An Unpredictable Man
1330 Words
Gaara shrugged. “And what about you?”
“What do you mean, what about me?” Esther replied, puzzled.
Gaara rolled his eyes at her response. “Your hobbies.”
Honestly, Esther hadn’t expected her offhand remark to spark a two-way conversation like this. She certainly hadn’t imagined that Gaara would actually ask her back. Yet, a small flicker of hope bloomed inside her. It seemed, at least for now, that the boy was showing a trace of interest in this playful exchange. Or perhaps it was his way of acknowledging her.
“I like cooking,” Esther said, thinking of the activities that genuinely brought her joy. There were a few, but lately she had been losing her appetite for even the simplest pleasures. “I also like art…”
Gaara observed her carefully, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. This girl seemed like one of those children who had been given a little of everything by their parents since a young age, he mused.
“Ah… and I guess I also like swimming. Actually, it’s more that I like water in general,” Esther added, offering a weak smile. For that last part, she truly couldn’t remember the last time she had gone swimming.
“Oh yeah? I like swimming too… though only occasionally,” Gaara replied. Before Esther could respond, he quickly added, “You could come to my place sometime if you want to swim.”
Esther’s mouth went agape for a moment before she hastily closed it again.
Did she just hear that correctly? Was Gaara actually inviting her to his house just to swim?
“Why the expression?” Gaara asked, his tone sharp but calm. “I’m not joking at all.”
“You… you really mean that?” Esther stammered, utterly unsure how to react. She wasn’t even certain what her own face looked like at that moment. “I mean… you—”
“I said you can come to my place if you want to swim. I don’t mind at all since I’m the one inviting you. My pool’s fairly large, and, well… you can use it for free.”
Esther simply nodded while her mind still processing the unexpected invitation.
Honestly, Gaara’s invitation to swim at his house was tempting. Esther had missed the feeling of water against her skin, something she hadn’t experienced in far too long. The last time she had swum was in a hotel pool during a trip to Okinawa, Japan, with her mother. Since then, her days had been consumed by the relentless routines of campus life.
Yet, deep down, she considered the offer carefully, weighing it with caution. Accepting would undoubtedly mean more time close to him. A risk, but also an opportunity. On the other hand, Gaara’s house was surely frequented by his friends, just as Vinson had shown up unannounced one morning.
To hell with Vinson! What mattered now was that if she could win her gamble to tame Gaara. Then Vinson would no longer trouble her. A peaceful campus life could finally be hers.
So…
“All right,” she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “On second thought, I guess that’s a good idea.”
***
After finishing their ice cream together, Esther had originally planned to head straight to the garage, realizing they had already spent an entire hour wandering about. Yet, strangely, Gaara took the lead, inviting her to stroll around the area. They wandered, weaving through streets, talking intermittently. Esther could hardly believe that behind the rough, delinquent image he carried on campus, there was a surprisingly considerate side to him.
“We’ve been walking for three hours. I think we should head back,” Esther said after glancing at the watch on her left wrist.
Gaara exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I guess my car should be ready by now too.”
When they returned to the garage, Gaara’s Range Rover was parked neatly, ready to drive home. Esther’s Discovery, on the other hand… remained in disarray, far from finished. She felt a pang of disappointment; it wasn’t typical for a simple wheel alignment to take this long.
“Is there a problem with my car, Uncle?” Esther asked the mechanic she always trusted.
The man looked weary, but he forced a polite smile in front of her. “Oh, Miss Esther, I’m terribly sorry. I think your car will need to stay here overnight,” he said, dabbing the sweat from his forehead.
Esther was shocked. She was certain her car had been fine. So why had it suddenly turned out this bad?
“Uh… what exactly is wrong with my car?” she asked, bewildered.
“I found several issues with the engine,” the mechanic replied. “May I ask if you’ve ever taken your car to another garage besides this one?”
Esther paused, trying to recall. The answer, she realized, was no—not unless it wasn’t her who had driven it. There had been one occasion during a school break when her father had taken the car somewhere, and she suspected that might have been when someone other than her trusted uncle had worked on it.
She exhaled slowly, her frustration simmering silently. “I guess… once,” she admitted.
The mechanic let out a heavy sigh. “I’m very sorry, Miss Esther. Because of that, I won’t be able to fix your car immediately. But I promise I’ll make it right. Your Discovery will be as good as new again,” he explained, offering a reassuring smile. “You’ll be able to pick it up tomorrow.”
Well… there was nothing she could do.
Esther ended her discussion with her uncle, and they exchanged phone numbers. It was the first time she had ever allowed her beloved car to stay overnight at a garage, and she felt a flicker of anxiety over the possibility of serious damage. Still, she was genuinely grateful to her uncle for spotting the issues. He had truly saved her from a bigger headache. For the moment, Gaara had completely vanished from her thoughts; her mind was entirely consumed by her cherished Discovery.
Her first instinct was to walk toward the intersection, planning to catch public transportation home. Her mood for cooking had vanished entirely.
But barely had she stood on the sidewalk when she heard a horn blare. Glancing up, she saw Gaara’s Range Rover parked right in front of her.
“Get in,” he called.
Esther froze, stunned by yet another audacious offer from the boy. Why now?
“Come on, hurry up. It’s faster this way, and besides… our houses are in the same direction,” Gaara added casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Truthfully, Esther was also too lazy to walk home after being dropped off by public transport. To her, Gaara’s offer suddenly felt like a convenient solution. Without answering, she made her way to the passenger door and slipped into the car. Technically, this was her second time riding in Gaara’s vehicle, though the first had been from the driver’s seat.
Once Esther had fastened her seat belt, Gaara started the car and headed toward the neighborhood they both knew well. The ride was short, accompanied by a silence that seemed almost tangible.
Just as he turned onto a familiar street, Esther realized something.
“Gaara… you just passed my place,” she pointed out innocently, assuming he had forgotten her home. After all, his last visit had been inebriated and in the middle of the night.
“Yeah, but what we just passed isn’t my place,” he replied casually.
“Then… it’s your house?” Esther asked, tilting her head to look at him seriously.
Gaara’s expression remained flat, eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. “Wasn’t it you who said you wanted to swim?”
“Huh?!”
- Writer
