---

Gabriella looked at herself in the mirror. Wearing a black hoodie and a short knee-length skirt, she was preparing to meet Wendy. Last night, Wendy had called her and told her what had happened to her and Rian after the car keys and credit cards had been returned, but feeling unsatisfied, Wendy had asked Gabriella to meet her on her day off.


Of course Gabriella didn't mind. After all, there was nothing wrong with hanging out with a friend on the weekend.

The woman who had curled her hair that morning in a messy bun style that made her hair comfortable even though it was not curled as usual. After making sure that what she used that day was good enough and maximum, then Gabriella came out of her room. She completed her look with a black circular slingbag that hooked over her right shoulder.

As she left the room, Gabriella remembered that Ken was in her house. He had slept on the floor all night and was still lying there this morning.


She rolled her eyes lazily, before her footsteps finally moved towards Ken. She scrunched up her waist, then moved Ken's body with one foot. "Don't sleep around, it's noon, boss."

But Ken didn't show any movement. The man still closed his eyes without budging at all.


"Wake up, Ken. I'm going out," Gabriella said.

"..."

Annoyed, Gabriella chose to crouch down so she could pinch the man's cheek. But when the woman's palm touched the surface of the top's skin, Gabriella's eyes bulged instantly. Her brow furrowed quickly. "Ken?" Gabriella's one hand tried to move the man's body, but to no avail. Ken didn't respond at all. "Why are you so hot? Ken? Can you hear me?"

The feeling of annoyance that had previously filled Gabriella's heart, now turned into a mounting anxiety. Because the thirty-year-old man fell asleep on the floor with a very high body temperature. Now, Gabriella began to regret her decision to let Ken sleep on the floor overnight.

"Ken, duh... what's wrong with you? Don't joke around!" Gabriella looked around, she became very panicked because she had to handle Ken alone.




---

The only one on Gabriella's mind at the time was Wendy. After all, Wendy also knew Ken. She would definitely be able to help. So Gabriella quickly took her cell phone out of her slingbag and dialed Wendy as soon as she could.

"Hello, Wen?"

The call was connected and Wendy, who was also getting ready in her house, replied. "Yes, Elle?"

"Ken, Wen. Duh, Ken!"

"What's wrong? What's wrong with Ken? Try to calm down first," Wendy said. "What's wrong with Ken?"

Gabriella bit her lip in panic, then tried to put the back of her hand on Ken's forehead, before starting to explain the chronology of events in front of her. "Ken came to my house last night, like midnight. But he was, like, drunk."

"Okay, then?"

"I was too lazy to move him to the sofa, so I left him on the floor. I didn't know that he was still sleeping here until this morning. When I was just about to wake him up, he was really hot and I called him and he didn't respond," Gabriella explained without pause. The woman was in a panic. "I'm really confused about what to do, I think he has a fever."

"Let's not panic, if you can move him to the sofa or bed first. You give a cold compress first, I'm ready to go to your boarding house."

"Okay, Wen."

Click.

After turning off the phone, Gabriella immediately put the multifunctional object into her bag. She turned the bag backwards so as not to interfere with her movements while trying to move Ken. Gabriella set up a stance, while one hand lifted the man's upper body, the other hand tried to pull him up.

"Duh, bitch! What are you eating, you're so heavy," the woman complained when she managed to sit Ken down.

Unfortunately, Ken was still too limp to rouse himself and Gabriella had to struggle to get him to his feet.

But this was already her third attempt to lift Ken and the result was still futile. Gabriella's body was too weak to carry Ken. So the woman tried to find a slightly different way.

---

"Finally did it," Gabriella chuckled, then landed her butt on another chair, right in front of Ken's body who was now lying on the sofa.

The gray eyes looked straight at Ken who was still closed. He frowned and then brought his face closer to the front. "If you look at it, this guy is cute too."

The closer ... the closer ...

"AHHHH!!!"

Suddenly Ken opened his eyes and made Gabriella stagger back immediately. Her heart raced as she found him staring back at her with such suddenness.

"What are you doing? You didn't mean to kiss me, did you?" Ken asked in a hoarse voice.

"Don't be so geeky," Gabriella retorted angrily. "You just wait here, I want to make you some hot tea. Good thing you're still alive, I thought you were dead."

When Gabriella moved, Ken's hand quickly ambushed her. Making the woman with her slender body turn around quickly, looking at Ken who was now looking up at her with both eyes wide.

"Don't go ... I still want to see your face for a while longer."

"But you have a fever, Wa. It could be dangerous," Gabriella said, trying to explain. She then let go of the man's hand slowly, making her hand rest on her own chest. "You wait here for a while."

It was only about two minutes after Gabriella had made Ken some hot tea that the woman returned to the modest living room of her boarding house. The cup of brown drink Gabriella had brought was placed on the table, then she sat back in her chair, right next to Ken.

"Drink the tea first, Wa," Gabriella said.

Ken, who had closed his eyes, gasped a little, then tried with difficulty to get up from the sofa. He then looked at Gabriella who was also trying to help him sit up and said, "Thank you."

"Yes, you're welcome."

One of the man's hands reached for the cup and carefully his gray lips began to take a slow sip of the drink in his grasp. A contented sigh came from Ken, before the cup was returned to the table.

"You have a fever because of me?"

Ken smiled, then shook his head. "No, it's not. I was just stupid last night, I got too drunk."

Gabriella just shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Next time you get drunk, don't bother me. Why are you trying to come here at night, instead of going to your own house?"

There was a pause.

Ken didn't answer right away, but turned his gaze to the surface of the cup. He pursed his lips and mumbled something for a moment, then looked back at Gabriella who was still looking at him with a flat expression.

"Because all I had in mind last night was you. I can't get every single thing about you out of my brain and I don't know why. I think I really like and fall in love with you, Elle. What do you think?"


---

Gabriella's eyes were fixed on Ken's narrowed eyes that were still fixed on her. If previously the man often made Gabriella's heart seem out of place, then this second the vital organ that functions as a blood pump to fulfill the need for oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the woman's body was completely out of place.

As if frozen, Gabriella could not move at all. There was a feeling that held her there. And then, Ken moved his face forward slowly. Making their distance only a few centimeters. But the woman still didn't make any movement. Until finally, a peck landed on the pink surface of Gabriella's lips.

"Elle!"

Gabriella was stunned and backed away, as did Ken who was just as stunned as she was.

The red tinge that appeared on the woman's cheeks now made her look like a boiled shrimp. But out of embarrassment, Gabriella hurriedly got up and ran to open the door.

"Hi, Wen?"

Wendy's brow furrowed. She then looked at her best friend quizzically. "What's wrong? How come you're panting like that? After running a marathon, Elle?"

The woman swallowed saliva with difficulty, her heart racing rapidly and making her feel an unusual adrenaline rush that day. For the first time in her life, the broken train in her chest was moving forward. Like a roller coaster ride that goes up and down, the sudden kiss Ken gave Gabriella really made her drunk. Gabriella was very confused now.

"No, I didn't do anything, really," Gabriella squeaked nervously.

But instead of feeling confident, the short-haired woman with a piercing in her right ear was even more suspicious of Gabriella. "Lest ...,"

"No, there's nothing serious," Gabriella interrupted frantically. The woman in the black hoodie pulled Wendy's wrist, forcing her inside to change the subject. "You better check on Ken now. His body is hot."

"Oh yeah, how is he now?"

As if forgetting her suspicions, Wendy began to explore inside Gabriella's simple boarding house. Her narrow eyes with cat-eye style eyeliner then wandered around, before they finally arrived at the living room and her gaze fell on Ken who was already lying on the sofa. "You said Ken was on the floor, why is he suddenly on the sofa?" Wendy looked at Gabriella behind her, then asked, "He can already walk himself to the sofa?"

Ken, who was still feeling unwell, only cast a glance at Gabriella, even though Gabriella was trying desperately to avoid Ken's gaze for her.

"Just now ... well, what do I do, because I can't lift him alone, so ... I just dragged him," Gabriella said hesitantly.

Ken's eyes bulged. "Huh? Dragged?"

"Dragged like a murder victim?" added Wendy dramatically.

Ken squinted at Wendy, before finally looking at Gabriella again.

"Well, I have no other choice." Gabriella scratched the nape of her neck which wasn't itchy at all. The situation was awkward now, even though the woman's heart was much better now. Being close to Ken was dangerous. It couldn't be denied, if in fact the man did have a handsome and attractive face for men of his age. "I'd rather stay on the floor and let the fever get worse. Right?"

Wendy laughed while patting Gabriella's shoulder. "Hahaha, you're smart too, Elle. That's called being creative. Think of it as first aid for drunk people who don't know the rules."

Feeling that someone was defending her, Gabriella smiled there.

"What first aid, heh." Ken then took out his cell phone from his pants pocket.

His consciousness hadn't fully returned, but at least his vision wasn't as shadowy as before.

"Uh, by the way, I brought you fever-reducing medicine and porridge. You better eat it now, Wa. After that, call your friend and ask him to take your car. How about it?"

The only man in the room looked up, then looked at Wendy curiously. "My friend? Which friend of mine?"

"Duh, the one with the foreign face, Alan, isn't his name?"

Now, it was Ken's turn to look at Wendy quizzically. As he remembered, the man had never mentioned the name or told how specific the characteristics of his best friend were, so questions like how Wendy knew, or where the information came from, made Ken even more curious. "Did I ever tell you her name, Wen?"

"I just saw it on your Instagram," Wendy argued.

"Instagram?"

Wendy chuckled, then handed Ken the bag of groceries she had been carrying. She then folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes lazily. Although she didn't look too annoyed, Ken could still feel Wendy's dislike for the questions she asked. "Alright, deh. Don't ask so many questions. Better now you eat, finish the porridge, I bought it far away. Then you drink the fever medicine first."

"You'll be like my mother for a long time, Wen," Ken commented, ending with a mocking amused chuckle.

"What the hell." Wendy then extended her hand. She then moved her delicate fingers towards Ken as she said, "Where's your phone, let me call Alan."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I know you're too weak, right? So let me call Alan and ask him to pick you up."

Ken, who had not yet closed his mouth, moved his gaze to Gabriella, the woman looked as confused as Ken. But because she didn't understand anything, Gabriella obviously chose to stay quiet and listen. When Gabriella's gaze shifted to him, then Ken pursed his lips and mumbled. "Yes." Then, he handed the cell phone in his hand to Wendy, while Wendy gave the grocery bag to Ken. They looked like they were bartering in front of Gabriella. Wendy then sat down next to Ken without any prompting, making Ken quickly look at Gabriella, making sure that she was okay with having another woman nearby. "Are you sure you want to call Alan, he usually doesn't su-"

"Hello, Alan?" Wendy's voice made Ken hang his words in the air. The man's brow furrowed deeply when he saw Wendy's gesture which didn't look awkward at all even though it was their first time on the phone. "It's Wendy. Yes, I used Ken's number. Incidentally, Ken is here with me. He has a fever and is drunk, so he can't drive. Do you think you could pick him up here and bring the car to take him to the hospital?"

Ken looked at Gabriella again, they exchanged glances with lingering awkwardness, before he finally looked back at Wendy beside him.

"No, Ken is not at my house, but at Gabriella's house. You know Gabriella, right? That's the girl Ken has a crush on and happens to work at Ken's restaurant."

Deg!

Gabriella's eyes went wide at once. How could that woman say something she shouldn't have said there.

"Yes, I'll share the location later. Okay? Thankyou, Al. See you." Click. Wendy smiled as she looked at Ken and Gabriella in turn. "What's wrong with both of you? How come your faces are so red? Salting?"