Back into Your Arms: Chapter Nine [ENG]

BiYA Chapter IX

Joe stopped his car in front of a pecel lele tent. He fell silent for a moment, looking at Iona who was still smiling widely beside him. Iona had very rarely eaten pecel lele during her life because her Mother was quite strict about her eating rules. Thus, imagining eating it with her loved one made Iona feel giddy with joy. However, Iona tried to maintain her expression, thinking about what she should say later when facing Joe. 

"Why? Were you expecting a five-star restaurant or other expensive food?" Joe asked flatly. 

"No! I'm just happy, really."

source: Gemini

Joe rolled his eyes, took the keys, and opened the car door. Without waiting for Iona to get out, he had already stepped into the pecel lele tent and sat down on one of the wooden chairs there. With hurried steps, Iona managed to catch up with Joe, who still wore a cold expression.

"You should be grateful I didn't lock you in there," Joe interrupted sharply just as Iona opened her mouth to protest.

Iona finally sat down in front of Joe. The man seemed busy looking at the menu on a laminated piece of paper. The girl was annoyed, but a sense of pride crept in; she didn't expect that someone as successful as Joe would still be willing to eat simply at a roadside place, mingling with the people crowding the atmosphere.

"Do you come here often?" Iona asked cautiously.

"Quite often. Why? Are you uncomfortable in a place like this? To you, is this place squalid and disgusting?"

"Oh my god... I never thought like that." For some reason, it felt very painful to hear that accusation coming from Joe's mouth, the figure she loved so dearly. "I was just curious..."

Joe said nothing, instead making a gesture to call a staff member. After ordering, silence fell again. Iona fell silent, slightly shaken by Joe’s cold side which reminded her of a critical time—the last time she met Joe when he had misunderstood her before everything changed.

The food arrived, complete with a hand-washing bowl. The smell was indeed tempting, but Iona suddenly lost her appetite. She just stared at her plate with eyes that began to well up; tears holding back a sob that felt tight in her chest.

Joe looked up, and his movement stopped. Seeing the glint of tears in the eyes of the girl in front of him, something pierced his conscience—a foreign sense of guilt.

"Sorry, maybe I was too harsh," Joe muttered, his voice softening a few notches. "But eat. I'll pay later."

"No, let me take responsibility—"

"Because I still want to see you again," Joe cut in quickly.

Iona was stunned, looking at Joe intently. This sudden change made her wonder. "Why?"

"Whether it's because of your gestures or whatever... but you remind me of someone. You feel very familiar to me. I... like that sensation."

Iona didn't know how to react. She realized that even though she was in Stella's body, the aura of her soul could not be hidden from Joe. Without a word, Iona began to touch her food. The tears on her eyelids dried, replaced by a joyful sparkle.

"Contact me after this when you're free. I'll give you my office number. I'll be busy for the next few days, but I'll make time to see you. Do you hear me?"

"Ah... yes, of course."

Even though there was no more conversation after that, Iona felt very happy. Her hope of returning to Joe's embrace felt one step closer.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

"How did it go?" Fiat asked when Iona arrived home.

"He gave me his office number."

"Office number?!" Fiat snatched the business card. His eyes widened in horror. "What kind of man gives an office number to a woman? He asked you to contact him and you agreed? You really are head over heels, aren't you? He should be the one contacting you!"

Iona only responded with a small nod that made Fiat even more exasperated.

"Then what did you take to get here?"

source: Gemini

"He... drove me."

"Hm... a good start. Where did you guys eat?"

"Pecel... lele."

"PECEL LELE?!" Fiat screamed, his face turning pale. "Are you crazy? Are you sure that's safe to consume? You've only just recovered from being mobbed, Stella! Ah, i mean Iona! Your internal wounds haven't fully dried yet. What if there are bacteria? What if you drop again because of roadside food?!"

Blamm!

Iona slammed and locked her bedroom door so she wouldn't have to hear her overly protective brother's ranting. The sound of Fiat's panicked shouts was immediately masked by the white noise device in her room. Iona smiled widely, reviewing every second spent with Joe today.

Elsewhere, Joe threw himself onto his bed. He looked at the ceiling with a much lighter feeling. He wondered why he felt like he had known Stella for so long. Not her face, but something he couldn't describe. His head, which had been frequently aching, suddenly felt relieved. Remembering the soy sauce stain on Stella's face earlier made Joe smile slightly without realizing it.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

The next morning, the atmosphere became tense again.

"Iona dear, is it true you told Mas Bro to leave last night?" asked Buana, her father.

Iona, who was devouring jam on toast, only nodded slightly, preparing herself for a scolding.

"Do you know they have a duty to keep you safe? Especially since you went out with a strange man whose background and family line I haven't looked into yet! Where do you even know him from? I don't feel like I ever set you up with that person!"

"It was just a meal, Dad. Then I came straight home. I'm safe."

"Have you forgotten that time you and Fiat were just coming home from the office? Then you were trapped, separated from Fiat, and..." Buana couldn't continue. He sobbed.

Iona was shocked. She immediately approached and hugged her father who was trembling, holding back tears.

source: Gemini

"Dad just doesn't want anything to happen to you again... The person who harmed you is still out there. The police haven't found anything. Dad only feels at ease if you go with Mas Bro... that's all."

Iona nodded in understanding. She forgot that living in Stella Viviana's body meant living in danger. The Buana family's power in the economic world made them an easy target for dirty business rivals.

"So please, don't meet that man until Dad knows more about him, okay? That is Dad's only request."

Iona nodded obediently, even though her heart clearly rebelled. She would not let the opportunity to return to Joe simply slip away.

BiYA Chapter IX

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