Chapter 88: Kevan’s Surprise

Two days later, the dress Kevan had ordered finally arrived. That afternoon I was sitting in the family room, keeping Mr. Aditya company while he watched a replay of a soccer match.

The relaxed atmosphere suddenly changed when Kevan hugged me from behind and lifted a package up in front of my eyes.

“What is this?” I asked curiously.

“Try to guess.”

I thought for a moment. “Chocolate? Or cake?”

Kevan shook his head with a small smile.

“How can you not know something that obvious, Frel?” Mr. Aditya chimed in. His arm was now resting casually on the back of the sofa, wrapped around Mrs. Viona’s shoulders.

“So what’s inside, Mr. Aditya?”

“It’s a bomb. It’ll explode when you open it.”

“Huh?” I flinched reflexively. My heart immediately started pounding fast. “Seriously?”

A moment later, Mr. Aditya burst out laughing. Mrs. Viona immediately smacked his thigh in annoyance. “Don’t scare Frel.”

Kevan chuckled as well. He gently ruffled my hair. “Dad is just joking. If you’re curious, just open it.”

So I opened the package. My eyes widened when I saw the blue dress that I had secretly been eyeing for the past few days. The exact same dress that Kevan had ordered for me.

“This is the dress you ordered back then, right?” I asked, almost unable to believe it.

Kevan nodded. “Yes. This is for you.”

“Seriously? For me?” My voice rose without me realizing it.

He nodded again, this time with a softer smile.

Without thinking, I exclaimed happily, then wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. A reflex, simply because I was too happy. A habit I often had when my emotions overflowed.

Unlike me, Kevan froze stiff. His face tensed, clearly not expecting it.

“Ahem.”

Mr. Aditya’s throat-clearing made me jolt. I immediately pulled away and fixed my sitting position.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” I said nervously. Unconsciously, my index fingers bumped into each other again, a habit that always appeared when I was embarrassed. My head lowered. “Please don’t be mad.”

A few seconds later, I gathered the courage to lift my face and smiled awkwardly. “That was just a reflex, Mr. Aditya, Mrs. Viona. I was just too happy.”

Mrs. Viona looked at me while holding back a laugh.

“Our son must be happy,” Mr. Aditya teased. “Getting a kiss from his girlfriend.”

I froze.

Instead of getting angry, Mr. Aditya looked at Kevan with a teasing expression. I glanced at Kevan, who had now turned his face away, scratching his neck nervously. He looked embarrassed.

I giggled inwardly. When Kevan got flustered, for some reason it always felt adorable.

“My son is growing up, getting more handsome,” Mrs. Viona said gently. “I’m proud.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Kevan replied with a warm smile.

“By the way,” Mrs. Viona continued, looking at me. “You’re very cute when you play with your fingers like that.”

Mr. Aditya laughed loudly again. I snorted softly. It felt like Mr. Aditya enjoyed teasing me more than watching television.

“That’s just a habit since I was little, Mrs. Viona,” I said awkwardly. “I haven’t been able to change it.”

“That’s fine,” she said. “It’s cute.” She then turned to Mr. Aditya. “How about we have dinner out later?”

“That sounds good. Frel, you should come too,” Mr. Aditya said to me.

I immediately remembered my promise to my grandfather and grandmother. “I’d really like to, Mr. Aditya. But this afternoon I already promised not to go anywhere and to keep my grandparents company at home.”

“Oh, I see,” he replied. “What about tomorrow night?” He turned to Kevan. “What do you think, Kevan?”

Before answering, Kevan looked at me with gentle eyes. “I’ll go with whatever Frel decides,” he said.

He then reached for a snack on the table and fed it to my mouth. I accepted it happily.

“Alright. Tomorrow night Frel has to come with us,” Mr. Aditya said firmly.

I nodded politely.

Without his parents noticing, Kevan moved closer and whispered in my ear. “Don’t forget to wear that dress. I can’t wait to see you wearing it.”

My face immediately felt hot. I could only nod shyly, especially when he looked at me with such a captivating smile.

Since getting out of the car, Kevan hadn’t let go of my hand. Even when we entered the restaurant, I caught him glancing at me secretly several times.

“What is it?” I asked softly. “Do I look strange?”

“You look very beautiful,” he said honestly. “Thank you for wearing the dress.”

I did like it. The dress fit well and made me feel comfortable.

“Thank you too,” I replied with a smile.

Kevan helped me sit down, then ordered food for me that went well with an extra serving of rice. When I turned to look at him, he smiled as if holding something back. I felt a little offended, but I was grateful that the embarrassing incident at the previous dinner hadn’t been told to his parents. I would be done for if Mr. Aditya knew!

However, that wasn’t what was bothering my mind right now. There was something else here that truly annoyed me. I pouted.

“What’s wrong, Frel?” Mr. Aditya asked. “You look sulky.”

“I’m annoyed,” I answered honestly. I folded my arms on the table. I pouted even more.

“Why?” After that, Mr. Aditya immediately looked at Kevan. “What did you do to your girlfriend, Kevan?”

Kevan looked startled, clearly confused.

“It’s not because of him,” I quickly explained.

“Then why?” Mr. Aditya raised his eyebrows.

“It’s okay,” Kevan said softly while holding my hand. “Just say it.”

I gathered the courage to speak, even though I was a bit hesitant.

I took a brief breath. “Look around.” Instantly, all of them turned and looked around the restaurant. “Since earlier, a lot of girls have been paying attention to Kevan. It makes me annoyed.”

Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona immediately laughed together. Meanwhile, Kevan only smiled while holding himself back. I felt like banging my head against the wall.

It was really embarrassing!

“You have to be patient, Frel. That’s how it is when your boyfriend is like Kevan. A lot of girls like him,” Mrs. Viona said, laughing again, though more softly than Mr. Aditya.

Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona chose a family restaurant tonight. There were so many visitors here bringing their wives and children. Yeah, even though there were many girls who glanced at Kevan and tried to get his attention.

Not lacking in ideas, I immediately grabbed Kevan’s arm and hugged it tightly. I didn’t forget to give them all a sharp glare when they were clearly caught red-handed by me.

Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona looked amused by my actions. Meanwhile, Kevan simply smiled as he ruffled my hair.

Despite all that, tonight was truly enjoyable. Kevan’s surprise made me feel like I was floating.

For the first time, I felt what it was like to be in the middle of a family. Kevan also made one of my dreams come true, which was being able to have dinner out with a complete family and joke around together.

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