"Wow! Bro Faith Hoewar. What are you doing here?" Gilang asked, extending his hand for a handshake.
"How are you, Bro?" he added.
Instead of responding to Gilang's greeting, Faith quickly grabbed Kasih's hand, attempting to pull her away from him.
"Hey ... what's going on here?" Gilang wondered as he saw Faith forcefully pulling Kasih away.
His hanging hand quickly lowered, and Gilang became more curious about Faith's unusual behavior with Kasih.
"Are you two close now?" he asked, noting that Kasih and Faith had never greeted each other before. They hadn't spoken at all, as far as he knew.
Both of them chose to remain silent, not responding to Gilang's inquiry. Kasih was surprised by Faith's tight grip on her hand, making her more nervous. She didn't expect Faith to act as if he were afraid Gilang might take her away.
Nervously, Kasih felt Faith's grip making her hand suddenly cold.
"I hope Mas Faith doesn't notice it."
Certainly, Faith sensed it. He began to wonder why Kasih's hand was cold. Did she feel nervous about meeting her old boyfriend? Faith assumed Kasih's hand was cold due to nervousness, not realizing it was because she was feeling the tight grip of a man who had been in her heart for years.
Kasih had been trying to release her hand from Faith's grip but couldn't. He wouldn't let her hand go.
Faith's suspicion grew as he thought Kasih was nervous because of Gilang's arrival.
Suddenly, the ring store manager approached them.
"Mr. Faith, I apologize. It seems the wedding rings for both of you cannot be completed today. There are prior orders for engraving names that need to be fulfilled first. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience," the manager explained extensively to the engaged couple.
"Alright, miss. It's not a problem for us," Faith responded wisely.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir, ma'am. You can come back to our store tomorrow at eleven in the morning." Faith nodded in agreement.
"What?" Gilang exclaimed.
"Wait, so you two are getting married? But how?" Gilang was even more curious because, to his knowledge, Kasih never had a boyfriend. So, why were they suddenly planning to get married?
Faith stared blankly at Gilang.
"Do you already know the answer, Mr. Gilang? We'll excuse ourselves now," Faith said, gripping Kasih's hand to leave the luxurious store.
"Wait, Bro! We should celebrate this happy news. I'll invite both of you for lunch," Gilang insisted, annoying Faith.
Faith tried to refuse, but Gilang quickly said, "If you don't want to, it's fine, Bro. However, I'll follow you wherever you go, just to satisfy my curiosity."
An insidious grin appeared on Gilang's lips.
"This guy is annoyingly persistent!" Faith cursed inwardly.
Reluctantly, Faith agreed to Gilang's request. Gilang took them to a fancy restaurant inside the mall.
Gilang ordered the most expensive dishes to celebrate their engagement.
"All the dishes are served; let's eat," Gilang announced.
Faith looked at Gilang flatly while starting his lunch.
"Thank you, Bro Gilang." Only Kasih responded to his invitation. Faith remained indifferent and unresponsive.
"Kasih ... I see you're becoming more mature and beautiful. It won't be long before you become a wife," Gilang said enthusiastically.
"It's just normal, Bro," Kasih replied modestly, glancing at Faith to gauge his reaction. However, Faith seemed unconcerned and focused on his lunch.
"Big brother, how did you two become an engaged couple? There must be a reason for this, right?" Gilang asked, curious.
Faith's annoyance reached its peak. He couldn't hold it back any longer and said sharply, "It seems like you've been talking too much!"
However, Faith's piercing words were met with a relaxed response from Gilang. Although he intentionally provoked Faith and praised Kasih to see his reaction, it worked. He could sense Faith's anger, especially when it came to Kasih.
Gilang drew the conclusion that Faith had stronger feelings for Kasih.
"Ha-ha-ha. Take it easy, Bro! Why are you so angry?" he said to Faith.
"Because you're too talkative!" Faith retorted, not caring that they were in a public restaurant.
"Mas Faith ..." Kasih intervened.
Realizing that the situation was escalating and becoming less conducive, Kasih spoke again, Gilang, thank you for the lunch invitation. However, it seems we have to leave now. We have a family event this afternoon, so we need to go."
"Okay, Kasih. Be careful on the road. We'll definitely meet again soon," Gilang said mysteriously in every word.
Kasih's phone suddenly vibrated. After checking the message from her mother, she stood up, gently pulling Faith's hand.
"Let's go, Mas. We have to leave now," she said to her future husband, smiling sweetly.
Faith softened a bit, especially seeing Kasih's sweet smile. They left the restaurant hand in hand, displaying affection.
As Kasih walked, occasionally focusing on her phone, Faith grew suspicious.
"Who is she chatting with on that phone?" Faith wondered irritably in his mind.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Faith stopped walking and said, "Who are you chatting with, huh? Why do I notice you're so busy with your phone?"
He spoke angrily, glaring at Kasih.