The moment Jessey appeared with her friends, walking toward them, Waksi and Silvia could both feel the tension in the air. Jessey strutted across the park, her high heels clicking sharply with each deliberate step. Silvia's heart skipped a beat, a surge of dread flowing through her. Jessey had a knack for stirring trouble, especially when it came to Silvia.
Jessey wore a broad white hat made of fine silk, but the brim bulged inward, betraying its age. It looked as though she had tried to hold on to its fashionable appeal despite its wear. Silvia couldn't help but notice how hard Jessey worked to maintain her image, even though it was clear that she was struggling financially. To Silvia, this was obvious in a single glance—her genius mind picked up on it immediately.
Waksi, as usual, was oblivious. He didn't even look up from his phone as Jessey approached. To him, she was probably just another annoyance he had to deal with, someone his father expected him to entertain. But Silvia could see the glint in Jessey's eyes; this wasn't a casual greeting—she was here for something more.
Jessey smirked as she looked at Silvia. "Waksi and Silvia, it's so nice to see you out in public, are you two dating?" she asked, her eyes flicking at Silvia. "How's your stomach doing, Waksi?"
Silvia fought the urge to roll her eyes. Jessey was still clinging to the incident from the previous day. After everything that had happened, it seemed Jessey was unwilling to let go of her drama.
Waksi, still glued to his phone, barely acknowledged Jessey. "What do you want, Jessey?" he muttered.
"Just checking on Silvia," Jessey said sweetly, though her tone was laced with sarcasm. "You know, to make sure she's not giving you any more peanuts or poisonous things in your drinks. Wouldn't want a repeat of yesterday, right?"
Silvia's cheeks flushed, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Jessey, you know I would never do such a thing to Waksi. In fact, I wouldn't do that to anyone."
"Oh really?" Jessey leaned in, her eyes flickering toward Waksi, who was still absorbed in his phone. "But it's funny how everything works out when you're around, isn't it?" She gave Silvia a pointed look. "I mean, if Waksi wasn't here with you today, we'd have to wonder what really happened yesterday. Wouldn't we, Waksi?"
That hit a nerve with Silvia. She didn't know what game Jessey was playing, but she wasn't about to let her control the situation.
Silvia gave her a tight smile. "Why don't you stop pretending, Jessey? Everyone here knows you were the one who called Waksi's dad and caused all that drama yesterday."
Jessey's eyes narrowed. "Don't get too cocky, Silvia. I'm just trying to help you out. You don't want people to start thinking you've got a real reason to poison him. Do you?" She turned to Waksi, her smile sickly sweet. "I mean, you wouldn't want your precious boyfriend to think you were capable of something like that, right?"
Waksi finally looked up from his phone, his gaze flickering between Jessey and Silvia. He seemed annoyed, but there was also a hint of something else, something Silvia couldn't quite place.
"Enough, Jessey. Stop trying to stir things up. I know what happened. You don't need to keep pushing."
"Stir things up?" Jessey laughed, clearly unfazed. "I'm just reminding you of the facts, that's all. But hey, don't let me ruin your date. Although, even if your date's ruined—which is obvious enough—I wouldn't mind taking Silvia's place though. You can contact me anytime, Waksi. See you later."
Silvia felt her blood boil. Jessey wasn't here to help; she was here to make things worse, to drive a wedge between her and Waksi. Jessey wanted to make Waksi doubt Silvia even more, to paint her as the villain.
But Silvia wasn't going to let Jessey have the upper hand this time.
As Jessey turned to leave, something caught Silvia's eye. She noticed how Jessey was struggling to maintain her balance while walking in those high heels, trying to hide her discomfort. It was clear to Silvia that the heels were too high and narrow for Jessey's long, large feet—one small jolt, and she could easily fall.
Then, Silvia spotted a drink stand a few meters ahead. A plan began to form in her genius mind. She had an ice cube in her hand, roughly the size of a fist. With a quick calculation, she realized this could be her chance to get back at Jessey. As Jessey neared the stand, Silvia threw the ice cube beneath her heels with precise aim.
Jessey slipped and fell into the drink stand, her body drenched in various fruit juices and condensed milk. The ice cube had done its job. Sharp scissors flew up from the counter and sliced through Jessey's hat, cutting a bit of her back hair in the process. The hat—one of Jessey's prized possessions—was ruined.
"Oh my god! What is happening to me! So disgusting!"
Jessey screamed, yelling at the mess she had made. She burst into tears as the crowd quickly gathered around to capture the humiliating moment on their phones. The vendor behind the counter was furious, seeing his goods destroyed. Meanwhile, Silvia grinned in satisfaction, watching as Jessey's life took a turn for the worse.
Waksi, who had been oblivious to the tension moments before, was now visibly shocked by what had just happened. Silvia couldn't help but feel a small sense of victory, especially seeing Jessey's once-pristine hat torn apart.
After the incident, the date continued, leaving Jessey crying out loud in a disgusting way. But that doesn't mean the tension between Waksi and Silvia does not remain. They were now sitting together in a nearly empty theater, the silence between them more suffocating than the booming sound of the movie. Waksi had insisted on choosing the film, an action-packed car chase and explosion-filled spectacle, definitely not Silvia's cup of tea.
Silvia's stomach was still a problem, reminding her of the long day and the lack of real food she had consumed. She wasn't the only one uncomfortable—Waksi hadn't spoken much, his cold indifference hanging heavy in the air.
Silvia's phone rang. It was her father. She quickly excused herself from the theater, stepping into the waiting room to take the call.
"Halo, Dad," she said, sitting down outside the theater.
"Silvia, where are you?"
"I'm on a date with Waksi. We're watching a movie."
"Really? How can you date him after yesterday's incident?" her father asked, surprised.
"It's hard to believe, but it seems Waksi and his father realized I wasn't the cause of the incident. They forgave me, so now we're dating."
"That's good news. All right then, carry on. You know what to do, don't you, Silvia?"
"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I won't mess it up," Silvia muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Good, I'm counting on you. Good luck then."
Her father ended the call. Silvia hesitated before returning to the theater. Considering Waksi's indifference and the fact that she wasn't enjoying the movie, she opted to stay in the waiting area. She could wait for another hour and a half to avoid the crushing awkwardness.
As she sat there, her mind wandered. She had been playing with her phone, occasionally munching on the popcorn Waksi had bought her. Yet, her attention was quickly diverted by a group of guys sitting a few rows ahead. One of them—a tall guy in a leather jacket with messy dark hair—kept glancing over at her, his eyes lingering far too long.
It made her uncomfortable, but she tried to ignore him. Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her heart skipped, and she turned slightly, finding the guy standing there, grinning like he knew something she didn't.
"Hey," he said, leaning against her seat casually. "You come here often?"
Silvia stiffened, wishing she had stayed at home. "I'm just here with someone. Please don't bother me."
He ignored her words, leaning in closer. "I'm sure you're more interesting than whatever's on the screen. I could show you a much better time. What's your name?" His grin widened as he inched closer.
"Please, I'm not interested," Silvia replied, trying to stay calm despite her growing anxiety.
The guy smirked, undeterred. "Come on, don't be like that. You're way too pretty to be sitting alone. After that, we could have some fun together."
The man tried to touch Silvia's soft cheeks with his dirty hands while smiling lustfully. However, his hand had not yet landed, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Hey, back off!" Waksi said, tugging at the man's hand.