14 His Favorite

The Intercultural Festival would last for three days and there would be visitors from the outside who would be visiting each booths. As we were finishing our booth, Zyra who was our class secretary asked me to help her put out the signboard of our booth.

We were carrying two signboards as to impale it near the entrance of the university and the other one was for pointing out the directions of our booth.

The signboard that I was carrying had a written words of 'Feel the hot and tempting delight in our Japanese menu. Come and find Ninth Heaven'.

I rolled my eyes at the perverse indication behind those words as the class secretary with all her strength impaled it using a hammer. The other sign was a direction of our building to where the booth was located. After confirming that it was sturdy and it won't be shaken by rain or the wind, we went to our next destination.

Zyra who was busy hammering our signboard didn't noticed an incoming water balloon towards her as I grabbed her to my side while the sign got wet from the thrown material. I immediately looked to the direction where it came from and saw a female student who stucked her tongue out as she was about to throw another water balloon.

I neared her in order to stop her action of throwing at us. I saw her uniform and it wasn't from here as she was wearing the high school uniform of the St. Merlin University.

The university wasn't only for college students as they had a high school institute which was located at the opposite of the college area and they had their own entrance only for high schoolers.

Though, it's odd to see a high schooler at the college area who would risk on throwing those water balloons on us. The girl wanted to remove my hand on her wrist as I halted her from continuing the act.

"Let go of me! Let go!" She tried to pull again.

I didn't let go as I asked her what she was doing? And her answer left me stunned.

"I don't want you sullying Brother Nilan's image!"

Nilan, again? That jerk. Agreeing to be his standby girlfriend was truly a mistake. I had no idea that he was that famous as his fans would annoy me almost everyday about this unoriginal topic.

What if we really were in a relation? Imagining the disastrous thing that would happen with my life, I regretted allowing Nilan to court me. I should totally confront him and say my real feelings for him.

It woud be impossible for us.

"Girl, I tell you a secret," I went near her ear as I whispered something that lightened up her expression.

"Really?! Then Nilan is---"

"Shh."

Zipping her mouth, she nodded as she skipped away in a joyful manner.

The class secretary who was almost got hit by surprise asked me, "What did you two talk? And why did she suddenly threw those things? Now our signboard is wet."

Trying to dry it with her handkerchief, I help out too as I sighed. Fortunately, the signboard was waterproof because it was made of wood and the text written on it was painted dry.

So much trouble.

-----

Asking around the practice room of the Memento which was the name of Nilan's band as I wanted to tell him that we should just stop this pretend matter and his courting. I decided that before anything could go into something more complicated, I'll just stop it.

I was determined because of what my mother said to me days ago. Even though our family wasn't into the socialite circles yet it wasn't still an excuse to be excluded from it. Though, I stated that my household was your typical rich family household but the Cabreza clan that came from a prestigious family at Europe wasn't like that, mostly when it came to my strict grandparents.

My mother said that, Grandpa and Grandma would be visiting us next week and I should act properly. Even Storm was warned to not let his cat run around the house when our grandparents would be present as they didn't like cats because of a terrible experience of my grandmother from it.

And the most shocking thing was, I would need to act in my proper manner as my future partner would be there to visit as well.

Should I ask for a pause for the director? Or maybe the writer? As suddenly my assumed simple life turned into a dramatic story. Then did you perhaps thought that I opposed my mother about this arrangement or something? Though at first, I prefer not to marry a person I didn't know about and suddenly got into picture but as I thought deeper on it, why not? It would be less hassle on finding a perfect husband. I knew my mother very well, she would first evaluate the face value of the man before his prestige.

Then I should say that he would be a perfect ideal but if he's not good for me then let's just say separation is the key for it.

The student who directed me to the Memento's practice room, stated, "Are you a fan of Memento as well?" The shinning eyes of the girl were brimming with adoration as she asked. So Memento was really a famous band in the university?

"Sort of," I nonchalantly replied.

Before I could go inside the practice room, she asked in confusion, "You look like the girlfriend of Nilan?"

I just smiled at her in responds and immediately left. I didn't want to encounter another event of fans throwing things on me.

As I went inside, I wasn't able to see them as it was the lounge room of the band greeted me. There was a clear glass door on the other side as I saw movements through it. I immediately saw Nilan and his band was immersed on their practice as they didn't notice my dumb face peeking at them through the glass door.

You could see their passion when they were playing, it even highlighted their handsome traits. All of the members of the band was familiar to me thanks to Aria. They were part of the listed handsome guys of the university. Levy Garcia - the leader and the vocalist of the group, Raya Danree - the bassist, Faren Graciano - the keyboardist and lastly, Nilan - the drummer.

They were all handsome if not for the devilish attractive face of that jerk that kept drawing me in, I would totally appreciate the other members features.

Suddenly, Nilan directed his eyes to me and we made eye contact. Their practice halted as Levy decided for them to rest.

I was observing them from the outside as the other members smiled cheekily at the jerk while staring at me then Nilan. The boy who got teased went out from their practice room as he led me to sit.

"Sorry, I'm so busy. Can you hand me a towel?"

Without argument, I took a towel nearby and handed it to him in order to wipe off his sweat but instead grabbing the towel, he grabbed my hands with the towel and used it to wipe his sweat.

"W-what are you doing?!" I was left flustered by his flirtatious gesture as he smiled at me.

I almost forgot my motive on going here because of this jerk's face. I took away my hand as I threw at him the wet towel.

"Nilan, I have to tell you something."

"Hmm." He continued his wiping as he listened to me.

Knowing that his bandmates were still inside their practice room as we were here in the lounge room, I readied myself and told him the truth, "Nilan, we should stop this."

The smiling boy who was wiping his sweat suddenly stopped his movements as his smile vanished from his face. I never got involved into this kind of stuff but I knew that being honest was the solution for preventing our hearts from getting broken any further.

"What do you mean?" The jerk stated with his clueless expression. Nilan knew what I was referring on but he was still pretending to be dense.

"Stop this pretend and your courting." Preparing myself for his reaction or inquiries, I looked at him. Willing to listen.

Unexpectedly, he wasn't angry. He didn't even ask my reasons as he just requested me to buy an apple for him.

Left in confusion, I followed his request as I went to the cafeteria to buy what he asked while my thoughts were in wonder.

Why didn't he ranted at me? Got angry or something? I gave him hope about us but I was the one who shattered that hope.

I stealthily went back from their lounge room in order to find that Nilan wasn't there anymore. Levy who was the only one left as their practice was already finished, gave me a paper and bid his goodbye.

'It's yours. Remember that apple is my favorite

-Nilan.'

I frowned as I looked at the apple in my hand.