"What? I'm no longer a minor. I might look like a high school student but I'm already of legal age. Therefore, I'm allowed to get drunk." Irani reasoned out.

"Still a no," Red answered in a firm voice.

Irani pouted her lips. "Come on, Red. I won't get drunk. Just three bottles of beer. Come on, it's the weekend tomorrow."

“Still a no, shortcake."

“Please.” She clasped her hands in front of him and blinked her eyes rapidly, trying hard to be cute. “Come on, Red. Can't you say yes to someone who just got her heart broken?"

Red shook his head, then he heaved a deep sigh. “Fine. But only one bottle.”

Irani snorted at him. “Didn't know you were such a killjoy, Red.”

She then picked up the songbook and started choosing a song. After picking one, she grabbed the mic and started singing. It was a song from the local band Eraserheads.

"That band would cringe if they heard how you murdered their famous song," Red commented, grinning at her.

Irani rolled her eyes at him as she went back to their seat. She turned to Red who was busy munching his pizza. “Shut up! My score is high." She handed him the microphone. "Let's see if you'll be able to score higher."

"Nah. I don't sing.” Red answered, shaking his head. The grin on his face was still there.

Irani raised her eyebrows at him, as if challenging.

"Why? You're really not good at singing, yes?”

Red just laughed at her taunting. "You should know, shortcake. I'm good with everything."

"Then proved it," she challenged. "Wait. I'm going to choose the song." She picked a famous song from Taylor Swift. "Let's see if you can sing this one," she said to Red.

"Red," the guy beside her, amused. "You really chose this for me, huh."

Irani just pursed her lips as she looked at the wide screen in front of them.

"Loving him was like driving a new Maserati on a dead-end street. Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly…”

Irani stopped munching her pizza when she heard Red's singing voice. His voice was good. It was soothing, deep and husky. He was right. He was also good at singing.

She felt like butterflies started to invade her stomach as Red's voice continued to grace her ears.

Irani swallowed as she turned to Red. And her cheeks burned when she found him staring at her.

"Loving him was blue like I never knew. Missing her dark grey all along. Forgetting her was like trying to know somebody you never met…"

Irani couldn't understand what was happening to her at that exact moment. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest. She looked away and picked up the bottle of beer in front of her. She took a few sips, hoping it would calm her heart.

“So, what can you say?” Red turned to her with a proud smirk on his face after the song finished.

“Hmm, kinda impressive,” she answered nonchalantly, little did he know, there was a havoc happening inside her system.
"Told you, shortcake. In good with everything," he said, winking at her.

Irani rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. Whatever you say."

After a couple of songs, they decided to go home. It was already eight in the evening when they left the KTV bar.
"Do I smell like beer?" Irani asked Red while they were in his car on the way home.

Red chuckled. "You were insisting on drinking earlier but now you're worried that you might smell alcohol?"

"Tsk, shut up, Red." she hissed at him.

When his car stopped in front of Irani's house, Red took off his seat belt and leaned closer to her.

Her eyes widened when Red's face went closer to her. "H-hey… what are you doing?" she asked, her heart pounding inside her chest.

He sniffed her. And just like earlier, she could feel the loud beating of her heart. Butterflies invaded her stomach…

"No. You don't smell beer," he said, pulling away from her. He opened the drawer of his dashboard and took a chocolate bar from there. He handed it to her. “But to make sure, eat this.”

“Uh, thanks,” she said in a small voice. Damn. She thought he would kiss her or something.

Before she left his car, Red called her. “I’ll take you tomorrow. For our date.”

Date?

Irani's lips parted when she remembered the bet she made with Red.

“Can we do it next time? I just got my heart broken. I need time.” she said, biting her lower lip.

The truth is, she needed time to figure out why she was feeling this way toward Red.

Red smiled at her. “No. You don’t need time, shortcake. You only need me.”

“What should I wear?”

Irani asked herself as she bit her lower lip. She looked at the clothes in her closet.

Today was her date with Red. Even if she didn't like it, she had no choice but to go with him. She didn't want him telling her that she doesn't have one word.

Why date? Do you like me? she asked in her mind.

She couldn't understand why he asked her for a date. It was impossible that he liked her. She also didn't want to assume anything. She already made a mistake with Drei.

Irani picked up a lavender dress that she bought last month. She still hasn't worn that. She also grabbed her other two new dresses. She tried them all in front of her full-length mirror.

Why is this date a big deal to you, Irani? she asked herself.

In the end, she chose to wear a floral sleeveless top, a maong skinny jeans, and a pair of red pumps. She tied her hair in a messy bun and applied red lipstick on her lips.

“Irani.”

She was putting the things she'd brought in her handbag when her mother knocked and entered her room.

“Red is here downstairs, Irani," her mother informed her. She noticed how her mother looked at her from head to toe. "Are you going out with him?" she asked her in a curious tone.

“Uh, yes Ma...” she answered in a small voice, looking away from her mother.

From the corner of her eyes, she still saw the teasing smile on her mother's face. “Do I need to know something, Irani? Is there something going on between you and Red?"