Chapter 35

"Happy birthday, Mr. Chandrawinata."

Nathan smiled broadly when he just arrived at a restaurant, there was the figure of Deasy who greeted him warmly and enthusiastically. Not only that, the friend of his ex-girlfriend even prepared, then gave a gift box that might have been prepared in advance to be given to him.

Nathan was certainly pleased. He, who has his own birthday, even forgets that today is his birthday or birthday. Feeling lucky too, because there are still other people who remember and even bother to celebrate and surprise at the same time.

"Gosh. So, you called earlier and told me to rush over to Holycow because you already prepared all of this?"

Dessy smiled and nodded. Several days ago, he had reserved a place at this famous restaurant to celebrate Nathan's birthday together.

Actually, this is not the first. Before Nathan went to study abroad, Deasy had also celebrated his birthday with Velove. The three of them do have a ritual to celebrate birthdays together alternately. However, this time Deasy didn't bring along Velove as she had before.

"Yes, please. As a good friend, I can't possibly forget your birthday. Here, I've also prepared a special gift for you," said the woman, holding out a black box containing the gifts she had prepared beforehand.

"For God's sake, you're really bothering, Des. Just treat me to a meal, I'm already happy, you know."

"It's fine, I'm the treat!" Deasy immediately glared. Pursing her lips, the woman grunted playfully. "I've bought a present and prepared a birthday cake. It's your turn to treat the meal, please. Your salary as an expert staff is higher, Nath."

"You don't have totality. No wonder you choose the expensive restaurant."

Deasy and Nathan both laughed. As soon as the waiter came, both of them ordered some food in advance to eat. While waiting, the two of them talked to each other discussing various topics.

Nathan himself, who seemed curious about the box Deasy gave him, chose to open it. A moment later, took out the special item for him to try.

"Insane. Patek Philippe watch? You have a lot of money, Des. This isn't the result of corruption in Velove's company, is it?" Nathan joked on purpose. He often does. Make fun of Deasy to her heart's content.

"Reckless," Deasy chuckled. "Without corruption, I've been rich since birth," he said arrogantly.

It couldn't be helped, what Deasy said was true. Basically, he was born into a well-to-do, even respected family. Deasy joined Velove because she wanted to prove to her parents that she could be independent and move forward without the help of her family. And it turns out, the profession and work that he is in makes him happy and comfortable.

"Yes, I know that if you are really a rich person who is very loud," Nathan said openly in a deliberately sarcastic tone. "If I work hard to earn a lot of money. It's a different story from you who work so that you are considered busy with your family."

Deasy laughed. Annoyed, the woman pinched Nathan's arm repeatedly.

"That's not the concept either, Mr. Chandra."

"Des! Ah. I really don't like being called that," the man protested.

"Okay... okay... Mr. Nathan. You're being talkative. I'm serious about working to make money too. You know, I haven't received money from my parents for a long time. It's just too lazy to always be considered by people if we succeed because of their interference."

"I feel you, Des. Velove used to complain too, right?"

Dessy nodded. "He's even worse. It's considered that he can't do anything. And everything he gets is always the intervention of his father."

"You guys, you have parents that are too rich. Not to mention women too. It's always considered that you can't do anything. So, other people's views must immediately under estimate first."

"Eh by the way about Velove..." interjected Deasy. "You have a birthday like this, did he congratulate you? Or give him a gift?"

Nathan shook his head. Sipping half of the lemon tea in his glass, then the man replied, "Nothing at all."

"Are you serious?" asked Deasy as if in disbelief.

"Yes," nodded Nathan. "Maybe he was really busy, that's why he forgot. Besides, there's no need for Velove, I don't even remember that today is my birthday."

"But it's really that much. When you're abroad, he's just trying to send gifts, right?"

This time Nathan nodded. Remembering when he was studying abroad, Velove had indeed presented him with various kinds of birthday gifts.

"Yeah, let's just leave it. It doesn't really matter about presents, Des. Besides, I'm not a kid."

Dessy shook her head. Of course he didn't agree with Nathan's trivial answer.

"Still, Velove has changed so much, Nath. Don't you worry if she really has a crush on Darwin? Are you serious just willing to do that?"

"I'm sure my name is still in Velove's heart right now. Even if Darwin is there, I just believe that when their marriage is over, Velove will come back to my arms sooner or later."

That second laugh also broke out on Deasy's lips. He mocked the words that had just left Nathan's lips. How could this man in front of him be as naïve as he is now.

"Oh my God, Nathan. Where did that confidence come from, huh? Just imagine, after only two months of marriage, Velove has changed little by little. Now, he's even almost forgotten about you completely."

"That's just your feeling, Des," said Nathan.

Deasy smiled lightly. Leaning her face slightly, the woman then waved a finger, asking Nathan to come closer to her.

"You don't know, do you? Recently, Darwin asked Velove to try to have a real marriage for one month?"

Nathan was aghast. He wasn't sure what he had just heard.

"What do you mean?"

"As you heard Nathanael Chandrawinata. This jerk Darwin, invites the person you love to have a serious relationship within a month. If this relationship is successful, there will be no word of divorce. So, just be prepared to accept the fate of losing Velove forever ."

"You're serious?"

Deasy nodded repeatedly. The basics really couldn't be warned, the woman again told what she shouldn't have told Nathan.

"1000 times rirus. Velove himself told the story."

Nathan paused. Looking straight, the man took in several breaths. I don't know what the man was thinking right now. It wasn't long before Nathan turned back to Deasy and then started talking again.

"Just let it be, Des. If Velove is indeed my soul mate, no matter what, he will come back to my side."

Deasy chuckled lazily. Even though he really hoped Nathan would do something so that Velove could separate from a toxic man like Darwin.

***

"Darwin, where are you going neat like that?" asked Velove when he saw Darwin, who had been pacing back and forth in the room while tidying up the clothes he was wearing.

The scent of floral cotton mixed with woody from the Bvlgari perfume that Darwin was wearing wafted sharply and filled the room. I don't know how many times the man spilled the fragrance on his body until it smelled up to Velove's nose.

"I'm going to meet Samuel and Randy at a regular cafe. Do you want to come?" take the man. Tumben-tumben also after so long often going out at night alone, this is the first time Darwin also asked his wife whether he wanted to go out with him.

"You asked me? Seriously?"

Darwin nodded. Turning around, the man gave him a serious look.

"Yes, Velove. I did invite you. Besides, there seems to be Luna too. If you want to come, quickly change your clothes."

Velove at that moment also nodded his head. Inching down from the bed, the woman hurriedly walked towards the walk in closet. Changing casual clothes and applying simple make-up, then followed Darwin's steps towards the car.

Arriving at the Cafe and when he got out of the car, Darwin immediately took Velove without awkwardness. Bringing his wife in immediately, to then approach the cousins who had already arrived and had already gathered.

"Ecieee, thank you for coming tonight with a trailer," Randy joked when she saw Darwin and Velove who were already sitting in front of her.

Darwin was certainly well aware that this would definitely happen. But he didn't care. Like what he said to Velove, this month he will try to do what a husband should do to his wife, including taking Velove out for a walk and hanging out with his cousins.

"Velove, you don't have to listen to it. Guys don't behave like that," defended Luna, who was there at the time.

Randy chuckled immediately. It's just that Samuel's wife says all kinds of things.

"Who do you mean don't sell?"

"Yes, you are. Of the three of you, who hasn't sold out yet? It's only you, right?" Luna replied so strikingly.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, Luna. Have you forgotten? There are lots of girls trying to be boyfriends of guys as handsome as me?"

"Alah, they all want your money, not your love, Randy. Two or three stingrays, it's useless to be handsome but no one has them."

"Unlucky!" Randy cursed.

Everyone laughs. Velove, who had just joined Darwin's cousins for the first time, couldn't even stop himself from laughing at Randy, who was being bullied by Luna.

"Btw, Win, Velove was offered what he wanted to eat and drink first. How about you take him to a cafe but don't order anything," reminded Samuel.

Darwin nodded. Called the waiter, then asked for a menu book then handed it to Velove.

"What would you like to order, honey?"

Randy and Samuel's ears immediately widened. Both of them were sure of what they had just heard.

"It's not playing, I love all kinds of things now," Randy joked, laughing mockingly. "It smells like something is starting to go wrong, Ken," said the man when he remembered Darwin's words at the beginning of his marriage.

"Okay, don't start!" Darwin chuckled in annoyance.

Velvet chuckled. As soon as Darwin gave the code for the previous question, the woman immediately answered.

"I'll just order orange juice."

"In that case, I'll order gelato ice cream with one Oreo and one mineral water," Darwin said afterwards to the cafe waiter.

While waiting for the menu they ordered to arrive, Darwin and Velove listened to Samuel and Randy's story again. Occasionally the two of them would laugh again when the discussion had grazed into funny things.

"Actually, what did you guys ask me to come to the cafe tonight to discuss?" asked Darwin while feeding ice cream gelato into his mouth. Also curious because the two cousins said there were important things they wanted to talk about.

"Since next week there will be a long holiday, I want to invite you to come to Korea. Besides, we haven't gone out together in a long time. Moreover, now we have a wife."

"Ahem!" Randy was heard clearing her throat loudly. "Just please, I don't have a wife yet. Can I be left behind?"

"That's your pain, Ran," said Luna indifferently.

"Okay, you can go alone, Ran. Aren't you used to traveling alone? Besides, I don't accept it when you invite your unclear boyfriends," Samuel refused giving a warning. Then the next second, the man turned back to Darwin. "How about it, Win? Do you want to come? I'll buy the tickets and all the accommodation."

Darwin looked thoughtful. Back scooping the ice cream in his bowl, the man instead pushed it into Velove's mouth and then spoke softly to his wife.

"Do you want to come along?"

Velove gasped. It wasn't about the offer Darwin asked about, but about the ice cream the man suddenly offered. It's just that her husband was not proud to be so sweet in front of his cousins.

Because he kept being prodded, he awkwardly accepted the ice cream that Darwin gave him. While chewing slowly, the woman replied, "To Korea?"

"Yeah. We've never been to Korea together, have we? Later I'll take you to my house over there."

Velove smiled, then nodded afterward. He thought there was nothing wrong with accepting Samuel's invitation to go on vacation to Korea together. After all, this opportunity does not necessarily come for the second time.

"Sounds like fun. Besides, next week our schedule at the office isn't too tight, right? I don't think it's a problem if we go too."

"Yeah, you guys just go with it. It's the umpteenth honeymoon. Who knows, the two of us who were going home will be three," said Randy provokingly. For business stove, the man was very smart.

"Yes," Velove said confidently.

"Okay. Since you two agreed, after this Luna will take care of all kinds of needs for us to leave next week. I hope that no one suddenly cancels the schedule unilaterally."

"Deal," Darwin said firmly. "Me and Velove will be ready too."

Everyone then went back to talking. Discusses some of the plans that might be realized when going on vacation together to South Korea, later.