“I'm home,” Olin said as he confirmed the people around her. Apart from the fact that he was a little late, Olin didn't want to face her mother directly yet. Somehow she felt that, whatever happened at school, her mother already knew about it.He had to be prepared in case she lectured him.“Looks like Mommy's not home yet,” she said with a sigh of relief. She had checked some of the rooms where her mother often stayed, especially the reading room. And she didn't find her mother there. This meant... for the time being Olin was safe.Unfortunately...“What are you looking for?”Her mother came out from the other room, looking at her only daughter in surprise.“Nothing.” Olin grinned widely. “Good afternoon, my dear mother.” She immediately rushed to hug her mother. But Helena just clucked and yelled at her. “It hurts, Mom! Ugh! What did I do wrong?”“Wait for me over there,” Helena pointed to the lounge not far from their current position.“Mom,” Olin said in a pleading voice. She knew
That morning, sunlight broke through the gap in Olin's curtains. The girl squirmed quietly on the bed, still half sleepy. But her mind immediately recalled last night's conversation with her father.Her father, Michael Andreas, spoke in a soft yet firm tone. "Olin, your Mommy only wants what's best for you. Sometimes her ways may seem harsh, but that's because she cares. You also have to learn to listen more, not just react."Those words rang in her mind, making her feelings of guilt even stronger. Olin let out a long sigh, then got up from the bed. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.“Alright, today I have to fix it,” she muttered as she put on her school uniform.After tidying up, she left her room and went straight to the kitchen. There, her mother Helena was busy preparing breakfast. The woman's face looked calm, albeit a little tired.Olin paused for a moment at the doorway, feeling nervous. But she gathered her courage, walked slowly, and hugged her mother from behind.“
“Why is your face red? And where have you been?” asked Jihan as she tilted her head, a curious expression on her face.Olin, who had just sat down in her seat, avoided Jihan's gaze. She opened her water bottle casually, trying to distract herself. “It's nothing. I was just talking in the side building earlier."Jihan looked at Olin suspiciously. “Who were you talking to? Why are you looking like a tomato?”“Never mind. Don't overdo it,” Olin replied, this time looking at Jihan with raised eyebrows. “I met those three girls earlier, and we talked about... well, a lot of things.”“Oh,” Jihan looked surprised. “Are they bothering you again?”Olin shook her head under her breath. “No, they don't. They're better now. In fact, they talked normally a few times. I think they're starting to understand what I meant at the park.”Jihan nodded slowly, apparently trying to digest the information. “Hmm, okay. If they're not annoying anymore, that's good.”Not long after, Adelinne, Rihana, and Maria
Andy sat on the living room sofa, scrolling through his phone without really paying attention to the screen. His lips formed a small smile, recalling the moment when Olin bravely chased after his cell phone thief. The girl was completely different from his first image-there was no fear, only genuine courage.However, her smile did not go unnoticed by Luna Jacob, her grandmother who was knitting in a rocking chair not far from her. The old woman knew her grandson all too well. Andy, who was usually serious and quiet, was often seen smiling to himself these days.“What's wrong, Andy?” Luna's soft voice broke the silence.Andy looked up, a little surprised. “What, Grandma?”Luna stopped knitting, looking up at her grandson with concerned eyes. “You seem different lately. Is there something you want to tell me?”Andy smiled slightly, trying to distract her grandmother. “Nothing, Grandma. Probably just a lot on
“Ah, Olin, you finally came too!” Vera greeted Olin with a warm hug, her eyes shining with excitement. “Grandma's been waiting a long time.”Olin smiled and returned the hug. “Yes, Grandma, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I had a little business earlier.”Helena, his mother, greeted Vera with a warm smile. “Thank you for inviting us, Vera. We're glad we could make it.”Meanwhile, Michael, Olin's father, who was rather quiet, just smiled and greeted Tomy who was busy in the kitchen. “Grandpa, how are you?” he said as he sat down at the dining table.“Ah, Michael! I'm fine, my son. Come, sit, sit. Lunch is ready,” Tomy said with a big smile, his eyes radiating warmth.Olin nodded, followed him into the dining room, and sat next to Vera. Vera immediately grasped his hand with great concern. “Come on, sit down first, son. I want to hear how you're doing.”Olin smil
“Helena, you look a little tense,” Michael said in a soft tone as they sat in the living room after dinner. He looked at his wife, who sat staring blankly out the window, her eyes seemingly glazed over.Helena took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “I'm fine, Michael. It's just... earlier, when I met Jacob's family, I felt that there was something evocative of the past. Especially with that young man present... I feel anxious.”Michael looked at his wife with concern. “Are you feeling anxious because of him? Or is it something else?”Helena shook her head slowly. “Not because of him, Michael. It's more about the complicated past... which is long forgotten, but not completely gone. I know I've forgiven everyone, including Tiara and Arslan. But seeing their son, seeing him next to Luna... it's like I'm reminded of everything that happened.”Michael sighed and sat closer, taking Helena's hand gently. &l
“Who are you looking at, Lin?” Jihan's voice suddenly broke the silence in the cafeteria, making Olin startle and almost choke on the orange juice he had just gulped down.“Huh? Who?” Olin hurriedly turned to Jihan with a panicked face, trying to hide his nervousness.Jihan narrowed her eyes, giving Olin a probing look. “Don't pretend, I saw you just now looking at Andy from a distance. What's wrong, huh?”Olin let out a long breath, then shook his head quickly. “Nothing, Jihan. You saw it wrong.”However, Adel, who was sitting next to Jihan, immediately chimed in. “Oh? Andy? Isn't he that cold guy who rarely talks? How can you be interested, Lin?”“I'm not interested! Gosh, what's wrong with you guys?” Olin tried to deny it, even though his face was starting to turn red. He knew Jihan wouldn't let go of this topic easily.Vina, who was usually more reserved, suddenly ch
“Olin, are you ready?” Jihan's voice broke the silence in the preparation room. She looked up at her best friend sitting at the piano, seemingly practicing the last notes.Olin let out a long breath, trying to compose himself. “Not sure, Jihan. I don't know why our homeroom teacher chose me to perform. There are many others who are better.”Jihan chuckled and sat next to him. “Olin, you're really good. They chose you because you're the best. Besides, you're not alone. We're all here to support you.”“But my family will come,” Olin rolled his eyes. “I told them that Mama was enough. If they all came, I'd be even more nervous.”“Your family is fun,” Jihan patted his shoulder. “Think of them as hard-core fans.”Meanwhile, on the main stage, Andy stood in the center of the crowd, monitoring the festival. His face serious, he occasionally spoke into a walkie-talkie to ma
[Kingkong: Thanks, pudding. I like it.]Gadis swiped at the message that had just entered her cellphone. Once again, she focused her concentration on the stacked files. Gadis felt like throwing up but she held it back. It wasn't just her who was struggling with the many piles, but almost all the staff in the division under Kingkong were busy. Very busy indeed.“Even though I was hoping for a bit of a break today,” complained Gadis, but her eyes remained fixed on the sheet of report and the laptop full of data. ”My goodness, when will this torture end?”“Are you muttering, Dis?” asked Tania with a laugh. "This is what it's like at the end of the month. Everything is backbreaking work. But after getting paid, it's not this hectic either.”Gadis just glanced over with a smile. "Is that a phenomenon at GreenTech?”“That's how it is,” Tania replied casually. It wasn't just Gadis who was chasing
“How was your meeting with Angga?” asked Lily, raising an eyebrow. Teasing Gadis, who had met her boyfriend, was the latest fad for the girl who loved white. Especially since Gadis and Angga had to do long-distance dating since returning from Solo. If Gadis said so, that was the risk of being with a prospective doctor.They were at a ramen shop in Bintaro Plaza. Rather than spending the weekend sulking, when Lily invited her out for a moment to the mall area closest to their dorm, Gadis just agreed. Besides, she had nothing to do this afternoon. Considering that her mood was ruined this morning, she was also curious about the afternoon but didn't want to leave the room, so while Gadis' mood was improving a bit, it would be better if she relieved her fatigue a little.“That's how it is,” said Gadis as she took a big bite of her ice cream spoon. Luckily for them, even though it was the weekend, the mall wasn't that crowded. Only a handful of peopl
Angga stared at the food box that Gadis handed him. The twinkle in the eyes of the girl he had been dating for two years was really happy. She hoped Angga might give a little compliment or words that would make Gadis feel good. But to be honest, Angga didn't like it. At all.Let alone like it, he's not even interested in tasting it. It's not a matter of the side dish and what is presented in this neatly and beautifully arranged box. But ... he's like a kindergartner!“I've told you this before, haven't I?” Angga closed the food box that Gadis had given him. He sighed deeply as he stared at Gadis with a look of dislike. “I'm not a kindergarten kid you serve food like this to.”“But it's cute, you know.” The girl opened the returned box again. "Even though it looks like a kindergarten kid, it tastes good. You try it first, Dear," said Gadis as she took one of the slices of meat that she had stir-fried with bulgogi soy sauce. It tasted very tempting to the girl but ...“You eat it yourse
All Gadis could do was take out her earphones and put them on. She played her favorite song and enjoyed the journey to an area where almost all of Jakarta's residents gathered. She enjoyed the weekend with sports and culinary hunting in the available places.Until finally, they arrived at the Grand Indonesia parking lot. They chose to park behind the mall building, which stands strong, hiding the splendor that is one of Jakarta's images: the Grand Indonesia Mall.“We're going straight there, Doctor Angga,” said Amel with burning enthusiasm. ”See you again.”“Be careful. Let me know if anything happens.” Angga smiled slightly, letting the two noisy women leave him. At the hospital, both Amel and Rara were known as cheerful women. There was always something to talk about that made the atmosphere at the hospital even more lively, especially on night shifts. If they were just on duty without any conversation, they could be tempted by things that happened beyond reason.Gadis didn't care a
Anyway, today Gadis is happy. She usually greets the weekend by sleeping in and lazing around even though she eventually cleans up, but this week she deliberately got up early. She has been busy since she opened her eyes and glanced at the wall of her rent house. She has also told her parents that her return this week has been delayed.“I want to meet Angga. While he's at a seminar in Jakarta,” said Gadis cheerfully. It was a Friday evening when Gadis was waiting for the bus. At the very least, her parents had to get some news about her not being able to go home this week.“Oh, that's good. Why wasn't he just invited home? While he's in Jakarta?” At the other end, Gadis's mother was also excited.The girl pouted but luckily their conversation was over the phone so her mother didn't need to see the look on the girl's face that she didn't really like her mother's response. Her mother should have understood Gadis also wanted to spend time with Angga. Longing is hard, to quote the words o
“Wow, if this goes on I could get fat,” said Gadis, chuckling. On her desk were several bengbeng, chocolate-layered biscuits, or other snacks as part of the payment for the Shoes bet. Even though Gadis had not guessed the color that King would wear this morning.The man didn't do anything. Most of the time, King always went to Mr. Ubud's room, not knowing what they were talking about. Maybe it had something to do with his 1 billion project. Gadis doesn't cared even though she was driving all night last night, occasionally listening to King argue and express his opinion.What King said about the meeting was true. And most of the time King communicated in English, which the man spoke so fluently. It didn't seem like he needed to think long to find the right word. King was indeed good at negotiating.“Exciting, huh?” asked Tania, which surprised the girl. But then she laughed.“Yes, you know. Exciting.”“Every
Sleeping in an emotional state is not good. The heart is not too calm and sleep is not restful. Gadis felt it all until she woke up early in the morning. Her look was still wrinkled, her face was frowning and actually there was no desire in her heart to work.But ...“I'm not a child. If I take a sudden leave today, Kingkong will definitely win. Besides, why is his damn attitude getting worse every day? He just uses his authority as a boss at will.” She also pulled back the covers. The clock on the wall of her room showed only 4 a.m., but Gadis was used to getting up that early.First, she made her own lunch and packed a lunch. During her college years, she never forgot to bring lunch from home. Besides, she wouldn't waste the opportunity if, when making certain snacks, there were always college friends who ordered. It was not a bad idea to have extra snacks or money that could be saved to ease her college expenses.Secondly, she liked buy sna
“A billion?” Mario repeated with wide eyes in disbelief. ‘Using ZoomMeet?’ He folded his arms across his chest. ‘Can you not make so many excuses if you really want to be with Pasaraya? It's okay with me too." Mario chuckled. ”Sooner or later, I'll find out who you're really dating.”It felt like King didn't just want to swear, but to hit Mario on the head with the placemat in front of him. Unfortunately, if he did that, his mother could go on a rampage like a lion.“Whatever.” King shrugged. ”You can believe it or not, it's up to you.”Mario still showed a wide grin. “Look, Mr. King, you're the one who doesn't want to lose.” He moved his dining chair closer to King's. Dinner was over, but Priska wouldn't let them leave. Because of what?As soon as King left his chair, he would definitely go into the room. And Priska couldn't interrogate and listen to what Mario had to say. She could also find out what really happened. Priska couldn't miss out on news like this, especially regarding t
“Dis,” Lily called, looking at her best friend with concern. The fried rice that she had been craving to eat together no longer tasted good. Not because she hadn't eaten it, but... “You'll choke if you eat it like that.”“Danger, girl.” Manda warned. “Have a drink first.” She offered the cold water that Manda had just taken out of the refrigerator. “You've been grumbling all this time. You'll get old before you know how to taste!”“I'm getting old,” said Gadis immediately at the glass that Manda had just offered. she also tried to swallow her fried rice even though it was a bit difficult. one sip, the water in the glass ran aground. leaving her lips looking wet. her portion of fried rice was already a little left. not until two or three mouthfuls, Gadis' portion was only left in its place.“If that happens, you're blaming Kingkong's existence!” Gadis' eyes looked like they were emitting fire. Her breathing was roaring with displeasure, plus her hands were clenched into fists indicatin