RUN WITH ME
CHAPTER 22: HELP

Gavin and Arunika have returned to sit in long chairs on the sidelines. Gavin was busy wiping his hair with the small towel he was carrying, while Arunika was only looking at the man next to her. There was silence between them for a few minutes.

"When did you know?" Finally Arunika asked, who was asked to stop her movements for a while.

"From the first look already know," Gavin replied in a relaxed tone as he again dried his hair. Arunika exhaled slowly, then moved up and stood in front of Gavin who lowered his head. Noticing the movement of the woman next to him, Gavin raised his head.

Gavin gave a questioning look to Arunika who was silently looking at him. Suddenly Arunika grabs a small towel in Gavin's hand and replaces the man's job in drying his hair. Gavin was surprised to see the attitude so he held Arunika's hand.

"What are you doing?"

"By you."

"I can do it myself." Arunika stared intently at Gavin, making Gavin slightly jerked in surprise. He finally let the woman do what she wanted.

"You really don't need to do that, Gavin," Arunika said as she continued to damage the man's hair, while Gavin rolled his eyes lazily.

"The boy won't stop if he's not reprimanded, I'm not even sure he'll hear what I say." Arunika quits the rub when she feels that Gavin's hair is dry enough. He then returned the small towel to the owner and sat down next to Gavin.

Arunika stared inside Gavin who had since cleaned up her things, "what should I do?" murmured Arunika asked herself. But that question Gavin could hear so he scrunched his forehead.

"Do what?" Arunika did not reply, she kept staring at Gavin who gave her confused face. Before long his eyes widened and his expression seemed to say, he had found the answer to his question.

With a sparkling face Arunika stood up from her seat and tiptoed slightly in order to bring her face closer to Gavin, while Gavin reflexively rewinded her head in surprise. "This mistake makes you sad, doesn't it?" asked Arunika with a confident face.

Gavin fell silent and replied, "not really, I'm enjoying the game." Arunika gave an unconvinced look at that answer, making Gavin chuckle then nod, giving an answer that was in accordance with Arunika's wishes.

"I thought of one idea. At the valentine's day event, OSIS will hold live music** activities in the first and second breaks. I want you to be the showman and play the piano there. You want?" Arunika expressed her idea. Ever since Hera said she had to do something for Gavin, chief Arunika always wondered what he could do to show that Gavin also had his own specialties and was no worse than Archie just because he lost the match.

Gavin fell silent, not knowing what to say so Arunika spoke again, "I want to remind you that your prowess is on these ten fingers. This defeat of yours doesn't make you any worse than Archie, as the boy said. You're equally kind and no one can put you down, you know what I mean?" Gavin smiled hearing that. He realized, there was indeed a bit of frustration and sadness due to his defeat, only that he was used to it and did not think too much about it.

Gavin rubbed Arunika's hair gently, "alright, I'll come along." That answer instantly brought up a wide smile on Arunika's lips, then her eyes glanced at Gavin's five fingers on her head and pointed at him.

"But, this is the third time you've wiped my hair, your love language physical touch, huh?" Gavin tilted his head with a confused face while lowering his hand. Arunika who saw that face waved her hand in front of the face, "forget it, I'm lazy to explain." Gavin just kept quiet while smiling confusedly.

After that Arunika picked up a one and a half litre bottle of water that was three quarters empty, she looked at it with a look of amazement, "you drank this much in school?" Gavin raised one eyebrow after hearing the question.

"I won't be able to drink this much" Arunika replied with a amazed face.

"You should get dehydrated a lot and end up fainting." Arunika widened her mouth in surprise, in disbelief getting such a reply. He then hit hard on Gavin's hand, which was hit just laughing while holding Arunika's punch. After that he apologized to Arunika who was replied to a snort upset by Arunika.

Adam and the air were unconscious, Archie and his group were still in the room there. They noticed the entire interaction of the two were very close and relaxed, making Archie again clench his hands firmly. Some of Archie's friends had patted his shoulders and back slowly, trying to ease the emotion of the gang leader.

...⁕⁕⁕...

During the return trip, Gavin kept thinking about ***piece***** what he should play in valentine's day live music activities. Arriving at home, he immediately entered his room, cleaned himself up, then went to his private studio. He approached the bookshelf located to the right of the entrance. The bookshelf contains various pieces made by world musicians, from those most familiar to those known only to those who are steeped in classical music, from the hardest to the easiest.

Gavin picked up some books he remembered containing pieces of love, then he sat himself on the floor covered in his wool rug. He began to open the book one by one, read each note of his tone, and imagined his hand playing the notes. That way Gavin can know if the piece is in accordance with his wishes. His fingers continued to flip the paper when he felt it was inappropriate, occasionally he also frowned or shook his head slowly.

It did not feel like an hour had been spent reading the books, even on his left was a pile of books that he had read. Gavin's position did not change much, he only occasionally stretched his back and legs. Until now, he still has not found a piece that suits his wishes. Strange, but usually he can easily determine one piece to display. Even he still remembers, when he was asked suddenly by the Rosverd family on his show, Gavin only needed five minutes to think and decide the piece he wanted to play. Why does it feel so hard now?

Gavin exhaled a rough breath while closing the last book he had just finished reading. He was silent while looking at his piano. Actually, the man thought of a solution that might lead him on the way out, but Gavin also felt omniscient and lazy, which is to ask the person who first introduced the piano to him, the father. But in order to decipher the tangled thread, Gavin got up from his seat and walked out of his studio. His pair of feet stepped towards his father's study.

Arriving in front of the two-and-a-half-meter-high wooden door, he exhaled softly before finally knocking three times. There was a heavy voice of the father from inside the room asking the person who was knocking in. Gavin slowly pushed the door slowly and raised half his body, leaving Harris shocked. Rarely does the child look for it first.

"Can I help you, Gavin?" harris asked with a small smile on his face, looking at Gavin who was walking into his room and standing three steps away from the desk. Gavin remained silent for a few seconds, then opened his mouth.

"I was asked to play the piano at a live music event during Valentine's Day and before I came here, I had read pieces with the theme of love, but I did not find the piece I wanted, he said, it feels like something doesn't fit. I'm confused now." Gavin begins by telling briefly what he is going through. Harris who had heard that from the start frowned while smiling confusedly. The father placed his head on the hand whose elbow rested on the table.

"Why confused? It's not usually like this" Harris said with a meaningful smile. He began to understand what the child meant, while the two greenish-blue neutrals looked at Gavin as if asking if the father had not heard the story earlier?

Harris chuckled, "dad you think you're confused because there's a feeling you want to convey in your game. Why wasn't it like this before? Since you chose a piece based on the theme of the event and your feelings adjust the feel piece, whereas now your feelings have their own desires, so he rejects all the pieces and leaves you confused." Gavin fell silent at the explanation he thought was reasonable.

"Then what should I do?" asked Gavin a few moments later.

Harris's gaze turned softer and deeper, "realize and ask, realize what feeling you want to convey and ask who that feeling is you want to give."

Just as I am aware of how I feel about you after you say these two things, I hope your words can also help our son, Anahita.

...⁕⁕⁕...