Episode 17

"Excuse me," came a command.

Nana and Mail turned to find Kaivan. Nana made room for him, sensing no threat to Yura from him, as it was not the first time she had seen Kaivan with Yura.

"Yura," Kaivan called out. He opened a bottle of water, offering her a drink while patting her cheek.

Slowly, Yura blinked her eyes open; she hadn't fainted, just felt incredibly weak. All this time, she had been listening to what Nana and Mail were saying, including Kaivan's voice.

"Have you been dealing with the supernatural again?" Kaivan asked upon seeing Yura regaining composure.

Yura remained silent at Kaivan's question, Mail and Nana exchanged glances, surprised that their friend could see ghosts.

"Hm, Yura, we'll leave first, okay?" Nana took the initiative to leave Kaivan and Yura alone, sensing their strained relationship. Nana pulled on Mail's arm to distance them. "Let's go," she urged.

"But Yura…"

"She's safe, she's with the right person now," Nana exclaimed.

Once Nana and Mail were out of sight, Kaivan, seated beside Yura, turned to her. "What's wrong with you, not listening to my advice?"

"Which advice?" Yura asked.

"You're not ready to interact with the supernatural, so don't torment yourself," Kaivan advised. Yura sighed, taking in Kaivan's words.

"Brother Kai, it's not that I'm intentionally hurting myself, but that creature appears on its own. If I ignore it, it will continue to haunt me."

"Then, why did you contact Bang Aldo and even meet up with him?"

Yura furrowed her brows at Kaivan's question. His interrogative tone felt like that of a man suspecting his girlfriend of infidelity for meeting another man. Yura didn’t appreciate this; Kaivan exhibited protective behavior as if he had a claim on her.

"There was an urgent situation, so I called Bang Aldo for help," Yura replied.

"Why didn't you call me?" Kaivan suggested. His question seemed to pressure and confine Yura to remain close and recognize his importance.

"Because you were being annoying yesterday, so I chose to contact Bang Aldo," I said.

"Annoying how?"

"Never mind, I don't want to discuss the past. How could a man understand a woman's feelings?" Yura complained.

"Do you have feelings for me?"

"Not 'have feelings', but 'harbor feelings'. The last time we met, Brother Kai, you were frustrating because you yelled at me. Just now too, what's wrong, Brother Kai? High blood pressure?" Yura asked him.

"There's nothing wrong, that's just your perception."

Their conversation didn't last much longer, as Kaivan suggested taking Yura home – of course, to their respective houses.

...

The journey home from campus took longer than usual due to being caught in traffic. Finally, having to wait patiently among the other vehicles. By the time I arrived home, it was nearly two in the afternoon. I hurried out of the car, driven by my hunger.

Passing through the living room, I saw Mom on the phone. I wanted to greet her but hesitated, noticing her serious demeanor. Before leaving the area where my mother was, I noticed her pale face and the look of worry.

"What could be wrong with Mom?" I murmured as I climbed the steps to my room.

I thought back on my mother's recent odd behavior, on how she'd been accompanied by a ghostly figure while watching TV.

In my room, I placed my bag on my desk and lay down on my bed to rest my fatigued body. As I closed my eyes, not quite asleep, my phone rang from within my bag.

Reluctantly, I got up, approached the desk, rummaged in my bag, and fetched my cell phone. It was a missed call from Aldo. Since the call had ended, I returned to my bed and lay there.

My phone, still in my hand, vibrated with a new message notification.

[Have you settled things with your friend?]

It was a message from Aldo. I quickly typed back a response.

[Done]

[Are you safe? Are you alright?] Aldo inquired through his text.

I smiled, reading Aldo's message, his concern evident. After a brief exchange, I fell asleep and didn't wake until nearly sunset. I stayed in my room to freshen up and prepare for my evening prayers.

Come dinner time, Bik Ela called me down. Just a few steps downstairs, I froze at the sound of my parents arguing. This was the first time I heard them fight; we were usually peaceful and harmonious, but now...

"You'll regret this, Mas. Remember that," Mom shouted before a door slammed shut.

I aborted my descent and retreated back to my room.

"What could their problem be, to fight like that? Is this what’s been troubling Mom, making her so absent-minded in front of the TV all day?" I wondered to myself.

The following morning.

I was ready to leave but made sure I didn't hear any shouting or screaming as I descended the staircase. A sigh of relief escaped me when I saw Mom at the dining table, greeting me cheerily.

"Come, sit down and eat something. Have plenty so you're focused in class," Mom said.

"I’ll be more inclined to doze off than concentrate," I replied offhandedly.

Mom served me a full bowl of my favorite chicken mushroom soup, apparently serious about her eat-more directive.

"Mom, this is too much," I said.

Mom smiled as she poured me a glass of water and offered more side dishes.

"This is enough; my stomach can't handle much, especially this early," I said.

"Just make sure you finish it. There may not always be a chance for me to serve and join you like this."

"Hm, so stop doting on Dad all the time. I need some of that attention too," I complained as Mom just smiled.

After finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to Mom, she hugged me incredibly tight. Not unusual, as Mom often did so, but this time the hug lasted longer. I even had to remind her, worried I'd be late if she kept hugging me.

"Take care, dear," Mom said while waving as my car started to move away.

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