Bitter & Sweet
The Part 77

To be honest, Chloe did feel uncomfortable, if she had to respond to Mistress Gunther's wishes, for Chloe to want to date Harold.

So, when the conversation about dating was stopped, then Chloe could breathe a sigh of relief.

After his parents had spoken to someone else, Harold, who seemed to be sincerely regretting the situation, said, saying,

"I'm sorry, Chloe ... I didn't expect that my mommy would ask you about it."

"It's okay" Chloe said with a smile. "It doesn't seem too surprising, if someone mommy is worried about her child."

"I understand ... But I'm still so scared, to hook up with a random woman. Even if she was suggested by my mommy."

While talking, both from the voice and expression revealed by Harold, it was clear that he felt anxious.

"Did your parents know about what happened to you back then?" chloe asked, without thinking long, until finally she regretted her words. "I'm sorry ... I didn't bring it up on purpose."

"It's okay" said Harold, then held Chloe's hand and held her tightly. "My parents don't know. Only you know about it."

"I'm sorry, Harold ... But I think it's been years that have passed. Maybe it's time for you to tell them....

...You can't hide it from them forever. Your parents might be able to help you....

... Or at least they would understand. So, you won't find it too difficult" Chloe said, trying to give Harold confidence.

In a moment, Harold's grasp felt tighter, as his gaze bowed, staring at his hands and Chloe's fused hands.

For a moment, Harold who was silent finally raised his gaze, looked at Chloe then said, Harold,

"Do you think that's what you think? Won't they just be disappointed in me?"

"Hm ... I can't be sure. But I think your parents loved you very much. There is no way they will immediately blame you, without considering it first....

... Moreover, it is not your fault. They will definitely try to understand," Chloe replied cautiously.

"Oh, gosh!" harold looked frustrated. "What's got into me, so I can make the biggest mistake of my life!"

Harold looked at Chloe. "My secret that you know, can ruin my reputation and my family. You know that, don't you?!"

"Yes, I know ... Then, what? ... Do you think that I'll profit from it?" ask Chloe, prejudiced.

"You can do it ... Don't you want to? You can make a lot of money from that information!" harold said, raising both eyebrows.

"Pff.ht...! My life didn't get that hard, so I had to make threats, just for the sake of making a profit" Chloe said, laughing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Harold clucked while shaking his head. "I'm sorry I had a friend like you."

"Ugh?" Chloe's confused. "Why? ... Is something wrong?"

"Because we're friends, I'm so afraid of failing to date you, and then you won't be my friend anymore." Smiling and glancing at Chloe with the tip of his eye, Harold looked like he was mocking Chloe.

Chloe laughed as she covered her mouth with her hands, then said,

"If I was, I was worried that I couldn't stop thinking of you as just a friend. Because then, our date will definitely fail."

Harold laughed with Chloe.

Because it has been brought up about friendship, so that in the end, the conversation between Harold and Chloe, then continues by discussing the past.

Recalling their time as students, and the ridiculous things they had done, Harold and Chloe could hardly stop laughing.

It was as if there were only the two of them, to the point that every corner of Chloe's cheeks was sore, from smiling and laughing too much.

"Oh, my goodness! ... I didn't think we were so stupid at the time!" chloe said, then took a deep breath to stop laughing.

"Chelle! ... I want us to meet often, like in the past," Harold said, looking confident. "When do you have any more free time?"

"Hm ... Tomorrow, I have an appointment with Mister David and Mister Matteo to gather at my place. And I can't be sure—"

Chloe did not have time to finish her words, as Harold hurriedly interrupted her by saying,

"What are you guys gonna do? Can I join you?"

"Hm ... Nothing special. The plan is we'll just hang out, and I'll cook seafood—"

Once again, Chloe could not finish her words, as Harold hurriedly said,

"Then can I come? ... I'll bring drinks and snacks. Surely the atmosphere will feel like when we're still on campus."

Chloe hesitated to let Harold come to visit the pavilion. Because after all, the owner of the place is Matthew.

"Come on! ... I don't think Matthew would mind if I just visited you" Harold said, as if he could read Chloe's mind.

Although feeling quite reluctant, Chloe finally agreed to Harold's desire to visit the pavilion. "Okay!"

"Great! ... I'll be there, after I finish exercising tomorrow morning" Harold said, looking excited.

***

After it was quite late at night, David then escorted Chloe back to the pavilion.

And it seemed as if they had both felt exhausted, so there was not much they talked about along the way.

David only mentions the plan of gathering in the pavilion, until Chloe informs him that Harold is coming too.

David also seems to like Harold's attendance plan.

So this morning, it was early in the morning, Chloe had already gone to the market selling fresh groceries, and bought all the necessities to cook them.

Chloe was still preparing food in the mini kitchen in the pavilion, when Harold came there with a few bags of groceries.

"Are you not too excited? ... Your shopping is too much" Chloe said, shaking her head.

Harold just laughed a little, then stuffed the cans and bottles of drinks into the fridge, then helped Chloe prepare the groceries.

"Where are David and Matteo? ... Why haven't they come yet?" ask Harold, who helped clean the crabs.

"I don't know ... But we did make an appointment before lunch. While it's still quite early in the morning" replied Chloe, as usual.

Harold seemed to understand, as his hands remained busy brushing the crab shell.

"What are you guys doing?"

The voice of someone asking from behind her, completely shocked Chloe.

So accidentally, the knife used by Chloe to slice the squid, actually injuring his index finger. "Auch!"

Without even paying attention to the owner of the voice that asked earlier, Chloe hurriedly flushed a bloody cut, in the running tap water.

"Hey! ... What are you doing?" chloe said in a high voice, pulling her hand until her index finger came out of Harold's mouth.

Shaking her head, Chloe, who was fluttering back her fingers in the running water, said, then,

"What are you thinking? Are you drakula? ... That's dirty!"

"That's the best way, so that his blood can stop quickly!" harold said, sounding without burden.

Chloe had almost forgotten about the presence of someone behind her, and had just recalled, when the person asked again.

"Are you okay?"

Chloe then turned around, drying her hands with a sheet of tissue.

"Mister Matteo?!" chloe said, and the man then nodded his head.

"I'm doing fine. Just a small wound. Now it's stopped bleeding." Chloe showed me her injured index finger.

But it turned out that the wound was still spitting out a bit of blood, so Chloe hurriedly rubbed it again with a tissue.

"Let me see!" matteo said, while approaching Chloe.

"It's okay ... The wound was nothing" Chloe said, then tried to hide her hand from Matteo.

"Cloe!" Matteo seems to be in disbelief with Chloe's behavior, and forces her to hold Chloe's hand. "We'd better treat it, before it gets infected."

Matteo then looks at Chloe's index finger. "Is there a medicine box?"

"There!" chloe replied, then pulled her hand from Matteo's handle, and immediately washed her hand with soap. "You don't have to worry. I can treat it myself."

Chloe then prepared to go to her room, and only held back her steps for a moment, to say,

"Please sit down, sir! ... I'll be in the room for a minute."

Using a small piece of wound plaster, Chloe wrapped the wound, then returned to the kitchen.

While Matteo is sitting in a chair nearby, Harold is seen continuing Chloe's work in the sink.

Chloe continues her work preparing groceries, and helps each other with Harold.

"I don't know if a rich kid like you can cook." chirped Matteo, who sounded like he was directed to Harold.

Without turning around to look at Matteo, Harold looked smiling, then said,

"Me and Chloe, as well as our other friends are used to cooking, even if it's just a simple meal....

... Moreover, if we have a college assignment that the process takes a lot of time. Bored if too often eat fast food that can be delivered. So we're alternating cooking."

Harold was telling the truth.

Because at that time, no one knew that Harold was the son of a rich man. So Harold still got a turn to cook.

"Did you know? Chloe's good at making lasagna. It would be my favorite menu, if it was Chloe's turn to cook for us" Harold told Matteo, turning to Chloe, and blinking one eye.

"Pffit...!" Chloe laughed amusedly, because of Harold's behavior, before chiming in on Harold's words to Matteo, saying,

"One of our friends, Rene, is good at cooking. He's the one who taught us all, to make our favorite menu."

"The two of you are like a couple" Matteo said.

Still the same as before, Harold still did not turn around to look at Matteo, then laughed loosely in response to Matteo's curse.

"You don't know ... My mommy wants me to give her Grandson right away. Last night, my mommy forced me to date Chloe."

Harold spoke with a big smile, as Chloe turned to him, so Chloe smiled, shaking her head.

But suddenly, from the back, Matteo then pulled Chloe's arm quickly and roughly, until Chloe turned to face him.

From what Chloe could see, there might be something that bothered Matteo, to make the man seem very upset right now.

Matteo's face paled, his breathing hunted, and with his eyebrows furrowing deeply, Matteo also seemed to grit his teeth.

"What's up, sir?" chloe asked, confused.

Harold looked just as confused as Chloe. "Matt! ... Is there a problem?"

After the sound of Harold's voice, as if it could resuscitate Matteo, to relax his grip from Chloe's arm. And so does the look on Matteo's face, which again looks like normal.

"Let me help clean that up!" Matteo pointed at the raw food ingredients in the sink, with a movement of his eyes.

"Your hand's hurt. Just teach me how to do it" Matteo told Chloe.

"I can teach you." Harold hurriedly uttered Matteo's words.

"You should have said it earlier, if you also want to try it. You just startled and confused us" Harold continued, shaking his head.

Although it feels like something is missed, Chloe does not want to linger to think about it.

Chloe then helps to put Matteo on a piece of apron, before Matteo then cleans the rest of the raw material in the sink, with Harold.

While Chloe prepares the cooking seasoning, David is seen stepping into the room.

"Hi, everyone!" greet David, looking excited, then looking towards Chloe. "I'm sorry ... The door was open, and I just walked in without excuse."

"It's okay, sir.." said Chloe. "The door was deliberately not closed, so that you and Mister Matteo could go straight in, without having to wait for me to open the door."

David seemed to understand the mangosteen, then put a box of cookies on the table, then put a bottle of champagne into the refrigerator.

"Have you just finished shopping? There's no place to store champagne." David looked confused, holding the fridge door open.

"That's Harold, sir!" chloe said, approaching David by the fridge. "He was too eager to shop."

"I bought it for you!" Without turning around, Harold chimed in on the conversation between Chloe and David. "And I guess it's still lacking."

Chloe, who was rearranging the contents of the fridge, was suddenly shocked by Harold's words, and almost laughed. "Do you want to make this place a minimarket?"

"This is my chance ... I no longer need to cover up if I have money" said Harold, who sounded carefree, followed by his laughing voice.

"Geez! ... Okay, okay! ... You can show off!" chloe said, joking with Harold.

The room then became silent for a moment, until suddenly, Harold was already standing near Chloe, then said, saying,

"If I have been showing off my family's possessions for a long time, then you don't necessarily want to be friends with me ... That's right, isn't it?!"