Chapter Nine

After dinner, John planned to take them to a movie, but Jacel and Kevin refused. Finally, she and Kevin went home by taxi. Oh, actually, Kevin took Jacel home before he returned to his dorm because his mom was still staying at the hotel. The apartment that his mother rented still needed time to prepare the papers.

However, during the trip to Kim's house, Kevin didn't say anything at all. He was just busy staring out the window with his ears plugged in with earphones. Jacel felt awkward and occasionally glanced at her future stepbrother.

She took a breath and looked to the other side, while Kevin himself tried to ignore the pounding of his heart. He took a deep breath and took off one of his earphones. He glanced at Jacel.

"Jacel..." he called softly. But the girl was close enough to hear Kevin's voice, which was almost a whisper. Jacel turned and saw him holding out one earphone before he took it off.

Jacel smiled and took the earphones and put them in her right ear. Soft jazz music was heard.

She looked at Kevin in disbelief.

"Jazz?"

Kevin nodded. "Why?"

"Nothing. I just thought you were the type to like rock music or something. Your appearance is very deceiving, Kevin,"

She said with a laugh.

Kevin just smiled faintly. "When I paint, I prefer songs that are… less noisy? Although I'm not really that picky when it comes to music."

Jacel nodded in understanding. And then silence fell on them again. She looked back out the taxi window while Kevin was still watching her. Kevin would have been really grateful if only the two of them went alone without a family meeting to discuss marriage reasons. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't unhappy that his mom had found happiness after his father's death, but if that meant he had to be step-sibling with Jacel, then….

"Our lives will change in the new semester," said Kevin.

Jacel turned back. "Changed? What do you mean?"

"We will be siblings at home, but at school we become enemies? I don't know, I don't like that."

Jacel frowned. "What don't you like? Become enemies at school or become siblings?"

Kevin was silent. Both Jacel. I don't like either of them.

Kevin smiled faintly. "Of course, we are enemies at school, Jacel."

"Then do you think of me as your enemy at school?" asked the girl again.

"I don't."

Jacel smiled. "Then don't think of me as an enemy when we meet at school. I also never considered you or anyone from the Arts class to be my enemies."

"How about your friends from the same class?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "It's their choice. I don't have a problem with anyone, so why be hostile to other people? What about your friends?"

Kevin smiled. "I do not know, and I do not care."

"That's good, then."

*****

Kevin pays attention to Jacel's house – which may also be his new home after his mom marries her father. Actually, he wanted to go straight back to the dorm, but the girl forced him to stay longer. At least her father can take Kevin to the dorm later, or Kevin can stay at home.

They're going to be siblings after all, right?

"Would you like something to drink, Kevin?" asked Jacel from the kitchen.

Kevin immediately went straight to the source of the sound, and he saw the girl making a cup of tea. "Is that green tea?"

Jacel nodded. "Do you want some?"

"No, thanks. But if you have juice, that's okay too," Kevin said as he sat down on one of the kitchen counter chairs.

The girl then moved to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of mango juice. "Mango juice? We don't have any other juice because my dad only likes mango juice and I don't like juice."

Kevin nodded. "It does not matter."

Then Jacel poured the mango juice into a glass and handed it to Kevin. She brought her cup of tea and sat next to the boy.

Kevin watched Jacel enjoy her green tea. "You like green tea?"

"I can't say I like it, but I drink it often."

Kevin just nodded and took a sip of his own juice. Then silence again. Well, he really hates situations like this. Although there was so much he wanted to ask, they hadn't known each other for long, and they also met for the second time when their respective parents said they were getting married. That's a bit awkward.

Jacel took another sip of her green tea before speaking. "Kevin, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"During dinner last night, you were always quiet. You seem uninterested in chatting or even just looking at your mother. Why?"

Kevin glanced at the girl and sighed. "There is no specific reason for this.I'm just tired from yesterday's festival. I'm sorry if my behavior tonight was very rude."

Jacel shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I can understand," then the girl fell silent again. She looked at the glass in his hand. "May I ask again?"

This time, Kevin looked at her seriously. Jacel bit her lip before speaking again. "You know who often paints in the art class on the second floor facing the field where the music class often practices?" she asked doubtfully.

Kevin was silent at the question. Jacel looked at the boy and laughed awkwardly. Sorry if my question sounds silly. But every time I practice on the field, I often feel that someone is watching our class. I don't know who he was paying attention to, but…"

"Do you know who used to paint there?"

Kevin took another sip of his juice, making it slightly visible that he was again avoiding eye contact with the girl next to him. Jacel looked back at her teacup. Kevin doesn't seem to want to answer the question. "If you don't want to..."

"Do you really want to know, Jacel?" the boy asked.

Jacel just nodded. All this time, she was very curious, but she didn't know who to ask. And coincidentally, she got to know Kevin, and they were going to be siblings, so she could ask Kevin. A little bit of information wouldn't kill him, would it?

Kevin finished his juice before he looked at Jacel intensely. Well, that makes the girl a little uncomfortable. She glanced at Kevin awkwardly. "W-why are you looking at me like that? Did my question upset you? In that case, there's no need…"

"I'm watching you, Jacel."

Kevin's words made her speechless. Suddenly, her hands felt cold even though the cup of tea was still warm. She looked at Kevin with an unreadable expression. "W-what are you saying, Kevin?"

For some reason, every time your class practices in that field, it always coincides with my class painting on the floor you mentioned. That's when I noticed you. I've always been watching you from afar since our first meeting, accidentally in the teacher's room. At first I didn't feel anything, but the more I watched you…"

Jacel suddenly looked away. "N-no. Don't go on, Kevin. I just wanted to know who it was, didn't I…"

"You should hear my reasoning, Jacel. Before we become step siblings later," Kevin said again.

Jacel bit her lower lip. Her hands felt colder and colder, so she gripped the teacup tightly. She really didn't like this situation. She only asked about people who always pay attention when her class practices in the field. And she didn't think that Kevin would actually give such a confession. Kevin still looked at her seriously.

"I like you, Jacel Kim. From the first time I entered that school, I liked you. And I didn't expect that we would be siblings. But it seems like God always has a different plan, doesn't it?"

Jacel didn't say anything. The situation took a very unexpected turn. Meanwhile, Kevin took a deep breath. Then he stood up from his chair. "I'll be home. Thanks for the juice. I guess, until

we will meet again at the wedding, Jacel Kim."

The girl didn't move an inch when Kevin left. Or even half an hour after that. She took a deep breath and put away her glass, then rested her head on the counter. What Kevin said was too sudden for her. Even her father's marriage plan with Kevin's mother has not been fully accepted by her.

Jacel closed her eyes and took another breath. She had just met Kevin, but he had liked her for a long time. And now they will be siblings in three weeks' time.

"You're right, Kevin. God always has different plans."

*****