CHAPTER 5
It was 7:30 p.m. when my phone vibrated.
Kenan:Are you ready?
I stared at the screen for a few seconds before replying.
Me:Yeah.
Before I could even put my phone down, another message came in.
Kenan:I'm outside.
Thump.
That fast?
I rushed to the mirror, fixing my hair that somehow felt wrong no matter how many times I adjusted it.
From the bed, I could feel Linda's mischievous stare.
"Wow… someone going on a first date has to look perfect, huh?" she teased.
"What are you even saying, Lin?! It's not a date!" I protested.
Linda just laughed.
Too lazy to argue, I grabbed my bag and took a deep breath.
"Alright, I'm heading out. And don't you dare mess up our room while I'm gone!" I warned, half serious.
Linda gave me an exaggerated salute.
I quickly made my way downstairs.
Strangely, the stairs felt longer than usual.
As soon as I reached the ground floor, the sound of a motorcycle greeted me first.
The Yamaha XSR was parked neatly in front of the gate.
And he was leaning casually beside it.
Black jacket. Sleeves slightly rolled up. Helmet hanging from his hand.
As if he had planned this scene long before I arrived.
His gaze immediately found me.
And his smile slowly appeared.
"You took your time," he commented lightly.
"It's only been five minutes," I shot back.
"Then I guess I came too early."
I let out a small huff.
He stepped closer and handed me a helmet.
"Put it on."
I took it—but didn't put it on right away.
"Do you pick girls up often?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
He paused for a moment, then looked straight at me.
"Pretty often."
The answer came too quickly to be a joke.
My cheeks felt warm.
"Hold on tight," he said after I got on.
I placed my hand lightly at the edge of his jacket not too close, just enough to keep my balance.
The engine started.
And for the first time, I wasn't sure whether it was the sound of the motorcycle…
or his answer earlier…
that made my heart race.
****
E-Walk was crowded that night. The scent of different perfumes mixed in the air.
I walked beside him, keeping a distance that felt safe.
The elevator in front of us was already almost full when the doors opened. People quickly stepped in.
Then I saw them.
A middle-aged woman in a wheelchair. Beside her, a little child struggling to push it forward.
The elevator doors began to close.
Some people inside pretended not to notice.
Before I could react, Kenan had already stepped forward.
"Wait," he said calmly, holding the door open.
"Ra, help me hold it," he added shortly.
I moved immediately, holding the other side.
Swiftly, Kenan made space, shifting a few people so the wheelchair could fit in.
"Here, let me help," he said gently to the child, taking over.
His tone was different.
Not teasing.
Not playful.
But soft. Genuine.
I went still.
The child and the woman smiled and thanked him. Kenan simply nodded, then returned to stand beside me as if nothing had happened.
As if it was just normal.
"What?" he asked when he noticed me staring.
I quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
But something inside me had shifted.
Turns out, he wasn't just good at teasing.
He also knew when to joke…
and when to care.
And somehow—that was far more dangerous.
The smell of popcorn greeted us as we entered the cinema.
Kenan stopped near a bench.
"You sit. I'll get the tickets."
I nodded, even though I almost offered to split the cost.
For some reason… I didn't.
A few minutes later, he came back with two tickets and a medium bucket of popcorn.
"What about drinks?" I asked.
"Water's enough. You don't like soda, right?" he said casually.
I froze.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"At the cafeteria, you ordered iced tea."
Something small.
But he remembered.
The lights dimmed as we entered the studio.
Kenan walked slightly ahead, checking the seat numbers on his phone.
"Row E," he said.
We made our way through the nearly full seats.
As soon as we sat down, the screen went dark.
The movie began.
At first it was normal.
An old house. Shaky camera. Dialogue that felt too calm.
I even felt confident.
Until the silence came.
The screen went quiet.
Soft footsteps echoed from the speakers.
And suddenly...
A jumpscare.
I flinched and instinctively grabbed onto something beside me.
A second later, I realized.
My hand was gripping his jacket.
I immediately let go.
"Reflex," I whispered quickly.
Kenan didn't laugh.
Didn't tease.
He simply moved the popcorn slightly closer to me.
"Hold this if you're scared," he murmured playfully.
"I'm not scared."
"Sure… sure," he teased softly.
A few minutes later... another jumpscare.
I shut my eyes instantly, holding my breath.
Beside me, Kenan chuckled quietly.
****
"Finally, my suffering is over. Next time, I'm picking the movie!" I said, pointing at him.
"So… there is a next time?" he replied with a grin.
I paused for a split second.
"Depends," I said casually.
"On what?"
"On whether you stop picking horror movies."
He laughed.
"Wait, who said they weren't scared?"
"I wasn't scared. I just… wasn't ready."
"Same thing, Ra."
I huffed. "You jumped too when that grandma appeared."
"That was reflex."
"Reflex because you were scared?"
"Human reflex."
"Excuses."
He turned to me with a crooked smile.
"But you closed your eyes twice."
"Liar."
"I counted."
"Were you watching the movie… or watching me?" I asked without thinking.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
He stopped walking.
So did I.
His expression changed not playful anymore.
But not fully focused on me either.
I followed his gaze.
A woman stood a few steps away.
Long hair. Elegant. Beautiful.
Her eyes were clearly fixed on him.
A few seconds stretched longer than they should.
Then a man approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. She flinched slightly—then smiled.
I turned back to Kenan.
His expression had changed again.
Calm. Unreadable.
"What?" he asked casually.
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
"Come on, let's get something to eat," he said, as if nothing had happened.
I just nodded.
We walked side by side again.
The food court felt too noisy for my thoughts.
People laughed. Kids ran between tables. Order numbers were called out endlessly.
I sat across from him, trying to act normal.
Kenan seemed normal again too.
"Don't tell me you're still thinking about the movie," he said, opening our food.
"I'm not," I replied quickly.
"Good. I don't want to be blamed for trauma."
I rolled my eyes. "You're so confident."
"I know."
He picked up a fry and held it toward me.
"This one's safe. No jumpscare."
I almost laughed.
Almost.
But my thoughts were still stuck on earlier.
He noticed.
"You're acting weird," he said suddenly.
"How?"
"You were brave enough to watch horror earlier. Now you're quiet."
I shrugged.
"I'm tired."
"Excuse."
His tone was playful again.
Without realizing it, I bit my lower lip.
"You know that, Ra?" he said suddenly, his voice softer.
"When you're thinking about something… or when you're nervous… you always bite your lip."
My hand froze.
"What are you talking about?"
He leaned back, watching me like he was analyzing something.
"You've been doing that."
"I'm not nervous."
"Then you're thinking about something."
I went silent.
He was right.
And that bothered me more than the horror movie did.
"There's actually… something I want to ask," I said quietly.
"Go ahead."
I clasped my hands on the table, gathering courage.
"Honestly… I'm curious. Why did you suddenly approach me? Why did you want to be friends? If you think about it… none of this makes sense."
I looked straight at him.
I needed to know.
So I'd know where the line was.
Kenan stopped eating. He wiped his fingers with a tissue, then looked at me steadily.
"Do you remember the first day of orientation?"
I nodded.
"That day, I didn't notice you for the first time in line," he said.
"It was at the cafeteria."
I frowned.
"I was sitting right behind you and your friend. You were arguing."
"About what?"
"Whether a girl and a guy can just be friends."
I froze.
He remembered that?
"Your friend said it's impossible. You said it is as long as both people know their boundaries."
His gaze was different now.
Serious.
"That's when I got curious," he continued.
"I wanted to know if you were right."
"So… you're testing me?" I asked softly.
The corner of his lips moved slightly.
"You could say that."
I went still.
"That's it?" I asked.
There was a pause before he spoke again.
"Did you see that girl earlier?"
I nodded.
"She's my ex. We broke up about two months ago."
The world around us still buzzed... but it felt quieter somehow.
"Why?" I asked carefully.
"You saw the guy who hugged her?"
I nodded again.
"That's her best friend," he said calmly.
"From the start, it felt like I wasn't in a relationship with one person… but three."
"I never told her not to have a best friend," he continued.
"I just asked her to respect boundaries."
He gave a small smile.
"But those boundaries were always crossed...with the excuse that they were 'just friends.'"
He looked back at me.
"So when I heard you say that men and women can be just friends…
I wanted to prove it."
His eyes locked onto mine. "Is it really possible?"