Chptr 39 Son-in-law

"She's actually your sister?" Ajy asked Kay-at as they were walking inside their house, disbelief was written all over his face when she nodded.

When Natasha stopped her father, she murmured something to him that made him immediately calmed down and at the same time a little bit scared. This made the others curious of what she told to her dad. Once her father calmed down, he was even the one who invited them inside. Ajy was at the very back.

Sitting on one of the seats at the kitchen table, Hic was indulging himself with the wine he was holding. He was praising it for the taste and how lucky for him to be able to drink such a luxurious drink. He was a little bit tipsy when he noticed that Natasha, her parents and her sister with two other people were walking towards the kitchen table, he looked at them and smiled.

Upon spotting Hic who was clearly tipsy, Ajy stopped on his track, he intentionally covered his face with his phone deliberately hiding from one of his best friend.

"Sorry that it took us too long, Hic," Kay-at's father apologized to Hic as he took his seat. The others followed suit while Ajy went behind Hic.

"Not at all uncle, I was enjoying myself with this wine you brought out," Hic replied with a smile. This made Natasha and her parents smile lovingly.

Hic was about to sip his wine again when someone stopped him from behind. He was suddenly surprised that he immediately attacked the person. But before he could touch the person, he was easily pinned down on the table like it was nothing. He then heard the person spoke insulting him, "Hey buddy, don't indulge yourself too much in alcohol. You're getting dull!"

Recognizing the voice, Hic blurted once Ajy let go of him, "The heck is wrong with you? The hell are you doing here?"

"What else would I be doing here? To be their son-in-law of course." Ajy casually smiled and winked at him while pointing at Natasha and Kay-at's parents.

"She's mine you know?" Hic abruptly argued back. Due to their friendship, he would always be carefree in front of him and would always say whatever he wanted. What he blurted out was totally unexpected for the others. Also, the effects of wine gave him more courage to talk freely. Natasha's face became beet red but deep inside her was pure happiness. She has always admired her chief and even dreamed of him becoming her husband. Her parents were surprised but a smile suddenly crept on their faces.

"Then thank me later!" Ajy laughed maniacally.

"What the f...." Before he could finish his sentence, he realized he blurted something out. Something that he never dared to confess but in a span of the moment, he said it out loud because he got carried away. His face flushed red and he wanted to beat the shit out of Ajy. "I'm just joking!"

"Joke my ass! Whenever we were in a fight back in the day, you were always the bravest. But when it comes to a woman you like, you shrink back like a turtle," Ajy made fun of him. Hic was silent and it was becoming awkward but Ajy knew better, Hic was waiting for him to help him. But this was not his battle, he only helped him for he doesn't like to see Hic be devastated again because he never confessed his love just like what happened when they were in college. He went astray for a few days, offending others and involving in fights just because the woman he liked back then became the girlfriend of other.

"Ban, let's go back. This is a family issue and you aren't part of their family yet so we shouldn't meddle in this affair," Ajy ordered then he gave the hidden camera to Kay-at and Natasha's mother, "Watch this first to disrupt the awkwardness I created. Thank you anyways for letting us in and apology for there is such pressing matter in which your family have to settle."

Saying that, Ajy winked at Natasha and sinisterly smiled at his buddy Hic who felt like he was facing his own death - devoid of any color.

When Ajy and Ban left, Kay-at and Natasha's mother ordered one of their maid to play the video on the television not far away from them. Hic was silent and his back was feeling cold because of his nervousness but once he heard the voice of Ajy again, he immediately looked at the place where he heard it. They all clearly heard the statement of Ajy, he was helping them to overcome their stammering.

As Ban courageously started, everyone praised him for his bravery. During the viewing, except Kay-at, they would sometimes show questioning faces, they would smile, laugh and get disappointed. The awkwardness a while ago was temporarily disrupted. But, Hic was still as nervous as before and washed it away by constantly drinking wine.

Seeing her family's reaction, Kay-at was thoroughly embarrassed, she wanted to be burrowed in the ground because the way she and his boyfriend presented the speech was actually so poor because of their stammering. This was why both of them hated public speaking so much. Way back when she was high school, she actually lost consciousness when she stood up in front of her class to present something. As for Ban, he peed himself in front of his class. It happened to him thrice every time he was called in front. Some teachers pitied them that they tried helping them but alas, the ridicules and insults from their classmates could never be washed away so easily. Even their own parents tried to help them but they would instead cry and lost their interest in going to school the more they urged them to speak in front. These were the most embarrassing parts of their lives that they never wanted to happen again.

At the end of the video, they heard Ajy seriously saying, "We'll do this again tomorrow and the days after that. Once you can speak in front of me with a little bit of stammering, I will add another audience for you. I will do this until you can speak in front of hundred people. It's your decision to come back or not. I'm not forcing you to do this, I'm trying to make you do it! And if you wanted to come back, prepare a new speech for me and leave the speech you created here."

"Since that man was helping the two of you for free, that I can permit. I will arrange our driver to pick you up every time you are done," Kay-at's mother was happy seeing that there was someone who could encourage her child to enhance her way of speaking. Even her husband felt grateful, "Give me his phone number so I can call him."

"You can just get it from Hic dad, he was one of his best friend," Natasha interrupted. Her parents and sister were shocked, they both met the other three best friends of Hic but they only heard that the last one was the one who allegedly raped one of the Goldwyn sisters. It wasn't totally proven, now that he was willing to help Kay-at and how dedicated he was, they could somehow conjure that the issue was half lie. Even Natasha was also looking at Ajy in a new light. He never expected that the man whose very carefree has actually a very warmth side of him.

In a stammering manner, Kay-at told them that he was the boss who bought the apartment building from them.

"Since that's the case I should just call him," Natasha and Kay-at's mom decisively said.

"Auntie wait," Before she could dial Ajy's number, Hic stopped her. Before continuing, he gulped down the glass of wine he was holding, "I know that bastard very well. You don't have to thank him now, unless Kay-at would never quit. Because if he got your thanks earlier and Kay-at decided to quit, he would only think that he was being insulted. Trust me, you don't want to see that happening. And please Kay-at, I'm not saying this to pressure you, I'm saying this because I trust that person so much that I'm willing to sacrifice my love for your sister and abandon everything, even my career if you ever quitted. So please, don't quit!"

Hic got up and poured another drink to his glass as he again gulped it down. Due to the wine, he became courageous and was able to say everything from his heart and mind. "Auntie, Uncle, Natasha, please don't pressure this kid here because of what I said. I trust my buddy, he would never help someone if he knew they aren't worthy. Of course, I also trust Kay-at."

Despite being a little bit drunk, he poured another drink for him, he stood up and drank again, "Sorry auntie and uncle for I won't be able to accompany you more for I have a meeting to catch up. My other buddy Ole, will be having his wedding soon and I got to meet up with them. Also, Natasha, I have always admired you from the beginning and I truly wanted to be with you. Thus, I can't wait for Kay-at to progress faster so I can have the opportunity to be your parent's first son-in-law."