EMBRACE YOU: Presence & Poison
Episode 86's

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The longing that I have been longing for no outlet as if competing to get out. The next moment my eyes blurred with tears, I cried as I stepped closer to her.

Bayu gave a small smile mocking me but he still pulled me before I greeted his embrace. This man hugged me first, his hands rubbed my back and the back of my head which actually made my cry even more broken.

I hugged her back tighter, leaned my head against her chest, inhaled her scent deeply, making sure that this was not a dream or a delusion.

Bayu knew, for the next few minutes he still hugged me tightly, calming me who was crying in his arms. I don't remember ever being hugged like this, as if she didn't let me escape from her arms for a second.

My chest hurts, I don't know what kind of pain I feel. Is it because of my heart or because of this longing. My mind seemed to drift and this time I felt very tired beyond the previous days.

My eyelids like being forced to close, I also realized that both of my hands that were clutching her jacket were shaking strongly. The presence of Bayu always managed to make me feel ‘rumah’ that I have not felt. A place to start and for the purpose of going home. A place to rest more comfortably and a safe place to take shelter.

“So noon I came here directly but you're not home. I finally got home and came back here this afternoon, you still haven't come home. Out of worry, I waited here from eight o'clock. Thank goodness you're okay. If you don't come home until eleven o'clock exactly, I'll report you as a missing person.”

I took off her embrace, moved away from her while still busy rubbing my cheek. Staring at him annoyed.

“What? So which one should I react with you first? Icha crying or Icha pissing at me?” Bayu chuckled, his ignorant expression getting irritated but strangely also the one I missed.

“Don't you have a phone? From the first day I waited for you to call me!”

“Ahhh.” This man actually nodded slowly as if he just remembered, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the white touchscreen phone that I already knew, but what was different was that the screen was dead as well cracked, moreover, there is a deep hollow in the middle of the screen.

“Just the first day this phone was hit by a bullet. But fortunately it is not until bolong—“

“What?!” I grabbed his phone, to take a closer look.

“I did not memorize your number and again I have not had time to fix the data of his phone. —err already do not think of all this. So how are you? Do you eat regularly? How about your bedtime?”

I looked up, frowning between confused to answer the question which used to be with unusual feelings because Bayu rarely asked classic things like this during our time together then and now.

The next second Bayu's calm expression turned irritated as I just stared at him without answering. His hands raised to touch my face, his fingers rubbed my cheeks.

I knew it felt natural as he made sure to wipe away the remains of tears on my face but still I was not used to it, and then his hand moved to pinch my cheeks saying. “I've guessed, your eating is irregular and your sleeping hours are reduced. Lookie! Your face is thinner and your eyes are terrible!!” Bayu shrieked softly with an expression of fabricated horror.

“And look at you, you also look thinner with deeper curvature in both eyes. You sleep less and eat less during the task. Not because you've shaved so you can fool my eyes!” I reply no less fierce.

We both did not let go of each other's fierce gazes, as if one of them let go first then he would lose. But our behavior stopped when we heard the sound of footsteps approaching someone.

I was barely aware as Bayu turned around quickly and slightly pushed me to be behind his back, his gaze and ears turned alert and his body stiffened slightly watching over who the owner of the footsteps was.

My head wanted to peek out from his back but my movement stopped feeling like there was movement behind my back, rather than inside my dark house. Is there not a thief?

“Ck! I guessed it!”

“What?” I heard Bayu clucking softly. His hand held my hand tightly. Then he pulled me quickly towards his jeep parked a little far from the front gate of the house.

I didn't ask as much as he dragged me a little faster to get in the car and close the door. Then this man walked around the car to get into the steering door, just as Bayu's door was closed I had to scream in shock because someone hit the window next to me.

With a swift Bayu pulled me, my body moved spontaneously quickly to get up and moved to the back seat just as the glass of the door broke. The next second Bayu kicked someone who had opened the door and was about to enter until the person was kicked back. Bayu moves quickly out of the car and in an instant their fights begin.

No no!

My heart was beating fast, cold sweat soaked my palms. Looking from inside the car Bayu fights with the black-clothed man I can guess the villain must be trained, his movements seem confident to face Bayu.

Should I call the police? Yes that's what you need now. Although my hand shook but I managed to pull out my phone and was about to press those three numbers but somehow my brain thought otherwise.

I quickly jumped into my seat and got out of the car. Looks like calling someone on patrol tonight is faster than waiting for the police to come.

Before I ran to the front of the road, I had a chance to see Bayu and the villain was still fighting fiercely and quickly. So I immediately ran as fast as I could to the end of the complex and at the turn there was usually a security guard and some people who took turns to go around the complex.

I had never felt this kind of great relief when I saw two men playing chess at the round post, they realized my arrival as I ran over.

“Pak, there is a thief in front of my house. My friend is fighting with that thief!” The two middle-aged men were suffocated in shock and they immediately stood up and walked out of the post while carrying a flashlight.

“I'll call for help and you accompany miss Icha.” Said the middle-aged man who looked older than the other one.

Without talking much more, this man and I ran quickly towards my house.

From a distance Bayu was still trying to fend off the blows but what surprised me more now I could see that there were now two criminals.

….