Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Oi, Adrian, wake up! Do you even know what time it is?" a man's voice shouted from outside the room.
Adrian slowly opened his eyes. Moving lazily, he sat up and shouted back, "Yeah, yeah, I'm up!" while reaching for his phone on the small table beside his bed.
Seven a.m., he thought. He let out a long sigh, got up, grabbed his phone, and walked out of the room.
Adrian Kusnadi — son of Leonard and Cynthia Kusnadi, a pair of academics who both taught at a prestigious university. Discipline had been drilled into him since childhood, though the habit of sleeping in was one thing he never quite lost.
At the dining table, his college friend Lucas was sitting casually.
The ketoprak in front of him was almost finished, both legs propped up on the chair, eyes glued to his favorite podcast on his phone screen.
"Bro, did you get me one too?" Adrian asked, pulling out a chair.
Before Lucas could answer, another voice chimed in. "There's a packet on the table. Just eat that."
Nathan — his younger brother — had just come out of his room, hair still wet, towel draped around his neck.
Adrian grabbed his ketoprak. After just one bite, Nathan was already staring suspiciously at his arm.
"Where were you last night, bro? You got home really late. And what's that on your arm? Looks like a scratch mark."
Adrian glanced briefly at the wound and smiled faintly.
"Scratched by a naughty cat," he replied lightly, though his thoughts drifted back to what happened the night before.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You're starting at Pramatya Group today, right? Why didn't you join Wijaya Group with me instead?"
"Yeah, I'll be there by nine," Adrian said between bites. "I just don't want to get in through connections—especially through the youngest daughter."
Lucas chuckled. "Just admit it, you've got your pride."
Adrian laughed softly, stood up, and patted his friend's shoulder.
"I'm heading out, bro."
"Sure thing. Good luck on your first day, Newbie," Lucas replied, eyes still fixed on his phone.
"Wait, bro! I'm hitching a ride to campus!" Nathan shouted from his room.
Adrian glanced at his phone — eight sharp. "Hurry up, I'm about to leave," he called back.
Nathan rushed to pack his things while Adrian returned to his room to change into work clothes and fix his hair in front of the mirror.
His hands suddenly froze.
A faint scratch on his right arm was still visible — thin but stinging.
He stared at it for a moment, then smirked.
A few minutes later, he was behind the wheel. The drive was smooth, but his mind kept circling back to that wound.
As he drove, last night's memory replayed vividly.
Flashback
"Hey, man. I'm in front of the bar. Where are you?" Adrian asked on the phone.
A heavy, slurred voice replied, "Just come in. I'm inside, near the bartender."
"Got it. I'm coming in now."
He slipped his phone into his pocket and climbed the stairs toward the bar entrance — when suddenly someone bumped into him hard.
Adrian staggered but caught the person out of reflex before she could fall.
A woman. Her eyes were unfocused, her steps hurried. Adrian could tell — she was either drunk or running from something.
She clutched his arm, then pushed him back roughly, forcing him to take a step backward.
Her nails were sharp, leaving a thin scratch across his skin.
From inside the bar came the sound of hurried footsteps.
Whoever was chasing her was getting closer.
Without thinking, the woman shoved Adrian against the wall beside the door.
"Help me," she whispered, barely audible.
She lifted her face toward his, hand on his chin, tilting it slightly. Their lips were almost touching — but her thumb pressed between them, stopping the distance just short.
Adrian froze. That face… felt too familiar.
Bang!
The bar door burst open.
"Where's that bitch?!" a man shouted, followed by the footsteps of his men.
"To the left! You, check the back alley! Hurry before she gets away!"
Adrian and the woman stood still in the dim glow of the bar sign.
When things finally quieted, she stepped back, exhaled shakily, and pulled a stack of cash from her small purse.
"This is for compensation," she said shortly.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked briskly toward a waiting black sedan. The door opened automatically.
She got in — and disappeared into the night.
Adrian stared after her for a few seconds.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He looked at the scratch on his arm and muttered softly,
"Damn cat… looks like you haven't changed at all."
A notification tone snapped him out of his thoughts.
His car had stopped in front of the campus.
In the passenger seat, Nathan was busy checking his bag.
"We're here," Adrian said flatly.
"Thanks, bro!" Nathan replied before hopping out.
Adrian sighed, his eyes lingering on the campus gate before pulling back onto the main road.
He still had time — and one more destination.
The towering building of Pramatya Group soon loomed ahead, grand and intimidating.
He stood for a moment, staring at the massive logo on the facade, then took a deep breath and walked in.
"Excuse me. I'm the new employee for Project Management Team 1. Where should I report?" he asked politely at the reception desk.
"Sure, sir. Let me register your biometrics first," the receptionist replied warmly.
After a few minutes, Adrian was directed to the 5th floor.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened. Adrian stepped in, scanned his access card, and pressed the button for floor 5.
A few seconds later, the sound of quick footsteps echoed down the corridor. He instinctively held the elevator door open.
Someone appeared —
A woman, speaking firmly on the phone, her steps confident. She didn't even notice Adrian inside the elevator.
She only glanced briefly at the control panel before refocusing on her call.
Adrian smiled faintly. His gaze followed her every movement — her stride, her gestures, her tone. Too familiar to ignore.
Ding!
Floor 5.
The woman stepped out quickly, never looking back. Adrian followed behind her.
He turned toward the HR Department's office. Two knocks.
"Come in," a voice replied from inside.
Adrian entered.
"Good morning. I'm Adrian Kusnadi, the new member of Project Management Team 1."
The woman behind the desk smiled kindly. "Good morning, Adrian. I'm Ajeng from HR. Let me take you to your team."
They walked toward the Project Management room.
When the door opened, Adrian saw five desks neatly arranged — one in the center, surrounded by four others, most already occupied.
But the center desk caught his attention the most.
A woman sat there, her long hair perfectly in place, her expression serious as she focused on her monitor. She hadn't yet realized two pairs of eyes were on her.
"Everyone," Ms. Ajeng announced, breaking the silence. "This is our new team member, Adrian Kusnadi."
Adrian smiled and stepped forward. "I hope we can work well together."
A small round of polite applause followed.
The woman at the center desk finally looked up.
For a split second — time stopped.
Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face.
Adrian met her gaze with an easy smile.
"Hello… naughty cat," he murmured inwardly.