead of me.

I threw the plastic bottle into a trash can not far from where I was standing, then followed behind Kenn with a pressing sense of tension. The feeling of unease grew stronger, especially when we went down to the first floor and had to pass Kevan’s classroom. Without looking toward the open door, I lowered my head and kept walking.

Kenn headed toward the garden in the corner near the school canteen. I did not understand why he took me here. Even though this garden was larger than my favorite one, I felt uncomfortable. It was too noisy, and I did not like that.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked after stopping a few steps in front of him.

We were now standing in the middle of the garden, right near the fountain.

With an unreadable expression, Kenn asked, "Do you already know why I gave you that punishment?"

"Yes, Tomi already told me," I replied while diverting my gaze around the garden.

"I hope this is the last time you put yourself in danger."

Instantly, I turned and found Kenn staring at me intently.

"What do you mean?"

I actually understood his words, but my mind ordered me to pretend not to. I was too nervous to answer properly.

He slowly stepped closer. "I’m sure you understand what I mean."

I clicked my tongue at his response. He always gave answers that never matched what I wanted.

"Yes, I understand. I understand very well. I am careless and like to look for trouble for myself. But what does that have to do with you? Why do you always help me? Why do you bother trying to thwart your own father’s plans?"

"You surely know the answer," Kenn said as he slipped both hands into his pants pockets.

"Oh my God, I don’t know, Kenn. I’m not God who can read the minds of all His creations. Don’t tell me this time you helped me because of Hendra again. I don’t believe it. You need to know, I’m not a coward. Your father can punish me in any way, even if I have to be expelled from school."

I groaned in frustration. This time, I truly did not understand where Kenn was taking this conversation.

My brows furrowed in confusion as I watched Kenn, who was now staring straight at me. He seemed unaffected by my words. Instead of answering, he stepped even closer. The distance between us shrank, making me reflexively step back away from him.

"Don’t come closer. Stop there, Kenn. I won’t be affected by your charm like when you were charming Gita. Stop. I said stop."

God, I had just realized that I mentioned Gita’s name. Damn it!

Kenn smiled with satisfaction as he looked at me. He kept moving forward while I kept stepping backward. "Are you jealous? I know you saw what happened in front of the library earlier."

I shook my head quickly, still moving backward.

"I was only helping Gita and never intended to charm any girl. I’m not even interested in any of them, except for the girl in front of me."

My eyes widened. Unfortunately, my steps stopped when my back hit the large tree trunk behind me.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Now Kenn was standing right in front of me. The distance between us was so close that I could feel his breath on my ear. My breathing became erratic. I tried to control myself by taking a deep breath, but it was useless.

Instead, I stammered, "Does that mean you like me?"

Kenn raised his hand and gently caressed my cheek. I froze. My face felt warm. I was sure that my complexion was now as red as a boiled crab.

He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Isn’t it already obvious?"

I was at a loss for words. My stomach churned wildly, as if thousands of butterflies were fluttering inside. My heartbeat grew faster, as if it was about to explode.

Does Kenn really like me?

"I never called you a coward. I know you’re a brave girl. But your carelessness can endanger yourself." He paused for a moment, gazing at me gently. "No matter what, I never want anything bad to happen to you."

I felt the oxygen around me disappear. I never expected Kenn to say something like that. While swallowing hard, I tried to focus my gaze. The look in his eyes pierced straight into my heart. My smile bloomed sincerely, and he smiled along with me.

Kenn’s fingers were still softly stroking my cheek. I closed my eyes, enjoying his soothing touch. My heart was pounding wildly, yet strangely, I was enjoying it very much.

Thud.

Suddenly, the sound of a hard impact was heard.

I opened my eyes in shock. Kenn staggered backward, with blood beginning to appear at the corner of his lips.

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