Chapter 174

174 Thump Thump

“Hey, Lea! Yesterday, I finished that drink you made. It was really delicious!” Owen praised with a big smile etched on his face.

As Kai had promised, the man took Kalea to visit Owen’s family farm. It looked like Owen was busy feeding some horses. Kalea only smiled slightly in response to Owen’s praise, she noticed a white horse that was eating hay. Similar to the horse that Arthur had given her.

Kai noticed Kalea who was just silent looking at the horse, he then said, “Do you like this horse?”

“Huh? Ah, no. I mean, it’s a bit like a horse I’ve ridden before,” Kalea replied with a stiff smile.

“Ohoo, so you often ride horses?” Owen now asked.

“Not often, just occasionally.”

Kai and Owen just looked at each other, then nodded in understanding. Kalea was invited by the two men to see the animals Owen had. Kalea helped feed the animals, and even tried to get eggs from the hens. Actually, the eggs were no longer incubated by the hen, they were located outside the cage but if she was not careful to pick them up, the hen could have pecked Kalea’s hand.

“Le-lea, don’t be forced. I’ll do it,” Kai said, who panicked when he saw Kalea carefully picking up the eggs.

“I’m fine, Kai. Leave it to me,” Kalea replied with a serious expression, completely focused. While Owen covered his mouth, he held back his laughter because if the laughter exploded, the chickens would be shocked and make a scene.

.....

With hands that were slightly sweaty from nervousness, she picked up the egg quickly. A look of joy on her face, she exclaimed, “Got it! I got it, Kai! Owen!”

“You did great, Lea!” Kai replied, equally happy and proud.

“Then I’ll get it again,” the girl said excitedly but Kai shook his head with a smile still on his lips. Pulling Kalea’s arm to stop her from doing the job again. “Huh? Why?” asked Kalea confused.

“There are no more eggs for you to pick up,” Owen said with a nosy smile.

Kalea looked around to confirm Owen’s words. “Ah, you’re right.”

“You really are very excited, huh,” Kai commented, Kalea just blushed.

Until the sun is directly overhead, they changed places to the Egner family farm. Kalea really got to experience something she had never done before. It turned out that raising livestock and gardening was really fun, Kalea loved it. Not to mention Owen and Kai who treated her well. There, Kalea only watched Kai and Owen who were busy gardening, because Kai told Kalea to stay sitting sweetly on a wooden chair, the round hat adorned Kalea’s head.

However, to be honest if she just stayed still without doing anything made her bored faster. Kalea massaged her temples, suddenly dizziness attacked her head. Not to mention that Kalea’s body became weaker than before, was this because of too much activity? Kalea closed her eyes, trying to relieve the headache. Because she was so excited to live in the village, Kalea forgot about the condition of her stomach.

She should not have done so much, remembering that when she was with Arthur, he made her relax until she almost died of boredom.

Eventually, Kalea fell asleep on the wooden chair due to dizziness and drowsiness.

And an hour later, Kai realized that Kalea was asleep there. He immediately walked over to Kalea, at first he was worried because he was afraid something would happen to the girl. However, seeing the look on Kalea’s face that was so calm and very beautiful when asleep made Kai smile. Kai took off his gloves on the wooden table, then washed his hands before he returned to Kalea.

“What do you want? Huh, Kalea’s asleep?” asked Owen, coming over to Kalea who was still asleep without being disturbed at all despite being approached by the two of them.

“I’ll take her home first. Her body will hurt if she keeps sleeping here,” Kai replied as he tried to change Kalea’s position. “Owen, give me a hand.”

Owen helped Kai put Kalea on his childhood friend’s broad back. “Don’t fall,” Owen said as he gently patted Kai’s shoulder. Meanwhile, the man with scarlet hair just nodded and began to take his big feet back home. “Damn, he’s really gentle,” Owen muttered, shaking his head at Kai’s behavior.

Along the way, Kai kept bumping into other villagers. They were a little surprised to see Kai carrying Kalea, but Kai explained what happened. Plus, some of the village girls were jealous of Kai and Kalea’s closeness. Even though they never got like that with Kai.

Finally Kai had arrived home, he immediately went up to the second floor to Kalea’s room. Fortunately, the room was not locked by the girl. “Lea, I’m going into the room,” Kai said as if asking permission in a low voice.

Carefully, Kai laid Kalea’s body down on the bed. The brunette girl was completely asleep. Kai looked at Kalea’s face which was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes in any other direction. He was completely mesmerized by the beautiful work of God’s creation that was in front of him now.

His hand unconsciously touched Kalea’s cheek and stroked it, his heart beating very fast. Looks like what Owen said the other day was true. He liked Kalea. Not lasting long, Kai moved his hand away from the girl’s face and got out of bed. He could not linger in that room or Kalea would wake up and think all sorts of things about him. Before he closed the door, Kai looked back, seeing Kalea one last time before returning to the garden.

“Have a good sleep, Lea.”

***

Owen raised one eyebrow at Kai who came back with a haggard look on his face. “Why did you come back with that expression?” Owen asked in surprise.

“Owen, do you think Lea could like the village man?” asked Kai suddenly making Owen blink, still digesting his words.

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to repeat my question.”

“You mean, liking that village man of yours?”

“Y-you can think of it that way,” Kai replied with his cheeks starting to turn red. That face turned even redder like a boiled crab when Owen suddenly burst out laughing without Kai understanding why his friend was suddenly like that. “Why are you laughing? Is there something strange about my question?”

Slowly the laughter died down, Owen rubbed the corners of his eyes that were a little watery from laughing too much. “So you really like her, huh.”

“I guess so, do I look like an easy guy? Because I fell in love with her that easily,” Kai asked looking completely serious.

Owen gaped, it seemed his little friend was not messing around. “Naturally, she’s pretty and interesting. Moreover, you guys live under the same roof, well even if it hasn’t been a week.”

“Then I really am an easy guy.”

“Not so, idiot. After all, you’ve never dated any woman in your life either, right? So I consider it a miracle that you can finally fall in love!”

Kai was silent, digesting one word after another that came out of Owen’s mouth. What Owen said was true, he had never felt anything like this. Kai held his chest, even now the pounding was still there.

“Hmm, but are you sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend? Especially since she’s from the city. Her appearance is also quite glamorous. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt,” Owen continued glancing at Kai, both of his hands that were holding an earthen fork were supporting his chin.

“Why?” asked Kai confused.

Owen sighed, either Kai was too nice and always thinking positively or he was too anxious. “Answer my question first. Are you sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend?”

“If she does, why would she run away?”

“It’s possible that her boyfriend is abusive,” Owen replied simply as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

Kai fell silent again, thinking about the possibilities and remembering what happened to Kalea from the moment they met. If he had asked, it would have been rude, especially since they had not known each other for long.

“You just ask her,” Owen suggested as if he knew the contents of Kai’s brain right now.

“That’s not polite, Owen.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“There’s nothing I need to do? Just act normal,” Kai replied visibly relaxed and started putting on his gloves again. “Maybe for now.”

***

“Angela, have you been able to contact your brother? He’s been unreachable lately, even my messages and calls were ignored,” Aquila complained looking at her cell phone with a sad and worried expression.

“Ah... I haven’t gotten any notifications from him either, Mom,” Angela replied sadly. “He must be busy at work.”

“I hardly see him at the office. But it seems like he really is a workaholic. That’s good, that’s the way it should be,” Albern added not at all worried.

“Is it like that? But I don’t think it’s because of that...,” Aquila said still feeling uneasy.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll try to contact him later, or I’ll come to his apartment.” Angela tried to calm her as she gently stroked her mother’s back.

She had never thought anything strange about her brother before, but seeing her mother so worried, Angela felt the same way. Suddenly she was also curious about her brother’s relationship with that woman.