Chapter 5

Teresa walked home that day because she left late and missed the bus that headed to her neighborhood. "It's all that annoying girl's fault that I'm stuck walking," she grumbled.

Even though she was tired, Teresa kept walking toward her neighborhood, tracing the sidewalk while listening to music to distract herself from her exhaustion.

Tik tik tik

Teresa felt raindrops start to fall from the sky, wetting her body. Gradually, the rain became heavier.

"Rain," Teresa muttered, running towards a closed shop on the side of the road, covering her head with her school bag.

"Ugh, I'm soaked," Teresa looked down at her drenched clothes. She watched as the raindrops kept pouring down from the sky.

Brrngggggggggggg

A motorcycle stopped in front of the shop. A man got off the bike and took shelter under the shop awning, joining Teresa.

"Why does he seem familiar?" Teresa thought, feeling like she recognized him.

The man took off his helmet and shook his hair.

Teresa's eyes widened when she realized who it was—Kenzo.

"Kenzo," Teresa whispered his name. 'This must be fate,' she thought to herself, 'he's so handsome.' Teresa couldn't help but admire how cool and good-looking Kenzo was.

Kenzo glanced at Teresa, who was staring at him with wide eyes, clearly in awe.

The man then turned his gaze back to the rain, ignoring Teresa.

Teresa shook her head, trying to snap herself out of the daze Kenzo's handsomeness had put her in.

"Don't come any closer."

As Teresa took a step forward, she stopped, obeying his demand not to approach him.

Kenzo silently watched the raindrops falling from the sky, soaking everything beneath them. Teresa noticed that his eyes seemed sad as he gazed at the rain.

Teresa began to feel cold. The chilly rain was starting to seep into her wet body, clad only in her school uniform. She stepped back and sat on a chair in front of the shop, hugging herself to keep warm.

"So oblivious," Teresa muttered, looking at Kenzo's back. She had hoped he would offer her his jacket. "Maybe I should just borrow it," Teresa considered asking Kenzo for his jacket. She stood up but quickly changed her mind, already knowing what his answer would be.

"Better not embarrass myself," she grumbled again, sitting back down and hugging herself tighter.

The rain showed no sign of stopping, and it was getting dark and colder. Teresa needed to get home soon, or her mother would worry.

"Oh no, my phone's dead," Teresa sighed, realizing she couldn't call her mother. She finally mustered the courage to approach Kenzo and ask to borrow his phone.

"Kenzo," Teresa tapped him on the shoulder.

No response. Teresa sighed in frustration, "Can I borrow your phone? Mine's dead," she asked gently. But still, Kenzo didn't respond. Teresa stayed by his side, hoping he would give in and lend her his phone.

"SO STINGY!" Teresa burst out in frustration.

She grabbed her bag, using it to cover her head, and started walking through the rain to get home.

Kenzo glanced at Teresa as she walked away in the downpour.

"Such a stingy guy," Teresa grumbled to herself, "How can someone be so heartless, like a mannequin?" She muttered as she trudged through the rain.

******

The rain gradually subsided, but Teresa was still cold as she continued her walk home.

Brakkkkk

"Owww!"

Something hit Teresa's back as she walked. She turned around and saw a jacket lying on the ground. She picked it up.

"Kenzo," Teresa realized that Kenzo had just passed by her and thrown the jacket to her. "What does this mean?"

"KENZO, YOUR JACKET!" Teresa shouted, but Kenzo had already ridden off into the distance.

Teresa smiled happily, clutching the jacket. It seemed like he had lent it to her.

"Aaaaaaaa," Teresa hugged the jacket and put it on.

"So warm," she said cheerfully as she continued her walk home, hugging the jacket tightly around her.

Teresa walked through the gates of her housing complex. A security guard greeted her as she passed, noticing the dreamy smile on her face.

"Whoa, Miss Teresa, why are you smiling to yourself like that? What's going on?" the guard teased her.

"Oh, nothing," Teresa replied, still smiling as she waved goodbye to them.

Teresa opened the gate of her large house and walked inside. She was smiling, absentmindedly stroking the jacket, not paying attention to where she was going.

"Watch out, you'll fall!" someone warned, pulling the jacket she was wearing and catching her just as she almost stumbled into the fish pond in the front yard.

Teresa looked up to see a man who had just caught her. She quickly pulled away from him. The man looked unfamiliar, and she couldn't understand why he was in her house.

"Who are you, and why are you in this house? Not just anyone can enter here. Did you get permission? Or are you an intruder?" Teresa fired off questions without pausing. "You're an intruder, aren't you? Admit it!" she challenged, stepping closer and pointing a finger at his face.

"I'm Gabril," the man said calmly, extending his hand towards her.

"Gabril?" Teresa looked at him in confusion. "That name sounds familiar," she muttered.

"TERESA!"

Teresa turned to see her mother running towards her.

"I'm sorry, young master," her mother bowed to the man, then grabbed Teresa's hand and pulled her into the house.

Teresa looked back at the man. 'Gabril,' she thought. "GABRIL!" Teresa stopped in her tracks, startling her mother, who turned to look at her.

"So he's Gabril, the young master everyone keeps talking about?" Teresa asked her mother.

"Yes," her mother nodded.

Teresa's face went pale. She dropped to the floor with a scream, covering her mouth.

"What's wrong with you?" Teresa's mother asked.

Teresa sat there, staring blankly ahead before shaking her head. She felt so stupid for accusing the young master of being an intruder in his own home.

"What should I do?" Teresa wondered aloud, still in shock. Suddenly, she stood up, an idea forming in her mind.

"I need to apologize," she said, "But how? I'm too embarrassed," Teresa admitted.

Teresa was too mortified, having accused the young master of being an intruder in his own house.

"Ugh, Teresa, how could you be so stupid? There's no way a guy that handsome is an intruder," Teresa scolded herself, lightly hitting her head.

*******

"Young Master," Teresa called out.