The Girl Next Door's

Game

Deril only fell silent when he heard what Mika said. Deril knows very well that Mika doesn't speak fluently, like a child her age. But, the way she talked about her mother like that, made Deril suspicious.

'No. I can't make Mika depressed right now. She had to talk more, ' thought Deril, who saw Mika acting like she wanted to run away from her place.

"I won't ask if you don't want a story" Deril tried to unravel the atmosphere between them. He turned around, facing back to the canvas in front of him. Deril tried his best to look relaxed. His hands are back to painting.

Mika raised her face. His hunting breath, began to be in order again. He also continued his picture. This time, more silent than ever. So lonely, Deril could hear the sound of brush scratches they both.

"Diana is still in the hospital" Deril tried to start a conversation. "He's my only brother. Although his son is a bit annoying, but he is my only brother. I love my sister very much."

Mika nodded. Maybe Mika herself knows that Deril loves her sister, after seeing how panicked Deril was the other day.

"Thankfully, Diana was a strong child. He'll be healed in a few days. I promise I'll get her a good meal when she's out of the hospital." Deril looked at Mika. "Do you want to eat together?"

Mika did not answer. His hands were busy finishing his painting. His eyes glittered as he scratched the brush on the canvas.

Deril sighed softly. It seems Deril knows that Mika will not answer her question much this time. "Is your painting finished?"

Mika nodded. "Don't ask anything. Lookatthis. I don't have time anymore" Mika whispered without moving her lips as she spoke.

There was no response from Deril, because from the tip of his eyes, Deril could see as big as the figure of the person Deril knew. The man appears from behind Mika's door.

"Mica!"

The call made them look. Sure enough Deril's guess. Doctor Stephen finally showed up. She smiled as she waved at Mika who was sitting next to Deril.

"I have to go home" Mika packed her watercolors.

"Just tell Doctor Stephen, if I talk a lot about school and my friends" Deril murmured.

Mika immediately moved as soon as she finished packing her goods. Mika turned around when she opened the gate. She smiled a little. Mika's sweet smile. Deril waved cheerfully to reply. Her eyes are not sidetracked, until Mika enters the house.

Clamps!

Deril turned his head when he heard the sound of a door opening behind him. Alex's head poked with a wide, meaningful smile.

"Why, Dad?" deril asked, while starting to tidy up his painting tools.

Alex went out of the house and approached his son. "Father until you don't dare to come out, because look there's Mika here."

"Isn't that weird?" ask Deril.

Alex sat down where Mika was sitting. "You think so?"

"Yes" replied Deril. "It's strange, Doctor Stephen gave Mika permission to come here, after what we've been through. Shouldn't Doctor Stephen be more careful? Mika could have leaked the crime."

Alex stroked his chin which began to have a beard. Silence at home makes him a bit lazy to clean up. "Maybe Doctor Stephen changed his mind about you."

"Hahaha," Deril laughed discordantly. "There is no way such a person would suddenly change his mind, unless I was also involved in his dirty actions."

***

Deril raises his feet on the study table, while playing mobile phone. His hands are playing a new game. For a moment, he forgot the bad things in his head.

"Aakhs! Lose again!" erang Deril, when the character he played ended up in the hands of the enemy. Deril throws his cell phone over the bed. "Did I learn a little, huh?" he muttered while turning the chair.

At that moment, his eyes were adrift on Mika's painting canvas. The painting Deril brought into his room as a memento. According to Deril, it was his first date with Mika, although Mika did not think so. "Reading paintings, huh?"

Deril stood up, then walked towards Mika's canvas that was leaning against the wall of her room. The painting was so beautiful, no matter how many times Deril saw it. Mika is a good guy. Deril started thinking about watching how to read paintings from youtube.

Geck! Geck! Geck!

"Just enter!" deril replied from inside the room, as soon as someone knocked on his bedroom door.

"Again what?" ask Alex who showed up.

"Why? Are you tired of watching television all day?" Deril asked back, smiling mockingly at Alex. He still remembers when Alex said he would live a relaxed life until he had to go back to work. That's what his father has done lately. Watch television all day, eat, sleep, and then go back to watching any show on television.

Alex breezes into Deril's room and sits on his son's bed. "Dad doesn't know idle is so unpleasant. I thought, this is what you always want when you're tired at work. But not anymore."

Deril laughed softly at his father's complaint. "So, you're here to bother me?"

Alex glanced at Mika's canvas. "Oooh, so you're busy staring at your girlfriend's painting?"

"Not a girlfriend!" quick Deril correction.

"Girlfriend-to-be?" Alex tease. "Your boyfriend painting is great. As father said, you are indeed not comparable to Mika. What are your advantages besides your bulu look?"

Deril clucked at the babbling of his father. "Pa should have given me some spirit. Not criticizing me!"

"This father's critic builds, right?"

Deril could not speak anymore. But, it was clear he did not respond to his father's words in a negative way. Deril knows that Alex is just kidding. "Well, can you read paintings?"

"Haha! What kind of question is that?" Alex was even floundering. "Can Mika read the painting? That's so great kid!"

"It looks like it can" Deril replied. "He asked me to read his painting. Is that one of the tests to get close to her?"

"Ck ck. If it really is a test, you have no hope!" tease Alex.

Deril turned to Mika's painting. "Is this painting so important that I have to read it?"

Alex also watched the painting that his son had seen. "A good painting. Though only painting people gathered under the expanse of blossoming cherry blossoms. Has he been to Japan before, until he knows the details of a scene like this?"

"People gathering?" reset Deril. Only then did he notice the collection of small black dots on the left corner of the canvas. Deril crouched down, narrowing his eyes in order to more clearly see Alex's intent. "Really! It's a group of people!" deril. He narrowed his eyes again. There were three black dots that formed a human silhouette. But, there are others. One man lay between the three men. The lying point has long hair. Deril. He's a little away from the canvas. Her eyes scrutinized every expanse of cherry blossoms that Mika drew.

"What's wrong?" alex asked, astonished to suddenly find his son silent a thousand languages.

Deril's eyes widened. He could not believe that he had not realized that before. The flower painting is indeed very beautiful, making anyone blind to its beauty. But, if it is observant, it will definitely find a message in it. The expanse of the flower formed the word 'PLEASE'.

"Oh! Doctor Stephen plays the piano again!" chirps Alex.

***