My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I stole a glance at our intertwined hands; Japen’s hand was large enough to envelop most of mine, and the warmth it radiated made me feel oddly comforted. I didn’t understand why, but my heart raced faster as I looked at Japen.
He kept his eyes on the road, his other hand firmly on the steering wheel. His forehead was slightly furrowed, lips drawn into a thin line-a clear sign he was irritated.
Looking ahead, I noticed a slow-moving motorcycle blocking our path, preventing our car from picking up speed despite the distance between us and the previous cars. I flinched slightly as Japen honked impatiently.
“Sorry,” he muttered as he maneuvered around the motorcycle.
I smiled sheepishly. “You don’t need to apologize,” I whispered.
He just hummed in response, his gaze flicking to the rearview mirror. “Are you okay, Azora?”
I nodded. “Don’t mind me.”
“Your face is turning red.”
“Huh?” I immediately checked the side mirror and saw my cheeks were burning. I scowled at my reflection. “It’s nothing,” I dismissed, leaning back in the passenger seat.
He still held my hand, and with every passing minute, my heart raced even faster. What did this mean?
Before I could grasp what was happening, Japen pulled over into a wide clearing beside the road and brought the car to a stop. I held my breath. Why did he stop?
I glanced at him, finding him staring at me with that slight furrow on his forehead again. “Are you running a fever?” he asked, reaching over to feel my forehead.
Using his other hand to gauge my temperature, he made my cheeks burn even hotter. I looked away and swatted his hands away.
“Don’t touch me,” I warned.
He chuckled. “Even when you’re sick, you’re still grumpy.”
My forehead creased at his comment. “Who said I’m sick? I’m not,” I replied, slightly annoyed, but my eyes remained fixed on our intertwined hands.
He noticed where my gaze was and cleared his throat. “Sorry,” he said, releasing my hand. But I held onto his tightly. He seemed taken aback by my action, looking at me intently. “Azora,” he called softly.
I lowered my gaze. “I-I like holding your hand,” I admitted, then quickly glanced out the window.
I felt him squeeze my hand and heard him chuckle softly at my confession. I bit my lip. I just wanted to hold his hand; I wanted to feel the warmth of his hand in mine, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Why should I be?
“You might get used to it,” he said, starting the engine.
A smile tugged at my lips. “Just let me hold your hand, okay?”
“I’m not stopping you,” he replied.
I looked at Japen, noticing a small smile on his lips. I lowered my gaze to our hands. I didn’t understand why I enjoyed holding his hand-I just did.
Placing his hand on my lap, I felt him tense slightly. I began playing with his fingers, which seemed to relax him.
“Just drive,” I said softly.
He squeezed my hand, and I couldn’t help but sigh. Leaning back in my seat, I relaxed.
We were still on the outskirts of Naga, and after a while, we entered the municipality of Minglanilla.
Japen let me continue holding his hand as I played with it, but then he spoke up. “What’s wrong, Azora?”
“Wrong? Do I look like something’s wrong?”
He didn’t say anything after that. I looked down at our hands intertwined, then up at his other hand on the steering wheel, and finally at his face. He appeared calm. I figured he wasn’t bothered at all, easily driving with one hand while I held the other.
But then I asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, driving with just one hand?”
He glanced at me and smirked. Then, looking back at the road, I gasped when he suddenly pulled his hand away from mine. I blinked and swallowed hard. It stung a bit in my heart, but I remained silent, leaning back in my seat and staring out the window. There was a pang in my heart, and I didn’t understand why I felt so troubled.
Then a hand reached for my face, softly caressing my cheek. I immediately looked at Japen, but he was focused on the road ahead. I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch.
The car came to a stop. I opened my eyes and saw the red traffic light up ahead.
Japen glanced at me, seeing me leaning into his hand. His expression softened. He didn’t say anything, just stared at my face. I returned his gaze. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and whispered, “Do you want to go for a stroll, Azora?”
I smiled faintly and nodded. He nodded in response, caressing my cheek again. When the traffic light turned green, he accelerated and made a U-turn a few meters ahead. We were heading back towards Naga.
I wondered where he would take me, but I didn’t ask. I held onto his hand on my cheek, sighing softly. I caught a glimpse of Japen’s concerned expression. I cleared my throat. “Why?” I asked.
“You hold my hand like your life depends on it, Azora.”
“I just… I just love holding your hand.”
His jaw clenched at my words, and he pressed down on the gas pedal. The car sped up on the highway, with other cars several meters ahead moving at high speed, so I wasn’t worried.
I brought his hand to my face, leaning into it. Holding his hand made me feel safe and brought warmth to my heart. I loved the feeling.
“Japen,” I called softly. “I think… I think I like you. You don’t have a girlfriend, right? Can I be your girlfriend?”
The car came to a sudden halt. Japen stared at me with wide eyes, then started the engine again and continued at the same speed as before.
He didn’t say a word after that.