The CCEO’s Hidden Identity

“Are you sure about your decision?”

“Yes, Aunt Euna.”

“It’s not that I’m holding you back, because you’re the one who made my decision and your happiness is what I’m thinking about the most.”

Red wanted to laugh at what Euna said.

Somehow, she said that she does let go of her niece Nica to make decisions by herself but by the looks of her, she can hardly let go of her niece’s hand.

“By the way, regarding your marriage, I hope you understand that I can’t allow the wedding right now and you’re still young. Your feelings can change. You know that, right? I thought I was going to die when my ex left me because I loved him so much but until now, I’m still alive. I can’t even remember what I liked and loved about that jerk,” Euna added to her niece.

He was secretly snorted by what she said to her niece, Nica.

Why, even her ex has been mentioned!

Laughing, Nica hugged her aunt for the last time. They are already outside the house. Nica and her boyfriend, Jaz, are going to ride with the owner jeep he is bringing. He will take the two to one of Jax’s apartments where they will live together because yeah, Nica is pregnant.

Like Euna, his friend, Jax, has done nothing with the situation that was already there. Jax even said that it was the same way before. He said he just hopes that the feelings of children won’t be like his and Jaz’s mother. That he hopes it will not change.

Yeah, his friend is a single father now because he got married and had children at a young age. Jaz and his wife’s feelings changed early until they decided to separate.

Yes, talking about history repeats itself. It’s so good to challenge fate to a fist fight once in a while.

“My instructions, okay? Take care,” said Euna again at the young couple.

“Noted, Aunt Euna.”

Secretly, he just shook his head because Euna was the image of an ideal mother to her niece until she finally agreed to leave the care of her niece in other hands.

“HOW did you manage to remember your ex? Well, your current lover is more handsome than your ex’s,” Red whispered as he secretly followed Euna when she turned her back on her niece.

“Huh?”

He shook his head. “Euna, whenever you see me, you seem to be forgetful and deaf. I know that I’m handsome but please, chill,” he jokingly said to her.

“Why, hey! Instead of what you’re saying, just take care of my niece. Be careful when driving, remember that you have three passengers!”

And there goes the litany of certified aunt again…

She stopped when he didn’t move and he just watched her silently while she went ahead with her litany.

“Are you okay, Red? You look odd, seriously.”

He sighed and frowned. “Euna Del Fierro, please let me remind you this, that your niece is no longer a minor, you are only a few years older than her. She said she will be turning twenty soon.”

“So what? Nica is my niece. She’s my older sister’s daughter!”

He actually wanted to lecture her. But hey, this lady is really cute sometimes.

“Listen, don’t get me wrong, but I have to ask you, when you were that Nica’s age, couldn’t you decide and do anything for yourself?”

“Of course not! I’m already working when I was young. I’m selling clothes and taking a laundry service so that my nephew and niece can survive. I can’t even go to school because of work- hey, wait, what about it now, huh?” She responded, matching his meowing.

“Listen-” what he was about to say was interrupted, because before he finished speaking, the person he was talking to turned her back on him!

He couldn’t stop himself, he stepped quickly to catch up with her, he also quickly pulled her wrist. But because it’s Euna, he only faced her for a moment and then turned her back. He was forced to hold her close to her waist. He also placed his chin on her shoulder.

He smiled when he didn’t flinch that time.

“What do you really want to say, Red?” Euna spoke after a few seconds.

“Hmn, listen okay? Do you know how lucky they are to have you. Your nieces and nephews are lucky to have you as their aunt. Nica is so proud of you, she always talks about you. You raised them well.”

“And what are you getting at when you say that, anyway?” sarcastically, she asked. She was confronted him, he just knew.

He blew out air, took her palms, face her to him and stared at her eyes before he spoke, “Miss Euna Del Fierro my point is, will you please learn to stop worrying for the things that are out of your control? You shouldn’t forget yourself. That you also can love yourself. I hope that this time, you will think that Nica has decided for herself and you’re not supposed to interfere on that this time.”

No response from her. They just stared at each other for a few minutes as they held each other’s palms.

So quiet that even the air can be heard.

It’s ‘s only a few seconds that their eyes are locked, the only thing that can count is the beating of their hearts.

Reflected in both of them that no one wants to complain even if they are in that position until later.

Because that feels good…

It’s good to look at her eyes, to the face of Euna even though she still hasn’t fixed her hair, her ponytail is messy and it’s already being blown by the strong wind that afternoon.

“Well, what if I don’t want to, Red?”

His smile disappeared. He let out a sharp breath.

Why did he forget that apart from Euna’s unique attitude, her stubbornness is also unique?

“You know Euna, it’s like this-”

“What if I don’t want to choose to love myself because I prefer to choose now to love you? Is that still forbidden?”

Alright, this may sound cliché but his heart throbbed. At the point where it seems like it’s going to jump into it’s safe place any minute or so… “W-What?”

The fast beating of his heart is deafening him…

“Oh, nothing, Red! I said, go away. Thank you for welcoming the people here at home. I forgot to thank you earlier!”

Can I say another cliché line?

Because he won’t let her get away after she said those! And heck, he said that’s the throb of his heart is deafening but he’s not literally a deaf!

Laughing, he pinched her pulse again then he also caressed her cheek.

“I heard that. So, is that the answer that I’ve been waiting for, right?”

She irritatingly rolled her eyeballs. “Oh my, Red! Thank you very much and you’re handsome, if not really-”

He had deliberately cut off her. Because he thinks it’s better to kiss her than to listen to what she says.

When her arms automatically went around his neck, he smiled.

“So, that’s what a kiss tastes like,” Euna said, touching her lips, she was panting heavily.

He laughed a little. “What does it taste like?”

“Tastes like gum. That’s the gum I gave you earlier.”

“Just flavored gum?”

“Yes, lip swelling gum…”

He responded with laughter. If her lips were not swollen, he will definitely sucked it for real.

“You’re really crazy, Euna.”

“It’s true that it feels swollen!” She slapped him in the chest jokingly.

In the orange color of light and darkness in the sky that afternoon, they laughed happily. He grabbed her and kissed her again. Which he enjoyed with all his heart and soul….

She responded wholeheartedly. She was so easy to learn the kiss that he couldn’t tear himself away, he picked her up and hugged her tightly.

They shared a hearty laugh. Especially when a train passed by and honked its horn loudly as if it was participating in the happiness of their hearts now.

RED is right. Yes, the man who stayed and hugged her close to him was right.

This is the opening of a new chapter in her life with this handsome man.

Whatever the odd feelings she feels, she just hopes it will end soon. Even though she knows that everyone who loves gets hurt, It’s fine, as long as he’s still with her until the end and shares in that pain.

“Yes! Something has been harvested!” She giggled when Red shouted that.

She snorted, pretending annoyed.

Again they laughed together as he took her down and danced her in the middle of the track, as if they were in a romance show.

Ah, love, it’s really overwhelming but it also makes you lose interest in those around you. Because that’s exactly how she feels right now…

There was no one else around, just Red and her…