Linger

For The First Time in Forever

After dinner, Taruna transports all the dirty dishes to the sink. Her hands that were already used to doing various housework moved nimblely washing those dirty dishes, making sure there was no fat from the oil left so that Irina could comfortably reuse it tomorrow.

At the dining table, Irina seemed to notice how the Cadets moved nimbly from one place to another. The way the man handled homework always fascinated him. Gavin is also reliable in things like this, it's just that the intensity of the man doing the same homework for himself is still not much more than the Taruna. Gavin is busy, his position in the company that is not exactly trivial makes him not have as much free time to spend together.

"Na," he called slowly after seeing the Midshipman finish putting the last plate on the shelf. The man turned his head while wiping his hands with the available tissue then walked over with a facial expression that was too difficult to read. Irina does not know if Taruna still keeps her angry or not. Clearly, when the man came to her and sat down at the table, Irina could only be silent waiting for what was coming out from the side of her lips.

But instead of talking, Taruna instead glanced at the clock that was circular on her left wrist. After which, he drew a glance, looking at Irina fixedly for a while before saying, "Jam nine past twenty-six, time for bed."

Irina said nothing. Because he knows, Taruna still wants to talk a lot of things. Because if the man has talked about time, then it means he is in manager mode, not as a friend anymore.

"Tomorrow there is a meeting schedule with clients from the brand komestik A at 9. It's an important schedule, so you can't be late." While saying that, Taruna took out the phone from the pocket*****.***** in a flash, the eagle's eyes had been fully focused on the screen displaying a row of posts. While Irina could only quietly listen to the other sentences that followed after.

"Hour 1st time you have a photo shoot with clothing brand B, 7 hours of company dinner until 9 and..." The cadet hung up her sentence, gave a short pause to put the phone on the table and looked at Irina with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Well 10 minutes to the tomb."

Just after Taruna pursed her lips, Irina could feel the pain emanating from the man's pair of eagle eyes. When mentioning the word tomb, the tone of the voice of Taruna changed drastically. The man obviously hated to mention that one word. Because on many occasions, Irina more often heard Taruna replace the word with a new home.

Even so, Irina still nodded her head. It doesn't matter if he has to accompany Taruna to go there. No, this is not the first. Counted three times Taruna invited him to go there and on three occasions that too, Irina was finally able to see the figure of another Taruna. A fragile figure, never shown in front of anyone.

"There again?" ask Irina later.

"Nothing. That's just it." Taruna got up, grabbed her phone and was already preparing to retreat when Irina's hand suddenly touched her hand. Slowly, the woman carried her hand into a warm hand.

The cadet bowed her head, looking at the woman sitting before her.

"Thank you, Na." Irina said suddenly, making Taruna raise her eyebrows in confusion. Irina rarely said these kinds of things. Arguably the woman is not a typical who likes to show her feelings with words. Isn't it natural that Taruna feels astonished?

"Thank you for what?" ask Taruna. Still staring at the woman. Trying to find the answer to the question that shrouds the head.

It was almost unthinkable to the Midshipman that Irina would say that. So, all Taruna can say is "Gue lo manager and I get paid for it, so-"

"Not as a manager." Sela Irina fast, making Taruna tightly clenched her lips. "I thank you as a friend."

There was nothing Taruna could say because her tongue suddenly felt faint. In the years he had spent being by this woman's side, it had never been thought that he would get this kind of affirmation. Because indeed since the beginning of his arrival, the purpose of Taruna is not this woman. But like the saying that God is always turning people's hearts upside down, the hearts of the Midshipmen seem to have gone a little further than the original plan.

"Stay my friend, huh, Na? Don't stay with me."

The cadets had no sentences to answer that question. So all he could do was nod his head, then hug this woman as tightly as he could.

The hug passed for minutes without another conversation. Until finally, the hug came off as Irina's phone ringing interrupted.

On the screen of the phone lying on the table appeared the name Gavin. That should have made Irina hurriedly reach out and answer the call before the ringing stopped. Because he knows Gavin doesn't have as much time to contact him as he used to. But instead of doing so, Irina turned her head to Taruna, like asking for a suggestion.

"Na," he called slowly. The cadets did not reply, but Irina knew the man was completely attentive to her. So, he continued, "Please tell me not to pick up the phone."

The cadets lost most of their speech when Irina unexpectedly asked him to say that. Though as everyone knows, Irina is so attached to Gavin and the woman never wants to miss a single moment with the man. But now, what did the Taruna just hear? Irina wants him to stop her from picking up the phone from Gavin? What is this sign? Should Midshipmen feel happy, or just the opposite?

"Ma?" call Irina again when Taruna doesn't say anything. While the phone continues to roar for attention.

"Don't pick up." Said the Cadets slowly. Then, as their eyes met in one real straight line, the Midshipman repeated his sentence. "For once, don't pick up the phone from Gavin. So that he knows, you will not always be there if one day he turns to look for you after what happened. For him to know, the world isn't pivoting to him."

Right after the Midshipman finished saying that, the ringing of the cell phone stopped. Irina felt something foreign in her chest. Shouldn't he be disappointed to have missed an opportunity to greet his beloved? Why did he feel a little relieved?

Finally, with nothing, Irina returned into the arms of the Midshipman. "Thank you, Na. Thanks." Thanks."