Behind Those Eyes | Aonung (Enemies to Lovers)

32. jealousy or infatuation

Tuk facepalmed and slumped over on the rock in disappointment.

Kiri's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, taken aback by his odd behavior. "Okay... I thought we were friends already, no?"

Rotxo forced out a loud laugh. "You're right. We are friends already. F-Forget what I just said. I'll see you later, Kiri!"

With that, he walked away as fast as he could. Tuk rolled her eyes and followed after him, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

All those practices went to waste.

"Kiri, are you ready?" Katiya asked, appearing behind her sister.

"Um, yeah." Kiri's voice trailed off as she watched Rotxo walk further into the distance. "Are you going to show the girls how to braid in your style today? They've been asking a lot."

Katiya nodded, following her sister's gaze briefly.

"Yeah, hopefully that'll shut them up forever," she joked. "What were you and Rotxo talking about just now?"

Kiri shrugged and kicked a stone out of her way.

"I think he was trying to ask me out," she said, her voice barely a whisper. She glanced at Katiya, her cheeks growing pink.

Katiya froze, looking at her with a shocked expression. "Really? And what did you say?"

"Nothing. I didn't get to say anything since... he backed out? I don't know, it was a weird conversation." Kiri replied, confused. "He asked me but then he said friend girl. What the heck is a friend girl?"

Katiya snickered. "You made him nervous."

The reason was, however, that Rotxo became intimidated by Katiya's assertive personality. His main fear was that Katiya's protective older-sister side would spring out if he became more than friends with Kiri.

After all, her disdain for his best friend was evident from the beginning. The last thing he wanted was to suffer another nosebleed like Aonung.

Rotxo watched helplessly as the two sisters sat on a protruding rock with a group of girls. In front of him, Tuk nagged him relentlessly.

On the netted walkway connecting the Marui pods, Aonung and Narini walked side-by-side.

He decided to take up his mother's suggestion and spend his afternoon with her.

"I've been learning how to braid my hair with the Omaticaya beads from Kiri," she said, excitement evident in her voice. "She treats me kindly like your sister."

"I see." He nodded, smiling. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes, it was quite fun." Narini returned his smile, her brows slightly furrowed when she noticed him occasionally looking around as if he was searching for someone.

"Speaking of which, Kiri told me her sister will be teaching the girls how to braid in her style today. Will you mind if I drag you along with me? I've—"

"Not at all," Aonung interrupted, his ears suddenly perked in excitement.

Narini chuckled as she led them toward the shore where the girls were together in a circle on a protruding rock.

Kiri braided Sihi's hair while Meyta and Ritxabraided their own as they observed Katiya demonstrate how to braid like hers. On the front, she already had a strand completed, embellished with four different colors of beads.

"Hello," Narini greeted them excitedly.

"Hi, Narini! Come sit next to me." Ritxa patted the spot beside her.