While Zeva was unlocking her locked front door, her phone suddenly rang. She paused from opening the door and decided to check her phone in her coat pocket instead. Upon seeing the contact name displayed on her phone's screen, Zeva rubbed her eyes. She wanted to make sure she wasn't mistaken. It was late at night, and she was tired, so her vision wasn't optimal due to drowsiness. Earlier, Zeva had a client who had a lot of energy. They visited many places, and the client seemed tireless even though they did a lot of walking. Zeva had to follow them despite her feet feeling like they were about to fall off. But the advantage was that the client treated her to dinner, so Zeva didn't need to worry about preparing her own dinner. "Is this really him calling? Why? Does he still have any business with me?" Zeva monologued, commenting on the caller's identity. However, even though she grumbled, Zeva still answered the call. This time, she chose to remain silent at first. She wanted to wai
After ending the phone call, Zeva immediately searched for her chat conversation with Liora from the other day. Luckily, Zeva was the type who never deleted her chat history, so when needed, she didn't have to ask an IT expert for help retrieving backup data. Once she found it, Zeva quickly took a screenshot of the chat on her phone. Since the chat wasn't long, she only needed to capture it once.Next, Zeva immediately sent the screenshot to Zero. "There, I sent the evidence directly. If you still don't believe it, I don't care anymore. It's not my concern," she remarked.After ensuring the message was successfully sent, Zeva turned off her phone and put it back into her coat pocket. She had lost interest in waiting for Zero's response. Instead, she decided to go inside her house and clean herself up so she could immediately lie down on her bed. Her body felt exhausted, and her mind and heart were also tired.The following day, Zeva was reluctantly awakened from her sleep by the sound
Sky started to gently stroke Zeva's face with his index finger. He did it so softly, and slowly, a smile formed on Sky's lips. Meanwhile, with her eyes still closed, Zeva also began to smile. Then, slowly, Zeva's eyes began to open. "Aaa!" Zeva screamed as she woke up. Understandably, Zeva was startled. Opening her eyes and finding Sky's face so close to hers was unexpected. Sky was also taken aback by Zeva's sudden scream. He had thought of waking her up, but he didn't expect her to react so strongly. Zeva thought that someone touching her face was just a dream. In her dream, it was not Sky who touched her face, but Zero. That's why Zeva smiled before she woke up. "What are you doing here?" Zeva asked, now in a sitting position. "I wanted to wake you up. Why did you have to scream like that? Am I some kind of thief?" Sky replied sarcastically. "How could I not scream? You just barged into my room," Zeva said. "I've been knocking on the door and calling you from outside seve
"What's the point of bringing me here?" asked Zeva as she arrived at one of the cafes."Just take a seat first, Zev. You look out of breath," commented Sky, observing Zeva's exhausted state, but she still found the energy to grumble at him."Well, it's because you rushed me here," Zeva complained as she took a seat facing Sky."Hehe, sorry about that," Sky grinned."Alright, so why did you ask me to come here?" Zeva repeated her question."Let's order some food first. You must be hungry, right?" Sky suggested.Zeva pondered to herself, "Why is Sky acting like a fortune teller? And he's right, I haven't eaten yet.""Come on, spill the beans. Tell me why you asked me to come here. If not, I'll leave right away," Zeva impatiently prodded Sky for an answer.Seeing Zeva preparing to get up from her seat, Sky quickly intercepted her wrist and said, "Hey, don't leave just yet."Sky's action successfully made Zeva freeze, staring at the hands that were being held together by Sky."Alright, I'
"Ron, let me introduce you to Zeva. Zev, this is Aron." If earlier Sky indirectly instructed Aron and Zeva to get acquainted over the phone, now it's Sky's turn to introduce them in person.After all, Sky is the one who knows both of them. So, it's only natural that Sky takes on the task of introducing them. Although Aron and Zeva had already exchanged introductions on the phone, they haven't met each other face-to-face yet."Hmm... it seems he still remembers how to properly introduce people. Well, it's not really perfect, but at least he's trying," Zeva commented to herself.In truth, Zeva was still a bit annoyed by how Sky casually had her and Aron start talking without introducing them properly beforehand."Hi, Zeva. I'm Aron. Finally, we meet in person," Aron said, extending his hand towards Zeva, accompanied by a friendly smile.Zeva returned the smile and reached out to shake Aron's hand, but suddenly, Sky hugged Aron and said, "No need to shake hands. It's the season of viruse
"Zev, can you please take a picture of us?" Sky asked Zeva."Huh? Another photo? How many pictures of the two of them have I taken already? My camera's memory is filled with their faces only. I'm starting to get suspicious, maybe they have a special relationship," Zeva thought."What kind of pose do you want now? Every time it's the same when you two are posing. Plus, you're doing those typical 'dad poses' with thumbs up," Zeva said. Even though Zeva found it slightly offensive to compare them to dads, Sky took it in stride.Despite feeling a bit offended, Sky kept his cool, "Well, the background view is different, Zev. Who knows, maybe the view here will turn out better.""So, every second the ship moves, you want me to take a picture just because the background view changes? If that's the case, I'll step down as your photographer. Exhausting," Zeva complained, giving in to Sky's request."I'm not even getting paid for this anyway. It's like I'm doing community service here. And the
"Ah, no way. Why bother exhausting ourselves with cooking? I'll just buy ready-made food, one portion, and it's done. Guaranteed tasty, stomach full, and then I can rest," Zeva refused Sky's idea."Come on, Zev. Why buy outside food when we can cook ourselves? It's easier to adjust to our taste," Sky continued trying to persuade Zeva."Still a no. I'm not fussy about food, unlike you who insists on home-cooked meals," Zeva replied, sticking to her stance.So, the story goes, they had just finished a tour of trying out Aron's boat, and of course, they didn't miss the main activity - fishing. As Aron promised at the beginning, the catch from their fishing was quite large and, of course, fresh.Even though they didn't catch a lot since their fishing time was short, Zeva didn't want to stay out too late. Moreover, she was afraid of missing the subway train. Currently, they were at the station waiting for the train.Aron had actually offered to drive Zeva and Sky home in his private vehicl
Sky fell silent. His heart was pricked upon hearing Zeva directly say that her feelings of love for Sky had completely disappeared. Could that really be true?Sky found it hard to accept this reality. How could Zeva's love for him, which she had kept hidden for years, vanish so suddenly in just a year?"Is the man who managed to steal your heart Zero?" Sky asked.Zeva no longer needed to be surprised at how Sky could guess that the man she was referring to was Zero. Indeed, Zero and Sky were friends. Furthermore, it happened that Sky was engaged to Liora, who was Zero's sister. Moreover, the beginning of Zero's interest in Zeva was also based on Sky's stories.However, Zeva didn't know from whom Sky had learned about her relationship with Zero. Did he hear it directly from Zero or from Liora? Zeva truly had no clue to confirm it.This was because, from Zero's perspective, he had recently been getting angry without clear reasons whenever he found out Zeva was interacting with Sky again
"Dear, please look at me! It’ll only be a moment. I promise I’ll come back and stay here."“Don’t make promises about uncertain things,” replied Zeva, without taking her eyes off the laptop screen.“Okay, I’ll prove it. But… do you not want to take me to the airport?”Zeva didn’t respond, but she was still focused on her laptop.“Dear, please, don’t ignore me. I’m about to board a plane, you know. If something happens while I’m on the plane, this might be our last moment together.”Zeva immediately stopped what she was doing, then directed her gaze towards Zero, giving him a sharp look and saying, “Just seconds ago, you said you’d prove it, but now you’re already thinking about leaving me?”“Who said I want to leave you, Dear? It’s quite the opposite. I want to be with you 24/7,” retorted Zero.“If you don’t intend to leave, why are you hoping that something bad happens to the plane you’re on?” Zeva demanded.“That’s not what I meant, Dear. I was just reminding you that unexpected thi
“Where is he? Turn on the camera!” A deep male voice filled Zeva’s quiet room.“Ugh... what’s up with you, Bro? It’s still super early and you’re already mad.” Yes, it was Gamma who called Zeva early in the morning.“I want to see if your boyfriend is still fully dressed or not.” Gamma couldn’t trust any man around Zeva, especially since the two of them were under the same roof—alone, without anyone else.“Well, if you want to see, call Zero directly on his number. Why are you calling me? If you call me, I have to go downstairs and check his room,” Zeva complained.“So, you’re really staying in separate rooms?” Gamma still wanted a valid confirmation.“Of course. Your room is empty, too. Why? Didn’t Zero already ask for permission directly from you to borrow it?”“That Nol guy really knows how to keep his defenses up,” Gamma said, translating Zero’s name to its Indonesian meaning.“Oh right, I have to wake up Zero. We planned to go jogging this morning. Bye, Bro, Sis Runa.” Zeva abrup
"Wah, this couple needs more briefing," Zeva commented after seeing the photo results on her camera. Zeva approached her clients. "Finished, Zev?" the male client asked when Zeva was in front of him. "We need to talk," Zeva said. "Okay, let's go!" responded the male client. "Where to? Let's talk here to save time," Zeva replied. "Oh, okay. Rin, you just rest there, alright?" the male client instructed his partner, pointing to one of the park benches about 18 meters away from where they stood. "Rin? Why suddenly call me by my name?" the girl questioned. "Well, your name is Ririn. Nothing wrong with that," the guy replied. "Well, it's not wrong. But usually, you call me 'Beib,'" Ririn said. "Why, though? It's such a trivial matter to fuss about," the guy remarked. "For you, maybe it's trivial. Fine, from now on, I'll call you by your name," Ririn replied. "Okay, Rama. You just continue with your business. I'm going back to the hotel," Ririn continued and immediately left. "W
"You just finished getting dental veneers?" "Huh? Why are you suddenly asking that?" The confusion was evident on Zero's forehead in response to Zeva's question. "Because it's unusual for you to immediately show off your teeth like that." "Unusual? How am I usually then?" Zero felt that the expression he showed was not something rare. "Usually, you flaunt your pillow face. Always sleepy." "Oh, hehe. It's called hard work like a horse, Dear. I have to stay up late." "Working so hard that you forget to sleep, and what do you hope for in the end? Early aging?" Zeva pointed out. "Well, not like that, Dear. I work hard like this for you, you know." "For me? Have I ever asked you to provide for me? No, I've never asked for anything from you," Zeva said, refusing to accept Zero's statement. "Well, not really, Dear. But... I work hard to prepare to provide for you in the future." "You want to turn me into a substitute for a nursing home?" "Well, what's the connection with a nursing
"If you want trouble, don't involve me." Zeva's call successfully stopped Zero in his tracks. "Who's trying to get you into trouble, Dear? We just need to hurry." "We? If you still remember 'we', you shouldn't be pulling me like this." "Dear, sorry, I didn't mean to pull you. I need to check on Liora urgently. There's no time to walk casually. I'm really worried about her." "I understand your worry. Even... I don't mind that you didn't ask whether I'm willing to come or not. But... wherever we're going, we should prioritize being careful. Rushing might not get us there safely, let alone quickly." Not without reason did Zeva reprimand Zero like that. It's because, twice already, they had come close to being hit by cars and bicycles. More precisely, it was Zero who almost got hit because his position was right beside the passing riders. Zeva was surprised as to why Zero seemed to be so indifferent to his own safety. "Dear, sorry for not asking first. Because I really want you to
"Absolutely not. Starting today, I don't want to take you to the airport anymore." "Oh, why are you being so cruel? Come on, dear. It's still a few more hours we can spend together." Zero still tried to persuade Zeva. "I've never wanted to take anyone to the airport. I didn't even want to escort Sis Runa and Bro Gamma. It's just because of you that my feet touch the airport again after so long. Ironically, you are the one being cruel to me by forcing me to do something I dislike." "But why don't you like taking me to the airport?" "Ugh... can't you really pay attention to what I'm saying? It's not just you, but everyone, anyone." "Okay, okay, sorry. So, what's the reason?" Zero was still curious about why Zeva was so against the airport. "See, you don't know anything about me," Zeva responded with her biting words. Hearing Zeva's sarcasm, Zero immediately moved to hold both of Zeva's hands and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. And, with an intense gaze softene
"Don't rush me! I don't like being rushed.""Is it because you dislike rushing activities, or does it depend on who is rushing you?""Both.""Zev, can't we talk calmly?" Zero asked with a hopeful gaze."I have to go back tonight," Zero added."Go back where?""You know the answer, dear," Zero replied, gently stroking Zeva's cheek with his thumb.Yes, Zero was right. Zeva already knew that Zero would go back to Indonesia. However, Zeva still asked because she was grappling with her own thoughts and her small heart. Zeva's heart was not ready to accept the fact that she and Zero would have to do long-distance again."That's why, dear, instead of wasting our time arguing like this, let's spend our remaining time together as much as possible," Zero persuaded."Aren't you angry?""Angry about what?" Zero asked back."You know what I mean.""No.""Are you really not angry?" Zeva asked again, as if uncertain about Zero's answer."I said 'no' to respond to your statement 'you know what I mean
"Why did you run away?" "There are four ways I could have chosen as alternatives to soothe my heart and mind. But... sorry, running away isn't one of them," Zeva asserted. "Then, if not running away, what do you call it? For more than two weeks, you didn't respond to any of my chats, calls, let alone video calls. And when I came all the way here to see you, you still avoided meeting me." "That's your fault. Why did you just show up here without letting me know?" Zeva responded. "What else should I do? How else should I contact you if not in person?" Zero seemed frustrated dealing with Zeva. "Why, after I didn't respond, did you suddenly start trying to contact me? Where were you before? If it wasn't for me asking about you, you wouldn't have initiated contact with me at all. You used to contact me much more often when we were just seeing each other casually before officially dating," Zeva finally poured out all her frustrations to Zero. "Moreover... every time we want to have a
"Now I want to ask you. What do you know about me?" "Huh? What kind of question is that, dear?" "I'm serious, Zero. Don't underestimate my question!" Zeva insisted. "I didn't mean to underestimate your question, dear. I just don't understand where your question is heading. Your question is too general, like asking 'what do you know about the world'?" "Come on, that's not a fair comparison, not apple to apple. I'm a human; you can't compare me to the whole world," Zeva argued. "Why not? You're also part of the world. You’re my world." "Enough with the sweet talk. Just answer my question honestly," Zeva commanded. "That's what I know. You are my world." "Zer, I'm really in a serious mode right now," Zeva emphasized. "Yeah, my dear Zeva. I know. And... my answer is also really serious," Zero replied. "Okay. Now I'll ask you a more specific question. Your task is to answer seriously and correctly!" "Alright, I'm ready, Miss," Zero replied enthusiastically, raising both his thumb