CHAPTER 9: Why did it feel so strange

20th May.

Justin descended the steps of the mansion, straightening his work coat. He had glanced at the living room and found Dee lazing on the sofa while watching television shows. Justin frowned at Dee.

"No lectures?" Justin asked.

Without turning to her brother, Dee replied, "Nope. Ah, before you come home, buy me the same food as yesterday lunch. The menu must be exactly the same as all the extras. 2 servings."

Justin raised his eyebrows at Dee's command, then looked at his sister's doubts. "Are you going to eat it all?"

Startled by Justin's question, Hannah woke up, and gawking.

"Gosh, do I look that greedy? Of course 1 portion is for Rachelle." muttered Dee. Dee wondered why her brother could only think of herself as the one who would eat all the food that was asked for when there were others to think of. Of course Dee will share with Rachelle.

Before Justin could answer, a middle-aged man came and chuckled, interrupting Justin and Dee's petty argument.

"Oh? Uncle thought you were going to order 3 servings?" Bernard seemed to insinuate that Dee would forget himself and give a joke.

Hearing what Bernard, Rachelle's father, said, Dee felt embarrassed and patted her forehead as if she forgot something important.

"Jeez! How foolish that I almost forgot you, uncle!" then, Dee turned to Justin again, "Brother, you heard it, right? Make it 3 servings!" continued Dee.

Bernard seemed guilty of doing the joke, and was dumbfounded. "Eh? Uncle doesn't want to-"

"You want extras like Dee's too, Bernard?" asked Justin, interrupting Bernard's refusal.

Bernard knew what it meant was that Justin wouldn't accept rejection. So, somehow Bernard would appreciate and thank Justin for this.

"Well, actually I have no problem at all. But, I guess maybe that's enough." said Bernard nodding his head.

"Uncle, what time is Rachelle coming home?" Dee asked suddenly. Bernard thought for a moment before remembering Hannah's home time after attending campus activities as usual.

"I think it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon?" replied Bernard.

Dee turned back to Justin. "You heard too, right? Pick up Rachelle too!"

Hearing Dee's command that seemed to force Justin to do it, Bernard panicked a little and tried to refuse it again this time.

"Dee, Rachelle can go home alone as usual. She will definitely come home with her friends too later. No problem." said Bernard objecting.

Dee sighed and raised one hand in front of Bernard as if to ask him to stop refusing, again.

"No, uncle. Starting today, I want Rachelle to go home with brother or the driver to pick her up if I'm not with Rachelle. It's safer, right? Besides, I also want to meet Rachelle soon." Rachelle explained, then cleared her throat, covering up another motive, unfortunately her brother already knew it even though she acted as if she didn't understand and acted normal.

"No problem, Bernard. I can pick her up later. Dee is right, it would be safer if Rachelle could come home with me. Then, I'll be off."

*

Justin started the car he was driving again as soon as Rachelle entered the front seat of the passenger section. The two of them fell silent to each other, no one started the conversation. Justin himself was just being casual, while Rachelle continued to feel awkward about herself as it was their first time in a car together like this. Given that Rachelle still has 'feelings' for Justin, of course this makes her a little awkward.

"Dee wants some food, we'll stop by for a second." said Justin opening his voice.

Rachelle gave a quick glance. "Ah, of course." she replied briefly. Not knowing what else to say, Rachelle chose to remain silent and stared at the road which was not busy this afternoon.

Before long, Justin stopped his car on the curb right in front of the same cafe he always visited. Not wanting to let Justin buy alone, Rachelle came downstairs and followed Justin into the cafe. Inside, Justin circled his gaze looking for the presence of a waitress named Hannah. Suddenly, someone tapped Justin's shoulder, causing him to look back.

"Mr. Justin?" Hannah smiled as soon as she actually found yesterday's customer coming back. "Well, looks like you've become a regular here, huh."

Justin raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat. "This cafe is pretty close to the office and I'd like to order some food before going home."

While watching Justin and a waitress in front of him chat, Rachelle stayed there, wondering if the two had met before and had become close. Rachelle didn't even have the chance to introduce herself because she felt that the waitress didn't even notice where she was right now. On the other hand, Rachelle also pays attention to how the two interact, especially Justin. How could that man speak to the girl in front of him casually and smoothly as if he had known her better.

"Ah, I see. Well, lucky I'm here for you. So, what do you want to order?"

Justin felt ridiculous to himself when he heard Hannah's question sounding ambiguous in front of him. He smiled wryly at that. Rachelle, who has been watching Justin since earlier, felt a little surprised to see Justin smiling a little.

"Fish and chips, cheeseburger with extra beef and cheese too, and 3 servings of cola each." Justin replied while Hannah jotted it down on a small piece of paper.

Looking back at the order she had recorded, Hannah nodded her head. "Well, I seem to know whose order it was yesterday. Did the lady who was with you yesterday ordered it?" guessed Hannah.

Justin shrugged his shoulders. "My sister." Justin replied. Stupidly, Hannah thought that the girl who was with the man in front of her was his lover. So, she is his younger sister.

"Ah, I see." she lies amused. "Alright. Wait here, I'll immediately order it quickly for you!" Hannah exclaimed as she left.

Justin and Rachelle waited for their order while sitting in a long chair that had been specially prepared to wait for the order to be brought home. Unconsciously, Justin continued to pay attention to how Hannah interacted with other customers. The girl continued to smile at all the customers. Likewise with customers who feel they have received friendly service from a Hannah, they also smile, as if a smile from Hannah is their happy virus.

*

After dinner with the food Dee wanted, now Dee, Rachelle, Bernard, and Justin were sitting together in the living room. Dee still continues to praise how the food can be as good as ahe imagined since earlier.

"Wow, that waitress is the best! How can she give me an extra like this, this is crazy! I guess she's the only one who gives me a bonus like this! Did she give it to other people too, huh?" Dee still seemed to really enjoy the best service from the cafe waitress girl.

Bernard, who was listening to how fiery Dee looked, furrowed his brows. "waitress?" asked Bernard anxious to find out.

"Dee, she has a name." Justin replied later, trying to prevent Dee from continuing to call her 'waitress'.

"Ah, I forgot the name. Ha-"

"Hannah, her name is Hannah." interrupted Justin as he stood up and was about to leave to get drinking water.

For a moment, Justin frowned in confusion. Why did it feel so strange when he said the girl's name out of the blue?