We, From The First
#39. Lose the Start
"Because you're too special, that's why I don't have the courage to have you even in a dream."
...****...
Nico looks quite serious when choosing the gift he wants to give to Aira as his birthday gift. At the time, Nico was in a jewelry store. Not long after choosing, Nico finally dropped his choice on a necklace with clover leaf pendulum. Nico smiled faintly, in his mind thinking, it seemed like the necklace was a match for Aira.
"Mba, I want this!" Nico said to a salesman who was waiting for him.
"Make gift? Wanna pack?" Ask the Master kindly.
"No need, Mba."
No more than ten minutes later, Nico walked out of the jewelry store. As soon as he went down the escalator, without realizing it he passed Rakha who was riding the escalator on the other side with Ranha.
They just passed each other without looking at each other.
...****...
"Happy birthday, Nana..."
"Happy birthday, my son Nana..."
Regina and Adryan said alternately as Aira had just joined them at the dinner table. There is also Nico who at that time just looks ordinary while enjoying his morning breakfast. He looked at Aira for a moment, then smiled.
'Why does Nico look so ordinary after last night Aira hugs her so emotionally?'. That was what Aira had in mind when she saw Nico's attitude towards her this morning. Before descending earlier, Aira had even prepared her heart and mentality to be able to look back at Nico in an ordinary way after the extraordinary event last night. But Nico acted as if nothing had happened between them.
But what is so special about Nico's cold attitude toward her? Nico can even act ordinary after stealing his first kiss that time. Why just a hug?
But, hey! Aira had even said honestly that she missed Nico. Then what is this? Nico looks so relaxed.
"It's a gift from Aunt and Om, huh? Hope Nana likes it."
Said Regina while handing over a large enough gift box to Aira. Aira, who had been drowning with her assumptions about Nico, immediately shook her mind and looked towards Regina. He then received a gift from Regina while saying thank you.
As soon as she opened her card, Aira was stunned when she saw a branded limited edition bag inside the box. Aira gaped with both eyes wide open. After that, he covered his mouth with both hands.
"Tante, Om. This bag is great. Nana likes." Peeking Aira while staring alternately at Regina and Adryan. While Nico who quietly continued to follow the movements of Aira, could only smile while lowering his face to see the adorable behavior of the girl.
"Om and Aunt are happy that Aira is happy. May you live a long, healthy life always, huh?" Adryan said full of earnestness while touching the top of Aira's head.
Aira simply smiled back, with an overflow of such happy feelings.
After finishing with his morning breakfast, Nico and Aira rushed towards the car. Nico who first entered the car, accidentally saw Aira's neck and found her gift necklace already beautifully coiled there. Again Nico smiled, this time he threw his face away so as not to be caught by Aira.
Either because Aira was having a birthday, or there was another reason in Nico that she didn't even notice, which was obvious this morning, Aira looked very pretty in her eyes. His dense black hair began to elongate covering almost half of his back. Aira let her hair down with thin bangs on her eyebrows. Aira's always simple appearance like this, as well as the fragrance of her perfume that Nico really likes, never fails to make Nico's heart beat twice as fast as usual.
'Fucking heart! Stop pounding so hard!' Curse Nico in the heart while holding his chest and exhaling slowly.
...****...
Upon entering the class, Aira is immediately surprised by the surprise of Yumi, Bia, Rio, Sheryl, Natta and Rakha. The six people instantly fired confetti as Aira opened the door. Aira who was initially surprised, now laughed because of the behavior of her friends. While Nico who had walked with him since, just stared at the door. And his gaze gradually cooled as he saw Rakha approaching Aira while carrying a small birthday cake with a number 18 candle on it.
"Happy birthday, yeah, Ra." Rakha.
"Thank you everyone, thank you too, Kha..." Aira replied enthusiastically after she had previously blown out the candle.
"Ra, could this afternoon come out a little bit like me?"
"Ciye." Bia started to start a fire. While the others screamed again, except Yumi who only looks to listen, just like Nico who is still standing outside.
"Oh, this time there was no rejection." Pinta Rakha pleaded in a pleading tone for a moment before Aira answered her question.
Aira who was about to refuse, immediately abandoned her intentions. But he also did not directly approve Rakha's invitation. Aira simply smiled, then turned to look for Nico's whereabouts. But there, Nico was no longer seen.
...****...
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Rakha arrived at the gate of Nico's house and waited for Aira there after sending a chat, and told Aira that he had arrived. It wasn't until five minutes, Aira was out of the house.
Aira appeared casual with a bright brown cropped cardigan that she combined with a highwaist jeans. Not to forget, he also attached a colored sling bag in line with his shirt on one of his shoulders.
"Hi, Rakha!" Sweep sweetly while waving in front of Rakha.
Rakha smiled back, then asked, "have you told Nico?"
"Nico again beige. Since school, I haven't seen him. But I chatted him. Uh, you yourself why not go dumb?"
"I'm truant for today."
Hearing Rakha's reply that seemed very relaxed, Aira suddenly felt a little annoyed and then rewarded Rakha with a punch that was quite hard on her shoulder. Rakha was automatically grimacing in pain.
"www! Sick Aira! You can't just hit the shoulder of a future athlete." Rakha protested with a serious feigned face.
"You deserve to be hit! Could it be truant bimbel? If Papa you know how?"
"Yaaa."
"Racha!" Aira snapped pretty hard.
Rakha chuckled softly. With a fairly deep look, he stared right at both of Aira's eyes. "I promise you, this is the first and last time I'm truant."
Aira did not answer and still felt at home looking at Rakha with a distorted look. Now Aira looks like a young mother who is angry because her naughty son is caught truant.
"Now we go, yuk! Let the back of it not be a crime. I'll shut up Nico if we'll be together." Said Rakha in a fairly soft tone.
After that, he put a helmet on Aira's head. And at the same time, Rakha's attention is accidentally drawn to the clover necklace that is coiled around Aira's neck. Rakha's two hands immediately limp and just detached from the helmet strap he placed on Aira. With great clarity, Rakha could hear like something was cracking inside her chest. Rakha chooses to ignore it.
"Your necklace is beautiful, Ra. Birthday present, huh?" Rakha asked then while trying to hold back the pain.
"Hmm" replied Aira timidly. His face suddenly shone.
"From who?" Once again, Rakha asks a question that he himself already knows what the answer is.
"Niico."
The atmosphere was immediately silent. The senses of Rakha's listeners were not even able to catch the sound of the whirling wind within a few seconds. His defense was about to collapse, and he nearly collapsed.
It turns out Nico preceded him. One of the most stifling realities was; he fell in love with the necklace first, but Nico got it.
Rakha smiled bitterly. While painstakingly gathering the remaining fragments of hope, he said to Aira, "yes, go up yuk!"
^^^To be Continued...^^^