( 6, 614K WC )
Y/n
NOT IN A MUCH FARTHER DISTANCE, Gopal has taken me to their ice cream stand, and it was my second time visiting it since last week as I have remembered in my mind. The steps of my walk had been unhurried; my mind trying to figure out the occurrences as I affixed my eyes watching him rush inside their stand.
Gopal looked back at me rather perturbedly whilst gesturing me to move closer. I could perceive the overwhelming stress he is feeling from his expressions alone and the panic rimming around his quivering eyes, alongside his unsettled hands that were rummaging inside the ice cream stand. Rolling my lips inwards, I wordlessly followed him again and moved beside him, looking at what his hands were scrabbling around in.
"Huhu - My Appa is going to be mad at me, Y/n," he started with despondency as his voice tensed with rigidity, and I glanced at him with confusion over my expression; an indecipherable question mark on my face.
My mind was contemplating whilst scrutinizing through his expressions, swallowing the lump down my throat as the words ebb freely.
"What.. What do you mean?"
My tone was gentle, as not to furthermore provoke his convulsing emotions. Yet again, he was crying out under his hands upon hiding his face rather innately, and I could presume this is merely the way he lets out his distress - let alone without actual tears.
Voice trailing off, I asked, "Is everything..-"
"He is going to punish me!"
"W-Why?" I asked out of increduling surprise and flinched on my stance from the abruptness of it, eyes widening in incredulence.
My mind couldn't thoroughly fathom what the matter is for him as he couldn't state it directly, and at the same time contemplating yet again on how I was genuinely involved in the occurrences.
"Eh.. So, like, I was supposed to be the one watching out here for today," Gopal elucidated and used his hand gestures upon extending his arms exasperatedly. I nodded, giving him the cue to resume. His hand abruptly pointed at the cold plate freezer, inducing my eyes to follow the direction impulsively. "But - ! You see, the freezer stopped working, and I literally dunno how and why it happened at all - Welp, only thing I know for sure is that Appa's gonna be really mad at me when he finds out and I'm dead! Huhu!"
His hands then press against his head, shaking out of uneasiness and anxiety.
I agape, blinking my eyes slowly, once, then twice. Since I am unsure what to say, I tried inspecting the said cold plate freezer with different flavors of ice cream in each of it. It was still semi-cool inside of it from the, presumably, evaporating coils that freezes the walls, however as Gopal has said, it stopped freezing unfortunately.
"It.. I mean, the ice cream might melt quite sooner if we let this be," I said, looking back at him who persistently nodded his head under his hands whilst his eyes were creased; as though he would concentrate to abide by any word of mine that I will be saying to him like some kind of mentor. Ironically being just a clown myself, I don't even know what else to say. "Apparently.. We need to fix it, then."
"Yeah! I could actually try to fix it on my own, but it's just that I can't help myself to panic!" Gopal replied, and eventually I am getting used to the loudness of his voice impaling on both ears of mine - even though I am standing nearly right beside him as we communicate regarding the latter.
I turned my body to face him properly, eliciting a sigh prior to bringing myself to respond.
"Hey.. There's still time to fix it and you need to calm yourself to come up with something, you know," Saying this, I returned a thin smile giving him the assurance. It's not like I could leave him like this with the problem, especially as though he was asking for my help a while ago in a way.
"Hehe," he scratches his head sheepishly, laced with a chagrin. His head looked up at me from behind his arm, and choked back something between a laugh and a sob, "So - hehe.., Are you free to help me, Y/n?"
My eyes widened musedly, and agaped despite expecting him to merely ask me that earlier as for the reason he asked me to follow him here. Until then, I didn't mind helping him at all, and that I was just waiting for whether he needed my help or not by directly asking me for it.
Before I could utter a word, he cut me off.
"I-I'll pay off my debts and buy you a free drink from Tok Aba!" The guy insisted, smiling widely - with a hinge of reluctance, blinking his eyes twice. "H-Hehe!"
I leisurely shaked my head with a smile, hanging my head lowly.
When he couldn't pay for his own debts yet, then he shouldn't be insisting on that for others, however I could seem to take the cue that he avidly needs a companion at the moment. Perhaps a part of him had to coerce himself on offering me to then agree, but that is unneeded for me. I could simply lend a hand without anything in return, especially a favor if it does completely help him out. There's genuinely no big deal here for me.
Clicking my tongue, I glanced back at him, heaving a sigh.
"It's fine regarding the drink, you don't need to buy me one.." Trailing off, I returned a nod and courtly smiled upon shrugging my shoulders. "I am also free to help you."
His face beamed and mouth gaping, throwing his hands strenuously in the air.
"Heck, yes! That's what I am talkin' about!" Gopal stated in elation, and the smile of his outstretched his mouth out of exuberance upon cackling.
I laughed quietly at his reaction as my shoulders shaked timidly. This appeases me more than him being distressed like earlier, and I am absolutely having no problem with his laid-back and easygoing personality.
"Ahm, Gopal..-"
"You really are my best friend, are you?!" he laughed, and I pursed my lips in concentration, fiddling with my lower one whilst tilting my head musedly, suppressing the urge for my lips to twitch upwards.
"I guess so," I chuckled.
The guy was solely meaning it from the beginning, and to think that he approached me for merely thinking that I am his friend's girlfriend. Well, I couldn't blame him for that. Gopal did ask me if BoBoiBoy and I were together - and the insentient me that time answered yes, taking it the literal way of being next to each other. Until then, BoBoiBoy told me that it was slang for "relationship". A romantic one, even. How would I know? Why - Why do they know much about those kinds of stuff too?
Boys, really.
"Where's BoBoiBoy, by the way?" I asked Gopal, looking at him - Only to be met with his widening eyes, and a mocking, impish grin forming at the corner of his mouth. Instantly seeing through what he is most likely thinking about from my harmless question, I innately added as the words ebb freely. "A-And Ying? Yaya?"
His arm nudges at me twice; a demeanor for his impishness.
"Why are you looking for my buddy? Hm?" Gopal retorted, keeping his grin in place, now turning into a smirk as though he didn't consider me mentioning his other friends. This guy definitely has his own way of thinking, like nothing could ever convince him otherwise from his unbidden thoughts.
"W-What?"
"Aye, tell me! Swear I won't tell anything to my buddy," he was covering up a laugh whilst I appeared startled on my stance at a loss of words. "Just so ya know, I am a good keeper of secrets, Y/n!"
I genuinely doubt that.
My face was plastered with confusion, however I tried responding calmly so as to not give him furthermore reasons to pursue the assumption that is nothing but falseness. The only truth is that I did look for BoBoiBoy first only because I was already thinking of him in my mind prior to asking where he was. It just goes naturally.
"Ah, I was just simply wondering why they aren't here to help you.. Pretty much nothing else than that.."
"Pfft - Okay, geez!" he uplifted both of his arms, suppressing the urge of crackling to himself. His head leisurely shook it off as I remained waiting on my stance - As though the guy could give meaning to every word I say. Gopal's eyes affixed to the watch he was wearing on his wrist, rolling his eyes in despondency with a long heave of sigh from his chest. My gaze was able to perceive the time for a second. He looked at me rather ineptly, dropping his shoulders. "My buddy's still sleeping, that's why."
I furrowed my brows and tilted my head, asking, "Really?"
My mind was contemplating, for the time check was previously 11: 43 in the morning according to Gopal's watch, yet he is said to be currently sleeping at this hour.
"Hay! It's nothing new, alright - I was tryna call him, but that guy's a sleepyhead," Gopal stated, his voice was impassively bland, "I already know it because he is always like that whenever we go back on Earth after superhero duties and all if ya get what I mean. This is the only time he gets to rest with complete sleep if Tok Aba's handling the shop!"
I slowly nodded, apprehending everything that he was saying in my mind.
"He overworks himself?"
"Welp, that's him. Ever so persisting," he replied with ineptness and shrugged his shoulders, as though he was used to mentioning it.
"Oh, okay. I see."
With a scoff, Gopal looked down on the watch he was wearing, pressing it until he leveled a stare on it and spoke out after a while, "Dey, BoBoiBoy - you better call me back when you wake up and see this message - !"
Seeing him cover the watch with his palm from an instant tap, he looked at me, meeting my wordless gaze, inducing me to ask out of curiosity.
"What about you, Gopal?"
Gopal hummed as his voice was constrained, pointing at himself queerily.
"Me - I am the chill superhero in the group with no stress at all!" Stating in elation, he let out a cackling laugh and placed the side of his hand over his mouth, mumbling at me - However it was quite audible despite his intention. ".. Pfft - Cause I let my friends do all the work."
My eyes widened, casting a glance at him with incredulity.
"Sike!" he uttered, and tapped his fingers playfully with a titter, "Hehe - Half-kidding only."
"You and your schemeful ways," Leisurely shaking my head, I quipped.
"Hehe, shh!"
"Sure, sure."
"As for Ying and Yaya.. I was about to contact them, but then I saw you, so, hehe," he trailed off, scratching his head as to give me the cue of what he means.
"Yup," I said, watching him lean towards the cold plate freezer, giving it a thorough inspection rather minutely upon peering his eyes with a hum; his fingers rubbing under chin innately.
"Anyways, those girls are always busy if not studying for advanced lessons for the upcoming school year! Geez, I ain't wanting to do that voluntarily - Whatta headache!" With a scoff, he complained then abruptly shaking off his arm. His face twisted upon dismissing the notion thoroughly, like my presence didn't affect him divertingly. "Summer is still summer. A literal school break."
"Yeah, I do see where you're coming from in a way," I stated and he nodded, humming shortly.
"Dey, Y/n," Gopal called out, averting his gaze from the cold plate freezer to mine, and I uplifted a brow waitingly, "So I guess we gotta buy the mechanical tools that I'll be needing to repair my freezer, but of course it'll be much appreciated by me if you'd help! I might not know what I will be doing!"
"Okay," I nodded, "I'll try my best."
"Aiyo.." His face falls onto despondence, clicking his tongue upon scratching the back of his head. "..I just realized that the thing is I don't have enough budget here yet, and we kinda might pass through my house first so that I could get some from there.."
I agape, slowly nodding upon fathom his statement.
"Anything that helps," I replied, looking at him firmly and conveyed to him the cue from my supporting eyes that we can leave already. Time is running out, and the ice cream still could melt if not thoroughly accommodated.
The gratification was evident as his face beams.
"Yes! Thank you!" he regained his composure, following me out of their ice cream stand as we sauntered by the side of the street - Although it was I who was mostly endeavoring to follow him on their way home, given that he indisputably knows the direction of their own house. Letting out a hefty sigh, Gopal stretched his arms right beside me; my eyes lingered on the ground reflectively. "Wooh! You're literally a lifesaver, best friend!"
"It's okay, and don't mention it," I tell him, coiling my arms. "I truly understand that you need it repaired as soon as possible."
Sauntering passes through the now familiar neighborhood, the wind greets concrete of aligned houses just the same. Waving the tree branches upon rustling it as it sends an impaling gale over my skin and flows through my hair, despite the presence of the sun's torridity.
"Man, being a teen has so many responsibilities. At some point, we are the ones watching out for the businesses of our own parents and all - like my Appa," Gopal stated, exhaling out a breath as he nonchalantly looked up and slouched his back. "- If they have one. But, yeah.. For me, it is kinda stressful!"
"There's also a chance that you'll inherit it one day," I added.
"Hays..!" he sighed in exasperation. "Take me back to the days where only choosing what food I'd like for snacks is my only problem.."
I laughed quietly, shaking my head.
"Welp, you experiencing the same or nah?"
Eliciting a hum, my eyes creased upon rolling my lips inwards, thoroughly contemplating on my choice of words. "My mom owns a slot for her food stall at the Pulau Rintis Market. So far, she hasn't asked me for help in managing it, but I am always willing to assist whilst I still can."
"Fuiyo! That's so cool!" he mused in acclamation with a clasp of his hands, inducing me to smile timidly at his remarks before sweeping my gaze onwards the way. "You know what - My buddy and I were just there at the market the other week when the commotion in the city happened!"
"What?"
"The time that you guys kissed!"
Why in the world does he keep on reminding me of that foremost embarrassing moment in my life?
My brows furrowed upon tilting my head from him claiming that he was with BoBoiBoy. As my mom said the day when BoBoiBoy had lunch at our house, it was her food stall that he was merely buying the stocks from during the commotion in the city. That was truly a coincidence when we all realized the same thing at the table. My persistence ought to ask Gopal about it to confirm it.
"BoBoiBoy was buying stocks for their Kokotiam that day, right?"
"Well, yeah -" His statement instantly cut off, abruptly glancing back at me with his thoroughly widened eyes, blinking the pair slowly, once, then twice, and dramatically gasped to my surprise, "Holy macaroni - How did you know?!"
"Ahm, m-"
"Were you one of those girls stalking him that time?!"
"Wait - What?" I asked near-like inaudibly as I was left at a loss of words, flabbergasted on my stance. The mere thought of him asking such a question demolishes my pride, and it was absolutely difficult to process it within myself, nor fit myself in the shoes of that kind of situation. Never was I a stalker of anyone else. "No way, why would I stalk your friend?"
"Oh -"
"My mom just mentioned it one time to BoBoiBoy and I," I replied, disregarding the idea of bringing up that his friend actually went inside our house for lunch so as to not cause further assumptions with a shrug of my shoulders. "Eventually, we figured it out."
"Phew," he uttered in relief, patting a hand on his chest, "My bad, I just couldn't help but ask to make sure and all. You see, there were a lot of girls just staring at my buddy and I when we're in the city, and I am merely getting involved in their fangirling for him!"
His face twisted rather unsettling, shuddering his arms at the thought of it.
"Is that so?"
"You know those hearty eyes stare?!"
"I mean, you guys bring a great role around here," I stated and subtly furrowed my brows, looking at him queerily, "That should be quite expected on your end, especially that BoBoiBoy.." has the looks of the guy of their dreams, however I refuse to speak my thoughts out; Their, not mine. "I-Is a hard-working superhero for them."
"And cause it's getting more famous than before," he whined out his complaint, heaving a sigh before snapping out of it as his face lit up, and went off cackling to himself; short and humorless. "But - ! Like what I said to my buddy, I am already taken in a relationship by my foods!"
A merry, sanguine chuckle escaped my lips, biting my lower one, "Really.."
"It's called love at first bite!" Gopal claimed, bursting into a raucous laughter as his eyes reflected humor and his breath came out in a sudden rush precipitously, inducing me to suppress the urge to smile audibly, "And that my soulmate might just be carbs."
"You know a lot of things," I say, hanging my head lowly.
"Hehe - To think about it, deciding what foods to eat is equally stressful than watching out for your parents' business," he trailed off, rubbing two of his fingers under his chin whilst seemingly occupied in pondering on his head. There was a ghost smile tugging his lips as I uplifted a brow skeptically on the latter.
"You really have to be thinking about it?" I quipped, "Either food, you're just going to eat it up like the others, right?"
"Haiya, this girl - That is the thing. You gotta choose the most delicious one!"
"What about it being stressful, then?"
"It means that food is life and that the belly rules the mind," Gopal replied with a smug-like, complacent grin etched on his face, keeping two of his fingers under his chin whilst gazing elsewhere under his clouded line of thinking.
* cricket sounds *
* cricket sounds *
Wha.. What?
My eyes blinked slowly, once, then twice upon apprehending his statement that by some means, genuinely confuses me. Earlier, he was discussing how deciding foods is equally stressful, but now he is suddenly quoting me such a phrase out of randomness as it seems to my perception. I was honestly contemplating in my mind if BoBoiBoy himself does understand his own friend on a daily basis, however I let the guy be and didn't contradict anything else.
UPON ARRIVING AT THEIR HOUSE, Gopal was insisting for me to wait inside as he gets the budget needed to buy the mechanical tools to repair the cold plate freezer of their ice cream stand, however I genuinely insisted to stay outside. The guy only had to ask me once and despite his tinge of reluctance, he abides by my decision being easy-going to make a deal with. I am now left at their half-way opened door when he quickly entered their living room in search of the budget inside the drawers.
"Yo, I got it!" After waiting for a while, he called out as I glanced at him, locking their own door before rushing towards me. Exhaling short breaths, he tries to regulate his heaving chest on his stance upon counting the money in-front of me.
"Is it enough?" I asked, and he merely nodded.
"Yeah!"
"Okay. Do you know where you'll be buying from?"
Gopal was still breathing out from his chest, and I waited for him to respond as he lifted his head at me and agape. His expression was accommodating as he tilted his head to gesture in the direction. "Just by the other street.. We can go there now."
It didn't take much longer than about 15 minutes for everything to settle down. When we got to the hardware shop, it was Gopal who was taking a look at the mechanical tools needed in the repair as I meandered inside of the shop and inspected their materials thoroughly, at the same time out of curiosity.
He was also inquiring to the ones in charge of the shop, specifically for the cold plate freezer. Well, not that surprisingly, Gopal was asking me about my insights of the mechanical tools to be purchased, whereas I barely knew anything regarding it.
When I told him about my uncertainty, he elucidated to me shortly on what parts they are made for, and I guess that at some point, he has been in the shop given his prior knowledge on the mechanical tools, presumably for the same reason that is related to as of now; their ice cream stand. Possibly, others. Gopal was insisting on knowing my thoughts, for he didn't want to decide on his own for what is the best to purchase. Even if I genuinely refuse, he would persistently annoy me regarding it. All I could respond to him and pinpoint the necessary mechanical tools are the ones with good quality and the ones being affordable for his budget.
"Wooh!" he breathes out, settling the plastic bags down by their ice cream stand. His arm stretches upwards. "Finally, we've reached this point!"
"Yup, let's start on it once you're ready."
Giving him some time, I bent one leg while upright to get to a lower position, taking out the necessary mechanical tools that are needed. I already have an idea on how the repair is to be executed since Gopal did give me an explanation about it. For once, he is able to give much sense to what he could say. I didn't quite expect his range of knowledge since he barely spoke it out, however I was quick to comprehend it in my mind, then.
"Welp," Gopal sighed in relief, perceiving through the ice cream in the freezer. "At least the ice cream hasn't melted too much yet."
"That's good to know," I commented, then queeried upon standing up and regaining my composure, casting a thorough glance at the storage that is yet to be opened. "What time do you get most customers, by the way?"
"Oh! Usually in the afternoon after lunch is when the li'l kiddos go here," Gopal stated with ineptness, insisting on the latter and moving in-front of me to bend down, scrutinizing thoroughly. "Hold up! I'mma open it."
"Thanks. Are you also used to doing these repairs already?"
"Hng, yeah!" he replied, not facing me yet, "It's supposed to be these routine maintenance checks that are, ya know, needed that can keep the ice cream cooling efficiently!"
"Oh, okay," I leisurely nodded.
"Maybe Appa just doesn't check it himself all the time," Gopal quipped, snickering under his breath until he looked back over his shoulder at me with widening eyes, blinking twice. "D-Don't tell him I said that!"
I laughed quietly, "Alright."
Gopal managed to open the storage successfully, exposing the condensing units and evaporator coils. My eyes wandered around it closely, remembering what he had elucidated a while ago on our way back here. It is the condensing unit that sends refrigerant through the walls by the way of the copper evaporating coils, and it is the one that freezes the walls. In this case, the parts are having some malfunction and is where the repairing shall necessarily take place to work out the freezing needed for the ice cream.
Until then, he and I are working to repair it.
"Oh shi -'' Gopal uttered all of the sudden, suppressing the urge to cackle the second after. It induced me to glance at him in the midst of repairing at the same time he called my name and hardly tapped my shoulder - nearly making me yelp from the abruptness of it. "Dey, Y/n! Haha!"
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"Pfft, BoBoiBoy's calling now!" he said, bursting into a raucous laughter and my eyes widened musedly, tilting my head as he instantly regained his composure to merely answer it. Looking back at me with a seeming mischievous intention, he added upon snickering, "I'mma tell him to go here!"
"But what for -"
"Dude! You're finally alive!" Gopal said aloud, clasping his hands out of exasperation, and he went off cackling to himself. There was a screen emitted from atop his watch where he communicated with his friend.
I looked away and continued on repairing the cold plate freezer, then. Although it was not my intention to eavesdrop their conversation, the boys were just talking loud enough for me to overhear it.
"Yeah? Why did you.. keep on calling me, Gopal?" His voice was quietly rasping and a little bit more breathing than usual as he had just woken up, and I am trying my best to keep myself from having unbidden thoughts by it alone nor slipping a glance at him.
"What do you mean 'why'?!" Gopal retorted, unsatisfied with his friend's inept response as his shrieking voice impaled my ears; too loud to endure although tolerable since I was merely right beside him with an adequate amount of space.
"H-Huh?"
"It's almost 12: 30 in the afternoon!"
"W-What? Are you..-"
"Get up from there and come here to my Appa's ice cream stand!"
Their bickering filled my ears, most especially Gopal stridently persuading his friend to actually go here and BoBoiBoy, being just one who has woken up, is merely confused on the other line from the abruptness of it and haven't yet to process that it's currently the afternoon on his end.
"Dude, you literally have no idea what's going on here. You're lucky that Tok Aba lets you sleep that long when my Appa wakes me up early in the morning to work my ass off!"
"Why are you, like, blaming me?" BoBoiBoy responded a complaint uttered as if with a whine, inducing Gopal to let out a scoff, shaking his head to convey that his barely conscious friend apprehends it the other way. My gaze lingered downwards reflectively, being able to imagine him pouting at the moment from the way he is responding innately.
"Dude, you better not be half-sleeping while talkin' to me right now. I ain't blaming you on anything else."
"What's happening there, anyway?"
"I already told you that my freezer suddenly broke!"
"H-Huh? You're broke?"
"What the f -"
I casted a glance at Gopal and affixed my eyes at his firmly; once successfully getting in contact, a little smile tugged the corner of my lips with a subtle nod, giving a meaningful look on my face as to remind him to understand his friend that is yet to be in cognizance. Gopal scratched the back of his head as his eyes creased unsurely, covering his watch with the palm of his hand for a second, closing the screen.
Suppressing the urge to unintentionally laugh at the situation wasn't easy, however I managed it.
"He's done.. He's done," Gopal reiterates that prompted my attention at him, leisurely shaking his head with the despondence for his friend. The reluctant look that is tinged on his face says enough that he does not know what to do anymore.
"Let him be," I smiled.
He sighs heavily, and removes the palm of his hand over his watch as the screen atop of it emitted once again, back on contact.
"Dude," Gopal stated, "My cold plate freezer broke, that's why I was calling you earlier to help me or my ice cream's gonna be meltin' in no time. I ain't got no idea that you are still sleeping over there."
"Ah, okay - I get it now."
"Haha, welp! Luckily, Y/n's here to help me out!" he added in elation with a laugh upon moving directly right beside me, adjusting his arm for the angle of his watch so as to share the screen with me. I was merely startled by my stance from the abruptness of it, yet I could not bring myself to move out of it. Both him and I's eyes widened once we met in contact, agape at a loss of words. "We're both still repairing it, so, yeah!"
BoBoiBoy regained his composure, as though he was getting up from his bed to sit down on the edge whilst running his fingers through his semi-disheveled hazel strands of hair on his forehead. His hand wipes out his face, before leaving it at rest to cover his eyes and sighed.
Gopal furrowed his brows from his friend's demeanor.
"Dey, BoBoiBoy! Are you tryna sleeping on us again - !"
"Hay, I am not sleeping, alright."
"Then go here, dude!"
"Yeah, I will," he replied and stood up, averting his gaze elsewhere as he appeared to be sauntering around his room. With the movement of his eyes alone, it's as though he was looking outside the window; the background but him was indecipherable. He asked, then. "How are you guys doing?"
"Apparently, we're almost done repairing it," Gopal responded with ineptness, shrugging his shoulders. "But, yo, Y/n was literally a great help! I would've taken much longer and not to mention my fear of Appa finding out before he gets home!"
Nudging at me, he hints a widening smile - somehow a grin, etched at the corner of his lips. As though he was giving me the cue that he owes me for helping him out and I am supposed to be knowing it.
BoBoiBoy wordlessly nodded with a hum, lingering his gaze back at the screen - seemingly mine, reflectively, "Okay, I'll see you guys."
"Finally, dude!"
With that, the communication ended. Gopal managed to persuade his friend to go here as he let out a rather hefty sigh, a triumphant grin forming on his mouth as he looked at me. "Got him!"
I could only smile audibly, conveying my gaze elsewhere on the storage of the cold plate freezer. "To be honest, I am kind of wondering what makes him wake up this late."
"Eish! I already told you that my buddy overworks himself," Gopal responded upon leaning towards the storage and went on repairing the parts, inducing me to remain on my stance as I merely watched him, leisurely returning a nod whilst fathoming it thoroughly. "There were probably a lot of customers in the Kokotiam yesterday - or you can ask him when he gets here but that's definitely it for me!"
"Yup, I feel like you're right too."
UNTIL THEN, GOPAL STOOD UP AND CLASPED HIS HANDS IN ELATION, giving a cue that commenced on my mind as my expression lightened up from his demeanor. One that I have been silently wishing to expect a while ago, and my heart rates in anticipation for the impending good news.
"Wooh!" he said aloud, and breathed out exasperatedly - As though he had to ebb it freely. His eyes wandered in the storage with contentment, before he reiterated and uplifted both of his arms. "Haha! Look at that, I can't believe it's all fixed now!"
"Really?" I asked to confirm as my lips twitched upwards, looking at him musedly whilst scrutinizing through his expressions and inspected closely for any tinge of impishness, however there is genuinely none but avid enthusiasm and relief on the latter.
Gopal inspected the cold plaze freezer and placed his hand in the midst of it, untouched, so as to feel whether it is currently freezing or not - Although it most probably is, at this rate successfully.
"Yeah, the ice creams are now being freezed again," he stated upon pulling his hand out, and snickered out of overwhelming joyfulness regarding the latter, "And geez, thanks a lot for your help cause we did it!"
Gopal endlessly speaks out his gratitude for me and my time, raising his hand for a high five to show that it's all in good fun, and I didn't leave him hanging by accepting it without reluctance of my own free will.
"That's good to know," I commented, pursing a thin smile. "You're welcome, by the way."
"Pfft. At least Appa ain't finding out about this," Saying this, the relief was laced in the tone of his voice, yet with unintentional impishness brought by the happenings. Then he insisted and let out a short cackle, "I'mma give ya a free ice cream later, Y/n!"
"Oh, hey, there's no n -"
"Hep - !" Gopal cut me off, "I insist, alright! It's the best I can give cause somehow BoBoiBoy was right. I am kinda broke - Hehe!" Still, he managed to let out a quip, tapping his fingers.
"Okay," I hummed quietly and leisurely nodded, "If you say so."
"And if ya ended up liking him for real in the future then I highly approve of you for my buddy!" he stated, unable to suppress the urge to burst into laughter from the mere thought of it himself and I blinked my eyes slowly, once, then twice.
"Huh?" Genuinely, I was at a loss of words.
"Speaking of the sleepyhead - Dude!" Gopal called out aloud as his eyes trailed off bypassing me, uplifting a hand. "You're finally here!"
I glanced over my shoulder, and BoBoiBoy returned a quick, wordless nod at his friend until his gaze swept onto mine reflectively. He looked fresh in the afternoon despite the sun's torridity, and an enviable glow on his face. Unlike me, beads of sweat were already forming on the side of my temple. On his other hand was a cup of what I could presume was taken out from their Kokotiam. It seems that he passed by there prior to going here. As he sauntered closer to the ice cream stand, he was greeted by Gopal as he ran his fingers through his strands of hair on his forehead with a faint smile, averting his eyes to his friend, then back at me.
I looked absolutely haggard in-front of the Elemental superhero in my stance, not to mention a bit of strains of dirt on my clothes from repairing the storage, however I didn't mind too much about it.
"Hey, Y/n."
"Hello," I greeted in return.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear your calls again," he started at Gopal upon turning his head at him, and his friend scoffed.
"Psh - It's alright now!"
"Do you guys still need my help on it?" BoBoiBoy asked, and his voice was still laced with quietness similar to when he was speaking on the call when he had just woken up. Promptly, he tried looking down on the storage, however it was already closed.
"Dey, you're practically late, and it's already fixed by Y/n and I," Gopal claimed and tilted his head upwards with a complacent grin. Proud, even, as he looked at me meaningfully.
"Yeah?" he reiterated upon acknowledging it, then looking at me with a mused smile. "You know how?"
"Gopal just had to explain the parts a bit to me," I tell him and he agapes, nodding his head and rolling his lips inwards. "I only have some ideas but I was mostly helping him out."
"That's nice.." BoBoiBoy laughed quietly as his eyes crinkled, sipping onto the cup that was brought with his hand grasping onto it.
"And she a fast learner too!" Gopal commented, and patted my back innately. There was nothing much I could mention about it, since I realized that he is quite physical to the people he considered and somehow getting used to it.
"I remember that we did that before when we were quite younger," BoBoiBoy stated, his lips twitching upwards the slightest to his friend that blinked his eyes momentarily, "Gopal was scared of his Appa finding out about it, except that he actually did."
"Same reason," I say.
"I don't know with him," He sighed, placing his other hand on his waist whilst leisurely shaking his head and pursed a wry grin, "See, I told you to always be careful, Gopal."
"It broke out of nowhere!" Gopal retorted and crossed his arms with a huff, narrowing his eyes. "Not you tryna know better when you're no different from me in being 'responsible'."
"What did I do?" BoBoiBoy asks innocently.
"Whatever, dude - Only people who can keep secrets can get an ice cream like Y/n!"
"Really?" He looked at me queerily, and my eyes creased as I merely nodded, smiling audibly, "Yup, a free one, even."
"How ironic of you to even say that, Gopal," BoBoiBoy shakes his head.
"Why, dude?! You want me to prove to Y/n that I can't keep secrets?!" He retaliated, voice shrieking as it pierced through my ears that had BoBoiBoy looking at him rather taken aback of flabbergasted. Words came at last and Gopal then laughed, a hard cackling laugh. "Pfft. Dude, you know you ain't winning me on this one - !"
"What.. Just what do you even want?" BoBoiBoy asked, averting his gaze elsewhere with his timid eyes and elicited a hefty sigh, impulsively sipping onto his cup. The same arm that where his own power watch is worned from the angle.
"Hm, I'd say let's have lunch first. I'm already kinda - no, very hungry from all of that repairing earlier," Gopal suggested, rubbing his abdomen with his hand upon hearing a low growling sound from it, bearing it out as he nudged at me. "What 'bout you, Y/n?"
"I think that's a good idea," I agreed on the latter, nodding. His face beams with a widening smile etched on his face and clasped his hands, "I am pretty much hungry as well."
"Heck, yeah! This is great, you guys!"
"You didn't eat breakfast?" BoBoiBoy asked faintly, casting a glance at me as his brows furrowed. The ember remnants of his tawned eyes seemed to be rimming with familiar solicitude, yet I refused to be cognizant more through it.
"I did," I tell him, "Actually, the one that you made."
His eyes widened musedly, and agaped. "Really.. How was it, then?"
"It's great," I replied, and he remained looking at me whilst his head tilted upwards for his eyes sliding into focus, and irises too stationary over my face. A demeanor he has always been doing since the day he met me, and it makes me question whether he is aware of it or not. His mouth resumed its usual softness. "And.. I already told you that I am sure it would taste great even before leaving the Kokotiam yesterday."
BoBoiBoy nodded his head wordlessly, and allowed himself to direct his gaze in an unnatural turn, never to meet mine, yet I was able to catch a glimpse of a smile touching the corner of his lips as his eyes warmed.