Date?

Realizing what he uttered by mistake, he turned his eyes to the road. Nina adjusted her legs too and put both her feet on the car's carpet.

She slowly lowered her head, and her hands squeezed into a tight fist. The frustration and anger that she was going through were clearly visible in her expression and actions. Her face turned expressionless, and the happiness that her face carried was long gone. Her eyes turned moist, and she moved her eyeballs here and there, not to allow them to tear. Her lips parted slightly, and air seemed to be going in and out.

She was in the same position glancing at the road and not thinking about anything else. Since she clenched her hand for a long time, her fingers till the wrist turned pale, and she slowly started to lose the sense of touch on her hand.

Ace turned his eyeballs to the corner to see Nina, who appeared like a statue. Watching her in that state ran a shiver down the spine. Though it was only three days ago since they met each other, he hadn't seen her in such a devastating condition. Before he could pronounce her name, her phone rang with a Doraemon ringtone, snapping out Nina and letting her release the pale fist.

"AAhhhhhhhh!!" she screamed, looking at her palms. Due to the sudden gush of blood, a sharp pain ran to every vein from wrist to fingers.

Ace hit the break immediately, making the vehicle screech. Following Nina gaze, he looked at her very pale palms. "What happened?" he groaned, taking both her palms into his warm hands. As he rubbed and pressed her hands, all the tears that Nina was holding back rushed out like a dam, whose gates were lifted.

As the Doraemon song played, Ace continued warming her up with a worried look, and Nina was continuously weeping without a sound, turning her fair skin to reddish pink. They were in their own world in a car, standing in the middle of the road surrounded by tall trees.

Ace left her hands after they had gained colour. Exhaling and relaxing his shoulders, he looked at Nina. Noticing the wet collar and neck, he understood that she was crying for a long time, "Is it paining? Should we go to a hospital?"

Nina whispered, "No", the moment he started the engine.

"Then what happened?" he asked and swallowed on his saliva hard. His eyes brows were pulled closer, and the corners of his lips turned downwards as he saw Nina choking and sobbing hard.

Nina nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Ace took out a water bottle from the door rack, opened the cap and gave her. "Is it because of me?" he asked, hearing the sound of his heartbeat, waiting for her reply as she drank gulped water.

"Can you please forget what you saw?"

Listening to her question, Ace hit his forehead hard and bowed his head towards her, muttering "Sorry!" numerous times. He lifted his head with a pool of tears in his eyes, which streaked down as he closed his slightly tanned fair skin.

"I didn't know that it would make you this depressed. I thought I was just making fun of you."

"FUN? Seriously!!! I don't know what type of girls you have been with early, but I am not one of them."

Nina eyes again filled with water, cursing herself for falling for this kind of man, who thinks girls are for fun.

"I....I....I didn't mean that way. I was always surrounded by boys, so I really.... honestly didn't know that girl's take it seriously."

"Oh!!! Really!! Are there no girls in your university? Haven't you met any girl in your workplace?..... Don't start the gay stuff again. I know that you aren't!"

Taking her face between his palms, he looked into her dark black eyes, "You are the first girl, who I talked more than ten sentences. I....I don't know much about girls. You....(exhaling) are the first person who has made an impression on me. Got it!! I really....really didn't mean to hurt or worry you, Nina. And....Honestly, I can't forget what I saw but I will never...ever speak about it again. It's my promise!"

Hearing all that from Ace made her heart lighter and calmer. "Can I hug you for a bit?" she asked, lowering her head and biting her lips with tension that she might be rejected. But to her surprise, Ace pulled her forward by placing his hand on her back. Caressing her back, he put his chin on her shoulder, and similar Nina too rested her head on his shoulder and clung her hands on his neck.

"You like me, don't you?" she whispered in his ears.

"Hmm!" he responded, being true to himself and his feelings.

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"Because I shouldn't love you."

Removing her hands, she looked at him in confusion. "Whaaatt did you say?" Nina asked, drawing her eyebrows together, forming vertical wrinkles in between.

"Yes, I can't!" he repeated again.

"Your mother likes me, so she won't object, then what is the problem?"

"Uncle James will explain why?" Ace answered. Before Nina asked another question, he started the engine and remarked, "No more questions! You will get to know why after we reach there."

Nina pouted and frowned, hearing that, "One last question! One! Pleasssseee!! Please!"

"Fine!" Ace answered, sighing and scratching his beard.

"Who won't allow you to date me?"

Ace's eyes raised, hearing to the question, 'No one will allow! The villagers, my family, the rules, and even you would love me after the Alpha rises.'

"I asked you to reply to me, not yourself," Nina demanded.

"Ufff....the villagers!" Ace replied, narrowing his eyes, licking his lips and tilting his head slightly to the right.

Nina leant forward and placed her right elbow on the dashboard. Settling down comfortably, she started thinking deeply, stroking her chin with her fingers.

"Mmmm....No!!....Hmmm...." she murmured as she stamped the car and scratched her head.

"What are you thinking?" Ace asked, watching her abnormal positions and actions.

"Don't disturb! I am thinking!" she blabbered, not even giving a look to him. Sitting back in the seat, she folded her legs on the seat, after removing her shoes.

She sat in the same posture, rubbing her hands for five minutes and abruptly shouted, "Idea!!" Ace jerked by her shout, "You can frighten me until we receive the town, later on, I can't apply sudden breaks and cause accidents. Is that ok, madam?" he said, annoyed by her behaviour. Nina busily sat, imagining and thinking something, which she wasn't telling him. He wasn't worried about her thoughts and ideas, but not telling him was making Ace much more crazy and furious.

"Listen to the idea, Ace. You will like it!"

Ace smiled inside that she was finally telling her, "Ok!"

"The villagers aren't around us. Why don't we date until we get back to Chandragram again?"

That was something that Ace didn't expect at all. Confident that she was playing with him, "You are joking, right?"

"No! I am serious."

'This girl seems to plan to make me a joker for the morning incident.' "So, you say that we are lovers until we go back."

"Yup!" Nina smiled brightly with her eyes and lips.

"Then...Kiss me!" Ace smiled and sighed satirically, arching one eyebrow in the certainty that she was joking, pointing to his left cheek.