Chapter 65: The Last Painting

He only stared blankly at the painting.

I repeated the same question. “Kenn, what’s wrong?”

“Hendra really loved painting,” Kenn finally said. “This is the last painting he made. He planned to give it to Gita when he was ready to confess his feelings,” Kenn explained as he gazed vacantly at the painting.

He fell silent for a moment, staring at it as if his thoughts were drifting far away. “In reality, that chance would never come. A day before he intended to confess his feelings, the accident took Hendra’s life.”

The air in the room felt heavier. Kenn’s expression changed. Guilt, anger, and hatred were clearly etched on his face.

I stepped closer to Kenn. My eyes traced every brushstroke on the painting before us.

A girl in a light blue dress, smiling sweetly with wavy hair cascading freely. This painting felt very different from the previous works. In other paintings, Gita’s hair was always braided into two plaits and her face framed by glasses, but here she looked completely free.

“So beautiful,” I murmured unconsciously. “Gita looks very different here. You know, Kenn? If Gita saw this herself, I’m sure she would be deeply touched. Maybe she would accept Hendra without a second thought.”

Kenn did not respond. He turned around and walked toward the open window. He slipped both hands into his trouser pockets and stared blankly at the horizon.

Actually, there was one question that had been bothering my mind all this time. I took a deep breath before finally mustering the courage.

“Kenn,” I called. “If I may know, what was Hendra’s last request?”

Silence. There was no answer. Kenn remained motionless like a statue. I walked closer and stopped right beside him, trying to follow his line of sight. Two small birds were perched on a tree branch.

“Kenn,” I called again.

He did not turn around. He ignored me completely. There seemed to be no sign that he would answer.

I let out a tired sigh. “All right, it’s fine. Just forget it.”

Maybe he really needed some time alone.

Just as I was about to step away and leave him, his voice sounded soft yet sharp.

“Hendra asked me to look after Gita for him.”

My steps stopped instantly.

I turned to face him. Kenn now looked at me. His words echoed in my head, mixed with fragments of memories of him always following Gita wherever she went, saving her from Farah’s slap, and beating up anyone who dared to disturb her.

My eyes widened.

“So ... you did all of that for Hendra? Not because you wanted to?”

“What else would it be?” he replied curtly.

“But for how long, Kenn? Do you have to follow her every single day?”

Kenn leaned against the side of the window. “Not always,” he answered softly, “but every time I remember Hendra’s request, I immediately look for where Gita is. I have to make sure she’s safe, even if only from afar.”

I frowned. “How often do you remember it? I mean, the memory of that request?”

“Every day,” Kenn answered briefly. He smiled faintly, but his face looked deeply sad.

“Every day?” I repeated in disbelief. “Are you serious? Don’t you have everything, Kenn? You could just tell your people to watch over Gita from a distance without having to sacrifice your own time.”

“Hendra asked me to do it,” Kenn replied. “Not anyone else.”

His gaze fell to the tip of his shoe, which he deliberately nudged against the wooden floor.

“So what’s your plan now?” I asked. “Are you going to keep following Gita for the rest of your life?”

Kenn shrugged indifferently. “I don’t know.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance at his response. “I thought you truly loved your brother. Turns out I was completely wrong.”

Kenn turned quickly, his eyes narrowing sharply. “What do you mean?”

“If you really loved Hendra, you wouldn’t just watch over Gita from afar like a stalker,” I replied with a cynical smile.

“That was all Hendra’s wish,” he retorted. “I’ve done everything I could.”

“That’s clear proof that you’re doing all of this not from the heart, but only out of guilt, Kenn. You feel indebted for a life, not because you want to see Hendra happy.”

Kenn stepped closer to me, his aura intimidating. “So you think what I’ve been doing all this time is wrong?”

“Not wrong, but still not enough,” I answered calmly. “Help Hendra convey his true feelings to Gita. You have to tell Gita about these paintings, Kenn. Gita deserves to know how sincerely Hendra loved her.”

Kenn froze. A moment later, his face turned panicked, as if I had just asked him to do the most impossible thing in the world.

“No. I can’t do that.”

“Why can’t you? He’s your own brother.”

“Precisely because he’s my brother, I can’t do it!”

“You have to be able to, Kenn! Don’t you feel sorry for Hendra? He worked so hard to paint all of this just for Gita. You said it yourself, he wanted to give these to her before the accident took everything away, didn’t he?”

“I already told you I can’t!” Kenn’s voice began to rise. “How many times do I have to repeat it?”

Kenn’s face turned deathly pale. “I ... I’m afraid. I’m afraid that Hendra’s feelings won’t be returned. I’m afraid Gita doesn’t feel anything for him. I can’t bear to see Hendra disappointed. I’m afraid that—”

“Kenn, listen to me,” I cut him off, trying to lower my tone to sound more calming. “You don’t need to be afraid of the outcome. Before Hendra decided to confess his feelings, I’m sure he had already prepared himself for the worst possibility. Your task now is only to convey his feelings, not to ensure whether that love will be returned or not.”

I looked him straight in the eyes. “At least let Gita know that there was a man out there who loved her so sincerely. At least let Hendra’s soul be at peace knowing that his feelings have been conveyed to the girl who became his source of inspiration.”

Kenn fell silent for quite a long time, as if he were battling his own thoughts. I hoped my lengthy explanation would be enough to tear down his defenses.

For Hendra.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind brushed against my body. The atmosphere in the room abruptly turned ominous. I shuddered, and the hairs on my arms stood on end.

My body tensed. I touched the back of my neck and tried to look left and right warily.

There was no one.

The room was empty, there were only the two of us. But why did my feelings tell me that there was another presence watching us?

An unusual fear began to creep through my entire body. Without thinking, I immediately stepped forward and moved closer to Kenn’s right side, gripping his arm tightly.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Kenn.

“I’m scared. Let’s go home now,” I said in a trembling voice. I whimpered softly, truly not wanting to be here for even another second. “Come on, Kenn. Hurry!”

...........................................