Chapter 69
Aiden walked into the cafe door which for some reason made his life change. Meeting after meeting in this place made him try to understand the meaning of the line of destiny that he had to live.
Aiden's hunch returned to directing his eyes to the corner of the cafe, a table next to a glass that allowed him to see the atmosphere outside the cafe. In that place, a woman with blonde hair and beautiful face like a porcelain doll sat quietly while enjoying a cup of coffee.
"It turns out she has come, huh?" He muttered. Even though it was a little awkward because he was finally able to chat with his only childhood friend, he still tried to keep his cool because he didn't want Cindy to think that he was the old Aiden. The cowardly clumsy fat.
"You've been waiting long?" He asked when his feet arrived in front of Cindy who had always smiled at him.
"No, I just came too. Please sit down!"
"How is your work?"
"Fine, thankfully all went well. How about you?"
"Yes, not bad."
"The girl who was with you didn't come? Uhm... Nina?"
"She's on a coursework. After all, we weren't always together."
"Is that so? She's a very attractive girl. I wish I had her number!"
"Don't tell me you want to be friends with her?"
"Hahaha... why? I don't have close friends in this city yet. Because Nina is such a lovely person, I hope we can get along well."
"You don't want to get along with her!"
"Why is that?"
"Because of her, yeah... she's that kind of person. You can see, she's greedy, reckless and a mood wrecker."
"But she's good girl, right?"
"Yeah... she's good girl."
"Then, what's the problem? We can't choose the perfect friend. So, as long as she's a good person, I think that's enough," Cindy said with a gentle smile. That smile made Aiden remember his childhood.
A time when no one wanted to play and deal with him. A figure who has always been the target of bullying by children who are much stronger than him. Aiden who hates fights and doesn't know how to fight, can only surrender whenever the bullies bully him.
While the other kids didn't dare to get close because they were afraid they would be disturbed if they looked close to Aiden. But Cindy, a transfer student who begins to incarnate as Aiden's savior angel. An angel who saved him from the loneliness he used to feel. Because of her, he feels confident that he too has the right to be accepted and loved.
"You haven't changed much have you?"
"Change? Sure I change, I'm 25 years old and I'm still single. I think that's the similarities and changes you mean. The point is I'm getting old, Aiden!"
"Yeah, I think 25 years isn't that old. We're still pretty young, so have fun!"
"I have fun every day. At the office, I have colleagues who always tell me about their life problems and love problems, there are also those who always pay attention to me, apart from that, there are also co-workers who are talkative and cynical. So, you can say I have fun -happy every day!"
"Haha... I like the way you enjoy life. You are a very great woman!"
"I'm not that great!"
"But I'm sure there are lots of men in your office who are crazy about you, right?"
"Not really! Yes, although there are some people who are a little annoying. But I think they're just playing around."
"Wait a minute, disturbing? What does that mean? Someone has been mean to you?"
"No, not doing evil like that. It's just that, because I rejected him, he didn't give up." Cindy's face changed, from what was previously bright, suddenly became cloudy.
Seeing her like this made Aiden nervous and wondered, was Cindy okay? She lives alone in this city, far from her family and hometown. What if some bad guy bothers her to the point of threatening her?
"If you have a problem, just tell me. You can call me anytime. Do you understand?" He asked very seriously.
"I'm fine, Aiden. Thanks, I'm just not used to being without people I've known for a long time. That's why I asked you to meet."
"Is that person bothering you?" He asked. His mind was already bad after hearing the word bully who likes to impose his will because he has been rejected.
"He just often forces me to go home with him and if I refuse, he still insists!"
"You didn't scream? Was he your colleague?"
"Yes, he was placed in a different division. But we met during meetings and lunch breaks. Indeed, the Director pays enough attention to me, he is very kind. But I don't dare to complain about his actions, afraid that he might overdo it."
"He knows where you live?"
"Apparently not, but I think he could ask another of my co-workers. I don't think he would be so reckless." Cindy looked nervous and Aideb knew why her suddenly wanted to meet him, apparently wanted to talk about this matter.
"Okay, since our apartment isn't that far away. You can call me if anything looks suspicious. You can count on me!"
"Thank you, Aiden. To be honest, I was scared. But I didn't know what to do. I've only been here for a month, so if I cause trouble, I might-"
"Everything will be fine, believe me?"
"Yeah I believe it, thank you."
"Excuse me, here's the coffee you ordered!" Said a female waitress who delivered a cup of coffee ordered by Aiden.
"Thank you!"
"So, Nina is still in college, huh?"
"Yes, she is a sophomore at New York University."
"I'm curious how the first time you two met-"
"Cough..." Aiden who was sipping his coffee, immediately coughed at Cindy's question, which reminded Aiden of his ridiculous and very annoying meeting with the banana girl.
"You all right?"
"Yeah sorry, I choked a bit. What did you ask earlier?"
"How did you two meet?"
"Uhm... how we meet?"
He was silent, how could he explain to her how he and Nina first met, starting from a web novel that had made his life chaotic. It seemed impossible to tell such an embarrassing thing to an old friend.
"We just met by chance at a cafe and from then on, we started to be friends. Yes, that's it!"
"I can imagine it, you must be the first to be attracted to her, right?"
"What? Me? Of course not. No matter how you look, it's obvious that she's my fan!" He said. I don't know where the idea that Nina is his fan came from, which is actually the opposite of reality.
"Hahaha... is that so? It turns out that friendship starts with the relationship between idols and their fans. Alright, I understand. It must be nice to finally be able to make friends with our idols, right?"
"I think so-" Aiden said nervously. He had just told Cindy his first lie, because it was impossible for him to tell the truth and lying was the only way he could think of right now.
"Really? Thank goodness. I'm glad to hear that."
***