Inder Sephtis [3]

"Guess my name, and you will earn a kiss."

"Jennifer Lawren."

Smirking, Inder replied, knowing full well who the girl closing his eyes was.

"Turn around."

Gently removing her hand, she whispered softly, and Inder did as she asked with a smile.

"....Seriously, Senara?"

His smile slipped as he turned, looking at the girl his age wearing a paper mask of Jennifer on her face.

"...Heh, you can't win against me."

Smirking, the girl replied, removing the mask and showing her beautiful yet cute face with little baby fat still on her cheeks.

"...How do you know?" He questioned, frowning as he continued his walk.

"...Remember we talked a lot about her yesterday?" Adjusting her silky black hair, she replied, "...I figured the first thing you would remember after meeting me would be her."

"....."

Inder remained silent, still wondering how he was smarter than her when she could always bust him in any kind of game.

"...Inder." Clasping her hands behind her back, she arrived in front of him, leaning forward.

"...What?" Taking a step back, he asked.

She smiled softly, whispering, "...You earned a kiss."

"....I guess so?"

"...You scared?" She asked with a smile, taking a step closer.

"...N-no." Taking another step back, he rebuked.

"...Then where do you want the kiss?"

"...Here." Extending his hand towards her, showing his knuckles, he replied.

"...What are you, a princess?" She scoffed, looking at him weirdly.

"...It's your choice—."

"Look, a horse!!"

She exclaimed, pointing to his right, making him shift his focus instinctively, and before he could process it, something gentle touched his cheek.

"W-what."

Placing his hand on his cheek, he stuttered, his ears turning red.

"...What?" Blinking, she asked.

"...Nothing."

"Then let's go."

They both walked silently while Inder rubbed his cheek, trying to cope with the embarrassment.

"...Come to my home after school." He mumbled, glancing at her.

"...Why? You want some time alone with me?" She remarked, grinning and gently hitting his shoulder with her own.

"N-No, mom called you."

He quickly replied, shaking his head vigorously to clear off the heat creeping onto his face.

"...Right, cupcakes."

She nodded before she reached into her bag and took out a metallic lunch box, "...Here, I made them."

"...What did you make?" He asked, taking the box.

"...Your favorite."

"...And what is that?"

"...Me." Pointing towards herself, she replied.

"...I can't eat you." Shrugging, Inder replied as they both arrived at the bus stop.

She giggled softly, standing beside him and looking around.

She mumbled, "...We will have snow this year."

"...Yeah."

"...I like them." She remarked, glancing at him, "...just as I like you."

"...W-what?" Stuttering, he asked, his cheeks burning once again.

"Just.like.you." She emphasized her words with an innocent smile, "...What did you hear?"

"...Nothing."

"...You seem disappointed."

"I-I a-am not!!"

"Come on, tell me what you heard?" She asked, extending her hand and gently poking his side.

"...Don't do that!" He complained as a tingling sensation ran through his body.

"Do what?" She asked, poking his sides again.

"...If you do it one more time, then—."

"Then what?" Poking, she asked.

"I will do the same!" He exclaimed, glaring at her.

"...Ohh, are you going to touch a girl in a weird place?" Placing her hand on her mouth, she asked.

"...N-no, that's not what I mean—."

"Then what, Inder?"

"Stop poking me!"

Stepping forward, she arrived in front of him, leaning forward, her obsidian eyes looking at him deeply, "...I will if you promise to go to the park with me."

"...When?"

"Evening."

"...Fine."

"...It's a date then!"

Stepping back, she exclaimed with a bright smile.

"It's not!"

"...Anyway, Inder, are you having those nightmares again?" Glancing at him, she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"....Yeah." He replied, gently nodding his head.

"...Why do you only have nightmares?" She asked, combing his hair with her hand.

"...It's not always a nightmare. I dream about you onc—." He bit his tongue mid-sentence, forcefully shutting his mouth and eyes.

"...Dream?" She asked, blinking, as he averted his face, "...Wow, I feel honored."

"...You don't have to." He replied softly, opening his eyes.

"...What type of dream?"

"....I don't remember." Inder replied, shaking his head, "...I forgot just as I woke up."

"....Was it a naughty dream?"

"No!!" He gasped, shouting at her.

"...hahaha, your face is like a tomato." Giggling, she replied, glancing at his red face as the bus arrived at the stop.

Inder was the first to enter, as if running away from her.

He moved inside, arriving and taking a seat on a single seater at the side.

"Hey!"

But before he could be comfortable, Senara grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the double seater.

"Sit with me," she said firmly, taking the window seat and making him sit beside her.

"...Sigh..."

He let out a tired sigh, shaking his head as he looked around until his gaze landed on a body sitting on the seat beside him.

"Hey, Alen!"

Inder exclaimed, making him look in his direction.

"...Inder."

Smiling, Alen greeted, waving his hand.

"...Can I return the game I borrowed tomorrow, please?"

Inder requested, as he shifted in his seat, facing him.

"You liked it a lot," Alen remarked, looking at him.

"...I like the feeling of beating those idiots with a God complex," Inder replied, grinning widely.

"...Yeah, that reminds me, a new game got announced yesterday."

With an excited look on his face, he reached out in his bag, "...It's pretty huge this time, they announced the trilogy together."

"Hmm?" Inder tilted his head as he looked at him, "...What type of game is it?"

"...The best type of game." Grinning, Alen replied as he passed him two posters of the game while he silently mouthed, "action, academy with...harem."

Inder's interest piqued as he took the posters from him, examining them closely.

"My Dear Lover," he mumbled, reading the title of the game from the poster.

"...Did you call me?" Senara asked teasingly, making him look at her abruptly.

"N-no, I-i d-did not," Inder replied, tumbling over his words slightly before shifting his eyes back to the poster, "...Pretend you didn't hear that."

"...I will if you say that once again."

"Why would I!?"

"Hahaha."

Giggling, Senara looked at him for a while before she shifted her body close to him as she looked at the boy and the girl on the poster.

"...The release date," she mumbled, looking at the date mentioned on the poster, "...It's your birthday, right?"

"...Yeah," Inder mumbled, looking at the date as well, "...Four years from now...I will be fifteen by then."

"...You remember your promise, right?" Suddenly, Senara asked, making him stiffen.

"...Y-yeah," stuttering, Inder replied before shifting his focus back to the poster.

"...Hope you don't chicken out."

"...Who is she?"

Ignoring her, he asked, separating the poster of the blue-haired girl and showing it to Alen.

"...Cover heroine,"

Alen replied, making Inder nod his head while Senara took the other poster.

"...What are you doing?"

Annoyed, he asked as Senara grabbed his face, making him look at her.

"...Hmm," she hummed softly, comparing his face with the face of the boy with purple hair and eyes on the poster, "...You definitely look better."

"...Thank you?"

Inder replied awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Hey! Inder, hide it!"

The bus stopped, and a boy around fifteen years old entered, making Alen request Inder to hide the posters.

Inder did as he asked, hiding them behind him as the boy walked towards them with a water bottle in his hand.

"Hey, pretty boy," the boy called, grinning at Inder as he extended his hand with words written on them, "...Read this."

"...Don't Inder."

"...I need water," ignoring her warning, Inder read the words, but immediately regretted it as the older boy emptied the bottle on his head.

"...heh, retard."

The boy smirked as he walked past them.

"..."

Inder remained silent as he looked at his shirt soaked in water.

"...Are you alright?"

Senara asked softly, taking her handkerchief and cleaning his face.

"...Yeah."

"...I am borrowing this."

Grabbing the metallic lunch box, Senara mumbled as she stood up from her seat.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Inder also stood up as she walked towards the older boy while everyone looked at them.

"Hey! Can I play the game as well?" She asked with an innocent smile, looking at him.

"Sure." Grinning, he replied, standing up and extending his hand.

"Senara." Inder grabbed her shoulder, but she gently removed his hand.

"...Read it." The boy insisted, opening the water bottle with his other hand.

"...Don't. Touch. What's. Mine."

Senara slowly dragged out the words, looking at his hand.

Frowning, he shifted his hand to confirm the words before he glared at her, "Are you retarde—."

Baam!!!

The metallic lunch box smashed into his head brutally before he could finish his words, knocking him out.

The people around them were too stunned to respond.

Droplets of his blood stained Senara's cheeks as she smiled softly, looking down at him, and repeated her words.

"Don't touch what's mine."