Morning.
Naima slowly opened her eyes.
Soft white light filtered through the thick curtains. The air felt cool—but pleasant.
"Eh? Why isn't it hot? Jakarta is never this fresh in the morning."
She stared at the ceiling—elegant white, with a modern chandelier.
A second later, her eyes widened.
"Wait… this is Johann's apartment ceiling!"
She bolted upright, the blanket slipping off.
"Oh my God! I'm only wearing a blanket?! Where are my clothes?!"
Panic. She glanced around. Her shirt, pants, even her cardigan were scattered all over the chair.
"Oh no, oh no no no no no…"
Flashes of last night flickered in her mind like a drama montage—laughter, small talk, teasing, milk in a beer glass, kisses, darkness.
"Oh God…" she whispered. "What exactly did Johann and I do last night?!"
She covered her face with both hands.
"Crap! I'm not even married yet—wait, but in this world I am married, right?! Ugh, this is the weirdest dream ever!"
Naima started pacing.
"Okay, calm down. Deep breath. If this is a dream, I have to wake up. If I don't wake up, then I'm still Johann's wife. And if I'm still Johann's wife, then it's only normal that…"
She stopped mid-thought, face turning bright red.
"…coitus."
She flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with a muffled scream.
"Why is this dream getting too realistic?! Even K-dramas aren't this absurd!"
Naima rushed to fix her hair and wash her face—at least to look presentable.
She sat on the sofa, took a deep breath. Her heart was still racing.
"I need help," she muttered, unlocking her phone.
She hit video call—to Dad.
The screen lit up; Dad was already wearing his helmet, ready to ride off.
"What's wrong? Calling so early?" he asked, a little alarmed. "I'm about to leave for work!"
Naima swallowed. "Dad… I'm in Seoul… with… Johann…"
Her dad raised an eyebrow, trying to process it. Then smiled faintly.
"Of course you're with Johann. He's your husband. Who else would you be with?"
Naima froze. "Uh… yeah, but… Dad, you let me go to Seoul?!"
Her dad chuckled and shook his head.
"Why would I stop you from joining your husband? That's your duty as a wife."
Naima just stared at the screen, speechless.
"This dream… is too real. Even Dad's siding with Johann?!" she thought, panicking inside.
She hung up, but kept staring at the blank screen, breath unsteady.
"I can't wake up… Is this real? Or the most ridiculous dream ever?"
Naima crouched on the floor, hugging her knees.
"Even Dad sounds realistic! God, if he starts talking about baby planning tomorrow, I'm just gonna faint."
She quickly opened her phone again, ready to call Martha—rejected.
A moment later, a text popped up:
"Hey newlywed, think before you video call! Seoul's an hour ahead of Jakarta. I'm on the train to work right now!"
Naima's lips trembled. "Newlywed? Seoul? Even Martha's in my dream now?!"
She facepalmed, panicked, laughing.
"What about the office then? Ugh, it's only 7 a.m. in Jakarta… I'll have to wait a few more hours. My brain's jet-lagged from dreaming!"
Still dizzy, she glanced toward the bed.
A muffled groan came from under the pillow.
Johann opened his eyes, yawned, and mumbled, "Schatz, where's my coffee?"
Naima gave a weak grin and facepalmed again.
"God… I'm in Seoul, my husband's asking for morning coffee… and it's barely dawn in Jakarta!"
She tiptoed to the kitchen, poured chocolate sweetened milk into two cups, and carefully loaded Musang coffee grounds into a double filter.
The warm aroma filled the apartment.
She carried the first cup back to the bed, handing it to the asleep Johann.
He took a sip, eyes lighting up.
"Mmm… sweet, bitter, thick… I always love your coffee. Way better than anything made by other baristas," he said with a smile.
Naima sat at the edge of the bed, sipping her own cup.
"Eh, it really tastes good, huh? Maybe I have barista talent. Though, this is just the easy kind of coffee," she joked softly.
She glanced at Johann, holding back a laugh.
"If anyone says I'm a Musang coffee expert, don't believe them, okay? Just beginner's luck."
Johann smiled sleepily, eyes warm.
"Lucky me, waking up to this."
Naima bit her cheek to hide her blush. "Oh no… morning in Seoul, Musang coffee, a smiling husband… this is absurdly nice."
Johann headed to the kitchen next, whipping up a German-style breakfast: herb omelet rolls, toasted pretzels, bratwurst slices, and fresh apple juice.
The cozy aroma filled the room again.
At the table, Naima stared at the food, dazed.
"One day here and I already miss Naskun from Mpok Anah's stall near my boarding house…"
Johann frowned curiously. "What is Naskun?"
Naima quickly explained, gesturing with her fork.
"Yellow rice with tons of toppings—tempeh, egg slices, sambal, even fried chicken with galangal."
Johann chuckled, intrigued. "Sounds yummy. Can you cook it?"
Naima raised both hands with a laugh.
"Cook? Hahaha… that's master-level traditional cooking! I can only make instant noodles and Musang coffee, Johann!"
He smiled playfully. "Then I'm glad to be your personal chef, Mrs. Treublut."
"Johann, you're going to work today?" she asked, sipping her coffee.
"Sure," he replied casually.
"What about me? What should I do?"
Johann exhaled, smiling. "I never forbid you to work."
"Work? In Seoul?" Her eyes lit up.
"Yes. You work here—same as in Jakarta."
"Copywriting? I still have my job?!" Naima nearly jumped.
Johann nodded toward a drawer under the TV. "Your computer's there."
Naima opened it—and froze.
The laptop looked familiar. Wait, correction—it wasn't her personal one, but the Mangga office laptop she always used in Jakarta.
"Yes! I can still chase deadlines in Seoul!" she cheered inwardly, patting the keyboard.
"If I can't wake up from this dream, at least I can still earn money," she muttered, typing away.
After washing up and dressing neatly, she sat in front of the laptop, choosing a plain wall as background—just in case of an online meeting.
Once ready, Naima dove into work. Her fingers flew across the keyboard; emails replied, documents reviewed, copy polished—as if the K-drama world outside could wait while she stayed productive in Seoul.
---
Her phone buzzed—an incoming video call from the office.
"Naima! You're still in Seoul?!" asked Mr. Beni, nodding nervously, as if worried his voice might carry through the screen.
"Yes, sir… still alive, still here," Naima said, ruffling her hair.
"We've got a new client—Be A Star, a cosmetic brand from Seoul. You'll handle it. Don't worry, all online, no need to visit their office."
Naima grinned.
"Wow… I'm officially an international consultant now! But, sir, if the client sees my K-drama-looking background, they might think I'm on a film set!"
Mr. Beni just laughed. "Results matter, Naima. The K-drama set is a bonus!"
Naima glanced at Johann beside her. "See? I'm officially a working wife in Seoul!"
Johann raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"Official or not, you're still the number one coffee maker to me."
---