Is this destiny?

4:56 PM

Ade and Hande are enjoying their day at Disneyland.

After lunch, they split up from the others, and Ade let Hande pick the rides.

A few hours into high-speed fun, they decided to take a break. Ade and Hande got a huge cotton candy each and made their way toward the nearby park.

Hande made a pouty face, and Ade noticed.

"Is it something wrong with the cotton candy?" He guessed. "Do you want me to get water or some juice? An ice cream maybe?"

"No, it's not that. I was hoping that we can sit, but all the benches are occupied." Hande admitted.

Ade looked at the benches along the path and concluded that Hande is right. He remembered Aiden's advice related to two jackets.

"Come this way…" Ade said mysteriously and led Hande over the lawn, deeper in the park. After a layer of bushes, they found a small clearing.

Hande was surprised when Ade put his leather jacket on the ground, next to the tree, and gestured to her to sit.

"What about you?" Hade asked.

Ade waved to the left. "You take that side, and I will get on the other one. There is enough space for both of us."

Ade and Hande sat next to each other and ate cotton candy in silence.

Ade was thinking about how it's almost five o'clock and that they have four and a half hours left until the fireworks. There are two more rides that he wants to take, and the rest he will let Hande pick. He wondered if she has enough picks to last them more than four hours or will they repeat some of their favorite ones. They will probably have dinner, and they could also play some games.

While Ade was focused on planning for the rest of the day, Hande had something else on her mind.

"Ade?"

He collected last bits of cotton candy from the stick and put it in his mouth before humming to confirm to Hande that she has his attention. "Hmm?"

"Why did you pick three years for the kiss promise?"

Ade remembered their pinky-promise, but he was not sure why is Hande bringing it up. "Why are you mentioning that now?"

"I am curious. Why not five years? Or one? Or two? Why three?"

Ade kept the now empty stick from cotton candy on the ground next to him and faced Hande. "Uhm… I don't know. I thought it's appropriate. You will be twelve years old. Now that I think about it, that is too young. Do you want us to increase the time limit?"

Hande shook her head, rejecting that idea. Actually, her thoughts are going in the opposite direction. "You know… Sarah had her first kiss when she was four."

Ade didn't believe it. "No way."

"Yes, way. And what is even more impressive is that her first kiss was with Aiden. He was seven."

Ade imagined a four years old girl kissing, and it didn't look right. "What does a four years old girl know about kissing?"

Hande sighed. "In this case, she knows more than nine years old me."

Ade chuckled.

"What is funny?" Hande asked.

"It seems to me that you want to break the promise and do something about that kiss before the time limit we agreed on."

Hande blushed. It's not that she wants to break the promise, but after hearing Sarah's story she was wondering if three years long wait is necessary.

"Look who we found here…" A mocking voice came from the side. "The youngest couple at the park with awesome ride passes."

Hande stiffened when she saw four older boys approaching them. And she recognized them. Those are the same four troublemakers from before lunch. They wanted their ride passes and their valuables! Hande subconsciously reached for her purse and gripped the teddy bear keychain.

Ade glanced around. Just as he suspected, they are away from the path and those four don't look like they are in the mood to talk. Who knows how long they are following them?

Ade cursed internally. He was having so much fun that he didn't notice them. But if they were close by, he would notice. The only explanation was that this time, the troublemakers were more cautious and that they followed them from a greater distance compared to the morning.

Is there a point in calling for backup? Probably not.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" One boy sneered.

"Look at them. They are so scared that they can't even say anything..." Another boy added.

"Not so tough when your big friends are not around. Right? ..."

Four boys took turns throwing nasty remarks their way, and Ade's brain worked a thousand thoughts a second. He concluded that there are two options. One, he gives them their passes and valuables, and the other one is that he handles them and potentially attracts attention.

Ade glanced at Hande and saw that she is scared. Should he just give the passes to those boys? Ade realized that if he gives in, Hande will think that he is weak and that he can't protect her. And it's his duty to protect her. Aiden said that this is Hande's first outing and it's important for creating a good impression, and Ade will not allow that Hande ends up thinking how whenever she goes out, she is in danger of being robbed.

Ade removed his hoodie and turned to Hande. "Don't take it off until I tell you. OK? Promise."

Hande was not sure what Ade is up to, but she nodded in agreement.

She didn't like that he put the hoodie over her head, blocking her face completely, but she promised, and she didn't move.

Ade stood up and faced four troublemakers.

"Stop your yapping!" Ade said sternly. "I know what you want, and I am not going to give it to you. What will you do about it?"

The four boys were stunned for a second and then sneered.

"We will make you." One of the boys said.

"Pft…" Ade looked at them mockingly. "You are just talking. If you want to make me, you will need to do more than that. But it seems that trash like you only knows how to talk..."

The four boys looked at Ade in outrage and then they ran toward him with their fists up in the air.

Hande held her breath as she heard hits and moans and whimpers and there were some cracking sounds, and she was not sure how long it lasted, but to her, it was like an eternity. Suddenly, everything was quiet, and Hande could hear her wild heartbeat which overpowered the sounds of distant clamor from people and faint music from the rides.

Hande really wanted to see what is going on, but she promised that she will not remove the hoodie until Ade tells her that it's OK. Other than clutching the teddy bear keychain, she didn't move a muscle.

Hande flinched when she heard grass rustling in front of her.

"It's OK. It's me." Ade said softly while removing the hoodie from her head. "You did well."

Hande glanced over Ade's shoulder and saw four troublemakers sprawled on the ground. Some of their limbs were in unnatural positions and there was blood. None of them were moving and she wondered if they are dead or unconscious.

"Don't look at them." Ade advised. "Let's get out of here."

Hande looked at Ade's extended hand and she took it. 

Hande observed Ade who tied his hoodie around his waist before patting the grass from his leather jacket and Hande was sure that she never saw any boy being so cool. 

As they walked away, she could not help herself from glancing behind again. The four troublemakers didn't move at all.

"Are you OK? They didn't hurt you?" Hande asked Ade.

"I'm fine. It takes more than four bullies to overpower me." Ade said smugly.

"Are they... dead?"

Ade chuckled. "No. They are unconscious and should wake up before the park closes."

Hande looked at him and blinked a few times rapidly. Ade is awesome. Hande decided to work hard so that she can be awesome as well. Maybe next time when they come to Disneyland, she can beat up troublemakers while Ade holds the jacket. Maybe.

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l .. c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!