The sound of the break bell rang out, but the four students who were sitting on one of the cafeteria benches ignored it. They had been there long enough to avoid the subjects they hated. Of course, there were times when they skipped class like any other students. Always being a diligent child would only make life boring.
Chennie walked towards the benches where her friends were. She placed a tray containing a jumbo portion of spaghetti and another jumbo portion of avocado juice. Brian and his friends were astonished by this one friend of theirs.
Ignoring the stares of her friends who were directed at her, Chennie hurriedly picked up her cutlery and immediately put the first bite into her lips. Her smile widened. She nodded her head spontaneously as the flavor melted in her mouth. There was no doubt about the cuisine of the international school cafeteria.
"Are you sure you finished all of that?" asked Rheana, who was made to feel goosebumps. Just by looking at the portions, her stomach felt bad. Satiety was a very bad thing.
Even though they had eaten normal portions, it was Chennie the food hunter who saw the new menu listed in the cafeteria. Of course, by exerting her power, Chennie easily got the jumbo portion of food and drinks.
Chennie gave one thumbs up in response. Her lips formed an arch as she continued to chew her food. She would not regret having exerted her power to get this delicious food.
Instead of being hungry, Brian who had finished the bowl of rib soup with rice earlier, his stomach felt like it was being stirred.
"Be honest, Chennie. Is your stomach rubber incarnate? No matter how much you eat every day, your body is still the same. Not fat at all."
Chennie again replied with a smile. After the food in her mouth was gone, she opened her lips.
"I'll take that as a compliment. Almost all women want abs like mine. So there's no need to diet to stay in shape."
Aric waved his hand at Brian who was always happy to tease Chennie. "Let her eat in peace."
Chennie smiled so widely that her eyes narrowed slightly. She took a bite for who knows how many times. Indeed, Aric was the only one who always defended her from Rheana and Brian. Aric was like a hero to her.
Rheana sighed. Her gaze went in another direction. "I miss you, Illis. Why exactly did Illis prevent us from seeing her? Is he so sick that it could be contagious? I'm worried as well as suspicious," explained Rheana who had told about the contents of her chat with Callista to her friends.
Chennie who heard that was made to choke. Aric who was next to her hurriedly offered Chennie a drink. One hand gently stroked Chennie's back.
"I agree with you, Rhen. It's not that I don't believe it, it's just that something like this has happened not once or twice, but many times," said Chennie.
"I'm still the same. I've suspected Illis' lover for a long time," said Aric, expressing his same opinion.
"Me too. I'm just afraid that the fantasy I made up in my head might happen. Because there are many cases of abuse and restraint under the guise of a couple's relationship between lovers now," said Brian.
Chennie shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, we'll go visit the Illis residence without asking her permission first. We have to see with our own eyes what's going on." A frown was visible on Chennie's forehead, she seemed to have forgotten something. "Ah, we'll stop by the mall first. I want a burger," Chennie continued while displaying a grin.
Rheana and Brian simultaneously rolled their eyes in disgust. They couldn't understand the contents of Chennie's mind which was only filled with various types of food. It was great that the mind that generated so many ideas also came from the same head.
***
The sun, which had been displaying a smile, was now exhausted and chose to hide itself again. Instead, its friend the moon will take its place, accompanied by the glittering stars. This moment of change is what many human beings look forward to.
In contrast to the bustle on the street, a girl with beads of sweat soaking her forehead was silent. A man next to her clumsily wiped Callista's face with a towel.
The room was so quiet that the sound of dripping water could be heard clearly. Kenward, who was treating Callista according to the website's recommendations, was a little confused because he did not know whether what he was doing now was correct or not.
Callista moved restlessly in her sleep.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The latest Lamborghini car that only exists in the world instantly became a shapeless tent. It rolled around and tasted the taste of the road until it became self-destructive. A puff of smoke accompanied the lightning-fast incident.
Kenward, who saw the tension in Callista's expression, immediately panicked. He gently patted Callista's cheeks which had warmed up thanks to the treatment he gave her with warm water.
Alvino, who was known for his quick response, immediately kicked the door next to Callista with all his might. He, who loved his younger sister more than himself, immediately took the right action. He pushed the child's shaking body out of the car.
Alvino and Yura's bodies flew before the car fell completely into the ravine.
"I love you very much, Illis," Alvino murmured with unshed tears.
"What's wrong with you, Illis? Wake up, don't make me worry like this," Kenward murmured as he grasped Callista's hand tightly.
Meanwhile, little Callista who was thrown away from Yura's car, rolled around and stopped right in the middle of the road covered in blood. The truck that lost its balance suddenly rolled to the side.
Crash!
"Hah... Hah... Hah ...." Callista sat up as soon as she opened her eyes. She was breathing heavily with her forehead feeling slightly wet.
"Are you okay, Illis?" asked Kenward as he cupped Callista's cheek.
The concern that Kenward showed her, made Callista immediately hug the man very tightly. She felt relieved just to be able to see Kenward's face after she had the dream that always haunted her.
Kenward returned Callista's hug, one of his hands moving to stroke Callista's hair gently. He could feel Callista's racing heartbeat.
"It's okay, Illis. I'm right here. Forget about your nightmares."
Callista did not respond. "It wasn't just a dream. It was a bad memory I had, Kenward," Callista thought. She wanted to tell Kenward all about it, but she could not give him her whole heart.
Kenward ended the embrace between them. He turned to the nightstand, poured mineral water into a glass, and immediately gave it to Callista. His hand moved to gently stroke Callista's back as the girl sipped the mineral water.
"Are you feeling better, Illis?"
Callista displayed a sweet smile. Kenward was again warm and caring to her, to the handicapped girl who could have always been a burden to him. Before that, she wanted to make sure of one thing.
"Kenward, can I ask you a question?"
Kenward, who was busy gently rubbing Callista's sweaty neck, answered her with a short Lehman. That made Callista unable to hold back her smile. Did Kenward have this side? Two opposite sides in one body.
"Do you still love me?"
Kenward straightened his gaze. He placed the small towel in the basin. Carving out his sweet smile, he now knew how and when to smile thanks to Callista.
"I'm made to fall in love with you every day, Illis. There will never be a tiring day if I can keep seeing that smile on your beautiful face. I promise to protect that smile."
Callista held Kenward's palm that had settled on her cheek. This large, rough hand felt warm. Her heart found spring again as Kenward again expressed his feelings without hesitation.
Callista looked back at Kenward. "Do you want to hear my answer this time?"
Kenward shook his head slowly. "I will hear it when you are ready. I won't force you to answer right away."
Callista smiled quietly at Kenward's words which again managed to touch her heart. But a few seconds later the smile faded. She remembered the moment before she lost consciousness. Was Kenward an expert in persuading her because he had a lot of experience?
Callista cleared her throat for a moment. She had to change her facial expression as seriously as possible.
"Tell me the truth, Kenward. What is your relationship with that woman in the pool?"
It took a moment for Kenward to remember the woman who had dared to push his girl. Instantly his anger flared up again. But he couldn't remember the woman's face. Ah, he could check the CCTV.
Callista clapped her hand once in front of Kenward's face. "Are you daydreaming about another woman in front of the person you've given a declaration of love to?"
Kenward chuckled a little at Callista who was so cute in his eyes. The girl was sulking by pursing her lips.
"What are you worried about, Illis? I was silent because I forgot the face of the woman who dared to push you into the swimming pool. I didn't recognize her. She's a woman who just followed me from a nightclub. I didn't notice her because I had too much alcohol at the time."
He rested his chin on his palm with his elbow resting on the bed. "There is no woman I am more attracted to than you, Illis. You know, you are my first love."
Callista cast her gaze in another direction. Both her cheeks heated up with a smile that she could not contain. Kenward who saw that, then brought Callista back to look at him with a gentle touch of his hand.
"You're so beautiful smiling like that. Don't make the beautiful scenery go to waste."
Callista, not to be outdone, brought her face closer to Kenward. "This is not fair. You should have given me a beautiful view too."
"With pleasure." After saying that, Kenward immediately carved a smile. That made Callista flinch slightly. Her hand settled on her chest which was beating with a very fast rhythm.
Kenward rose to his feet. "Since you've skipped lunch, you should eat a portion twice as large as your usual portion to quickly restore your energy."
"But I have no energy right now," replied Callista who then leaned her back against the headboard.
One corner of his lips was pulled upwards. Kenward unceremoniously took Callista into his arms.
"You must remember, this lover of yours will always be ready to be of help to you."
Callista smiled slyly. "When did I say I wanted to be your lover, Kenward?"
Kenward stopped his steps. "Since you came back to me?"
Callista's small laugh was contagious to Kenward who rarely laughed. "Well, let's just say that."