SENSITIVE LOVE

23

The two men were sitting in a restaurant that was quite luxurious. Steven just wanted to melt the atmosphere with food because Clara had been silent since. The girl did not even look at him in the slightest. Keep looking down and quietly follow where Steven took him.

The atmosphere outside the building looks crowded and the vehicle. They were on the balcony of another restaurant 3. Quite calm and indeed provided for visitors who have serious talks. When the order came, Clara still did not budge. Stay still staring down the road. Actually he was quite uncomfortable since earlier because they entered a classy restaurant but his appearance was very homely. Steven even looks very different to him.

"Speak."

Clara did not glance at him at all, but she responded.

"Nothing I want to talk about. Didn't you see you understood immediately."

Steven looked at her patiently, Clara looked depressed as well as embarrassed. Steven understood his situation. But of course he wants to hear it directly.

"You've been fine all along with the state of the house like that?"

"Now only occasionally do I see them after living in the dormitory. After graduation I will also choose a campus that has a dormitory," replied Clara.

"Since when?"

Clara finally looked. He had little idea where Steven's question was headed. His eyes showed that he did not understand.

"When did you have that stepmother?" ask Steven more clearly.

"Since 3rd grade Junior High, my mother had just died. He is married to a close friend who has two children. At first .. I thought they were good.but not after a few weeks, I knew they were only good when in front of dad. Therefore, once I graduated, I tried to get a scholarship at that school even though I was mediocre. And sister Windy is a very helpful person. At that time ... because of his help the school chose me from so many other children. Then it continued .. he helped me in the bulli. She's very good ...."

Clara with her sad smile.

"Don't regret anything" Steven said firmly, there was a hint of dislike implied in his voice.

Clara lifted her head, looking at Steven in silence. As if asking what he should do. Steven who was still looking at her, was silent for a while before finally speaking.

"The problem of Aldo and his fiancee .. don't blame yourself. Then ... tell me, come to me when you need help. Even just because you're hungry, just say it. Don't let me know after you're hurt."

Steven said it in a firm tone but remained soft. There's a command tone there but not coercion. They finally kept quiet until Clara decided to touch the food in front of her.

They finally started eating in a quiet state. Clara is busy with her thoughts and Steven is giving her space.

.

Steven finally takes Clara to see her father in the hospital. By the time he got there, all his friends had gone home to the apartment. His father who was reading the book smiled when his son came.

"So the need you said was to pick up this Miss?" seductive father.

Steven was silent, rather lazy to respond. The misbehaving Clara approaches the patient's bed and greets Steven's father. Although their culture is different, Steven's father, who has lived in Indonesia for a long time, understands the manners that Clara does.

"How's uncle doing ? I'm sorry I just found out that uncle's sick" said Clara.

"Eei.. it's okay ... Steven doesn't want to bother you who's learning. Are you bothered in bringing it here?"

"No! Even happy, sitting at home because it continues to stare at books," joked Clara who partly lies.

Steven looked at her softly, he did not know that Clara had faced difficult things. He also did not see the phone he gave yesterday since he was with Clara. But he chose not to ask, Steven would rather wait for Clara to explain. Although he actually had some guesses that might have been true.

Old Clara told me about school with Steven's father. In fact they discussed Steven whose person was just sitting there relaxing while playing his phone. Steven wasn't playing the game, he was focusing on looking at the company's reports and some of his boutiques and shops. It also checks the share prices of other companies.

His lips lifted slightly, barely noticeable as his eyes caught one of the companies whose owners made his father suffer. Seemed happy with what his subordinates were doing. Like a teenager who is very happy when his mischief is not caught by parents.

His attention was distracted when he heard the loud laughter of his father and Clara. He lifted his head and stared alternately at the two with raised eyebrows. His father who understood when he saw him immediately told him why they were laughing.

"Ooh ... Appa laughed at Clara's funny story when she was in elementary school. Exactly you, plain but naughty."

"That's not naughty uncle, that's a clever name" Clara said with a fluffy smile.

Steven just nodded, he refocused on his phone. Ignoring his father's insistence that he was so boring with his personality. Then told Clara to often play at home to cheer him up. Steven just smiled a little at that. Glad his father liked the girl he loved.

They stopped when the doctor came in to check. With a happy look, his father seemed excited and was about to go home. The doctor will of course allow. Because his father is in stable condition.

Finally, they came home that afternoon. After Steven drove his father home and prepared everything, Steven asked his father for permission to take Clara home.

.

Both are still in the car. Clara looked at her house. Someone opened the door, because of the quiet state, the sound of Steven's car seemed to disturb the residents inside.

The one who appeared at the door was Clara's younger half-sister, then behind her appeared her younger sister while fiddling with a cell phone.

"I will accompany you in, I want to know your father" Steven said firmly.

Tampa waited for an answer, he just came down. Makes Clara pop her eyes. Of course the girl wasn't ready. His father's condition is really not good at this time because he is sick. However, Clara could not even stop him as Steven was already standing at the door facing his two half-sisters.

Steven glanced at the phone that Clara's younger sister was holding, recognizing it as Clara's phone he bought to replace the one he threw away. With a light gesture, Steven stepped forward and snatched the phone away.

"Hey! What the fuck! Restore it! Who are you coming to snatch people's phones!" snarled with a loud tone.

"Your friend? presumptuously bring a girlfriend home and she immodestly snatched my phone!" said again. Glared at Clara with a savage look.

Steven ignored the babbling of the girl in front of him. If expected, the girl seems only different from the moon with Clara. Unlike his younger brother who seems to still be Junior High. Steven held up the phone in front of his chest while staring at Clara.

"So because he took your phone I couldn't reach you?" ask Steven.

Clara only nodded at a glance, glancing at her little sister who looked still angry.

"You'd better go home, Steve ..."

"Don't I say I want to see your father?" his protest.

"Steven please_"

Clara could not continue her words as her father's voice called out and just appeared at the door. His face was still pale but looked better than before.

"There's guests? Why are you talking outside?" ask father. "Come on in, Clara's friend?" continued father. Steven looked curious.

Steven nodded and went forward to greet the middle-aged man. His father took him into the simple living room of their home. Steven could see there were only 3 bedrooms. That means Clara shared a room with her little sister. Her stepmother emerged from the kitchen and sweetly sat down beside her husband. His attitude was very different when he first met this afternoon.

"So .. Where was Clara? why did you suddenly leave?" ask father.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault. My father went to the hospital and was in a hurry" Steven replied with a little lie.

"Yes, the important thing is to go home safely. What is your name? It doesn't seem like an Indonesian, your accent is good enough but it still sounds stiff."

Steven smiled a little.

"Me, I'm Steven Kim. My mother is from this country, while my father is from Korea."

"So ... What's one school with Clara?"

"I'm third grade" Steven replied.

"Hmm .. by the way ... Clara never brought a friend home. Is this a special friend?" suddenly Clara's mother asked. Even with his usual tone, but Steven knew he wanted to provoke.

"We__"

"I really like Clara" Steven cut out smoothly.

Her mother seemed to smile cynically, implied a sense of pleasure because she felt Clara would get into trouble. Another with Clara being shocked, her father looked still calm. He looked at Steven, presumably judging. He stared at Steven who was also staring at him, before he finally chuckled.

"You're brave enough, before I always banned my daughter from going out to school. That's why it seems you're also the one who insisted on coming, right?" Steven smiled and nodded. He's very calm and relaxed.

"You guys dating?" ask again. Clara was sweating coldly. He didn't want to make trouble with his father's rules.

"Yes" Steven replied briefly.

Clara exhaled while closing her eyes for a moment. With his forced courage, he finally lifted his head and looked at his father.

"Dad .. sorry."

His father did not reply, he still looked carefully at Steven. Like they're waiting.

"I'll make sure to take care of Clara. Don't worry about anything, please give me one piece of trust and you can confirm it your way, sir. I will take care of the father's daughter until the time I will bring her into my house, making her my bride .. make her happy."

Clara turned her head, looking at Steven who was still staring at her father with great courage. Clara even felt her heart would jump because it was so hard she was pumping. How can Steven who is still in High School talk as if he is an adult. Clara was even speechless.

"Are you one of the top students? you speak very boldly. I don't think you're disrespectful .. You're just overconfident. Even you're still at the expense of the old man." Steven did not smile, he glanced at Clara's mother who had just spoken.

"I made a general champion school for the math olympiad, at school I entered a superior class. Does it fit within the achievement criteria?" sarcastic Steven.

Clara's mother looked flushed, not out of shame but out of anger.

"I'm sorry if I'm arrogant" Steven turned to Clara's father again, his tone also softer.

"You're so different" finally his father spoke. "It doesn't look like a teenager in general, you clearly know what you're doing and what impact you'll receive. But ... Dad was amazed, you dared to come and talk like this .. That means you're not playing games." continued Clara's father.

Her mother and sisters seemed surprised and could not accept Clara's father's words. An annoyed look was evident from their faces.

"Dad, call me like Clara called me. Just ... Do your parents not matter? I can even see that you are not from among us, father is just an ordinary employee."

Hearing that, Clara's mother and two half-brothers seemed interested. Unlike Clara who even looked down again.

Steven smiled, "My parents even really liked Clara" he replied.

Finally the atmosphere melted away, his father seemed excited to talk to Steven and was busy with their world. Clara went into her room to take a shower. While the three children who looked upset entered the room of Clara's younger brother. Like they were talking about their plans.

From that chat, Steven finally found out that Clara's father worked at his company. What a fun coincidence. Even so, his father was just an ordinary employee in the marketing department.