CAMELLIAS

episode 5's

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Sighs for a moment, then grabs the black sling bag, matching the dress I was wearing tonight. 

Last afternoon Dad came home earlier than usual, all of a sudden he took me to dinner with his business colleagues at eight this evening. I can't refuse, after all, this isn't the first time I've been invited to attend business events. 

Still clearly remembered the incident this afternoon, when suddenly Faro was in front of the house. This afternoon I took bi Iyah out of the house, looking for the brother of a Rujak seller who used to walk around the complex. The hot weather makes me want sour and spicy food. 

Bi Iyah suggests making your own rujak at home, but the taste will be different from the one sold by Abang-abang. Half forced me to take bi Iyah out of the house during the day, and the sun still feels so hot burning skin. Just as I opened the gate, I was surprised by the arrival of someone I never expected at all.

Alfaro was not far from the gate of the house, sitting on his motorcycle. His eyes looked down at the phone screen in his hand and as soon as he heard the whistling of the gate, he turned his head. It felt like I wanted to jump for joy as soon as I saw her, but still I could bear it. 

I don't know what wind made him come to my house, but today there is no tutoring. Happiness was not just there, it turned out that he came just to apologize, because that day he left before the guidance hour was over. Faro promised to change his time tomorrow, but I asked him to teach me how to ride a motorcycle instead, and I unexpectedly agreed. 

Let's say I'm not sane because I asked him to teach me, when in fact I was good at carrying motorcycles thanks to the Ujang mang who always patiently taught me every afternoon. But it's okay, there's no other reason just that I want to. 

I know it's wrong, but I like the presence of Faro near me despite having to use this ridiculous way. 

Unknowingly I was still smiling to myself given the ridiculous thing I did last afternoon.

"Ehem." Deheman Dad broke my smile. 

"Is there anything interesting going on today. From now on, my daughter smiled to herself." 

"Yes?"

"What's wrong, I think it's a lot of fun. I noticed you were smiling." I blushed in embarrassment as soon as Dad realized my silliness, smiling to himself from earlier.

"No ko, Dad. Oh yeah, where are we going?" I'm switching the conversation, I hope you don't notice.

"There was a dinner with my business partner, Emil. You haven't met her, she's Dad's business partner for a long time. But we're both busy, and we can only meet now." 

Yess,, I managed to divert the conversation, I murmured.

"Oh, good friend of Dad's?"

"Yes, today he also took his son."

"Women?"

"Yes." Yeah." 

I'm grateful that Dad's friend brought his son too, at least I wouldn't feel like a statue in the middle of the parents' chat. 

Finally my father and I arrived at their destination, in a luxurious restaurant in Kuningan area. A waiter immediately drove to his destination and this time a French restaurant was his choice. 

Dad and I got there first, we sat at the table that had been reserved by Dad's secretary.

"They're coming soon." Saying Father. And sure enough not long ago came two men wearing black suits approaching the table where I was. 

The middle-aged man was almost the same age as Dad, there was clearly a familiarity between the two of them and the two immediately embraced each other. 

While the young man in the brown suit only greeted Dad, shook his hand and then he patted him on the shoulder. It's fitting that Dad calls Om Emil's daughter a girl, it turns out that even though he is a male, but he is like a girl, wearing earrings in both ears.

"Honey, meet this Om Emil, Dad's friend. And this is Jupiter, Om Emil's son." I extended my hand to introduce myself.

"Kara, Om" 

"Emil. You're so pretty, son." Om Emil took my hand enthusiastically. Turning to the man next to her, I reached out.

"Kara"

"Jupiter." 

All right I'm gonna pretend amnesia for today. To be honest once Om Emil comes with his son, I wish it was a woman. But instead of a man, I even knew this tall man sitting right in front of me. He is Jupiter, the popular guy at school that Nadira talked about the other day.

I wanted to drown myself, or pretend to have an upset stomach so I could get out of this unpleasant situation. Jupiter was unceasingly staring intently at me, I had no idea what she was seeing. 

Every now and then I noticed my appearance, maybe something was wrong with my makeup or maybe I was wearing a lip tint too prominently, so Jupiter looked at me like that. 

Jupiter's gaze made me feel uncomfortable and I finally ventured, looking back at her. Jupiter and I were both staring at each other, as if mocking each other until Jupiter smiled, while pulling next to her eyebrows. A very annoying smile. 

I sipped a cold ocha to the toilet. Wasting his face, looking the other way. Without me even looking, I knew Jupiter was still staring intently at me. 

I don't know what the parents are talking about, I'm not interested in it one bit. Even the hunger that I had been enduring, just disappeared. 

"Darling, aren't you in school?" Ask Dad.

"Rubber, Om." I glanced sharply at Jupiter. Dad asked me, but he answered.

"One class?" Now it was Om Emil's turn to ask. 

"No, Om." As if I didn't want to lose, I answered first. 

"That means you know each other?" 

"No"

"Yes." Yeah." 

"Are they not so funny?" The sound of Om Emil's laughter grew louder. 

Funny thing, I don't know Jupiter. 

"Om, I want to take Kara out for a while, around here. So Om and Dad can talk." I stared intently at Jupiter, gesturing her if I didn't agree with her proposal.

As if unconcerned with my threatening gaze, Jupiter pulled my hand as soon as she got Dad's permission. 

Jupiter pulled my hand, or rather dragged me out of the restaurant towards the front yard of the hotel. 

"Deliver!" I pulled my hand from his grasp.

"What the hell,!" I was really upset by his behavior. 

"Gue just nolongin lo, just come out. Than you there rich bego man." I glanced at him. He's a real bitch. 

"We don't know! So don't be so familiar."

"Seriously you don't know me?" His ejek, even he folded his hands together on his chest, as if convincing if I was lying.

"Why should I know?" My reply

Jupiter pulled my hand back, shaking it like an acquaintance.

"Okay, let's go. I'm Jupiter . Hello to you." Jupiter shook my hand.

"Yaaa! It hurts!!" I screamed, pulling my hand with one punch.

Jupiter was just staring at me. If I had been pretending to do a lot of schoolwork or I had a stomachache, I probably wouldn't have been here with a weird little guy like Jupiter. 

"Sory,, sory.Lo is funny." 

"I'm not a clown." I clucked as I sat in the garden chair, taking off the high heels that felt like pinching my toes, as a result of Jupiter dragging me to this place.

"illness?" Ask, 

"You think?" I was still holding my toes that felt sore because there were scratches blisters around the toes. 

Jupiter lowered her head, bending one of her knees checking for injuries on my leg. 

"It hurts." Ask jupiter, her fingers stroking the bruises around her toes.

"Awwww, don't press. It hurt?"

"Gue is not intentional. Don't wear those rich shoes, it's sick."

"You pulled me, the road wasn't slow. So scuffed." Narrator,

"Lo's feet are short, but I'm a regular road." Jupiter is so annoying. I sighed tiredly, there was no way I could win a fight over a guy like Jupiter. 

Fortunately, not long after a waiter came to ask me to go back to the restaurant where Dad and Om Emil were.

"Can we walk?" Jupiter asked, as soon as I put the shoes back on.

I just muttered in response. 

"Lo still owes me money, so don't act like you don't know me at school."

"Needle? What debt?" I don't understand what Jupiter means.

"Gue already slipped you from the dinner ngebosenin last night, keep bringing you here." He said enthusiastically, as if he was very meritorious.

"I didn't ask you to digeletin me, instead you brought me forced here." I defended myself 

"The thing is, now you have a debt to me." 

I was flabbergasted, staring at the horror of Jupiter and her pesky she laughed. 

"Lo's name is funny rich in rendang seasoning, Kara coconut milk." He said as he ruffled my hair, then walked first leaving me behind him. 

At home, I'm still upset to meet Jupiter tonight. Even on the way home, I did not listen to Dad's chatter and chose to be quiet while occasionally responding to his story.

After cleaning myself and changing clothes, I am now treating a wound in the leg caused by Jupiter earlier. I really hope I don't see him anywhere anymore. Even I had established myself to always avoid if I accidentally met him at school. 

Before going to bed I opened my phone and there were some incoming messages. One by one I opened the message, there was Nadira who always sent me an unclear message, even though every day I met him. The rest are messages from operators and class group chats, but there are two incoming messages from different numbers. Both are new numbers.

One of the messages read "Rendang Kara," a word that represents all my annoyances today, I know who sent the message, it must be Jupiter. I did not intend to retaliate, I chose to avoid and ignore it, it was the right choice. 

Turning to the other number , the message is short which is able to overturn my heart.

"Tomorrow tutoring, and also pay the debt." 

I shut my mouth, holding the screech so that no one at home sounded. I want to feel like I'm prancing around expressing my happiness. 

Although today I was annoyed by Jupiter's behavior, but the annoyance disappeared once I got a message from Faro.