CHAPTER 14: FIRST KISS

"Choose now," Red said as he opened the bottle of water and drank it.

"M-me? But you're the one who played it..." Chelsea asked, still shy.

"I did that for you; go ahead and choose," Red remarked.

Because of her shyness, Chelsea slowly approached the extreme shot. The staff greeted her with a smile.

"What prize do you want, ma'am?"

She looked around at the hanging prizes and came to a halt in front of a large stitched stuffed toy. She was still hesitant to speak when Red suddenly appeared by her side.

"You want that?" pointed to the hanging stitch.

"Can I choose that? Maybe it's because it's not part of the prize, because it's too big compared to the others..." Chelsea whispered worriedly to Red.

"Does the prize include the life size stitch?" Red asked the waiting staff.

"Uh, yes, sir! You can choose everything that's hanging there. Is that what ma'am wants? Well, you're very lucky because that's the last life-size left! Shall I get it?" he asked while taking out a crowbar.

"Yes, please!" Chelsea answered happily.

When the stitch was handed to Chelsea, she immediately hugged it tightly. Red smiled when he saw that Chelsea was happy, as if she had forgotten what happened earlier.

As they were walking, they were stopped by a woman's scream. When they looked up, they saw the length of the zipline. Suddenly, Chelsea's insides were alive with eagerness to try it.

"Let's try that!" Chelsea said while pointing at the zipline.

"You really want to try that? That’s a bit high," Red said as he seemed to calculate its height.

"Are you afraid?" Chelsea asked Red with a chuckle.

"Maybe you!" He said boldly with a smile and walked closer to the ticket booth for the zipline.

The price is posted there already, 500 pesos for one person. You can choose a one way or two way ride. It is also said that it is 300 meters long.

"What, come on?" Red asked Chelsea back.

"Let's go!" Chelsea answered excitedly

When they paid the staff, they first left the stitch that the two had won earlier, and they climbed the highest tower. You can see the entire view of Sky Ranch Tagaytay from here, and it is truly amazing in its beauty. On the other side, you can see the fascinating view of the Taal volcano and the vast body of water below it.

"Are you going to take a couple-ride, ma'am, sir?" The staff asked them both.

"Is that possible?" Chelsea asked back.

"Yes, ma'am. You can go together!" The staff answered with a smile.

Chelsea looked at Red and seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"What?" Red asked in surprise.

"Do you want to do it alone or do you want us to be together?"

Red grinned and said, “Can you do it alone? You might cry when you stop in the middle."

"What!? Is it possible that I might get stuck in the middle? Are you serious?!" Chelsea asked the staff in shock.

"Sometimes, ma'am, that happens. That's why I suggest, ma'am, that you and sir go together," the staff said with a simple wink at Red.

Red and the staff seemed to immediately understand what had to be done. Chelsea's nervousness increased when she probably stopped in the middle, which she was afraid of.

"Let's go together, Red," she said while clinging to Red's clothes.

"Okay, I'm easy to talk to." He replied while secretly shaking hands with the staff.

When the zipline harnesses were attached to them, they were sent to the end of the tower.

"Is it a one-way or two-way ride?" The staff asked as they double-checked the zipline harness they were wearing.

"One way or two ways?" Red asked Chelsea again.

She hesitated to answer and was obviously thinking about her answer. While thinking, she turned around and looked at the long zipline.

"Let's go one way..." Chelsea whispered to Red and looked at him as if she were begging.

"It's like your bravery was just a while ago," Red teased here.

“We’re going for a one-way," Red said to the staff.

The two were positioned and prepared for their one-way ride. Chelsea began to sweat little by little when she saw how high it was. It's a different feeling when you're the one trying it than while looking down. It's starting to fall apart at the height of tenderness.

"Are you guys ready?" The staff asked to push the two of them.

"Ready!" Red answered briefly and looked at Chelsea. He saw that she had suddenly stayed quiet, so he immediately grabbed her hand. "Can you do it?" he asked worriedly.

Chelsea nervously looked back at him. "I can handle it!" It forced a smile.

"Are you ready?" Red asked.

"R-ready..." Chelsea replied.

"Okay, who's ready? Everyone's ready? Here we go, on the count of three - one... two... three!" The staff yelled at the two, and they both started to go down.

With their movement, Chelsea immediately closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Red.

"Open your eyes!" Red yelled at him.

"I don't want!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Just trust me, open your eyes, and look to the right!" Red shouted as he tightened his grip on Chelsea even more.

"If you are pranking me, I will really hit you!" Chelsea shouted angrily. Gaining courage, she slowly opened her eyes and obeyed Red's order. She was stunned by what she saw. The view of the Taal volcano was even better from their position. She is no longer bothered by the nervousness and fear of what it sees. The two also felt the cold wind hitting their faces.

When they reached the end, Chelsea still couldn't get out of her mind the beautiful scenery she didn't expect to witness today. As if it removed her fatigue and problems.

"Thank you!" Chelsea smiled and said to Red. It is obvious that she is sincere in her gratitude because her eyes are still shining like a star in the sky.

Red just smiled back at her, and they walked back to Chelsea's stitch. When they got it, they looked for a place to sit and rest, and fortunately, even though there were a lot of people, they still found a place to rest.

After sitting down, Red immediately took out his phone. "Do you want to eat?" He asked Chelsea.

"It's good that you asked; my stomach is really cramping," Chelsea said while holding her stomach.

"Is it okay with you even if we eat at the stalls?" Red asked.

"Sure, come on!"

Red just stared at her and seemed to want to rest a little, so she immediately pulled him away. When they got to the food stalls on the other side, they were only greeted with food that would not satisfy them. That's why they decided to go out and look for a nearby place to eat until they reached Bulalo Point.

When they found a seat, they ordered a special bulalo for 2-3 people, an order of pork chop barbecue, calamares, four rice bowls, and a Bicol express. While they were waiting, Red suddenly asked what happened to Chelsea.

"What happened to you earlier?" Red asked Chelsea, who was dumbfounded somewhere.

"Hmm? Which one?"

"Why were you crying earlier on the road?"

"Uh.. is that it? It’s nothing. There was just a problem at home..."

"Tell me."

"Nah, I’m fine. I'm used to those. Let’s not talk about it…"

"I wanna know, Chelsea," Red said seriously to Chelsea.

Chelsea hesitated to answer, but because of Red's nagging, she couldn't do anything.

"Dad called this morning, and he said he misses me and wants to go visit Mom's grave with me. Haha, but you know how stupid I am," she laughed and said.

Red didn't say a word and just continued to listen.

"Well, when I got home, my stepmother and Maxine, my youngest sister, just came to me. Guess what, dad wasn't there. They said there was a business emergency, but I knew they were just setting it up, and the only thing I can't accept is that my dad is an accomplice."

She took a deep breath before continuing the story.

"I was about to leave when I forgot my bag inside the house, so I went back. When I came back, I heard the two of them talking about the plans they had for me... When they compare you to Mark, they intend to destroy what I have now."

"What do you have today?" Red asked here.

"You?"

Red was speechless at Chelsea's answer. That's why she continues the story.

"There was a bloody fight," she said with a laugh. "Those two worked together, and only lies came out of their mouths that I couldn't take anymore, so I answered them too... "

"What happened to you and your ex? Mark, right?" Red asked curiously.

"Yeah, Mark is my fiance. We were supposed to get married this year, but that case fell through because I discovered he and Maxine were doing something shady," Chelsea replied, looking away.

"Do you love him?" Red asked.

CHELSEA

"Do you love him?" Red asked me. This person is very curious about my life.

"I used to... I used to love him..." I gave a short answer to finish the question.

After a while, the food ordered by Redemon arrived, and it smelled delicious. I keep getting hungry; it smells like mom's dish.

We started eating, and I just thanked him, and he ordered calamari. It's really one of my favorite foods. I just winged it until I got to four to ensure I started the battle with the bulalo. The first time I took a sip of the bone, I immediately got the brain. My food was so delicious that I almost forgot I was with him. I’ve already used my hand instead of the spoon and fork; I'm hungry, and no one will care. Besides, he is also busy with his food. We no longer giggle and seem to have our own worlds while eating.

…

After they finished eating, they rested for a few minutes before deciding to return to Sky Ranch. Chelsea said that she wanted to ride the Ferris wheel tonight. When they get inside, they first hang around the carousel hall and watch the children riding it.

"Have you ever tried to ride the carousel?" Chelsea asked while her eyes were still fixed on the children.

Red only raised his brow as he looked at her.

"Because I haven't yet... Do you know that I've reached this age where I haven't even experienced going to amusement parks?... Because since my mother died, my father has been busy with his business, and my stepmother lost more time with me because Maxine came into our lives. Do you know that Maxine and I were very close when we were young? We were best friends back then..." she smiled.

"You can ride me instead," Red said teasingly.

This immediately broke Chelsea's thoughts and she glared at Red.

"What? I'm just kidding. You're too serious. I brought you here to have fun, not to make you cry again." Red said.

"I'm not crying!" she said while still showing her eyes to Red.

"That's it. There are tears." Red teasingly said.

Chelsea just smiled at him and said, "Let's go! I saw a bumper car there earlier; let's ride it!" Chelsea said happily, and before Red could answer, she immediately pulled him away. He didn't say anything and simply drew Chelsea.

When they got inside, they immediately chose different cars. It looks like the two are planning to fight.

When the timer started, Red immediately bumped Chelsea's car. Chelsea almost fell from her seat due to the impact of the crash on her.

"That's what you want! Get ready for me!" Chelsea shouted as she chased after Red's car.

Red quickly ran from what he was riding because Chelsea was chasing him. They were chasing each other inside when Red suddenly bumped into someone else, which is why it stopped immediately, and in an unexpected event, Chelsea's vehicle plunged into it. They laughed at what happened and continued the chase until time ran out.

After the tiresome bumper car, they decided to try the sky cruiser, super Viking, drop tower, riding loop, and log coaster. The night had reached them with the number of rides they tried, and it was obvious on their faces that they were happy and tired of what they were doing.

"It's almost 6 p.m.; do you want to ride the sky eye?" Red refers to the Ferris wheel.

"Yes, I'm a bit cold. It feels like I've been put in a freezer," she said to Red shakily.

"Wait for me here; I'll just find you a jacket," he said as he left and looked for a store to buy a jacket.

Fortunately, he hadn't gone far when he saw a souvenir shop and a display of clothes and jackets. He immediately entered it and bought the first jacket he touched. He immediately returned to Chelsea and put on the jacket he bought. The jacket he bought was a bit big, but it was good enough to keep Chelsea's knees from getting cold.

"Let's go."

"You were gone for long; I already bought a ticket for us," Chelsea said while showing Red their ticket.

"Because the shops here are full of food."

When they got on board, Red immediately got hold of the iron when their ride suddenly tilted.

"I told you to go on a diet," Chelsea complained.

He just looked at her and adjusted the seat. When they started to rise, Chelsea peered outside. Here you can see the view of the entire Sky Ranch, and it is very beautiful at night because of the light coming from the rides. The volcano can no longer be seen because it is surrounded by fog.

"Take a picture of me!" Chelsea commanded Red with a smile.

He immediately took the phone from his pocket and pointed the camera at Chelsea. He was looking for a good angle when he suddenly stopped when the camera focused on Chelsea's face.

"What?" Chelsea asked.

Red didn't react to Chelsea's obsession. He just stares at her face in the camera, as if memorizing every detail of it. He put down the phone he was holding and continued to stare at her.

"What's your problem?" Chelsea asked curiously, but he didn't say anything.

His gaze lowered to Chelsea's lips, and his eyes lingered there. He gulped. Red suddenly caught her hands, and what happened next surprised her. He pulled her close and kissed her softly. With the speed of the event, Chelsea was like a stump, unable to move.