8. The Smile That Keep Bragging Inside

"One whiskey please." yield of a customer.

Haji quietly made the wine ordered by a businessman in front of him. He looked at him intently so even though he was considered, he chose to remain silent. After he did this, he immediately handed it to the customer and rolled his eyes around the bar.

Almost everyone inside is really snuggling up in the middle of the dance floor. The others were the ones he brought with the women on the side to kiss. The young man frowned at what he saw and immediately averted his eyes.

"Are you still a virgin?" suddenly the man in front of him asked earlier. He was surprised by the customer's question but he did not notice and ignored it.

"I mean, based on the reaction of your face when you see couples kissing." he added with a smile but he was still unmoved.

Haji just looked at it and was about to turn around to fix the alcohol cabinet behind which the man spoke again.

"You look familiar. Have we ever met at a social gathering or do you just look like someone."

Haji just sighed and faced the customer. "Not yet, Sir. I don't like gatherings and I don't look like anyone. Don't talk to me anymore because I work here and not to talk." he restrained his own response to the customer and immediately turned his back on it.

He was about to leave the bar when he met Bulk.

"You going somewhere?" friend asked.

"Just there." he replied and turned to the friend. "You go there first. Someone is scratching."

"All right." Bulk shrugged and grin.

He went to the smoking area and lit a cigarette. He leaned against the wall there and smoked a cigarette.

With no parents to guide and focus on him, at an early age Haji quickly learned vices such as smoking and drinking. Not because of the pressure of friends but also because of the stress he experienced then.

The young man continued to smoke a cigarette as he stared at the emptiness, drawing in his mind the girl's smile. He did not expect her to remember that because he never had any interest in other people especially in women. All he could think of in recent years was his mother's face but now it seems to have changed. And more he did not expect the girl to smile at him despite of what he did.

'You shouldn't think of her' said the young man to himself. So he immediately stood up and threw the remaining cigarette in the trash. He entered the bar where there are currently very few people because it needs to be closed.

"Where have you been?" Bulk greeted him.

"Smoking area...." he replied. "Are we going to close?" he asked.

"Yes. There are only a few customers because it's only Tuesday. Every weekend there are many customers." the friend replied while cleaning the equipment. He glanced at the bar stool and put away his other belongings. Gradually the customers ran out so the whole bar fell silent immediately.

"Haji." Bulk calls him.

"What's that?"

"I'm leaving. Can you please close the bar?" he plead.

"Let's go together. I'm already finished cleaning a stool." he said.

"I didn't finish to wash all used equipment and tools inside. Dad called, and said we had something important to talk about." Bulk explained quickly.

"All right. I'll take care of it. I'll call you later. Where's the key?" he replied.

"Here. Thank's man!" Bulk said and tapped him. A friend immediately turned his back on him and pulled over his car.

Haji has continued cleaning and he has finished what Bulk was washing earlier. They are the ones who are trying to clean up now because their employees take turns. The DJ leaved earlier because of the emergency of it's family, so he is the only one there. After cleaning, he immediately changed his clothes and took his helmet and key before closing and leaving.

After he closed the bar, he walked away and went to the parking lot when suddenly someone stopped him. Men are not big bodies but they are too many.

"What do you need?" the young man asked calmly.

"You're Bulk, aren't you?" he heard the question when the dark but tall man appeared by his side.

The young man frowned as he turned to look at it and earnestly stared, "Who are you?"

'What do you need from Bulk?' he asked himself.

"It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is that we can kill you." the pale-colored man with yellow hair replied. He turned his back on them but they suddenly attack him but eventually, he kick the man ass first.

The rest of them would have started approaching him when a fat companion would have stopped them.

"Boss, he's not Bulk." its trembling response.

"I don't care! Whoever has a connection to that Bulk, kill them!" furious command of their boss.

One of them rushed towards Haji and punched him. He stop him using his bare hand and preceded it and immediately flew towards his companions.

Haji straightened up and glared at the men's faces from his side. Their eyes widened and they immediately knelt before him. They bowed their heads and trembled in fear to look at him.

"Get lost. Whoever you are, don't you dare to interrupt Bulk business, or else.. you will see.," he commanded and forsook them. They immediately run away from that place that made Haji to breathe deep. Haji got on his bike and pulled It away.

He did not know them but in its postures it seemed that they knew him.

'A children who love to make trouble.' he smirked and drove fast for him to take his rest longer.

When he reached the destination, he immediately got off the bike and was about to enter the apartment when he noticed Lia sitting on one side of the stairs in the elevator and looked like someone was waiting.

He averted his eyes from the girl and was about to leave when she saw him. He continued walking as she called Haji causing him to stop.

"Wait." she said. "You're Haji, right? I'm Lia, nice to meet you!" the girl said softly and even held out her palm to shake hands with the young man but Haji just looked at it.

When the girl noticed that Haji had no plans to accept it, she voluntarily lowered her hand and awkwardly laughed out of embarrassment.

"Where have you been? Do you also have a job? I also work, and I just came home from there. I went here but Xing is not there yet." the girl's story while the young man just stared and was keep silent. The girl noticed this so she just looked at the pair of her shoes.

Haji frowned at look at her emotionless directed to her eyes. " I hate someone talking at me."

The girl shocked of what Haji said.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'm really sorry." Lia apologized and the young man immediately turned his back on her.

Embarrassed, Lia returned to her seat and resumed waiting for Xing, who had not been home for almost a while. She knew that she's with her family but she keep waiting for her friend bacause she felt lonely alone in their room.

She snorted playing with her hand as she remembered what the man had done to her.

'He's very grumpy. I just want him to be my friend. Doesn't he want to be my friend?' Lia sadly asking herself and sighed.

Haji, on the other hand, immediately threw his body on the bed to return to his room. He also got up immediately and went straight to the bathroom to take a bath because he felt very dirty.

To this day he wonders what those men need of Bulk. As a friend he is worried because something might happen to the friend while they are not together. He knew his friend Bulk. It loves to mess but it only happens If he is with him.

He looked at the reflection from the mirror inside the bathroom. He noticed that his hair was growing so he immediately dried it and combed it before leaving the bathroom. He went straight to the kitchen and drank water and finally entered the room and lay down on the bed.

He was just looking at the white ceiling when he re-painted the image of the girl he had smiled at earlier. He covered his eyes with his arm but it could not be removed from his mind. Those smile keep bragging inside his mind.

He remembered what the girl had said to him. He knew she wanted to meet and make friends but he just did not want to ignore it and talk about it. Aside from the fact that he felt guilty for what he did to the girl, he also did not want them to have a relationship with her because of his character and personality.

'You would not want to be friends with someone like me who kills people just for the freedom I seek.' the young man whispered to himself and locked himself in the blanket.