Bogor, 2008.
Eleven years later...
The weather was scorching. Ugh... weather like this made anyone want to stay indoors. The air drifting in through Dina's bedroom window barely moved, while the old electric fan spun lazily, squeaking as though it were complaining. Who says Bogor is cold? It's so hot, she thought. Luckily, school was off today because the twelfth graders were taking their Pre-National Exams, so she didn't have to suffer under the blazing sun.
Her plan for the day was simple: sleep, read comics, snack, then sleep again.
Ah, life is beautiful.
She flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling where the once-white paint had begun yellowing around the corners. Glow-in-the-dark stars were scattered across the center, though most of them had long since stopped glowing. In her hands was a teen romance comic she had just finished reading.
"Again? It's always the same story. So boring," she muttered in annoyance.
The plot was painfully cliché—a girl hopelessly chasing after the most popular boy at school.
"Can't they come up with something different? It's always girls chasing boys. It makes girls look pathetic," she grumbled, tossing the comic onto the bed.
Well, that's just how things were these days. Girls didn't seem to have any sense of shame anymore. If they liked someone, they confessed right away. They called it emancipation. Dina—who was admittedly a little old-fashioned—never quite agreed with that idea. No matter how much she liked a guy, she would never chase after him.
Especially confess first.
Heaven forbid, she thought.
She had just reached for another comic when her phone suddenly rang.
Suara… dengarkanlah aku. Apa kabarnya pujaan hatiku…
The ringtone was "Suara" by Hijau Daun—the hottest song of the moment.
Dina glanced at the screen.
Icha.
"Hello, Cha," she greeted casually.
The response was an ear-splitting scream that nearly made her drop her brand-new Nokia N70, which she'd recently bought with her Eid allowance.
"Oh my God! Where are you?!"
Dina instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Weren't we supposed to watch Kung Fu Panda together? Don't tell me you forgot!"
Astaghfirullah.
Dina slapped her forehead.
"Oh no, Cha. I'm so sorry. I completely forgot."
"You've seriously gone senile!" Icha yelled again. "Nia and I are already at Botani Square. Get over here now! The movie starts in five minutes!"
Dina looked up at the wall clock.
1:25 PM.
Her face immediately fell.
"Ugh... I don't think I can make it anymore. It's too late. I'm still at home."
Besides, it's ridiculously hot outside, she added inwardly.
She could hear someone grumbling on the other end.
"Din!"
A different voice suddenly cut in.
It was Nia.
Her voice was firmer, yet somehow gentler.
"You promised to treat us after winning that essay competition yesterday. Don't even think about running away. After the movie, we're heading straight to our usual Japanese restaurant. You'd better be there before we arrive. If you're not, we're going to be mad. End of discussion."
Beep... beep... beep...
Before Dina could even respond, the call ended.
She could only stare blankly at the phone screen as silence returned.
Getting off the bed, she walked over to the mirror. Her long hair was still a mess, and her T-shirt had become slightly wrinkled. After hesitating for several seconds, she let out a long sigh before heading toward her wardrobe.
"Alright, Din. A promise is a promise."
She picked out a white short-sleeved T-shirt with a cat print and a pair of light blue jeans.
Simple.
But neat enough.
Once she was ready, she told her mother she was heading out before stepping outside.
The scorching heat hit her face instantly.
"Well... at least the restaurant will have air conditioning," she mumbled, trying to cheer herself up.
A few minutes later, she was standing by the roadside, waiting for an angkot, a shared minibus, while fanning herself with one hand.
The afternoon sun was merciless.
Yet, strangely enough, Dina found herself smiling.
Maybe because, deep down, she was actually looking forward to hanging out with her friends.
---
This Japanese restaurant had always been their favorite place to gather.
Its light brown wooden walls were decorated with small paper lanterns hanging near the entrance. The savory aroma of shoyu and fish broth mingled with the fresh scent of newly brewed green tea. In the background, Utada Hikaru's First Love drifted softly from the speakers tucked away in one corner.
Dina looked around, quietly enjoying the calm, refreshing atmosphere.
The cool air from the air conditioner brushed against her slightly chubby cheeks, washing away every trace of heat she'd carried in from outside.
Her fair skin seemed to glow beneath the warm lighting. Standing around 158 centimeters tall with a slim figure, she had a faint dimple on her left cheek whenever she smiled. Wearing her white cat-print T-shirt and light blue jeans, she looked effortlessly sweet. Her long black hair was tied into a half-up ponytail, giving her an innocent yet lively appearance.
She lowered her gaze to the menu in her hands, trying to distract herself from the awkwardness of sitting alone in the middle of the restaurant.
Before she could decide what to order, someone bumped into her shoulder from behind.
"Ah, sorry."
Dina lurched slightly forward.
She instinctively turned around.
Damn. It was Ando.
The guy looked like he'd stepped straight out of a television commercial.
He stood about 170 centimeters tall, with skin unusually fair for a boy. His sharp jawline and spiky black hair—styled like every trendy teenage guy these days—made him look like an anime character. He was wearing a black short-sleeved polo shirt accented with white along the collar and sleeves, paired with dark blue jeans.
"Huh? Din? What are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"Uh... I-I can be wherever I want," Dina stammered.
The surprise had robbed her voice of its usual sharpness.
"What about you?"
"I ask nicely, and that's the reaction I get?" Ando replied with an exaggerated pout before breaking into a faint grin.
"I was just accompanying my girlfriend while she went shopping."
He tilted his chin toward a girl seated at a table not far away.
She was undeniably pretty. Porcelain skin. Straight shoulder-length hair with neat bangs held back by a cute headband. A soft pink blouse. A white skirt.
The perfect girly girl who knew exactly how to stand out in public.
Dina merely nodded, doing her best to appear indifferent despite the strange tightness growing in her chest.
"Wanna join us?" Ando offered.
That's unusual, Dina thought. He's actually being nice today. Normally he's just annoying.
"Better than sitting here all alone. You look painfully single."
There it was. His real personality.
Dina lightly punched his arm.
"As if! I'm waiting for Icha and Nia, okay?" she snapped.
"No way I'm joining you. I'd just end up watching a couple flirt. Go away already. You're disturbing my peace."
"Pfft, kicking me out now?" Ando laughed. "Fine. I'll head back. Just don't let some creepy old guy hit on you."
As he walked away, he playfully flicked the top of Dina's head, leaving behind the faint scent of masculine cologne as he passed.
Dina stuck out her tongue at his retreating back.
That was Ando. Her classmate. And also her favorite person to fight with.
Today, he'd actually been rather friendly.
Usually...
His mouth was absolutely brutal.
He'd even made her cry before.
She hated him.
"Hey, have you been waiting long?"
Icha's cheerful voice pulled Dina back to reality.
She looked up.
Icha stood beside the table with her usual bright smile.
Her wavy hair was tied into a high ponytail, perfectly matching her energetic personality. She wore a denim jacket over a khaki mini skirt, radiating the kind of infectious positivity that always livened up any room.
Standing next to her was Nia, her complete opposite.
She had pale fair skin, long black hair with side-swept bangs, and a gentle, serene face that could easily belong to the heroine of a Japanese drama.
Compared to Icha, she looked much more feminine and composed. Though in reality, she was just as loud.
"Not too long," Dina answered before taking a sip of water.
"What are you staring at?" Nia asked, following Dina's gaze toward Ando's table. "Oh, Ando. What's he doing here?"
"No idea," Dina replied casually, pretending to be deeply interested in flipping through the menu.
"Then why were you looking over there?" Icha teased. "Oho... Are you jealous?"
"What are you talking about? Quit making things up. Come on, let's order already."
Dina answered so quickly that her cheeks grew noticeably warm.
Icha and Nia exchanged glances before quietly laughing.
Well...
If she was being honest with herself...
Dina really did like Ando.
So much that it almost felt like hatred.
She had liked him ever since their very first day of high school. The handsome boy with fearless confidence. The one who had openly stood up to the seniors during orientation to defend his classmates from being bullied.
The same boy who later became known for challenging teachers with sharp questions during class and arguing endlessly whenever he believed he was right.
Including arguing with Dina.
Yes.
She liked Ando.
But she also hated him.
Because he'd made her cry.
"Can you all just shut up already?!"
His angry voice from that day still echoed clearly in her memory.
It had happened during an Indonesian language presentation.
Their classmates kept teasing the two of them, insisting they were like a married couple who constantly bickered yet secretly adored each other.
Dina hadn't really minded.
Even though she'd mumbled, "What are you guys talking about? So lame."
She'd secretly been happy.
But apparently Ando hadn't felt the same way.
His face turned bright red. He was genuinely furious.
"Will you all just stop it?! Don't pair me up with her. I'd never accept that."
The harsher his words became, the more their classmates teased them.
But for Dina...
There was only one consequence.
Heartbreak.
Am I really that ugly?Was the thought of being paired with me really that unbearable?
She held back the pain with everything she had.
Only after she was finally alone did she let the tears fall.
That was the first time Ando made her cry.
The second time...
...was the very next day.
When she found out he already had a girlfriend.
Clara.
A girl from another class in the same grade.
"Hey! Daydreaming again!"
Icha waved a hand in front of her face.
"What are you ordering, Din?"
"Huh? U-Um... I'll just have batagor."
Icha and Nia stared at her in complete disbelief.
Does she think we're eating at the school cafeteria or something?