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Sweet (End)

"Mom?"

Gina turned around and threw a smile at Arlan who had just woken up from her nap. The clock on the wall shows three o'clock in the afternoon. Arlan slept for two hours like a baby. She did not even hear Gina enter her room. Gina placed a vase of red roses by the window, and walked over to Arlan.

"Hungry already?" tanyakanya. "You want apples?"

Arlan shook his head. A flash of a dream a second ago, still looming in his head. "Mom... I want to see Manda."

Gina's smile widened. "Four days no see, it's been that late, huh?"

Arlan blushed in embarrassment. He does miss Manda, until no dream is missed without Manda. For Arlan, longing for Manda feels more agonizing than the nightmare of meeting Larasati first.

"Your mother is ready. He will be here soon" said Gina.

Arlan hurriedly woke up from his sleep. He tidied his messy hair. Arlan did not want if Manda saw him in a state of chaos like now, let alone five days they did not meet face to face. While in the hospital, Gina insists that Arlan rest more. In fact, Gina forbids Arlan from using healing powers and asks Arlan to laze around.

"I-I'm going to go to the bathroom for a second, Mom!" Arlan panicked himself.

BRACKET!

Be late. Manda was already on the doorstep of his room. Unlike Arlan, Manda seemed to have prepared herself and appeared very beautiful. Arlan was dumbfounded when he saw it. Manda walked quickly to Arlan's bed. He immediately wrapped a hug for Arlan.

"Are you all right? Is anyone still sick?" ask Manda.

Arlan's face flushed red, just like a boiled crab. "No-no... I-I'm fine," Arlan became very nervous. "How are you?"

Manda took off her embrace. "I can go home" he answered, raising his hand, revealing a small plaster infusion. "Lukaku is treated once every two days. Besides, I'm healthy!"

Arlan glanced at Gina who was watching from behind. "If I'm better than this, I'll use the power of healing to remove all those wounds."

"No need" refused Manda. "I want to have this scar."

"Why?"

"It's cool!" Manda ecstatic. "Later, when I have kids, I want to tell you about how I got these wounds!"

"Kids?" arlan's eyes glared.

Manda who was initially smiling gleefully, immediately turned her face redder. Gina just chimed in with a satisfied laugh, not knowing that Manda's words had just raised hope in Arlan's chest.

"Ehem! I'm hungry! I'm going to buy some food at the bottom cafeteria!" Manda immediately ran away from the awkward atmosphere he had created.

"Where are you going?" Cahya appeared when Manda passed through the door. However, since Manda did not give an answer, Cahya went inside followed by Nanda. "Where's the kid?" tanyakanya.

"Buy eat, Dad. Maybe very hungry" replied Gina, giggling.

Nanda placed a large bag containing Manda's clothes near the door. "Mom, I'm with Manda, yeah!" pamitnya and immediately move without waiting for an answer from Gina or Cahya.

Cahya shook her head to look at Nanda who was in a hurry. "When Manda was kidnapped, Nanda could not relax. He always used to drug Manda. In fact, he's already taken care to transfer schools to yours," Cahya told Arlan.

"Let the children gather in one school. At least, so it's easy to take care of each other. He can also come home together, too," said Gina.

"How are you doing, Lan?" ask Cahyo. He sat next to Arlan while researching Arlan from head to toe. Cahyo never once forgot to ask about Arlan's condition when they met, even if it was every day.

"It's better, Oom," replied Arlan as usual.

"This is actually quite disturbing. You call my wife 'mom', but call me 'oom'? Isn't that called favoritism?"

"Hihi, don't be jealous, Dad!" gina Goda. He brought a peeled apple and placed it on a table near Arlan's bed.

"This kid, right, who you saw to be Manda's husband?" Cahya spoke blatantly.

"Dad, Dad! How to open a US card, anyway!" Gina punches Cahya's arm, anxious about her husband's behavior that can't keep a secret.

"I'll take good care of Manda, A-" Arlan gulped with difficulty, "Dad!" call it. So nervous, Arlan's voice shook.

"Cieeeh, I have my blessing, nih!" Gina smiled as well. "But, that doesn't mean you can mess around, huh, Lan! The manda is still Mom's favorite girl. If you dare to make him cry, the grave is the answer!"

Arlan nodded with a straight and confident look of his eyes, making Cahya and Gina laugh with anxiety.

***

"Lan! Finally going to school!"

"Where was it treated? The classroom guardian did not tell us to look up and Dimas also said."

"Truly, tuh! We can't ask anyone!"

"What pain does a lot of bandage patches like this?"

"Lo's been in an accident?"

"The conglomerate's child accident must indeed be covered up, huh? Scared of a scandal?"

"Lha? Arlan, right, it's been a scandal with Manda!"

"So, really you had an accident with Manda? What car is a motor?"

"Manda is not too badly hurt. He went in first from Arlan."

"Tuh, right! If you are near Manda, you will be wretched like this!"

"You two go, but you're the only one who's battered, Lan?"

Arlan let out a long sigh hearing the endless questions from his classmates as he sat on the bench that had been empty for a month. Hospital treatment only took about two weeks, but Gina asked permission from the school to shut Arlan down for health reasons. Arlan's parents contacted by the school also did not feel objection, even Arlan's parents seemed not to care much anymore. Of course, they are busy with criminal affairs and their company shares decline as the many violations committed by their company.

"Guys, it's not all because of Manda" replied Arlan. Despite knowing that the answer will not work in the ears of his classmates, Arlan still protects Manda. As long as it was not the answer they wanted, they would never believe Arlan.

"But, Lan, the proof is that you've been this close to Manda."

"Gue agrees!"

"Lo's not fresh anymore."

"Don't, Manda absorbed your soul little by little."

"Manda can do that?"

"It's Arlan to drown like this!"

"You too, will I absorb his soul?"

The last sentence made the entire class speechless. They turned their head quickly to the source of the voice and found Manda was already standing not far from them. Manda's expressionless face and her black hair that she let loose made the entire class goosebumps. One by one began to leave in front of Arlan. They don't want to deal with Manda for a second.

"If you act like that, they're getting more misunderstood" Arlan gave advice as Manda stood beside him.

"From the beginning I told you, the sky doesn't need to explain that it is high and the sea doesn't need to explain that it is deep. Whatever they say, let it go. If necessary, give a little 'seasoning' to make it more exciting."

Arlan smiled at Manda's chatter. "Whatever they say, the fact that I love you will not change."

"Ehem! Ehem!" Manda cleared her throat with her face together. "Your answer has nothing to do with my statement!"

"You are so sweet!"

"Fuck!!!"

***TAM***