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76.19% MY KENZO / Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Bab 16: Chapter 16

A Bright Sunday.

Teresa woke up early, put on her sports clothes and shoes, then stepped outside the house, inhaling the fresh morning air. Every holiday, Teresa always made time for exercise, even if it was just jogging. The atmosphere in the neighborhood was still very quiet that morning.

Before running, Teresa stretched her body and did some warm-up exercises. She rotated her neck, stretched her legs, then put on her earphones and started jogging around the residential area.

As she ran, Teresa sang along to the song playing in her ears. She passed a few other joggers, but no one greeted her. The people in the neighborhood were very individualistic, likely because they were wealthy and preoccupied with their own lives, leaving no time for socializing. This was very different from Teresa's previous life.

"Huhhhh." Teresa stopped running and walked toward the park at the end of the neighborhood. She sat down on the park's edge and sipped from her water bottle. She had only just discovered the park and found its scenery to be quite beautiful.

The air in the park was refreshing, dominated by large trees that provided a cool atmosphere.

"Ehh?" A ball accidentally bumped into Teresa's leg. She picked it up and looked around for its owner.

A small boy approached and said the ball was his.

"Oh, this is your ball?" Teresa handed it over.

"Yes, sister, that's mine."

Teresa looked around again. "Who are you with?" she asked.

"I'm with my brother."

"Where is he?" Teresa asked the little boy.

"Here," a familiar voice answered. She turned toward the source of the voice and saw a tall man standing there.

"Kenzo," she said, staring at him in silence.

Kenzo sat down next to Teresa and handed an ice cream he had just bought to his little brother and Teresa.

"I-is this for me?" Teresa asked nervously.

"No, I'm just fixing my shoelaces."

"Oh." Teresa smiled awkwardly, feeling overly confident. It turned out Kenzo was just holding it for her temporarily. She watched as Kenzo bent down to tie his shoelaces.

"Do you know this sister?" the little boy asked. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, she's just a friend," Kenzo replied, ruffling the boy's hair. "Go on, play. I'll be here."

The little boy ran off with his ball to play in the open area. Kenzo glanced at Teresa, who was still holding the ice cream.

"That one's for you," he said, then looked away.

"Huh, oh, thanks," Teresa said, scooping a bit of the ice cream into her mouth.

"Mmmm, it's good," she said after tasting it. She glanced at Kenzo, who was smiling as he watched his little brother play. Teresa couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked when he smiled—his attractiveness seemed to increase by 100%.

"So handsome," she thought to herself, feeling like she could melt on the spot.

Kenzo suddenly turned to look at her, catching Teresa staring. She panicked and quickly looked away.

"Do you have a hobby of staring at me?" Kenzo asked.

"N-no, not at all," Teresa stammered, clearly flustered. Suddenly, Kenzo reached over and grabbed one of her earphones, putting it in his own ear.

"Ehh!" Teresa was a bit surprised. She hadn't been playing any music since sitting there.

Suddenly, music started playing again through the earphone: "You Never Know" by Blackpink. Kenzo turned back to her and gave her a look.

"What?" Teresa asked.

"You Never Know."

"You know it?"

Kenzo smiled faintly, then leaned his head back against the bench and closed his eyes.

Teresa smiled while watching him, then continued eating her chocolate ice cream while keeping an eye on Kenzo's little brother playing nearby.

"Brother!" the boy called out, running toward them. Kenzo opened his eyes.

"Come play with Kevin," the boy said, pulling both Teresa and Kenzo by the hand. They stood up and joined him to play ball.

Teresa quickly grew close to Kenzo's little brother. Kenzo watched them, surprised at how quickly Teresa and his brother became friends, even though it was their first time meeting.

...

The sun was now higher in the sky. The three of them walked home together. Kenzo and Teresa walked on either side, with Kevin in the middle. Kevin and Teresa were still munching on the spiral potatoes they had bought at the park.

"Brother Kenzo, why don't you date sister Teresa? She's pretty," Kevin asked innocently.

Kenzo looked confused by his little brother's question and didn't know how to respond.

"What's wrong, brother? Kevin likes sister Teresa."

Teresa's eyes widened at hearing that, and for some reason, she felt happy to hear it from Kenzo's little brother. She smiled to herself.

They arrived in front of Kenzo's house. "Sister Teresa, where do you live?" Kevin asked.

"Over there, take a right," Teresa pointed down the street.

"Okay, Kevin, go inside," Kenzo told his brother.

"Alright. I guess I'll head home now," Teresa said, turning around and starting to walk away. As she made her way home, she secretly hoped Kenzo would follow her and offer to walk her back. She smiled when she heard footsteps approaching, thinking Kenzo was coming after her.

She turned her head to the right, smiling in anticipation, only to find out it wasn't Kenzo but someone else passing by. She looked back and saw that Kenzo had already disappeared from in front of his house.

"Teresa, Teresa, you know how Kenzo is, yet you still hope for something," Teresa muttered to herself, feeling a bit disappointed. She then started jogging lightly to get home quickly since the sun was already heating up her skin.

When she reached the front of the large house, Teresa opened the small gate, but before she could, it opened by itself, revealing Gabril standing behind it.

Gabril looked at Teresa from head to toe.

"Ehh."

"Jogging?" Gabril asked.

"Yes, I'll head inside now," Teresa said, walking past him.

"Teresa, wait."

Teresa stopped in her tracks and looked back at Gabril with a questioning look.

"Later, we'll have a group study at Ameh's house at 2 PM. Don't forget."

Teresa smiled and nodded, then continued walking toward the small house behind the main one. When she reached the door, she saw a package hanging on the door handle. She took it inside and opened it.

"Chicken porridge."

There was a small note inside the package. She picked it up and read it.

"Don't forget to have breakfast, Teresa."

Teresa didn't know who it was from. If it were from her mom, it would have been placed inside the house.

Teresa tried guessing who had given her the porridge. She mentally checked off the names of all the workers in the house. "Gabril?" she thought. "No way. Why would he buy chicken porridge? Oh well, whoever it is, thank you," Teresa said as she happily ate the porridge, which she really enjoyed.

*******

Gabril was all ready and prepared to leave for group study that day. He walked out and greeted his mom, who was sitting in the living room watching a movie.

"Mom, I'm heading out for group study."

"Alright, take care, sweetheart."

Gabril left the house and walked toward Teresa's house at the back. Before he could knock, the door opened, and it was Teresa who happened to open it.

"Sorry, sir, what are you doing here?" Teresa asked.

"I came to invite you to go together."

"Oh, no need, sir, I'll take public transport by myself," Teresa replied.

"Why don't we just go together? It's on the way," Gabril asked.

"I don't feel comfortable, sir. You go ahead. I'll manage on my own," Teresa said, stepping past Gabril.

Gabril grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Why are you so afraid of me getting close to you, Teresa? I just want us to be closer," Gabril said, looking seriously into her eyes.

Teresa was confused, unsure how to respond. Gabril's serious expression left her speechless.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I-I can't." Teresa pulled her hand away and hurried out of the house. She took a deep breath and quickened her pace. Teresa couldn't imagine getting too close to her employer's son; it felt intimidating and inappropriate.

She waved at the side of the road, stopping a public transport vehicle, then hopped inside. Just a few seconds after it started moving, the vehicle stopped again to pick up another passenger. Teresa glanced up to see who had gotten on.

"GABRIL!"


next chapter

Bab 17: Chapter 17

Gabril smiled at Teresa and sat next to the girl.

"Mister," Teresa still looked shocked.

"Shh…"

"From now on, you have to call me Gabril, no matter where we are, whether at home or outside," he said, smiling. "And one more thing, don't speak formally."

"But this is a public van."

"So? It's public transportation, so I'm allowed to ride too, right?" he replied with a smile, glancing at the van with a slightly disgusted look.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Teresa asked again, trying to confirm.

The van suddenly stopped abruptly, and Gabril almost tumbled forward, but fortunately, Teresa quickly caught him.

"Careful."

Gabril smiled at Teresa, feeling embarrassed. This was his first time riding a van. He had never used public transportation before, and he wasn't even allowed to.

A few more people got into the van. What was initially just Teresa and Gabril soon turned into a crowded space. Gabril was squeezed by the people around him. A large man sat next to him.

"Gabril, your bag," Teresa told him to put the bag on his lap.

Gabril's expression changed immediately, looking uncomfortable being there. It was very odd for him to be cramped in public transportation with others.

The van drove recklessly, causing jostling inside. Gabril was tossed around and had to hold his breath because the man next to him smelled bad. His face turned red as he tried to hold back dizziness and nausea. Luckily, the man got off soon, and the van gradually emptied.

"Wh-where do we get off?" Gabril asked Teresa.

"Up front," Teresa replied.

Teresa noticed Gabril holding his mouth. "Are you okay?" she asked, slightly panicked.

Gabril signaled that he was fine, even though his stomach was churning, and he couldn't stand it.

"Stop here, sir," Teresa tapped the van ceiling, and it stopped. They both got out, and Gabril handed Teresa a hundred thousand bill to pay the fare. He rushed out and retched on the sidewalk.

Teresa hurried over to Gabril and saw him crouching, feeling nauseous.

"Gabril," Teresa panicked, seeing him like that.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Gabril stood up, his eyes red.

"But why did you even decide to get in?" Teresa asked as she took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped Gabril's lips with it. They stared at each other, and Teresa's hand stopped as she gazed at Gabril.

"Uh…" Teresa snapped out of it and handed the handkerchief for Gabril to wipe his lips himself.

Teresa took out her phone and checked the map Amel had sent. They only needed to walk into the housing complex ahead.

"Let's go," Teresa invited.

They walked together toward the housing complex. The houses were as large as the ones in their own neighborhood, but here, all the houses looked the same. This confused Teresa.

"Is it still far?" Gabril asked.

"It shouldn't be, but which house is it? They all look the same," Teresa replied.

They kept walking until they reached the final point on the map. "This might be it."

*Honk honk!*

A car stopped next to them, the window rolled down, and they saw Joan.

"Why are you walking?" Joan asked.

"Yeah, we took a ride. Which one's Amel's house?"

"Get in."

The two of them got into the car. Joan and Amel were classmates, and they were quite close, so Joan knew where Amel's house was.

"This is her house, but the map didn't show this one," Teresa grumbled.

The car stopped at one of the houses on the main road. They got out, and Amel came out of her house.

"Whoa, did you guys come together?" Amel asked. Her eyes squinted at Gabril. "Bril, are you okay? Your face looks so red," she asked.

"Yeah, are you alright?" Joan added.

"I'm fine," he answered.

******

******

Kenzo sat alone in his room, staring at the book on his desk, illuminated by his study lamp. His days were filled with studying, nothing but studying.

*Crash!*

The sound of breaking plates echoed from outside his room, followed by shouting and screams from his parents. Kenzo grabbed his headset and put it on, cranking up the volume to drown out the noise outside. He was utterly fed up with both of them, but he couldn't do anything about it since both his parents were equally selfish.

"Kaka!" Kevin ran in, crying as he rushed toward Kenzo. Kenzo hugged his little brother, trying to comfort him.

"Kaka, Mama and Papa are fighting again. Kevin is scared," his little brother sobbed.

Kenzo picked him up and put the headset on Kevin's ears. He felt deep sorrow that at such a young age, his little brother had to witness something no child should ever see.

Kenzo took Kevin to the balcony of his room, showing him the gloomy night sky. Thankfully, there was still a tiny star shining above, decorating the night sky.

"Look, Kevin, that's your star," Kenzo pointed to a small star above.

"And that big one is Kaka, right?" Kevin pointed to the moon above.

Kenzo smiled and nodded. He told his brother to wait while he fetched his telescope and aimed it at the sky.

"Come here, Kevin," Kenzo invited Kevin to look at the moon up close through the telescope that night.

"Kaka, Kevin wants to go there!" Kevin excitedly exclaimed, laughing as he gazed at the night sky.

Seeing Kevin reminded Kenzo of his own childhood. He had always loved the sky and the moon, always dreaming of going to the moon and meeting the goddess of the night. That's why Kenzo became so diligent in his studies and aspired to work for NASA and become an astronaut.

Kenzo smiled and then aimed the telescope at Kevin's star.

He sighed, staring up at the night sky. He felt exhausted with his family life. His family was a mess—his parents both cheated and constantly attacked each other. They refused to separate and wouldn't back down. Daily arguments were a routine, and Kenzo had grown used to it.

Kenzo tucked his little brother into bed, covering him with a blanket and kissing his forehead. He then left his room and saw that the house was in a state of chaos.

Kenzo quietly cleaned up, his heart aching as he gathered the shards of broken glass from the floor. His face showed the sadness he felt inside, but he never allowed himself to express it, bottling it all up.

His father emerged from his room and saw Kenzo. He merely glanced at him and left without saying a word. Kenzo also looked at him with a sorrowful expression. His father didn't greet him or offer any help.

Slowly but surely, everything was cleaned and tidy again. Kenzo threw the glass shards away in the backyard, burying them.

*Sigh*

Kenzo exhaled deeply after finishing everything, then returned to his room.

...

Morning came, and Kenzo walked to the dining table, greeted by the housemaid.

"Forgive me, Sir. I came late today, so I could only make this," Mbok Sri offered him a plate of fried rice for breakfast.

"That's okay, Mbok. Thank you."

Mbok Sri had been working for Kenzo's family for years, taking care of him and his brother since they were little. Unfortunately, she didn't live with them, only coming in the morning and leaving after preparing dinner.

"Eat plenty, Sir."

"Kaka!" Kevin ran to Kenzo at the dining table, eating breakfast together as Mbok Sri fed him.

"Why aren't Mama and Papa eating with us again?" Kevin asked sadly. The little boy missed the family moments they used to share.

Kenzo felt a deep sadness hearing that, his eyes welling up, though he couldn't let the tears fall.

"Kaka, can Kevin go to school with you today?" Kevin asked.

Kenzo nodded. "But you have to finish your food first."

"Hooray!" Kevin looked so happy.

After breakfast, they both headed to school. Kenzo carried his brother into the car and fastened his seatbelt.

The car drove out of the house and headed toward Kevin's school.

"Kaka Tereeeee!" Kevin suddenly rolled down the window and yelled at Teresa, who was walking along the street.


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