Chapter 38

Neo feels jealous of the closeness of Atha and Anara, but Neo also feels happy if Anara and Atha's closeness is only limited to brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Neo knows that Atha really values Anara as a big sister, even though they are the same age.

"Time for dinner but the kids haven't come down yet, where are they?" asked Mrs. Sonya when Mr. Nuh was already sitting on a chair at the dining table.

"Anara is in Atha's room with Belia. Anara made a warm drink to relieve fever and flu, Atha." Mr. Nuh answered without mentioning Neo, who was still faithful to see Atha and Anara together behind his sister's bedroom door.

Two months later…

Today is exactly one year old when Belia's baby, Rudi, Belia's biological father, came to Mr. Nuh's residence to ask permission to take his baby on vacation for a few days. At first Neo objected, but after Mr. Nuh and Mrs. Sonya gave understanding, Neo finally let Belia go, even though he felt it was hard to part with his beautiful and adorable niece.

"It's fine over there unfortunately, Aunty!" Anara kissed baby Belia's chubby cheeks fondly before finally the car that was brought by Rudi drove away from Mr. Nuh's house.

"Bye, baby!" Mr. Nuh and Mrs. Sonya waved in unison when Rudi's car had left his yard.

"There is no Youth, the house must be quiet." Atha said with a tired face.

"We fight, want?" Neo grabbed Atha's neck and wrapped her in a hug.

"Oh! Brother likes to cheat when he fights me!" Atha refused, who immediately pushed Neo's body away, but that didn't just make Neo let go of his beloved younger brother.

"Then you will accompany your brother to the office and study after graduating from college so you can quickly adapt to the business world." Invite Neo who continues to embrace his younger brother.

"Oh! Better at home spending time off. I want to be with Anara and learn how to cook, so I can become a good chef." Atha said making Neo let go of his embrace.

"Hey, don't get close to my future wife!" Neo whispered making Atha laugh out loud.

Anara, who saw the closeness of Neo and Atha, also smiled happily. Anara immediately remembered her twin brothers Alif and Alfi.

"Ummm, Daddy!" said Anara.

"Hmm. What's wrong, Anara?" asked Mr. Nuh.

"As long as Belia is brought by Brother Rudi, I have nothing to do. Can I or not…" Anara's words stopped because Neo cut her off.

"Not allowed! You still have to take care of me, Anara! If Belia isn't there, so you don't get bored at home. Starting tomorrow you come with me to the office, help me all." Neo said making all eyes look at him in astonishment.

"What's wrong with you? Anara hasn't finished talking about playing cut?" asked Mr. Nuh making Neo chuckle.

"Sorry, Daddy! I don't want Anara to feel bored at home." Neo said reasoned.

"My Brother's mode!" said Atha.

"What mode?" Neo's face looked red when his intention was smelled by his younger brother.

Atha laughed loudly at Neo's face, which was suddenly red with embarrassment. Anara just kept silent and no longer said anything, after Neo intended to take her to the office.

"What activities do you want to fill your vacation with, Anara?" asked Mr. Nuh finally making Anara smile.

"I want to make wet cakes to sell at the roadside stall, Dad! They asked me to keep the cakes in their stall, so that the stall would be full of customers." Anara's words made Mr. Nuh nod.

"Dad agreed! How much capital do you need? Let Daddy prepare it!" asked Mr. Nuh.

"No need, Daddy! Thank You. I still have some savings and that's more than enough to make cakes." Reply Anara.

"When are you going to start baking?" asked Daddy Nuh then.

"At dawn later I will accompany Mbok Ijah to the market, so that early in the morning I can directly execute the ingredients. That way I can take the cake to the shop in the afternoon." Anara said.

"Why don't you go shopping with Neo right now to the supermarket, that way you can make dawn cakes so that in the morning they are ready to be delivered to your neighbor's shop." Mr. Nuh's suggestion was enthusiastically welcomed by Anara.

"That's okay, Daddy! But…" Anara hesitantly glanced at Neo who had been staring at her in awe.

"Come on, I'll take you!" Neo stood up and took Anara's hand.

"Eh?" Anara was both surprised and happy.

After getting permission from Mr. Nuh and Mrs. Sonya, Anara and Neo said goodbye to go to the supermarket to buy cake ingredients for Anara. On the way Neo's cell phone rang, Neo's face looked sour when he saw the contact's name printed on the screen of his cell phone.

"Why did he call me?" said Neo furiously.

"Neo! Is Anara near you?" asked Rudi over the phone.

"What do you need Anara?" asked Neo curtly.

"You just want to ask how many spoons of milk Anara usually makes for Belia?" Rudi said interspersed with Belia's tears.

"Just talk directly to Anara!" Neo then changed the loudspeaker mode on his cell phone, so Anara heard Rudi and Belia's voices.

"Yes, Brother?" greeted Anara kindly, making the blood in Neo's chest ripple violently when the fire of jealousy flared up.

Anara and Rudi talked via Neo's cell phone while s occasionally greeted Belia on the other end of the phone. Even though he only heard Anara's voice, making Belia suddenly silent and chattering a little made Rudi realize something.

"Anara! I should have invited you too to my hometown. So Belia won't be fussy like this if you're with her." Said Rudi who immediately got a lazy roll of eyeballs from Neo and pouted his lips.

"Mode!" muttered Neo which Anara could still hear.

"Anara! Do you have a cellphone?" asked Rudi then.

"No, Brother! Why?" Anara asked kindly, making Neo even more jealous.

"Earlier, if you had a cell phone, Mas asked for your contact number. So that when you sleep later, I will contact you by video call so that Belia won't get cranky when she sees your face." Rudi said making Neo spontaneously hang up the phone.

"Why is the phone turned off?" asked Anara with a fierce look.

"I am jealous!" said Neo slipped.

"Haaah?" Anara was surprised.

Neo immediately covered his mouth because he felt embarrassed because Anara knew that he was jealous.

After traveling for nearly twenty minutes, the car brought by Neo arrived at a shopping center in the city center. Neo and Anara got out of the car, after the car was parked.

Grepppp…

Neo pulled Anara's hand and linked his fingers between Anara's fingers, making Anara surprised and about to let go of Neo's hand.

"Shut up! If you don't want to get lost in there!" Neo coaxed as if Anara was a child who could get lost in a crowded mall, when her father's hand slipped away from her.

"I'm not a child, so let go of my hand!" Anara refused.

"Shut up already!" Neo gripped Anara's hand even tighter.

Having no other choice, Anara just stays silent and follows what Neo did to her. Anara doesn't want to make a fuss with Neo, especially considering that they are currently in a crowd.

"I am hungry! We're looking to eat outside! Across this mall there is delicious chicken noodle, we eat there!" asked Neo after stuffing all his groceries into the trunk of the car.

Neo again held Anara's hand and led her out of the mall parking lot to the other side of the road, where there was a place selling Neo's favorite chicken noodles.

"The chicken noodle here is delicious, you will like it." Neo said starting the conversation.

"Really delicious in fact!" said Anara.

"What we can be certain of is! Moreover, eating with girlfriends. Neo chirps.

"Wrong!" replied Anara.

"How wrong?" asked Neo.

"It's really good because it's free…!!!" Anara chuckled while Neo scratched his head that didn't itch.

"Anara is so pretty when you're smiling like that!" thought Neo.

"Eh? Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Anara with a curt face.

"Anara! Can you not call me 'you'? I want you to call me brother again, okay?" Neo asked hopefully.

"I'm not your sister! I'm also a nobody. If I call you Brother, I'm afraid people will think we are your brother or I am your sister. Even though our status is only that of a young master with a servant." Anara's words made Neo's heart ache.

Neo didn't say anything anymore, moreover the chicken noodle they ordered was already served on the table. During the heavy rain that suddenly poured down on the city crowd, Neo and Anara enjoyed a bowl of chicken noodles in silence until their bowls were empty.

"The rain is getting bigger. Are we going to stay here?" asked Anara, who was already noble, tired of sitting around waiting for the rain to stop.

Neo pulled Anara's hand, after paying for her food. Neo takes Anara to a bishop's building which is behind the chicken noodle shop. Neo wants to invite Anara to watch while waiting for the rain to stop.

"Where are you going?" asked Anara when Neo kept pulling her hand.

"We're watching! What movies do you like? Romance, horror, action or comedy?" asked Neo to make sure before they bought the tickets.

"Anything!" Anara answered carelessly, because she had never been to a cinema, let alone watched a movie.

Mischievously, Neo deliberately chooses romantic films, besides that he is also looking for films with kissing scenes to stimulate Anara so that he can open his heart a little to her. That was Neo's goal in choosing films with a romantic genre.

"Come in!" asked Neo who didn't let go of his hand on Anara. Meanwhile, Anara also didn't refuse when Neo kept holding her hand, because Anara didn't want to get lost in a movie theater that she never once entered.

When he was in the room, Neo chose the back seat. There were already several couples sitting in a corner. Neo chose to sit in an empty place and away from other people.

After sitting down with Anara, without waiting for the room to be full. The room lights started to turn off and that made Anara spontaneously hug Neo's hand tightly. Anara who didn't know then whispered in Neo's ear.

"Why is the light off?" asked Anara with a trembling body.

"It's like this in the cinema. The light will be turned off while the movie is playing. Why?" asked Neo surprised.

"But I'm afraid of the dark!" whispered Anara.

Neo who just realized that Anara, indeed afraid of the dark, patted his own forehead, then grabbed Anara's shoulder and took Anara into his arms.

"Do not be afraid! After the movie is shown, you can enjoy it." Neo said in Anara's ear which made Anara shiver.

This was the first time that Anara really felt comfortable in Neo's arms, even slowly Anara returned the embrace by wrapping her arms around Neo's waist. Receiving such a reply, Neo smiled happily behind the darkness of the cinema room.

When the movie started playing, Anara began to feel relaxed. Moreover, Neo's embrace, which never leaves Anara's tiny body, makes Anara even more comfortable while enjoying the romantic films that Neo chooses.

"Eh? Why is the film like this?" thought Anara during the scene of the couple kissing.

"Did he choose a movie like that on purpose?" Anara said in her heart.