SOLAR & The Specialists
Flashback

One year ago...

Christian spends his weekdays being a walking wallet for Wenda not because he wants to. He's framed. His basketball team made plans to gather at the mall with a group of cheerleaders. The plan was made a long time ago. Of course he has to come. What he does not know is the number of male and female members who come as much as to make the gathering become a mass dating event.

It has been a tradition that any member of the basketball team will always have a girlfriend from among the cheerleaders group. If likened, they are included among school celebrities because they are popular. It is appropriate if the school athlete has a beautiful partner. Cheerleaders are the only group where the population of beautiful, sweet, and popular girls gather in one container.

When Christian gets to the appointment, only Wenda stays there.

'Where are the others?' Christian immediately pulled out a cell phone to contact his friends.

'They went first with their respective partners. Only we stay.' Wenda chuckles shyly. 'They'll be together again here in about two hours. What are we going to do for two hours?' He bit his lower lip while tucking his hair behind his ear.

'Just up.'

That answer was enough to make Wenda jump for joy. He immediately grabbed Christian's arm and went around the mall to shop. Christian, becomes a gentleman by paying for all Wenda's groceries with a credit card given by his brother, Phillip. It only took Wenda an hour to buy groceries at every high-end store on the second and third floors of the shopping center.

Christian's hands full carrying shopping bags. But he did not protest at all. He thinks if he pleases Wenda who incidentally is one of the people who blacklisted Selena and Mindy, then Wenda's annoying attitude to both friends will be reduced even a little.

Christian's phone rings. He beckoned Wenda to look at the new shop they were visiting for themselves. Phillip's name is on the screen.

'My phone is full of notifications from your credit card. Are you with Selena?' Phillip asked as soon as he picked up the phone.

'A'n't. Schoolmates.'

'I guessed. Selena has never shopped so cheap.' Phillip muttered loudly in Christian's ears.

'dr. Ivanka will kill me if Selena gets caught bringing stuff from the mall. Not their shopping culture in the mall.' Christian Sahut. 'Why talk about dr. Ivanka?' He muttered to himself.

Phillip laughs. 'By the way why isn't today with Selena? Aren't you guys always on Sunday in the basement?'

Christian turned the eyeballs, 'What a date! Mindy always comes along, you know!'

Again his older brother laughed. 'Who are you with today? I mean, you don't usually buy your schoolmates stuff from stores that sell girls' clothes and perfumes. You have a girlfriend now?'

Christian clicked his tongue, 'What is a girlfriend? Don't get me wrong, brother! I was with one of the basketball cheerleaders. I was stuck for two hours with him. He wants to buy this-that's the time I didn't pay attention to?'

'Ah! Also true. Men's self-esteem number one, huh?' Christian catches the teasing from Phillip's tone of voice.

'Do I have to use a credit card from my mom? I will be scolded.' Christian begins to shiver at the thought of his mother's nagging when she gets a notification of a woman's underwear purchase from her credit card.

Christian has split the expenses from his parents' credit card. He has three credit cards with a certain limit. Credit cards from his mother he used for gasoline and school purposes. Credit cards from his father for shopping gadgets, clothes, shoes, bags, and food. While from Phillip whose limit value is greater than both credit cards he has, used for fun-foya.

'Just use my card! It's been a while, huh? Roaming phone charges are expensive!'

'Stars are stingy!'

Despite Phillip's farewell, Christian became the first person to disconnect the call. He never worried that Phillip would be offended. Although they only meet a few times a year, Phillip is the only person in his family who is most generous to him when it comes to finances. While Theodore, his second brother was very rarely able to be contacted because he lived in the sea with fish. Theodore rarely had any money. His life was centered on the sea alone. Living in the sea does not cost much.

'Christian, look at this! Which do you think is better? I want to buy one because it's too expensive.' Wenda shows two clothes that are the same shape with the same color as well.

'I don't see the difference.'

Both of Wenda's shoulders slumped dramatically, 'This is the color of magenta and this one is fuchsia. Still don't know the difference?'

Christian shook his head, really not knowing. 'Just buy everything!' Said decided.

Wenda's eyes were more dramatic. 'But it's expensive, Christian!'

Christian took out his credit card and handed it to the waiter. 'Pay everything he took with this!' His word.

'awf.. Christian. I don't want to ask to be treated.'

Christian looked at the grocery bags in both hands. 'Just said that after shopping this much?' Mumbled.

His phone rings again. This time Mindy's name came up.

'Christian? Hello?' Mindy's voice sounded rather urgent.

'Yes, it's me! What's up?'

'Huwaa.... Christian, how's this?'

Christian's body straightened. He often hears and sees Mindy crying, but never on the phone.

'What happened to you?' Concerns arose in his head.

'This is about Selena... Can you pick her up at Cafe XXX? He was there alone. You have to pick him up now, huh?'

At that time all the grocery bags he put on the mall floor. He rushed into the store to retrieve his credit card.

'Eh-' Wenda who saw Christian leave hurriedly could only be astonished.

Christian did not hang up as he ran towards the parking lot to pick up the car.

'my cousin Ramon went to medical school. She asked me to set up a date with Selena. I agreed because he helped me a lot with PR. Selena agreed and they met today. And then Ramon's crazy, asshole ex-girlfriend comes screwing things up. Ramon said his ex was a national Karate athlete and kind of psycho! My feelings are not good....' Mindy paused for a moment to throw her snot away. 'Ramon said nothing to me. He just said he left Selena at the cafe to keep his crazy ex-girlfriend away from Selena. I heard there was a commotion. Christian, I'm so worried! Should I call dr. Ivanka and received the death penalty from her? Huwaa...' Mindy's crying is getting louder.

'I'm almost at the cafe you mean. I'll take Selena home.'

Christian sees Selena sitting alone from a glass window. His neighbor and childhood friend sat down and lowered his head. He was wearing big sunglasses. As soon as he parked his car, Christian hurried in.

'Selena? What's'

Selena raised her face when she heard Christian's voice. That's when Christian's heart stopped beating. The corner of Selena's lips hurt. There's dried blood there. Hair ruffled. His clothes were torn off at the shoulder. Not to mention his right shin that was bruised reddish in color. His right arm has an elongated scar.

'I'll just call you.' Selena. His voice sounded clear. Not at all as hoarse as crying. 'Help me walk! My leg is a little sore.'

Christian is at a loss for words. He complies when Selena asks him to lead her. Instead of leading, Christian holds her up for not having the heart to see Selena grimacing in pain every step of the way. The sight caught the attention of the cafe visitors. Some of them were recording. Selena did not refuse when Christian held her. When looking at Selena's face closer, Christian now understands why Selena is wearing sunglasses with a wide frame. There was a bluish-red bruise on his cheek. Blood is bubbling in Christian's head. He tried desperately not to explode in front of Selena.

'Look at your head!' Christian also tried to keep the tone of voice calm while sitting Selena in the front seat.

'Hospitals that don't have them both.' Selena answered while throwing her face out the window.

Christian once again according to. Along the way he spends making plans to kill Ramon and his ex-girlfriend. He doesn't care if Ramon is Mindy's cousin, which means he's a grandson of the Secretary of Defense, too. They hurt Selena so badly. They had to pay in a more ruthless way than this! Tears fell from both Christian eyes. He hastily removed it with his sleeves because of the blurred vision that bothered him to drive. He didn't dare ask Selena anything. The focus was on getting Selena to the hospital first to treat all these injuries.

Arriving at the hospital, Christian intends to take Selena to the IGD but is rejected. Selena told him to wait in the lobby while he went in alone to be examined. Selena called to have someone meet her at the hospital where they were coming. Christian doesn't know who Selena's talking to. He's too busy dealing with Selena's worries until he's stupid. During a two-hour wait in the quiet hospital lobby, Christian always walks back and forth in agitation. He wanted to catch up with Selena to make sure she was, but Selena had already asked him to wait here.

Christian knows that Selena wouldn't like it if her request was violated. There was no choice but to wait patiently. Christian still has to wait for hours until Selena comes out to get to him. He uses a crutch. His injured arm was bandaged. His face looked more swollen than before. He was no longer wearing sunglasses, making bruises on his face more visible. Unknowingly Christian had already clenched both of his hands. He catches up with Selena to help her walk into a car parked haphazardly in front of the lobby.

'I can't go home in this condition.'

'Stay at my hotel!' Christian said without taking his eyes off the streets. Both hands are still clenched and more whitened because they grip the steering wheel too tight.

'I'll just ask to go there.' Christian can feel a faint smile from Selena's injured lips.

'You.. okay?' Christian asked doubtfully. He didn't know if he should ask that question when he could see for himself with his eyes that Selena was in a state of chaos.

'I'd feel better if the woman was in jail.' Answer Selena.

Christian looked at him. Selena is typing something on her phone. Then he contacted someone.

'The visa results come out the fastest tomorrow.....Yeah, I'm out of the hospital for a divisum...... No, I have an acquaintance I can contact here. They came to check on me...... I didn't get the CCTV. Oh yes, I want to make a claim for the cafe too for not giving CCTV when I need it.... I have the tape. I paid someone to record it.... Let Ramon, he's not wrong.... His ex-girlfriend is a national karate athlete? Well, I guess he's just crazy.... Yeah, I want him rotting in jail. I want him to have no future.... The opa? What happened to Opa?.... Oh, of course they'll know sooner or later. Can you please keep it a secret first? At least until the court.... No, don't involve the media! Close all possible mediations!...... I'm doing fine.'

Selena put her phone back in the bag after a long call. After that, he lowered his chair so he could lie down.

'Wake me up when I get there!' His message.

Christian smiled for the first time in the day. His grip on the steering wheel was not as tight as before. Now he is calmer after knowing that his concerns are very unfounded. Christian believes that the person who just spoke on the phone is Selena's lawyer. He should have known that the Selena he knew was not a cowardly figure who was silent when he was beaten to a pulp. He agrees to Selena's request to have Ramon's psychopathic ex-girlfriend rot in prison. That way he has no chance of having a future. Destroying someone's future for having been violent with Selena, it makes sense. How thought.

The Christian family-owned hotel is one of the city's most famous five-star hotels. Christian and his brothers often stay there if they are bored at home. They have a special room on the top floor. The top floor is the one where rooms are not allowed to be occupied by anyone other than the Sanders family or its guests. Once they arrived, they were immediately greeted by hotel managers. Usually, if it was an ordinary day, the directors would also come down to greet them and prepare a special banquet.

'I can use your room?' Selena's room is a presidential suite. Room with the most luxurious and complete facilities in the hotel.

Christian nodded, 'You sure I don't need company?' They were in the elevator that led them to the top floor.

'Then who will bring me the uniform and take me to school tomorrow?'

Christian widens. 'You want to go to school like this??'

Selena nodded to agree.

'Can't! What did your doctor say? You won't let me in with you.'

'They said I was okay. Only need to take pain medication if it hurts.'

'You underestimate everything.' Sergei Christian.

'I'm fine, Christian!'

The elevator doors open.

'This is how you say you're okay?' Christian holds Selena. The crutches were hugged by Selena because Christian did not allow her to walk.

'We're like newlyweds.' Selena plays next to her healthy legs.

'Don't tease me!'

Selena rolled her eyeballs. 'I'd be really upset if I didn't go to school tomorrow. I'm collecting records to be the most exemplary student because I never skipped.'

'Your job is just sleeping in class. Wouldn't it be better to sleep here?' Christian slams the door and places Selena on a large mattress carefully.

'I can sleep better at school. Mindy would worry about me anyway. He must have felt guilty about Ramon.'

'Ramon, that bastard!' Christian muttered fieryly, making Selena chuckle.

'You know why I came to see Ramon today?'

Christian's expression changed. He sat on the bedside to listen to Selena's explanation further.

'I used to have a crush on him in Junior High.' Christian nodded immediately. It's completely new, he thought. 'He's paying attention to me. She's kind. But, baby, her boyfriend is a lot. I want to meet him for the past. Initially so. Ramon said he accidentally saw my picture on Mindy's Instagram. So he asked Mindy for permission to take me out. Then I thought... Why don't I take revenge? However, Ramon has made me lose time and energy because I had a crush on him first. I found out who her boyfriend is and also her ex-daughters are. I uploaded a photo of the two of us on Ramon's Instagram to lure out Ramon's craziest and delusional ex-girlfriend.'

'Wait first! So you were intentional?'

'I didn't know I had to be battered like this. My original plan was to get Ramon's girlfriends to come to the cafe with a single photo of me. Then I can record when Ramon is finished off by his girlfriends. I didn't think Ramon had a crazy ex-girlfriend. He beat me up mercilessly. Fortunately, I had someone record everything. My plan went straight from raping Ramon to ruining his ex-girlfriend's life.'

'I don't understand. How do you upload photos using Ramon account?'

'I asked him to take a picture together, and then uploaded it with his cell phone while he was going to the toilet.' Selena raised her shoulders, as if what she was doing was very simple.

Christian shook his head, not thinking. 'Why do all this?'

'Entertainment. Mindy's going to Singapore, and you're going to play with your basketball team. I have no activity.'

Christian breathed a heavy sigh, then he laughed. He is completely inexhaustible with Selena's mind path.

'You know who her ex-boyfriend is?' Ask.

'No. My lawyer says he's a national karate athlete. They dated for about six months. That's Ramon's longest dating record. I think he still cares about that crazy chick. If that girl is in jail, Ramon can't possibly be unsettled, right?'

'You don't even know what his name is?'

'No.' Selena put her body on the bed. 'I was so tired from the visa process. Come here at half-six in the morning! Don't forget to get my uniform too! And please tell Mindy that my parents called, just say I'm staying at her house!'

Christian had not yet answered, but Selena was asleep. Selena knew very well that Christian would obey her. He raises a blanket to cover Selena's beaten body. His right hand stretched out to rub Selena's head. Christian is well aware that Selena is unlike any other woman he has ever met. His creativity was never successfully guessed by any Christian even though they had known each other since childhood. The things in Selena that are not in any woman make Christian easily fascinated. Unknowingly he already felt a love that was too deep for Selena.

***