INNOCENCE

SOL WENT to a Japanese restaurant to have katsu curry. But she didn't expect to be seated across from Cashier Boy.

[Is this what they call fate?]

Argh, cheesy.

Anyway, she was aware that staring was rude but she couldn't help it.

Cashier Boy looked so neat in his smart casual outfit: a classic white button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, skinny jeans, and a pair of high-end black and white sneakers. His simple getup might be considered going low profile, but his expensive watch says otherwise.

It wasn't a famous brand like R*lex. But it was a luxury brand that would clearly tell the owner's social status.

[He must be a rich kid.]

She remembered when the Cashier Boy told her that he substituted for his friend who worked in the fast-food restaurant where they first met.

Come to think of it…

[Does his family own the franchise or something?]

Her thoughts were interrupted when her gaze met the Cashier Boy's.

He looked pleasantly surprised when he recognized her. Then, he smiled shyly at her. And boy, his cheeks had turned pink again.

[He's so bright.]

She smiled back at the Cashier Boy before leaving the restaurant.

Of course, saying 'hi' to him crossed his mind. But she noticed that he was with an old couple that might be his parents or guardians. And so, she decided to just leave.

[I didn't expect to see him again but I'm happy that I dressed up today.]

She was so glad that she decided to wear her cute black laced cropped top and floral skirt. She also used a matching sling bag and black ankle boots to complete her outfit. She just let her hair down freely. And of course, her face looked the best with the "no make-up make-up look."

It made her look innocent.

[Pfft.]

Her? Innocent? Yeah, right.

"Uhm, Miss…"

She stopped walking when she heard the familiar voice. Especially the "uhm" part that she didn't know she'd missed. When she turned around, she was a little astonished to find Cashier Boy standing a few steps away from her. And god, he was so gorgeous. "Hi."

Cashier Boy smiled shyly at her because he crossed the distance between them. But he immediately stopped and left a decent space between them. Ah, guys who knew how to respect personal space were indeed attractive to her. "Uhm, hi."

They were in the middle of a sea of people but at that moment, all she could see and hear was the boy in front of her. His presence was so big that everything else seems to fade in the background. Now she wanted to smack herself for the cringe-y stuff in her head.

"Uhm, thank you for remembering me," Cashier Boy said shyly.

"Your face isn't exactly easy to forget," Sol said playfully. "You're cute so I remembered you."

"Uhm, thanks," he said, his cheeks turning pink again. "I'm Dusk Quijano," he said, introducing himself while extending his hand to her. He still looked shy, but there was determination in his eyes as if he just gathered up his courage to properly talk to her. "May I ask your name?"

She giggled at his formality. Wow, she couldn't believe that someone would look that nervous for simply asking her name. "I'm Sol."

Dusk smiled at her as if he was really delighted to know her name. "Okay, Sol. Your name is cute."

"Is it cuter than the owner?"

"No, you're cuter…" he said right away before he trailed off as if he just realized what he just said. Then, his face and ears turned red. "S-Sorry."

Oh, god. She really wanted this boy! One of the things that Fontanas were good at was getting what they wanted– whatever it cost.

"Dusk?"

"Hmm?"

Sol smiled cunningly at him. "Go to a hotel with me."

Dusk's eyes widened at her abrupt (and probably ridiculous) request. "H-Hotel?"

***

"BABY sister, your taste in men is really bad," Yue said with a smirk. "Dusk Quijano ain't shit."

Sol couldn't remember the last time she shivered in fear because of her brother's lunacy.

But now that Yue was sitting on the back of Dusk who was lying with his face on the floor and bathing in his own pool of blood, she felt terror once again. She wanted to scream when Yue began to slit Dusk's throat but she was too afraid to do so.

And that knife in her brother's hand…

It was the modern and chic gray combat knife that she gave her brother as a present for his 13th birthday.

[And Yue only uses that knife to hurt boys who tried to hit on me.]

Now she regretted gifting that knife to her brother.

[Dusk…]

She could only cry in silence as she watched Dusk slowly lose his life while in obvious pain. Dusk was also probably screaming in agony but at that moment, she couldn't hear anything but her brother's voice.

"Sol Fontana, don't you dare pull another shit like this," Yue warned her as he smashed Dusk's bloodied face on the floor. Then, he stood up and looked at her coldly. "I'll kill every guy you'll fall in love with, okay?"

Sol finally let out a blood-curdling scream.

When she forced her body to move, she realized that she just had gotten up from bed. That was when she realized that she just had a nightmare.

[Damn…]

She caught her breath while looking around.

Then, she reminded herself that she was in a standard room in a cheap hotel. She was alone. And Yue wasn't there, too.

[It's okay,] she said while trying to calm herself down. [Kuya is not here. As long as our deal is still valid, he won't simply come at anyone around me.]

She smiled bitterly when she remembered the content of her nightmare.

[Is it because of Dusk Quijano?]

That reminded her of their encounter earlier…

["H-Hotel?"]

[She giggled at his flustered face. "Yes, I need to find a room tonight."]

["I can help you find a decent hotel," Dusk offered after he got over from being flustered. His cheeks were still pink though. "I'm sorry but I can't s-spend the n-night with you though. I'm with my aunt and uncle, and we are on our way to the church." He paused as if he hesitated before speaking again. "Moreover, you shouldn't trust a boy you just met, Sol."]

[This boy couldn't get any purer, could he?]

[Well, she was also a "church girl." But her family had a good relationship with the church for all the unholy reasons.]

["I phrased my words wrong," she said with a smile to protect her pride. "I just wanted to ask if you know a decent and safe hotel I could book near this mall."]

[He smiled and nodded. "I know an affordable hotel just right across this mall. I can take you there."]

["No need. Just give me the name and the directions to get there," she said while shaking her head. But when she saw Dusk's dejected face, she had the urge to cheer him up. "If we meet again, I'll hang out with you."]

["You promised, okay?" Dusk asked excitedly. "Third time's the charm, you know."]

"There can't be a third time," Sol whispered to herself after reminiscing what happened earlier. Then, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes tight. "Kuya will kill you if he finds out about you, Dusk Quijano."

***

SOL was suddenly reminded of the past where she would often ask for Yue's permission first if she wanted to have an overnight with friends...

["What are you doing in my bed, Kuya?" Sol asked her brother sleepily. She didn't know how it happened but when she woke up this morning, she was already using his arm as a pillow while he was staring at her face with an amused look in his eyes. Something was telling her that he stayed up all night watching her sleep. "I'm pretty sure I locked my room before I went to sleep last night."]

["I heard from Cloud that you're going to have a sleepover in a friend's house later," Yue said in a nagging tone. "He also said there are boys there."]

["It's for a group project," she explained while rubbing her eyes with her hands. "The girls and the boys will sleep in separate rooms, obviously."]

["Are you sure?"]

[If she had her eyes open, she would have rolled them for his ridiculous question. She didn't want to face her grumpy brother so she rolled on the bed until her back was facing him. Plus, she wanted to sleep more. "I'll video call you later as proof."]

["I'll wait for it," he said sternly. "If a boy from your group is stupid enough to sneak in your room at night, let me know."]

["Okay," she said just to get the conversation done and over with.]

["I'm serious, Sol Fontana," her brother said in a low voice. The quieter his tone was, the angrier her brother was. "If I catch you alone in a room with a boy who isn't me, I'll murder the f*ck out of him and I'll make you watch every second of it."]

[Sol let out a tired sigh. Then, she rolled on the bed again until she was facing her brother again. To pacify him, she held onto his ear gently just like how she would when they were kids. She didn't want to admit this but she still secretly liked holding onto his ear whenever he lay down with her. "I can't promise that I won't be alone in a room with my future boyfriend, but I promise that you won't catch me when I do that, Kuya."]

[Yue scoffed at her declaration. "Let's see if you can protect your "future boyfriend" from me, baby sister."]

Sol reminded herself to never let Yue find out about Dusk Quijano.

***

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