Butterfly Inside My Belly.

Sha Sha's POV

I can't stop smiling ever since yesterday evening. Even now, when I was eating my bento with Carol at my workplace canteen, I smiled and sometimes giggling. I feel like I was float..floating in a very dreamy dream.

"Did anything good happen yesterday?" Question from Carol makes me immediately turn my head to her. A bit surprised because I thought she can read my mind! I blinked at her before my mind wanders to when he kissed my cheek, and I blushed.

"Mm..seems I guessed it right. What? What did you do with that handsome guy yesterday? Tell me.." I shake my head and Carol whining.

"Nothing..we just walk at the beach, and he shows me something," I reply as I don't think to tell her the whole story will bring any good. Even my father seems like he didn't care much about me lately, but…I still didn't dare to make a new rumor about Andrew and me.

As I was chewing my sausage, I saw the person who sits at the opposite of our table, lifting his newspaper. My eyes caught the headlines about our town. The festival! I don't usually go to the festival, but I think I want to try something new.

Yes! I want to invite Andrew to this festival. This festival is celebrated each year in our town, they said there's a story behind the festival. Maybe I should look up at the history behind the festival. There's dancing and lighting the lantern ritual, which is still practiced even though we're in modern days.

Most who come to the festival are couples and even from the other cities, many of them coming here to attending the festival. I thought that Andrew is from another country, of course, he didn't know about this festival.

I took out the phone from my pocket and slid it open. As I type the message, Carol suddenly nudges my arm. "Hey, since when did you own a phone?" She asked, and I look at her for a second. "This not mine. I only borrow it." well, I did borrow it. Even though Andrew said that this phone is mine now.

"Really? Who would lend it to you? Do you know just much this phone cost is?" Carol looks more shocked. I tilt my head a little. Really, I don't know the cost of this phone. I only know that it is quite expensive.

"Sha Sha…this phone cost is nearly half of year our salary..in this town, only a few people who can afford this! I can't believe someone was just giving this away..oh my goodness, who is this person? He or she must be super rich!"

Like being striking by lightning, I almost lost my grip and slipped the phone to the floor. But luckily, Carol grabs it and gives it back to me. When she wanted to pass it to me, I saw she look at the small initial letter engraved at the casing of the phone.

"A.X.A?" as she asks me, I also look at the word while processing what A.X.A could means? I really don't know about it, but I thought it might be Andrew's name? Well, didn't the letter of his first name is A? But, what about his family name? Did it also start with the initial letter of A or X?

I then shook my head to Carol before I smiled and took the phone back. "Well, whoever gives you this phone, I believe he or she must like you so much to give away such an expensive item to you." She smiles and pats on my back.

We then continue to eat our lunch, and a minute later, my phone chimes with the new message. I slide it open and read the text.

'Do you have any plans after work today?' I scrunch my eyebrow before I type a reply to him.

'No.' a seconds later, another text comes in.

'Then, I'll fetch you up after work. Is that okay?' I smile and nod my head unconsciously. 'Yes!' I reply to him, and that's when the bell for lunch ended.

…

Like yesterday, he attracts more people to look at him as he waited for me outside of the gate.

As I smile at him, he extended his hand to me. "Good evening, miss Sha Sha, may I have the rest of your evening, today?" he asked and bent his body a little. Like a knight bowing to their master.

I chuckled and said, "Um..not the rest. But maybe before ten?" yes, I am still afraid to return home too late at night. Because my father might kill Andrew if he knew I was out with a man until late at night.

Furthermore, all the shops in this town close early, and after ten, most of the place will be like a dead city in here. Well…mostly, but not at the red district.

I then heard a chuckle from Andrew and I back to earth. I tilt my head a little. Seeing his smile makes me feel weirdly happy, and I was kind of want to giggle. "What?" I asked.

He shakes his head and opens the car door for me. "Nothing. I just find it amusing." He said, and I went inside the car.

He drove to the back of the alley, where we were lost last time. As he parks his car at the side parking, I look at the outside of the window. "Why are we here?" I asked.

"I'll tell you why later. But now, let's go." He said, and I open the car door. After Andrew locks the car, I follow behind him but only two steps before he stops and walks to my sides.

"Why are you walking behind me?" He asked and took my hand before he intertwined it with his. "Next and forever, just walk like this with me, okay?"

I blushed and nodded my head. Well, I didn't expect for him to say something so sweet like right now. I'm more than willing to hold his hand like this. To be honest, I find myself comfortable and protected whenever he holds me. It's that I was shy and afraid that he would think I'm too clingy.

As we walk inside the restaurant, I couldn't help but notice everyone was looking at us. My heart suddenly raises up with a little anxious. Is this okay? What if what I do right now is actually wrong? I don't know, but I suddenly feel suffocating with those glances.

"Oh, it's you again." the lady who is I assumed the restaurant owner looks at us with her smiles on her face.

"Hi, Melinda." I then look at the lady and try to smile, but I think it's hard for me to do so right now. I feel… unconfident. I feel like I'm lacking something.

"Oh, meet my girlfriend. Sha Sha." Andrew said again with a smile on his face. I was a little too shocked as I turn my head to him at the side, and he gently hugs my shoulder. Rub it like he knew I was insecure of something.

"Your girlfriend? Oh, my dear, I didn't know you're not single anymore." the lady giggles and leads us to the terrace area. I finally can breathe again as we finally went to the place where there's no one up here.

After the lady takes our order, she went back to the first floor. I look around us, there are so many pots with a various plant which I don't know each of their names. From up here, I can see the fountain area, and I suddenly remember something.

"A-"

"Um-"

We looked at each other before we both giggles. I shake my head and let him speak first. Well, it can wait to invite him to the festival.

"Well...I actually want to apologize to you if bringing you here makes you uncomfortable. Truly, I'm sorry, Sha Sha." he holds both of my hands, which I put on the table while looking at my eyes. I know he meant well. It was just me who suddenly feel like this.

"No, Andrew. I was the one who's sorry." I said, and look at his hands. I held it back, "I..I never do this kind of things. Maybe I was a little afraid. I'm not used when people are staring at us. I feel like…like I was not supposed to be here."

"Sha Sha.." He calls my name, and I look at him. A bit startle when I saw him smile widely, and he seems a little too happy.

"Hm?"

"From today onwards, whenever I went out with you, I will always say that you're my girlfriend. I'll say it to everyone I met so that you will get used to it by the time, and people will stop looking at us. Maybe because of me, they tend to look at us, but I'm confident now. I want people to know that you, Sha Sha Lin, is my girlfriend from now on."

I'm flattered. I don't know what expression I show to Andrew right now as he then touched my cheek softly, saying something I thought was just a word to comfort me.

"I love you, Sha Sha Lin. I want you to always remember me for the rest of your life, as I will always remember you and love you for the rest of my life."

As I said before, I think it just a word to comfort me, but right now...I feel like a thousand butterflies are dancing on my belly. I was so much happy, and I don't know what to say to him.