CHAPTER 42: CHALLENGING YET INTERESTING CHALLENGE

Alaric walked along a sandy path by the beach. The ocean breeze carried that familiar salty scent, mixed with the soft wind brushing against his hair and neck.

Sunlight touched the surface of the sea with a golden glow that shimmered calmly. In the distance, the sound of children’s laughter and crashing waves filled the quiet, accompanied by the gentle breeze.

His eyes swept across the beachside area arranged with long wooden tables and benches. Some visitors sat casually, others strolled by, simply enjoying the scene. And among them all... a familiar figure appeared in the corner of his vision.

Kayla.

She was walking toward one of the farthest benches that faced directly out to sea, seemingly about to sit there alone.

Her hair flowed freely, and she held a cold drink in a transparent glass, complete with orange slices and a light blue straw.

"Kayla," Alaric called from behind, clear enough for the girl to hear and turn around.

Kayla stopped and looked toward the voice. When her eyes met Alaric’s figure, she seemed briefly surprised for a split second, but then broke into a bright, glowing smile.

"Alaric?" she said, followed by a small laugh.

"Oh yeah, I just happened to come here with a friend. Felt like reliving our middle school days. Haha," Alaric said reflexively, blurting out something he hadn’t intended to say.

"I see... so who are you here with?" Alaric asked as he moved closer.

"With my cousin," Kayla replied while occasionally glancing at the bench in front of her. She gave a subtle signal for Alaric to sit down, but it seemed he wasn’t quite picking up on it.

Before she could say more, a tall guy in a plain white t-shirt and knee-length shorts approached them from the opposite direction. His gaze was sharp, like he was sizing someone up. He carried two bottles of mineral water in one hand.

"Oh, this is my cousin," Kayla said quickly after noticing Alaric’s attention.

"His name’s Abian."

Her cousin gave a short nod. "I’m Abian," he said without a smile. "You’re Kayla’s friend?"

Kayla answered for him, "Yeah. Alaric. We went to school together... And he’s also my childhood friend. The one who used to hang out at our house."

"Oh," he responded flatly. Not giving much more away. You could say Abian was acting a bit standoffish, though deep down, he also didn’t mind having another friend around.

"Have a seat if you want," Abian said while pointing to the other side of the bench, though his tone was plain. Whether it was just his personality or something else, he didn’t sound particularly warm.

Alaric lowered his gaze and sat down, though he glanced at Kayla first as if to check. She gave him a brief smile, but her eyes hinted at a bit of nervousness. As if she was thinking, "Please don’t end up getting scolded."

Abian sat beside Kayla, setting the water bottles on the table. He stared at Alaric for a long moment before asking,

"How long have you known Kayla?"

"Uh... since college. We went to the same university for a while. But I transferred out. We’ve only reconnected recently," Alaric replied politely.

"Do you guys meet often or just once or twice?"

"Just a few times..."

Abian leaned forward, interlacing his fingers on the table, his eyes still sharp. "You live around here?"

Alaric nodded. "Yeah. Restchal Housing, block B."

Her cousin kept nodding, but his expression remained cold, as if measuring how trustworthy Alaric was. Not exactly hostile, but maybe just... guarded.

And Alaric, usually calm, started to feel off. Not afraid, but more like he didn’t want to cause trouble. Especially after seeing how Kayla glanced at Abian now and then, as if worried he might go too far.

Alaric could read the situation. Kayla was clearly very loved. It wasn’t hard to guess why her cousin was being so protective. In their family, Kayla was the only girl. Abian had no siblings. He was an only child. And their other relatives? All guys, just like him.

For some reason, that made the situation a bit funny in Alaric’s mind. It was a little stiff, sure, but also felt like a big brother test of sorts to protect his little sister.

Kayla stood up after a while of casual chatting with Alaric and Abian. The beach wind played with strands of her hair, and as she stood, she gave a soft smile.

"I’ll order another drink for you, Ric. You came late, so you missed ordering earlier. Abian’s almost out of water too. I’ll get one for him as well," she said, patting Alaric lightly on the shoulder before walking off toward the small stall by the sand.

Alaric just nodded. Trying to stay composed, even though he’d definitely felt the sharp but subtle pressure from Abian.

As soon as Kayla was out of sight, Abian, who had been staring silently at the sea, slowly turned his head. His eyes locked onto Alaric’s with a steady, cold look, sharp and measuring, like a hawk sizing up a threat.

"What do you want from Kayla?" he asked, voice as firm and sudden as a stone hitting wood.

Alaric paused. His throat felt dry. He swallowed and lifted his chin, looking back directly. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Nothing," he said plainly. His voice matched the tone. Just one line, enough. He didn’t see the need to explain more. To him, people who came at you like that weren’t ones you could reason with right away.

But Abian wasn’t done. He narrowed his eyes. His face didn’t change much, but his gaze sharpened. His lips parted for a couple of seconds before he finally spoke, as if preparing to throw something sharp.

"I know you’ve got other intentions with my cousin," he said, his tone heavy with meaning. "Maybe you like her. But if you’re gonna mess with her or give her false hope, don’t."

It didn’t sound dramatic. In fact, it came off like someone speaking from deep concern. Abian didn’t seem like a jerk. Just someone who cared too much.

Alaric held his breath, still keeping a straight face. He adjusted his seat slightly, then spoke softly,

"But we’re just friends."

Abian squinted. He let out a small, sarcastic laugh. "You think friends can’t fall for each other?"

The question lingered in the air. Alaric didn’t reply immediately. He cleared his throat again. He knew it wasn’t just a rhetorical question. It was bait. And he chose not to take it.

He was telling the truth, but Abian had a point. Alaric *did* feel drawn to Kayla. Feelings could shift over time. No one could predict that.

A brief silence fell between them, filled only by the sound of waves. Then Abian leaned forward a little. His expression had relaxed, though there was still tension behind his movements.

"Alright, forget it," he said, switching topics in a snap. Though the sharp look in his eyes hadn’t quite disappeared. "We’re not just gonna sit here in silence until I kick you out, right?"

Alaric frowned, confused.

Abian smirked a little. "I challenge you. Skateboarding. On the water."

Alaric blinked. "On... water?"

This was the first time anyone had ever invited him to race or show off over the open sea. Then, before Alaric could get even more confused, Abian explained.

"Yeah," he said confidently. "There’s a long floating path leading out into the water. We can ride it. The skateboards are special, made for surfaces like that. You just have to balance and not fall. If you can do better than me, we’re friends. And... I’ll approve of you getting close to my cousin."

Alaric let out a quiet chuckle, almost not believing what he was hearing. But he understood — this was a test of courage. A way to prove he wasn’t some weak guy hiding behind a polite face.

"Just to be friends, I already have to test my adrenaline like this," he muttered while glancing toward the sea, trying to imagine what the course might look like.

It didn’t take long before Alaric turned back to Abian. His eyes now gleamed with resolve. He didn’t back down. In fact, he seemed ready to face whatever challenge Abian threw at him.

"Alright. I’m in."

Abian smiled with satisfaction. It was no longer an intimidating smile, it looked more like approval, the kind you give someone who had passed a test.

Alaric, though he’d never tried anything this wild before, was a sharp thinker. Just from looking at the course, he could already figure out what made sense and what didn’t.

"He’s got guts," Abian thought. "At least now I know he’s not a coward."

And from a distance, Kayla was walking back with two chilled coconuts in her hands. She smiled warmly, still unaware that the two boys at the table had just started a game that would soon send their adrenaline rushing.