FORBIDDEN TO FALL IN LOVE

36. Interested

Valeda spread his gaze in all directions, trying to find Daniel who had left him a few minutes ago. Actually, Valeda himself did not really understand why Daniel was so angry. To be sure, there was a misunderstanding going on between them. Valeda did not want it to be big and ruin the plans he had put together. Moreover, finding a competent man like Daniel is very difficult and certainly requires a lot of time.

"What's up, Miss?" Kris, who caught up with Valeda, became confused by the behavior of his superiors. "You looking for Daniel?" ask Chris again.

"Did you see it?" Valeda asked back.

"Daniel has taken a taxi from here" replied Kris. "I think he's pretty far away, since there aren't many vehicles at this hour."

Valeda's shoulders slumped at Kris's reply. Daniel was far from his home. Valeda's mind went blank. Valeda draped Daniel's suit over his shoulder. The smell of Daniel's body is still clear. "Kris..."

"What's up, Miss?"

"I don't really understand. But, I think there was a misunderstanding between me and Daniel," Valeda replied softly. There's a strange sense of excitement in Valeda's chest.

"It's ten o'clock at night, miss. If indeed you are in a dispute, can Miss finish tomorrow," proposed Kris.

"But I want to see him now."

Kris smiled at Valeda's confession. "You are both tired. It's not good to talk now. There will be more emotions and the word make up will be even further."

"What do you really know about that?" valeda Protest. "You weren't there when Daniel was angry."

"Is Daniel angry after Miss talked to Mr. Rangga?" ask Kris.

Valeda remembered for a moment. "It looks like it is."

"The Miss is still as familiar as you used to be with Mr. Rangga, huh?" kris.

"Of course I'm familiar with my close brother" Valeda said. "I'm also familiar with you and Celine even though we're not brothers. What's wrong with that?"

"If Miss talks to Celine about this, she'll be wiser in advising. If I do the talking, it's like I'm on Daniel's side" Kris replied.

Valeda crossed his arms in front of his chest. He is upset that Kris himself is also playing puzzles like Daniel. Even so, Valeda agrees that this is not the right time to talk to Daniel. Even if he catches up with Daniel, he'll arrive at the orphanage late at night. Daniel's sisters are asleep and Valeda will only disturb them.

"All right, we're going back to the apartment right now. I'm going to say goodbye to my parents" Valeda finally broke up. Valeda re-entered the path to his backyard, to say goodbye to his parents. During the walk, he thought of the exact reason why Daniel was not with him, so that neither Mr. Suherman nor Mrs Emely would be suspicious.

***

"What's up, Val?" Celine entered Valeda's room with a cup of coffee. "Can you tell me now?"

Celine's been curious about Valeda's story ever since she picked Valeda up at her apartment this morning. Of course Celine immediately realized that her best friend had a problem. Valeda did not finish her breakfast and looked lethargic from the moment she woke up.

"There's something strange about Daniel" Valeda said.

Celine stood next to Valeda's desk, hugging the tray she was carrying. "So, the reason you're so moody is Daniel?" Celine sure.

"You know, right? Yesterday he and I went to my family's dinner together. At first, everything went well. It was a beautiful night, I think. But, suddenly he was angry."

"Daniel is not the type of person who would be angry for no reason" Celine replied.

"Yes, I know that. He must have had a good reason to be so angry" Valeda said.

"What are you really doing?" ask Celine.

"Nothing is strange" he replied. "At first I talked to my mom and my aunt, then Joan, then Alex, and then some of my cousins and Papa's brothers."

"Is there anything else?" investigate Celine with narrowed eyes.

Valeda sipped his coffee once before replying. "Last, we talked to Rangga."

Valeda. "Yes. Last night he came and went straight to my house to pick up his mother."

"Well! My sister will be excited if she hears Rangga coming home! How's the visual now? Is he still handsome? Is he getting taller?" cerocos Celine's. He seemed very happy to hear Rangga coming home.

"That's you, Cel," said Valeda. "The ladder did get taller and he's now a preening jock. If your sister wants to, I can arrange lunch for the four of us. It would be awkward if I arranged a lunch just for the two of them."

"Gaziness!" Celine clapped her hands, stirring herself. "I haven't talked to that one sloppy guy in a long time!"

Valeda giggled at Celine's confession. "In five years, he might not be as reckless as you remember."

"That nature is hard to change, Val," Celine said. "Oh yes! Back to topic!"

Valeda sighed because he himself forgot his purpose of venting. "Then, what made Daniel so angry?"

"Staircase," Celine replied quickly.

Valeda furrowed his brows. "What does this have to do with Rangga? Daniel doesn't even know Rangga. There's no reason Daniel's upset about it."

Celine giggled at Valeda's words. "Does Rangga still call you 'Love'?" ask Celine.

"Yes. He still calls me that. Why why?"

"Hhh, you need to learn a lot about your opponents, Val," Celine advised.

Valeda doesn't understand. He felt even more confused after talking to Celine. Kris says Celine will make things clear. "I don't like it when you play this word" said Valeda.

"Daniel paid attention to you, Val."

"It should be, right? He has to be the maximum because I paid him dearly" Valeda said.

"It's not just that" Celine explained. "He pays attention to the woman they like."

"Haha! Don't joke!" Valeda laughed at Celine's explanation.

"What makes you think I'm joking?" ask Celine.

Valeda stopped his laughter. He looked at Celine closely. "Because the first rule of our contract is 'forbidden to fall in love'" Valeda replied.

"You can't control how you feel, Val," Celine sat on the sofa in front of Valeda's desk. "Just like I was with Chris. It calms down whenever I am around him. But, as soon as he disappeared from my sight, there was a troubling sense of worry. I also feel jealous whenever I see him talking to another woman."

"Wow! You admit your feelings are that easy in front of me right now?"

Celine smiled knot. "Nothing to hide. We're drunk with romance."

"Ckckck," Valeda clucked. He felt astonished and amazed by his best friend who finally wanted to accept Kris. "Don't make out in front of me!"

"Alright, alright! There's nothing you need to worry about us" Celine said. "Val, have you never felt anything with Daniel?"

Valeda held her breath when given such a question. "Feel what?"

"whatever?"

Valeda bit her lower lip. He did not dare to make a sound. 'Is what I've been feeling all along a sign that I'm interested in Daniel?' valeda in the heart.

***