The First Curse of Love
67. Reasons to Love

"We are still kids, but we're so in love

Fighting against all odds

I know we'll be alright this time

Darling, just hold my hand

Be my girl, I'll be your man

I see my future in your eyes..."

^^—Perfect, Ed Sheeran^^^

...****...

After dinner, Qiara invites Danny to go to his old house which is located right in front of Danny's house. Once entering the old house that still looked neat and clean, the memories of the two of them simultaneously spiraled into the past.

Previously, they spent a lot of time gathering at the house of Qiara, Danny even very often came to the house of Qiara, in order to replace Ray who when more time spent studying abroad.

Time passed by minute by minute, as they sank together in the nostalgia of the past, before finally they both sat side by side on a wooden swing in the rooftop of Qiara's house with each carrying a cup of coffee in hand.

With a distant look, Danny grunts his smile and bows his head, saying, "you know? All this time, I didn't even dare to imagine these kinds of things for the past three years. Being beside you like this, really feels like a dream to me, Qi."

Qiara only smiled as she turned the cup in her hand. In that calming situation, despite not staring at each other, also with a distance that is not so close, but they can feel the feelings of each other.

Qiara then remembered something. Not long after, he immediately reached into the bag beside him and took out a small black box.

"Now!" Qiara said as she stuck out the box right next to Danny.

Danny turned his head, put the cup in his hand on the table, then received the box of Qiara's gifts with a face full of astonishment.

"What's this?" Ask.

"Just open it." Tell Qiara after turning her gaze away from Danny towards the small box.

Danny nodded slowly. And she froze when she found Qiara's engagement ring in the box. That's the ring Danny threw in anger into the pool a while ago. It was a ring that for three years was always close to his heartbeat wherever he went.

"You... found this ring?" Danny asked as carefully as possible.

"Yes. That night I looked for him. Ye know? I got into the IGD because of this thing you call 'fucking. I almost froze to death." Rutuk Qiara jokingly.

"Why are you looking?"

"This thing is very valuable to you. How could I just ignore it?" Qiara answered by keeping the pronoun 'This Item' to call her engagement ring.

"So, is this worthless to you?" Danny asked Qiara. But this time, his eyes looked cold. He seemed able to freeze anything with that view.

Since Qiara was not also heard to answer, with no excuse Danny grabbed the ring finger Qiara was about to pair the ring back to the 'place' that should be. But beyond his calculations, Qiara pulls his finger back from Danny's cage.

"Qi?"

"I'm sorry, Dann." Qiara muttered with her mysterious gaze. Just an apology, with no explanation behind it.

Danny let out a strong sigh while nodding his head a few times. He was also in no mood to listen to further explanations from Qiara.

Danny then closed the ring box hard enough, and handed it over forcibly in Qiara's hands. "For now, I'm not going to ask you anything. I see, you still can't forgive me completely for what happened in the past, and I don't want to impose my will on you anymore. But I'm asking you, please don't give me back this ring like you did. Just keep it until it's time you're ready to get back to me. I'll wait for you."

"Danny...." Qiara sighed in frustration.

"You should come back with me, Qi. Whatever happens, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK." Danny was full of decisiveness with a very strong emphasis on his last three words.

...****...

"Let's have lunch, guuuys!" Take Nova to the others as soon as she finishes her work.

"Come on! Come on!" Timpal Dimas was happy.

All of Danny's teammates, consisting of Nova who acts as a junior reporter, Dimas who acts as a senior reporter, and Bagas who acts as a production assistant, also Aren and Felix who acted as presenters on duty that day, got up from their respective seats about to head to the cafeteria for lunch. And just as they were about to step away, Danny who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stood clumsily and blocked their path.

They all automatically fell silent. Inevitably they compactly think that they have made a mistake to make Danny angry.

"You want lunch?" Ask Danny.

"I—iya." Nova replied timidly, "but if for example there is a job, we will—" Nova's speech immediately stopped when Danny suddenly opened his wallet and handed his black card to Nova.

"Wear this and have lunch outside."

"WHAT?!" Pekik Nova was unconscious.

Not only was Nova shocked, but all of his team members including Bagas, who was already used to the strange behavior of the Death God was similarly shocked by the others. What Danny did back then, was really not a normal thing— at least in their opinion.

"Why? You guys don't want to?" Danny's question was convincing.

Just as Danny was about to take back his black card from Nova's hand, Nova hurriedly pulled his hand while laughing awkwardly, "hahaha, we want to, Mas! T—thank you for the deal." Said Nova.

"Gas! The gas! Boss lo kesambet satan what, anyway? How did it suddenly get so good? Is she in love again?" Nova said as he hit Bagas' shoulder quite hard.

Bagas was Danny's favorite on their team. Even though Bagas always stuck to him like a shadow, not a bit of Danny was annoyed by it. That's why Bagas became Nova's main target for him to throw questions.

"Ck, sick, Nova!!" Ringis Bagas. "Gue doesn't know. He's been weird for a few days." Next later.

"I think you're really in love again" Felix said, which immediately made Aren beside him smile. Because, Aren also felt that the fierce Producer was starting to change.

The others immediately giggled, except Bagas.

"What about Danny's date, huh? I'm so ticklish every time she's sweet and romantic to her boyfriend." Gurau Nova while chuckling hysterically with Aren.

"Come, eat! I'm hungry!!" Lerai Dimas, the most serious Senior Reporter among the others.

They all walked together, after eagerly Bagas said, "YEAYY!! WE'RE EATING OUT!"

"So what should we eat? Chinese food's? Japanese food's? Western, or Korean food?" Nova said with a jumawa while fanning Danny's black card on his face.

"Enak, yes, had a rich man's son's boss even though he was fierce!" Felix.

The others laughed again.

...****...

"One.. two.. three..."

After the count was over, Nathalie— The Bride threw her flowers which were coincidentally caught by Qiara. Everyone cheered and applauded Qiara. Meanwhile, Qiara just gawked at her place with a flower in her hand. Qiara did not expect that the flower would be thrown right at him.

"Ciyeee, Qiara throws flowers." Tempted Windy who was then standing beside him.

As for Danny, he only blushed after watching Qiara catch the flower firsthand.

"Gue asked Qiara, why is Elo the wrong one?" Windy looked at Danny with an inexhaustible look.

"Gue's the wrong way, why are you the sewer?" Danny doesn't want to lose, pretending to put his fist in Windy's face.

"What lo? Let's hit it!!" Challenge Windy.

"What's elo?"

"What age are you, siiih? Still love a fuss over the little things." Grutu Qiara, trying to break up his two best friends who already look like elementary school boys who are fighting.

As Windy and Danny calmed down, Qiara asked Windy after realizing that Dean was not among the group of guests.

"Win, where's Dean? Is he doing any more work?"

"Danny didn't tell you?"

"It's not like that!" Danny pointed it at Qiara quickly.

Windy shook his head and replied, "Sister Dean is again in Havana to monitor the preparation of the opening of the branch there. He never did you?"

Qiara lowered her head, then shook her head slowly. From the look on that face, Danny was able to capture the sadness in it very clearly and straightforwardly. Danny felt like something had broken in his chest when he saw his Qiar being smothered with grief. However, it wasn't that he was jealous of Dean, Danny just couldn't see the sadness in the woman's eyes.

...****...

After finishing from the wedding of Nathalie and Justin, Danny decides to take Qiara for a walk to the beach while they are still on Banu Island. The next day, they plan to stop by the orphanage before they return to the town of Harsa.

Qiara, who had looked gloomy, looked so happy when Danny took her to the beach. Qiara was even wearing the dress she had used to attend Nathalie and Justin's wedding. Danny was too. Merely, Danny let Qiara use his suit to cover his exposed shoulders.

They arrive at the beach when it is almost dusk. The atmosphere of the beach with the orange-colored sky really spoiled the eyes of Danny and Qiara, leaving their hearts engulfed in tranquility. As soon as she set foot there, Qiara immediately ran to the beach while breaking her laughter. He even accidentally pulled Danny with him. They laugh together as Danny lifts Qiara's body, occasionally turning, and performing dance moves in a delightful romance. All that, the combination of Danny and Qiara togetherness, combined with the beautiful scenery of twilight, makes everything so shining and fascinating.

After three years passed, this was the first time Danny and Qiara had been this happy.

When they were together, everything felt so perfect. When there are only the two of them and complement each other, they feel like they don't need anyone anymore.

The sky was already dark as the two of them sat in Danny's car trunk facing the sea for a moment to rest their bodies, watching the slowly rising stars rise above the sky.

"Qi, did I ever tell you why I love you?" Danny asked suddenly, who was ready to make Qiara who was staring at the sky immediately turned to him.

Qiara's heart pounded, after hearing the expression of Danny's love that he had been waiting for for so many years, now he would know the reason why Danny loved him.

However Qiara did not reply, and simply stared into Danny's eyes with question marks.

Danny then smiled warmly, "I once regretted my birth thinking it made Dean's life ruined, but after you came into my life, and transformed into my first love, I was born, for the first time also I feel my life is precious, you are the most comfortable home I have ever had, Qiara. Being next to you, making me find my true self, being beside you, makes me feel like a little child in whose head there is only laughter and happiness. Such is the meaning of you in my life, Qi."

Danny's sincere and honest confession made Qiara want to cry in his arms. But Qiara tried to hold back and maintain her composure.

Qiara then released her gaze from Danny with one thin smile on her face.

"I love you, Qiara. No matter how long it takes you to get back to me, I'll be waiting for you."

^^^To be Continued...^^^