The After The Rain
Let Him Heal First

Days after getting an answer from Papa, Kinara began to look at Sekala in a different way. He began to pay attention to the little habits of Sekala that usually escape his attention.

Like Sekala who always put things back to their original place after finishing using it, for example. For months he worked here, but that habit he only realized now.

It was not only Papa's answer that made Kinara pay more attention to Sekala, but also rumors about him and Sekala dating, where the rumor had spread throughout Orion, even to the ears of Andanu and Astari.

The rumor started with Jeremy's lemes mouth, apparently. Kinara only found out that when people started busy asking the truth about the rumors directly to her.

At first, Kinara thought Jeremy could be so prejudiced as to accidentally see his quarrel with Atha days before, where Sekala had claimed to be his girlfriend in order to expel Atha from Orion.

But, after he thought about it again, Jeremy was never the origin of gossiping. The man would only spread rumors based on the things he did see before his eyes, which would also be ignored by others.

Therefore, Kinara began to pay more attention to the movements of Sekala to see if there was indeed a treatment from the man who devoured himself that could make people think that they were dating.

In that effort, Kinara put herself as someone else. Seeing each Sekala treatment against him through different glasses to be able to get a variety of points of view.

And, so far, he still found nothing.

According to him, what Sekala did to him was done naturally by someone who had been given trust by the older— in this case was Papa. Kinara felt Sekala was just trying to carry that trust well.

So, if at the beginning of the rumor circulated he was busy denying and giving a lot of reasons, now he and Sekala agreed to be ordinary. No longer did they mess around with Jeremy, and just listen until the young man was tired himself.

"But,"

Kinara turned his head as Andanu's voice flew. The young man had been sitting quietly at the table closest to the cashier for almost two hours, and was presumably still reluctant to leave even though Astari had already pulled it out of there before the rain fell as hard as it was now.

"Lo himself there is no same feeling Mas Sekala?" asked the young man, while feeding a piece of Red Velvet into his mouth.

"Breat heartbreak injuries after a long three-year journey, can indeed make someone immediately open their heart to others?" the question behind Kinara was raised without knowing that Sekala had just returned from the bathroom, was walking back into the counter— and his words just made Sekala's steps stop near the door.

"I'm really sick of Atha, but I can't lie, Nu, the former feelings for her are still there. And again, the pain is still a lot left, it takes a short time to make the wound heal completely." Kinara continued, still not knowing that Sekala heard everything.

While Andanu who saw the presence of Sekala could only be silent, did not know what to react when Kinara still continued his sentence.

"After all, even if I have feelings for Mas Kala, I still won't go forward."

"Why?" Andanu asked, after glancing towards Sekala who was still holding on to his position.

"Because I don't want to take anyone into a messy house." There was a pause for a few seconds, which Kinara used to take a deep breath. "Now, I'm trying to clean up the house. So, no one I'm gonna let in before everything's settled. Before I'm completely healed." Sneakily.

In contrast to Sekala who was relieved, Andanu actually felt sliced. Because he was increasingly aware, that his opportunity to be able to express feelings to Kinara was now getting thinner. Perhaps, he should consider putting an end to this feeling before it grows bigger and torturous.

...****************...

The rain that fell since the afternoon was still surviving until when Orion was almost closed. It makes Andanu also stay in his chair, spending more money to repeatedly refill drinks and snacks.

And as a good friend, Kinara took the initiative to treat the young man to two cups of drink and a few pieces of cake. After all, he felt Andanu helped him here a lot during the whole day. Because thanks to the young man's presence, Jeremy so rarely mocked him every time the young man emerged from the kitchen carrying orders owned by customers.

"Would you like to go home with me?" bargain Kinara while clearing the area near the messy coffe maker.

"No, I'll take the bike." Reject Andanu. Then back to sipping iced coffee a few minutes ago delivered by Sekala. The man even sat down next to him after putting an iced coffee cup on the table, and they ended up chatting a lot while watching Kinara serve customers.

"Your motorist will take them home with Dimas and Jeremy, cost them close by from here." Follow along open the sound.

Feeling helped, Kinara. "Tomorrow after the new class you take the bike," said Kinara as he stared fixedly at Andanu to convince the young man to want to be invited home together.

It rained quite hard outside, though, so Kinara could not bear to let Andanu travel home quite far by using motor—, especially the young man claimed not to bring a raincoat in his motorcycle seat.

"Udah, the same Kin just go home. I used to escort him from behind, so we'll go home three."

Andanu was silent for quite a while with a glued look on Sekala. Honestly, he was astonished. Though it was clear that Sekala liked Kinara, but why did the man look ordinary, and did not even mind seeing the girl he liked coming home with another man? Is this because of the words of Kinara a few hours ago, so that Sekala felt inferior and did not dare to show his feelings of joy?

But ... no. It is not that kind of feeling that Andanu sees from the eyes of Sekala. The man looked very sincere when he asked her to come home with Kinara. There is absolutely no visible pretense and coercion.

Ha ... What is this? Just this time Andanu met a man like Sekala. And this is why he feels defeated. Judging from any aspect, Andanu felt Sekala was indeed the best choice for Kinara.

"Nu?"

Andanu looked again at Kinara. The girl looked at him, waiting for an answer.

Andanu let out a long breath. He knew, his rejection would only end meaninglessly because right now his position was one against two. He obviously could not oppose the wishes of Sekala and Kinara.

"Yes, yes. I'm with you." Andanu.

Kinara's smile rose so wide, making Sekala who saw it also follow-through widen the smile unconsciously. Meanwhile, Andanu again exhaled slowly because he felt he had been trapped between two human children whose head and heart were too difficult for him to read.

Seriate