32 The Smile That Makes Him Blush

"So, choose the latter."

~Third Person's Point of View~

The two Detective Khan's apprentices together him left the room where Zoey and the others were staying. Everything was revealed and the Caleb's case wasn't that hard to solve, opposite of what was Zoey thinking. All what they had heard was a big shock that it took for them to get a grasp on the real time.

What was more shocking is that the Detective Khan's sister, that was being used by the people and got an incurable disease, is alive and looking well with her brother. No one couldn't tell that they are siblings in the first glance but when you get the thought that they are, that's when you'll realize that they have some sort of similarities and vibes that they really are siblings. That fact was what made Zoey left in shock and relieved at the same time. Now, one of the needles that were stuck in her heart got pulled off. She felt so much relieved that it felt like it was a big needle.

She showed a slight smile when she had thought that if her grandfather was alive and saw Bea in a good condition, for sure he would be smiling widely. Too bad she wouldn't be able to see that smile on her grandpa but she's assure that wherever he is now, for sure he's in peace and smiling at her.

Meanwhile, everyone in the room couldn't forget the moment they saw Zoey transformed into her devil self.

Even Nami got stunned that time, but in a way that she was in awestruck. On most of the people with darkness that she had encountered, Zoey is different. She never witnessed someone transform like that and then went to normal as if nothing happened. Ash had told her that there are people out there with strength and will power that can overcome their own devil selves, and he also mentioned that he got a feeling that Zoey may one of those people.

Nami got caught off when Aries let out a big sigh as if he purposely did it. Not only Nami but also the others averted their sights towards him.

"You are really an interesting person, Zoey." he said.

"Keep that to yourself. I'm not even interested on myself." cold response by Zoey. Everyone thought of her awesome but she was not. She didn't even care what just happened when she was in dark field.

"You know, it's best for you if you give more attention to it. Don't ignore it, make it yours." he said which made Zoey chuckle.

"How can you say something like that so easily? You're not even in my position to know what I'm going through."

"I said that because it'll be good for you. Besides, what happened earlier is already the signs that you can pull it off. You can make it yours, Zoey."

"If that's so easy, I would have done that before and my friends wouldn't have an ending like that."

Nami looked at her because her tone became sad and somewhat sarcastic.

"Hey... We all know it's not your fault, Zoey..." she said to console by calling her real name for so many years that they've been together.

"Nami... It was still my fault, even in Caleb. To be precise, if I weren't in their lives for sure they'd be breathing till now."

"Why do you always have to blame yourself for everything!? After all what Detective Khan said, despite all that troubles just to clear you that it's not your fault, you're still blaming yourself!?" she got irritated by Zoey's stubbornness.

"I have to, Nami. Yeah, I know they're the ones who's responsible but... They wouldn't do that if I weren't there. I am the cause of their sour emotions that led them to kill. I'm the cause of everything----"

*Slaps!*

Zoey got stunned by Nami because she slapped her out of frustration. She slowly looked at her and only tears was seen in her sad but annoyed face. She didn't say anything and stayed silent as she averted her look away from her. Then, Nami left the room.

Silence filled the room once again. But after sometime Agatha and Geo left the room, leaving Aries behind. He didn't intend to leave the room and decided to stay.

Part of him was telling him to stay.

He was just taking glance time by time at Zoey who was sitting in front of the kitchen, checking if she's fine or not. But it had been already half an hour and she was not still moving from its position. He was sitting on the couch till he got up and went to the kitchen while sneakily checking on her, then he opened the refrigerator to drink water. But after he drunk the water and glanced at Zoey's direction, he got stunned.

He saw tears falling. She was crying. And he didn't expect that she would.

Aries let out a sigh as he went towards her and sat on one of the stall chairs beside Zoey. He sat on there while holding two glasses of water, then he slided one glass towards her to drink.

"Not the first time seeing you like that." he said even though he knew that she would just ignore him. But she accepted the water and drunk some of it.

Aries was just sitting in the stall chairs next to Zoey, and been staring at her. By looking at her made him remember her devil self, he couldn't help not to forget it. For him, it's most likely a good thing coz it was the first time he witnessed someone transformed in to its devil self. He can see the darkness from within and he once thought that if a person totally gets controlled by its darkness then it'll turn out to be an ugly creature, like a thought of a child's imagination. But it proved that he was wrong because of Zoey, and that what made Aries likes her more.

He is the type of person that never denies what his true feelings towards to another. And in those days that he had with Zoey, he confirmed what is Zoey for him. Just a person who saved his life, a person who is so mysterious and interesting, or a person who is more than that? The answer is through by his actions.

"It's weird that your annoying presence is not disturbing right now..." whispered by Zoey enough to be heard by him.

He showed a gentle smile while looking at her who was still looking down emotionless.

"I'm glad to hear that, though... even if you said the opposite I still stay here." he said, but she didn't respond.

"Just piece of advice that you can ignore if you like, but to tell you it's unavoidable that for sure you won't ignore it. So, that's why I'll advice this. Uh, I just say this so that I won't explain later. And oh, this advice I'm gonna tell you doesn't mean anything. It just a help from your buddy. Ahahaha... You didn't forget our partnership right? Well, whatever advice it'll be I'm sure you----"

"Now, you're getting annoying..."

Aries giggled to hear her response, but he saw that there wasn't any reactions on her face which made him sigh.

"You know, I used to blame my existence because the most important person and only one who accepted me died because of me."

Zoey turned his head to look at Aries, and she saw that he was being serious.

"So, I advise you to stop having that thoughts or else your darkness will take advantage of it and many more people might get in danger including your friend." he said as he smiled at her.

"Why do you know so much..." she mumbled.

"I can tell. I can see it well. Let's say, it's my expertise."

She didn't say anything. It did not also mean that she didn't believe what he just said. She just didn't feel responding to that. But something was clear on her part because of Aries.

"Your friend, she cares a lot about you."

And with that being said, Zoey stood up and left the chair.

"Yeah... I know." she said as she walked away, but then she stopped which made Aries confuse. He knew that she calmed down and planned on leaving to look for Nami.

Zoey looked at him, "Thanks for the company, Aries." she said with a gentle smile.

When she left the door, and as soon as the door closed, he dropped his head on the table. It's more likely he was covering his face... that uncontrollably blush for the reason he couldn't say.

Meanwhile, as Zoey left the room, she was walking through the hallway finding for the way out. She didn't know where to look for Nami so, she just walked to whatever her feet lead her to. Until she came upon a river. It was a peaceful scenery and by feeling the mild wind caressing her, she felt freedom. And from her side, she noticed a girl on the river side. Below her, she saw Nami sitting on the wild grass.

She smiled as she approached her. And while walking towards her, she remembered one of the phrase that Ash told her.

"When there are times you have to choose between avoid or accept, whether it's dangerous or not, always remember that there's no impossible in this world."

She was feeling more lighter at some point every time she remembered it. She couldn't stop smiling as she was getting nearer at Nami.

"So, choose the latter."

To be continued...