THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 53. Thank you, Angel.

"Hi." Emma waved at Elric, smiling thinly and awkwardly.

Elric simply raised an eyebrow and raised both of his hands, as if asking why Emma was here. "Why are you here (why come here)?" The question escaped Elric's lips.

Emma slid into Elric's arms suddenly. The young man was surprised and slightly staggered back. "Eh, Em! Let me put my guitar down first" Elric said, releasing both of Emma's arms from her neck. "You can break the strings!" his grunts while stroking the strings of his favorite guitar.

Elric stepped into the corner of the room and placed his guitar on a guitar stand next to Darren's. Emma grimaced as she stroked her nape.

"So, why are you here (So, why are you here)?" Elric repeated his question. He put on his haughty face. Although in his heart he was so excited by the presence of Emma.

Emma clucked. He ruffled Elric's long hair with anxiety. "You're! Why didn't you tell me you paid off my student loan?!" the hardic.

"Do I have to tell you?" asked Elric indifferently.

"You're making me misunderstand!" hiss Emma. He breathed deeply.

"Why? You think that old man paid it off?" said Elric cynically.

Emma squinted her eyeballs. But in his heart he confirmed Elric's words. At that time he immediately thought that James had paid off his debt. "Who told you to shut up." The girl was shaking her lips. "By the way, El .. thank you," said Emma, staring at the young man with her eyes. He grabbed onto Elric's shoulder and hugged the young man tightly.

"What's my reward?" Elric pulled the corner of his lips. "Everything is free" he chuckled later.

Emma's sad face that was set on Elric's shoulder instantly turned fierce. He pulled away while narrowing his eyes looking at the young man with a suspicious look. "So you helped me out expecting something in return? What kind of rewards?"

"As ...." Elric leaned toward Emma and brought her handsome face closer to her as she closed her eyes.

"Guah!" hiss Emma pressed her palm against Elric's face and pushed him away.

Elric chuckles. "Come, go home," he asked as he grabbed the softcase guitar lying on the floor and took the guitar that a while ago he rested on the guitar stand and put it in the black softcase. Elric attached the guitar bag to his back and looked at Emma who was standing there staring at him.

"Come, Emma!" she said as she moved her chin asking Emma to step out of the studio. He then followed Elric out of the room full of musical equipment.

"Darren, thank you!" he shouted at Darren who was passing from the kitchen and waved at Elric. The young man then threw a smile at Emma.

***

"We'll just walk, okay?" Arriving outside the apartment, Elric breezes through a quiet sidewalk without waiting for Emma's approval. The distance from Columbia to East Harlem takes thirty minutes on foot. Emma just complies. After all, he could enjoy the sunny afternoon atmosphere despite the cold air.

"El, where did you get that kind of money to pay off my student loan?" emma asked while aligning her steps with the young man.

"You don't need to know" said Elric indifferently.

"Where do you have the idea to pay off my debt?"

"You don't need to know."

"Gee!"

Elric turned his head towards Emma while smiling mischievously at the girl. "Are you hungry?" his tanaya pointed to the restaurant across the street with the nameplate Mel's Burger Bar.

"It's not a bad idea" Emma agreed to Elric's offer.

Elric grabs Emma's hand and holds her across the crowded street by a vehicle, positioning himself as a shield to protect Emma until she safely reaches the other side.

"There's nowhere to cross the street there, El." Emma raised her eyebrows. He felt Elric was very unreasonable.

Elric grimacing. "Too far." He gave reasons. Emma hissing. Then get into a pretty crowded restaurant.

"Em, you just pick a seat. Let me order the food." Without waiting for Emma's reply, Elric walked towards the reservation spot.

"Did he know what I wanted to eat?" emma muttered while choosing an empty seat near the window.

After waiting for a while, Elric came up with one tray containing two boxes of loaded nachos and two large glasses of cider. Emma's lips are tickling. He was thinking of a serving of nachos with melted cheese on it and also salsa sauce. The girl did not understand why Elric could read her mind.

"This is precisely what I want (this is exactly what I want)," puckily Emma with a joyful face.

Emma smiled as she watched the movements of the handsome young man across the table. "El ...," he called.

"Hm."

"Why didn't you come home last night?" emma asked as she chewed on one mouthful of her nachos.

"Busy."

"Aren't you checking your phone once?"

"I checked my phone."

"You don't see any missed calls a dozen times?"

"I see." Elric acted as if he didn't know Emma was fishing for him.

Emma growling. "Why didn't you answer my phone?"

"What matters? You're with the old man, aren't you?"

"No. When I called you, I was back at the apartment."

Elric swallowed his food and stared at Emma. "Is that?" tanyakanya.

"Yeah!"

"What did you call me for?"

Emma took her breath. "Take you home and thank you."

Elric chuckles. "You can wait till I get home, right? Usually you don't care if I go home or not."

"Overnight I ...." Emma did not continue her words. "James said he wasn't the one paying off. So, I immediately thought it was you."

"And ...." Elric raised two thick eyebrows. Waiting for the word Emma will say next.

Emma looked at the pair of brown eyes before her. "That's important to me. You've lightened my load so much, El."

"Hmm .. it's not a big deal (it's not something big), Emma. But, if you want to grant one of my wishes, I don't refuse" Elric said.

"What's that?" challenge Emma.

"It." Elric touched his own lips with his index finger.

"Well?!" Emma rolled her eyes. Suddenly his brain was filled with indecent thoughts.

"There's cheese on your lips."

"What?!" scream Emma loudly, either out of annoyance or embarrassment. Just now his brain has been stained with the thoughts bouncing that make the fur of his romance brimmed. Apparently, Elric was just glaring at him. With a grunt the girl pulled a few pieces of tisyu from her box and brushed her lips roughly.

"What am I asking for in return? You don't think no-no, Em," quipped Elric as he shook his head.

Emma hissing. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Since when did he like the way Elric laughed?

"But I do want to ask you one thing." Elric put on a serious face.

"Hmm?" Emma looked at the young man suspiciously.

Elric was silent for a while. It seemed like he was convincing himself to say something very important.

"Don't be James's girlfriend!"

***