Chapter 38: An Injured Boy & An Ice Cream Girl
Mai, Ivani, and Nica arrive at a music studio that rents out a place for those who want to practice bands. The Whale Gray was inside practicing and the girls had come to watch.
"Shouldn't we be bothering them?" Mai asked hesitantly, Mai always feels bad, an attitude that sometimes makes her friends anxious.
"It's okay, anyway, I've already told them if we want to see them practice," said Ivani.
"You still haven't given up?" she asked.
"What does that means?" Ivani asked back.
"Yeah, you know what I mean. Eddo said Aaron was dating Cynthia again." Nica said she got to the point, making Ivani choked.
"I'll just go home." Ivani immediately turned back.
"Eh... Eh, don't! Nica is just talking carelessly." Said Mai.
Mai blamed Nica even though she knew what Nica said was probably true.
"You said you wanted to see them rehearse. I wonder what the band rehearsal was like." Said Mai.
"Yes, it's just like them on stage, Mai, you've often seen them perform," said Nica.
The reason they are here is that they want to discuss vacation plans during the semester break, not just watching them practice. The sound of music immediately sounded as soon as they opened the studio door. The men only glanced briefly and did not pay attention to their arrival.
The girls were also quiet, sitting on the long sofa and quietly watching The Whale Gray's unusual performance. Repeatedly the vocalist made mistakes, the tone did not reach even to the point of forgetting the lyrics of the song, making his colleagues confused and unmotivated.
"Come on, let's just take a break," said Riven, stopping their practice, may be feeling tired because he's been repeating the same song over and over again, just the intro and not getting to the chorus.
"Sorry... Sorry, I couldn't concentrate a little." The vocalist realized his mistake.
"A little? What's wrong with you, Ron? You were weird today and you've been acting weird for the past few days, only now it's even weirder." Boban said, he looked curious and worried at the same time.
"Sorry... I have a lot on my mind," said Aaron.
"He's still upset because his ex-girlfriend is back," said Riven.
Aaron threw an empty mineral water bottle at Riven who was immediately caught before the bottle hit Riven forehead.
The other guys immediately turned their attention to the vocalist, Aaron's reaction showed that what Riven said was true.
What Riven didn't know was that it wasn't only Cynthia that was on Aaron's mind but also Mai and Mai's presence in the studio that afternoon made him even more uncomfortable.
Every time Aaron saw Mai, he always thought of the little girl. A frightened little girl looks at him expectantly as if asking for his help in a VIP treatment room in a hospital, 12 years ago.
But despite feeling uncomfortable, Aaron couldn't ignore the girl. He even approached her and tried to be her friend. Mai is a shy and introverted type, it's not easy to make Mai trust and open up to him. So far he has succeeded, they are friends now and Mai tells a lot of things related to her trauma making Aaron feel sad and happy at the same time.
Trembling because it reminded him of his mistakes and his responsibility to correct them. Glad that Mai didn't stay away even though she was initially suspicious of his attitude.
"Let's just finish the training here, okay. I'm sorry but I think I'd better go, I'm tired, I want to rest," said Aaron.
"Yeah, it's okay. Right, guys?" Thomas said he seemed to understand. The others nodded.
"Eh, but we're talking about vacations. Did you forget? They've already come here." Eddo said, he reminded while pointing at his three female friends.
"What vacation?" asked Boban.
"Semester break. Yesterday we had the chance to talk, Riv. How about we go to Bandung instead. Riven has a villa there, you know," said Eddo, he immediately suggested.
"What? What?" Boban and Aaron shouted in unison.
"Am I on vacation with her? No!" Boban said, he pointed at Ivani.
"I don't want to go on vacation with you either. I thought we were just the five of us." Ivani said, she answered and what she meant by five were herself, Mai, Nica, Eddo, and Thomas.
"Why Bandung? Isn't there another place?" Aaron said, he took issue with the place.
Oh, God... While he was being chased by his past, his friends even wanted to go to Bandung, where all this trouble came from. Seriously!
"Why? Bandung is the closest to Jakarta, there are many fun places for culinary, shopping, it must be fun." Eddo stated his reason for choosing Bandung.
"And you have a villa there so it saves the budget, he he he." Said Eddo. The last reason Eddo is a guy who rents a house is even though he is a guy who owns a rented house.
"Well that's fine, it looks fun." Said Nica, who supports Eddo's proposal.
"My villa hasn't been occupied in a long time." Said Aaron, he still didn't agree.
They have never vacationed in Bandung again since the accident that happened to them.
"But Danny was there, so it shouldn't be a problem, as long as we tell Danny if we want to come there," said Riven.
Aaron glanced at him sharply, annoyed that Riven wasn't on his side.
"What's wrong with you?" Riven asked immediately, noticing that his cousin was acting strangely.
"Nothing," Aaron said quickly, acting nonchalant and pretending to be busy packing his things.
"What are you doing, Ron? Like someone is PMS," Thomas quipped. The insinuated did not comment.
"There are bitter memories in Bandung this time he he he," Eddo commented, but it seemed true because Aaron immediately directed his sharp gaze, making Eddo shrivel. The sharp gaze is usually seen when practicing karate or sparring.
Riven sighed.
"You weren't traumatized by that incident, were you?" Riven asked Aaron. Right on target.
Mai glanced at the man who was being reluctant about their vacation plans, feeling a little surprised by what Riven had just said.
Trauma? Aaron had a trauma? He doesn't look like a traumatized person.
Aaron always looks cheerful as if there is no problem in his life. It seems Aaron's life is very pleasant, many people envy and want him. The man besides having everything also has many advantages. Lots of friends too.
"Yeah, I understand, since the accident that happened to you in Bandung that time, we've never been there again. But it's been a long time, Ron. Just forget it okay." Riven said.
Hah? He had an accident in Bandung?
Mai looked at Aaron without blinking and the man immediately avoided his gaze.
"I'm not traumatized! There's no need to talk about it. Whatever, I'll go along with it," said Aaron at last.
Turns out Riven remembered. I'm not traumatized, other people are traumatized.
"You had an accident in Bandung, how come it's the same as ..." Thomas said, he glanced at Mai.
"Eh Mai, are you okay if we go to Bandung?" Thomas said, he just realized Mai has a trauma with the flower city.
"It's okay," said Mai.
"I haven't been there in a long time either." Said Mai.
Vacationing with her friends must be fun and a vacation in Bandung is a good idea. Mai seemed to know what she had to do when she returned to the city.
"You were from there at the beginning of college, the one you skipped orientation." Said Nica in surprise.
"Yes... But it's not for vacation... After all, my memory has returned little by little. Maybe I can remember more if I go back there," Mai reasoned.
Yes, that's true, although scary but it would be very helpful if he could remember. She wants to get well.
"What if it makes your trauma worse?" Ivani said worriedly.
"If I want to recover, I have to know what I'm dealing with. I have to get those memories again even if it's scary or painful though. I don't want to be a mental patient forever," Mai said softly.
"You're right too. Don't be afraid, Mai, you can get your memories back." Thomas said while touching her shoulder, cheering her on and Mai smiled at him.
"That's true too. If I'm not mistaken you said that before, right, Ron. During the inauguration night, you said that if Mai could remember everything she could recover. Isn't that right?" Ivani said while glancing at Aaron who had been silent for a long time.
Mai looked at him and Aaron averted his eyes again. Mai still doesn't understand why Aaron sometimes acts like that. Sometimes nice, sometimes caring, sometimes ignoring her and acting strange.
"I said so, didn't I?" he said while scratching the back of his neck like an awkward person.
Very weird. Why was Aaron so awkward?
"Would you like to help me? You said you wanted to help right? I mean, you must know more about psychiatry than I do." Mai said, she ignored her strange feeling at Aaron's attitude and immediately expressed her idea. She wished Aaron would help her.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
awisantoni
awisantoni Here is today's chapter. I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you guy's thought I love hearing from all of you. As always thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day :)
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone