See You Tonight

Chapter 22: Towards the Hill of Stars

"Lang's? Why just shut up?" sofia said again.

"I'm sorry, no papa," I replied as I pulled the bowl of meatballs closer.

"Yes, I went back to the back first yes," said Sofia.

"Oh yes," I answered briefly. After actually meeting Sofia, I really don't know what to talk about. But I feel like I'd really like to talk to him right now. I looked at his back and the hair he was tying, as he was walking back.

After Sofia disappeared behind the curtain that separated the front room with the back of the stall, I started to put soy sauce, sambal, and vinegar. If I were to be told to choose between the three of them, I would definitely choose vinegar. I really like the sour taste of vinegar-fed food. Especially hot and fruiting food. It could make me forget about the problem I had for a while.

As I was about to start eating the meatballs I just stirred, Sofia suddenly came back here, and sat down in front of me with a bowl of meatballs and a glass of iced tea.

"I followed yah hehe" he said with a slight smile.

"Oh yes, please" I replied.

For a while we didn't exchange sentences. Until I finally ventured to open the conversation.

"Do you often help your father?" tanyaku.

"Rarely, I help papa if it's right I'm in the mood aja hehe," he replied with a little laugh.

"Oh so," I replied briefly who no longer knew what to say.

"I was shocked" Sofia said again.

"Surprised why?" many wonder.

"Yes, I was surprised and happy to see you eating with Ruben and Ahsan. So, did I not say that eating with the closest people was better than eating alone?" said again.

"Yes I was also surprised and did not expect that I could be friends with them. During class I was always alone sitting in my chair, but one day Ruben and Ahsan came up to me and took me to the cafeteria. Since then the three of us have been together more often. I think your words are true" I replied.

"All right hehe, oiya you're going to be an extracurricular what Lang?" ask again.

"Football. I was invited by Ruben as Ahsan to participate in soccer extracurriculars. What are you going with yourself?" askaku.

"I'm taking part in the extracurricular drama" he replied.

"May I ask you something Sof?" I tried to vent.

"Can you ask what?" answer it while blowing on the meatball sauce that is still rather hot.

"Ma... Ma's... Ma-," I haven't finished my sentence yet, my heart's been pounding so fast.

"'Ma..' What's Lang?" the question seemed curious.

I try to control and strengthen myself again.

"Ma... Want... Will you be my friend Sof?" I finally said it even in such a stammer, but I was so happy that I could finally say it.

"Huh? Why would you say something like that?" now Sofia even asked back with a face of astonishment.

"Eh you don't want to?" ask me again in a lethargic tone.

"Hihihi does not want Lang. To be friends, you don't have to ask questions like that. Of course before you ask that, we've been friends. You are so strange, yes" said Sofia with a laugh.

"What's so weird about asking something like that?" ask again.

"Of course it's strange, only this first time there are people who ask such things hihihi," he said again.

"So hehe, sorry I thought I had to ask before making friends" I said again.

"Hihihi, oiya you why are you alone today?" ask Sofia again.

"Well, they didn't take me anywhere today. They didn't send me a message today either. So, I came here alone," I replied

"Aren't you trying to get them?"

"Well, can that be?"

"Well, of course you can, my goodness, you're hihihi," Sofia laughed again.

"I guess if they don't send you any messages, they're gonna want to spend their own time."

"Hihihi you are, why can you think like that? By the way, you'll see you tonight there's no show?"

"It doesn't seem to exist, why?"

"How about we go to the Star Hill? Have you been there?" suddenly Sofia took me to the Star Hill.

"Eh now?" many surprised.

"Are you serious? Don't you help your father anymore?"

"Yes I'm serious, I can ask papa's permission if you want to go. Anyway, I just want to help papa from morning until noon."

"If so, I think it's okay. All right, let's go to Bintang Hill. I've never been there either." I agreed to go to the Star Hill with Sofia. I can't wait to get there.

We agreed to go to Bintang Hill after this.

***

After lunch, we decided to go to Sofia's house first.

"We go to my house first, right? I want to change clothes first," said Sofia who is currently still wearing the uniform of a meatball shop employee owned by her father.

"Oh yeah, come on."

Then Sofia and I got on our bikes and headed straight to her house. Since I didn't know her house yet, I cycled behind her while following Sofia. Sofia said, her house is about 2 km from the meatball stall. So, it might take about 10 minutes.

***

We finally got to Sofia's house. We parked our bikes and headed inside the house.

"Please Lang, wait a minute here" said Sofia and went to the back. Maybe he went straight to his room.

Sofia's house feels lonely at this time. There was no one before we got here. Does Sofia's mother work too? Or is there some business outside the home? I don't know.

Quite a lot of paintings on display in this living room, about 3 paintings with different sizes. The biggest one is in front of me, which depicts the atmosphere of the city when winter comes, complete with snow dolls. Maybe it describes one of the cities in Europe there. I don't know either, just guessing.

Then the painting depicts the palm of a woman. This painting is on my left. Then the last is a picture of a tiger roaring on a tree trunk. The tiger looks very handsome.

Not long after, Sofia finally came out. He wore a long black sleeve shirt with a picture of a small panda head on the upper right. Meanwhile, along the line of the sleeve was white. At the bottom, he also wears long black pants. Perhaps, Sofia really likes black. Despite all of that, Sofia this time looks really pretty. My heart was pounding again.

"It's still a little afternoon well, maybe wait until a little afternoon how? Oiya do you want to drink what Lang? Let me make it" said Sofia who had just finished changing clothes.

"I'm the problem, what time do you want to leave? Well gausah bother, we just finished lunch," I reply who is still amazed by Sofia's beauty.

"What do you want to drink, Lang? Maybe about half-four, how?"

"If so, I drink cold. I'm just coming with you hehe."

"Okee, wait a minute, yeah" Sofia said before rushing into the kitchen.

Shortly after Sofia left the living room, I looked up at a photo on the table near the wall. Because the size is quite small, I also approached the photo.

After I got close enough, the picture was a picture of a small family. Father, mother, and one young daughter. Could this be a picture of Sofia as a child with her parents? I was pretty sure that the photo of the girl was Sofia, and also I was pretty sure that the man in the photo was Sofia's father.

***

Finally Sofia looks to be heading here while carrying two drinks.

"It's Lang please, I hope you like the cold orange syrup" he said, putting the drink down and sitting in the chair in front of me.

"What a coincidence, I am indeed the most tribe of syrup that tastes orange," I replied with a slight smile.

"Well, thank God" said Sofia, who looked happy and started drinking.

I then quietly watched Sofia as she started drinking her drink.

***

Finally the time has shown at 15:25. We were getting ready to go to Bintang Hill. The plan is, we will go there by bus only. We headed to the nearest bus stop from here.

Arriving at the stop, we waited while sitting down without much chatting. Right now, there is only Sofia and I at this stop. Finally, not long after the bus came. Sofia and I went in and looked for an empty seat.

Passengers on the bus this afternoon were quite quiet, so we could choose a seat that was still empty. We chose the seat on the right. Sofia sat close to the window while I sat right to her left. Then the bus started to leave.

"Lucky today is not too crowded, Lang" said Sofia while looking out the window.

"Yes, yeah" I answered. "By the way you've been to Bintang hill a lot?" I asked Sofia.

"It used to be a lot, but lately I rarely go there. That's why I took you there," he replied.

"Oh so, yes" I said as I watched Sofia's face from the side. I wonder what Sofia is thinking right now? I was also curious if he was also pounding just like me who was currently pounding so much as well? I don't know.

The sky that since this morning was a bit cloudy, this afternoon looks still the same. I don't know if it's raining tonight or not. But because it's still July, so I don't think it's going to rain.

***

Seriate