Chapter Twenty Two : A Ring

After refreshing herself by taking a shower, Indah wrapped a towel around her body and another towel to wrap her hair that was wet from washing it. The woman sorted out her clothes for today. She planned to go for a walk to the beach today. She wore a long-sleeved shirt that reached her elbows and a pink skirt. She let her curly brown hair loose. She was sure that the air in April would be very hot. It would be a shame for her to wear warm clothes this afternoon.

Her black eyes caught something on her bed. A box that her husband, Adrian, had just given her. Who knows what the man was thinking, giving her a dress that was suitable for dinner. For a bright morning like this, it didn't seem right for her to wear it. Besides, Adrian wouldn't necessarily take her to a fancy place, she was sure of that.

Indah came out of the room carrying her tiny backpack. She walked down the stairs. Then she saw Adrian watching the news on television. When he realized Indah's presence near him, Adrian immediately stood up and approached his wife. He looked at his wife with an intimidating gaze through his ferret eyes from head to toe.

Realizing this, Indah felt uncomfortable being stared at by her husband who looked at her from head to toe without blinking.

"What's wrong?" she asked curtly. "Why are you looking at me like I just stole something?"

Adrian, who immediately came to his senses after hearing Indah's voice, came to his senses. He grinned amusedly at himself. "Ah... No. I'm just amazed. You look like a teenager who wants to date."

Indah glared a little and was embarrassed. Her face felt hot. Indirectly Adrian praised her for being beautiful. "Yes... I'm going on a blind date. I'm going to the beach. So, don't wait for me until dinner time." She said while holding back the smile on her face.

Huh?

Adrian immediately widened his Hazel eyes. "What did you say? Blind date? Until the evening?"

"Yes. Why?"

Adrian immediately put on a sour face. He crossed his arms in front of his wife with a murderous look. "You know we're going now. Why do you want to go? Then where did you take the dress I gave you?"

"Don't bother me. Just call your woman so you won't be lonely. I have my own world too." He answered emphatically. Indah waved her hand and ignored her husband as she walked towards the exit. She didn't realize that Adrian had snorted harshly. The man's tense face showed his dislike of his wife's event this time. He put his hands on his hips while looking at Indah's back as the woman was wearing her white sneakers.

"Okay! I'm going to have fun with my woman. Have fun with your man." He said roughly. Adrian immediately walked up the stairs with rough steps. Indah only saw her husband's response which seemed to be displeased. Or jealous?

"What a strange man." She grumbled as she walked to the doorknob and out of her hotel room. When he came out, several hotel staff smiled at him. For some reason, Indah herself did not understand the language they used. Even though she was a fan of Korean dramas and artists.

When she managed to get out of the hotel building she was staying in with Adrian, the cool season air immediately hit her skin. She doubted that she would find coolness like this when she arrived in Jakarta. Maybe one day if she became a successful person, Indah would buy a house in Seoul. She would move to this place.

Unfortunately, she herself did not know when that day would come. For now, she doubted her own life. With her status as a husband, of course it would not be easy for Indah to make it all happen. Moreover, Adrian who did not seem to have any feelings for her was increasingly binding her.

"I'm lonely.." She muttered as she walked away from her hotel building with a feeling of anxiety. Maybe she would be Indah like this, for a while.

Without realizing it, a man in a detective-style outfit was following her from behind. The hazel eyes behind his sunglasses observed every movement Indah made. After arguing with his heart, Adrian finally decided to follow his wife wherever she was going. He felt that this decision was not wrong, because he knew that Indah had never set foot here before. Whatever happened, Indah was his responsibility. Legally, Adrian was the woman's guardian.

"Strange woman! To leave if she doesn't know anything about here?"

....

After two hours of wandering around the shops in the Gangnam area, Indah decided to move for a while to a souvenir shop located not far from the museum. The pink-themed shop displayed a bear shop as an icon on every wall of the shop.

"Does she still like things like this?" he muttered when he saw his wife enter the building. But, Adrian also entered the shop. After arriving inside, Adrian saw many visitors coming in droves bringing friends, family, even their partners. He saw a young couple wearing pink hoodies. Adrian saw it and immediately narrowed his eyes.

'A man wearing a pink hoodie, that's horrible!'

Then Adrian's gaze focused back on Indah. He looked around the shop. This shop only had two floors, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to find his wife. Not long after, he saw Indah standing on the 2nd floor. The woman looked enthusiastic looking at the display case that was who knows what was in it. Adrian also climbed the stairs to where Indah was standing.

"Agasshi, Can I help you?" Asked one of the male shop employees in front of him.

Indah, who was busy looking at the collection of rings and necklaces, immediately looked up. He gave an enthusiastic smile to the shop employee.

"I'm looking around. If there's anything good, I'll definitely take it." He said without taking his eyes off the items in the glass display case.

Adrian, who was hiding among the dolls, gave the shop employee a scary look. His hazel eyes caught the employee staring hungrily at his wife and he didn't like it.

Not long after, Adrian saw Indah moving her hand to show the item she wanted to see from the glass display case. Little by little, the shop employee stole glances at Indah. The man with close-cropped hair with bangs covering his forehead continued to show Indah a smile with dimples on his cheeks. Adrian wanted to scream if that woman was his wife. However, if he did, Indah would definitely kill him straight away.

"Agasshi, did you come with your lover?" The employee asked with a glare.

Indah couldn't focus at all on what the shop employee was asking. He answered the question without taking his eyes off the rings lined up in front of him. "No. I don't have a girlfriend at all."

Adrian who heard it felt a stab in his chest. Even this stab felt very sore, even more sore than being cut by a knife in his hand. Adrian unconsciously rubbed his chest where it hurt.

"Do you want to go with me to the fireworks show on the Han River tonight at half past eight?" he offered. This time he managed to make Indah look at him. Indah was a little surprised by his invitation. And the offer managed to make Adrian's face who heard it turn red with anger. He was very angry listening to the shop assistant's invitation to his wife.

"I can't." Indah refused gently. Adrian felt his chest which had previously expanded, suddenly relaxed a little hearing the rejection. He felt very relieved that Indah did not accept it.

"Why? Don't you have a girlfriend?" the shop assistant looked desperate because of the rejection of the woman in front of him.

"I don't have a lover. But I already have a husband." She said with a sad smile. Adrian who heard it was no less sad to hear his wife's answer. He felt very selfish. In front of Kristal he admitted Indah as his cousin. Meanwhile, Indah admitted him as her husband in public.

The shop assistant seemed to understand what Indah felt. She immediately bowed her body. "Mianhaeyo, Agasshi. I didn't mean to disturb your comfort."

"Ah.... No problem." Indah felt bad for making the atmosphere feel awkward because of her rejection. She then moved her finger to reach for the paired ring. The silver ring was very beautiful because the letters 'I' and 'A' were engraved perfectly on it.

"How much is this?" she asked while showing it to the salesperson.

"3000 won."

"I'll take one." Indah took the blue velvet box containing the ring, then went down to pay for it at the cashier. Adrian who didn't realize that Indah was walking towards him, immediately jumped in surprise. He panicked and turned his body around. But, again Indah did not realize his presence.

Adrian looked back at Indah who was paying downstairs. He looked at her ring finger, there was no ring on it at all. During their wedding, they never wore rings. For some reason Indah never made a problem with it to him.

Maybe Indah would give him another pair. A warm smile formed on his lips thinking about it.

Then Adrian took his cellphone from his pants pocket. He dialed a number and called his wife, who was clearly downstairs.

"Where are you?" Adrian asked softly.

"I'm at the souvenir shop. Why? Missing me?" he teased. Indah grinned mischievously. She began to feel that her husband was missing her presence.

"Is it okay if I follow?" Adrian asked hesitantly while rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at his wife's back from above.

"It's okay if you want. I can feel how lonely you are without me." He replied confidently.

"Then look upstairs."

Indah obeyed and began to look up. She began to spread her gaze around and arrived at the point she was aiming for. Indah saw a man holding a cellphone next to his ear. Then the man waved at her. Indah squinted to make sure it was her husband.

"Is that you?" asked Indah, stuttering. She was very surprised by her husband's presence. Especially with his detective-style makeup like a stalker. Then Indah began to rack her brain, 'how did he know I was here?'

"You followed me?" Indah sniffed in annoyance. She felt that Adrian had violated her privacy as a woman. Then she saw the man walking down the stairs with one hand tucked into his pocket.

"What do you think?" Adrian asked back as if challenging his wife. When he had reached his wife, Adrian hung up the phone with Adrian. "You said it was okay if I came with you. Well, don't be mad!"

Indah sniffed roughly. She was starting to get annoyed with her husband who liked to interfere in her personal affairs. "Fine, if that's what you want." Then Indah turned her body and walked ahead of Adrian.

"Are you mad?" Adrian tried to match his steps with his wife.

Indah did not look at her husband who was beside her at all. She acted arrogantly and indifferently to her husband. "What do you think?" she asked back.

"You're mad." She replied firmly. Now the man's lips were straight and his jaw was tense. Should it be like this, fighting and fighting. Should I say this out loud to her?..

Indah and Adrian waited for the bus for 10 minutes at the bus stop before finally getting a bus to their cottage. While at the bus stop, almost all the women there looked at Adrian. Now the man had taken off his hat and big glasses. His brown hair was messy, but it didn't take away from the handsome impression on his face. Indah, who also felt the strangeness, just grinned cutely and didn't want to respond. She tried to stay quiet and act as if she didn't know Adrian.

They sat in the second row from the back. Adrian, who was sitting near the window, kept looking at Indah. Of course, the woman could feel it through Adrian's breath that was felt on her hair.

"Did you buy something earlier?" Adrian opened the topic of conversation after they had been silent for 15 minutes on the bus. He tried to get information about who Indah bought the ring for.

Indah looked at him strangely. 'How did he know I bought something there?'

"No... I didn't buy anything there." Indah answered as usual. She tried to pretend not to know.

Adrian leaned her against the bus seat, he let out a sigh, "I want to buy a ring."

Indah's heart felt like it wanted to jump. This time it wouldn't be wrong, Adrian must have been following her from the start. However, if she asked one more time then everything would be revealed.

"For who?" she asked.

"For me. And for you." She answered while closing her eyes. "Please wake me up when you arrive." And Adrian fell asleep on the bus seat.

"For what Adrian? I'm the only one who's enthusiastic, you don't need to. I know you still like someone else before you marry me. I will never say anything. Because I'm the only one who will remember, you're the one who'll erase it.."

The bus continued to sway. Suddenly Adrian's head fell on Indah's shoulder. The woman was shocked, but could only remain silent. She tried to lend her shoulder properly so that her husband could sleep well.

"If you still have feelings for someone else, then I will slowly back down. I don't know what this feeling is. What's clear is that right now I want to make you happy, even though I'm hurt."