SULIVANS

Kafe

“Wah? Seriously?”

Rere closed his mouth wide-eyed, not believing what had just been displayed on his phone screen.

Five seconds later, when he felt his mind was ready to look back at the instagram post, lifted his phone slowly.

From the head that was deliberately kept away from his trembling hand, he once again saw the yellow-pinked poster.

The color representation of his favorite library cafe, which that afternoon was a lightning discount for three hours.

Discounts that occur once every three months on dates that are not always fixed.

He felt really lucky because today, the first day to open Instagram after a long time his phone was damaged, he got a durian collapsed in the form of a massive discount.

Rere eagerly read the first sentence of the poster that reads 20% off all dessert menus and free reading for an hour.

His eyes sparkled reading every letter listed there, with his left hand clasped holding back the almost overflowing joy.

Arriving at the next row, the grasp of his left hand loosened.

Feeling desperate to read the next sentence in the form of conditions that must be met in order to reap discounts.

It applies to two people.

His eyes then flickered, thinking of where he would get someone to accompany him.

Because his daily routine was school-home-TK, revolving around the area and places he passed through like a playground or a supermarket, making Rere a loner with no friends.

At school, he was only familiar with an elderly gardener who always said he was similar to his granddaughter who lived far away on another island.

When he picked his sister home, he was also familiar with his teachers; unfortunately not familiar as a friend.

More to teachers and guardians who always discuss the growth and development of his smart sister.

While their homes are lined with old houses that contain the average elderly, without any grandchildren the same age as him living with them.

Where could he find someone to accompany him?

Rere exhaled his sigh resignedly, then looked back at the poster, only to find the last sentence quite irritating to him.

Bring your friends and enjoy your wonderful memories here!

His finger immediately moved to press the power button and put the phone back into his bag, offended by the longest writing that was in the lowest position of the poster.

Presumably he did have to go alone this time, without enjoying the discount.

Rere walked home limp, too bad to miss the opportunity of an empty hour because of the sister who was going on a tour.

Even her sister has more friends than her teenage self.

Her heart was again beating enthusiastically when her net discovered Sena standing in the distance.

Immediately put his legs to run closer, convincing his brain to think optimistically.

To support his optimism, his mind twisted Sena's reaction when he gave her a box of yogurt, which translated her brain as a green light to the next stage.

Rere ran with sparkling eyes, approaching Sena was like coming to an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert.

“Hai, Sena!”

He adjusted his hunting breath, then looked at the silent Sena in his place.

Sena's eyes looked more beautiful than the last time they met.

“You look...leah.”

Sena brushed her hair back, smiling thinly in response to the sentence that was thrown from Rere's lips.

“No, I just..”

Sena tried to find the right word to reply to him.

Which is translated by Rere's brain as a schoolboy complaining about his lessons, just like the sister complaining about the most hated meronce lesson.

“The lesson must be heavy, yes.”

Rere lowered his shoulders, exhaling a long breath while looking at him.

Sena opened her mouth, about to answer a sentence that had not been thought of by the brain.

Today's lesson was quite heavy, but he was fine because he went through it while dreaming.

What felt heavier was the two hours after and the events of a few minutes before this.

But how could he give an honest answer in the form of something completely unrelated to Rere?

“Ah, whereas I want to take you to Leo.”

Rere's slow grunts sounded faintly in Sena's ears.

"...leo?”

“Ah.“ Rere scratched his cheek awkwardly

He then pulled out the phone he had forcibly turned off to show the Instagram post in question.

Sena read each sentence carefully, then agreed to it without a second thought.

“...serius?”

Rere widened his eyes, not believing Sena's nod. Her eyes looked slightly larger than her eyes.

“Iya. My mind just happens to be in a state of mind so.”

"Yes! Oh, sorry, I look happy on top of your suffering-"

Sena laughed at Rere's confused yet happy reaction while shaking her head.

"Quiet down! I'll treat!"

Then followed him after stopping for a few seconds.

Sena stared at the dimly decorated walkway of light that entered through the cracks of the leaves.

Making the path is like a natural projector screen that displays the slow movement of the leaves exposed to the breeze.

Come to think of it, the current events are similar to the post-match events in which he failed to win the championship.

With the same intensity of grief and despair.

Her mother's father would not embrace and encourage her sluggish self as other parents whose children had lost.

They just patted him on the shoulder in silence, like a friend strengthening each other.

Then after the game, they took him to the restaurant and let him order any menu and eat the full meal.

After eating, they share the topic with very relaxed talks, such as talk of young people in general.

To say that this was his allotment had a bad day, not because of wrong technique or lack of effort as his coach revealed.

After that he would fall asleep for a full night, burying his bad memories of the day deep to get back to feeling fit the next day.

Like today, this very long and tiring day, was the ration of his bad day.

Tina left him not because he was bad and didn't deserve to be friends.

Not because he can no longer run.

Not because of his mistake.

At least he has been a good friend so far, always supporting and accompanying the difficult times.

Sena looked at the clear blue sky with a gray heart.

“There is good guava juice! He's got cream and a message on it, you're gonna love it!"

Rere tried to encourage Sena, who looked grim, to be uneasy with her more coercion-like invitation.

Is it too pushy?

"So curious about the taste..."

Sena smiled faintly in reply to Rere's sentence.

His facial complexion was already a bit light, more colorful than it was five seconds ago.

"You look like an ordinary student who's dizzy with so many tasks."

Sena laughed at hearing that, because the statement was both wrong and right.

Wrong because he looks lethargic not because of the lesson.

True because during the school week he had got three pieces of homework that for him quite a lot and sickening.

"It can be exercise-free, eat anything to the fullest without worrying about weight.. I'm envious, you know."

Sena stared at Rere for a while then turned to observe the crowded streets.

They had stopped at the red light and waited for their turn to cross.

"Yes, I used to be. But once inside and be a part of them.."

Rere looked at him with a worried face.

"Difficult, huh?"

Sena nodded, smiling to see Rere projecting his emotions appropriately, as if he was the one who experienced it himself.

"Yes that's it. Maybe I'm not used to it."

More and more people stopped walking and waited for the red light with them.

The difference is, they stop just under the shadow of a tree, a meter behind those who bathed in warm sunlight.

Rere watched Sena who was staring at the human crowd.

"Would you back off?"

"No, too many."

They both laughed, not expecting their thoughts to be similar.

"We have so much in common, like a friend."

Sena noticed Rere's expression which turned sad when saying so.

Reminds him of the times of bullying like a friend.

Which may still happen today.

"We are friends."

Rere looked at Sena with sparkling, a kind of child who got a gift of favorite candy from the father.

"Can we be friends?"

"Yes." Yeah."

Green lights shimmered across the street, making their steps blend in with the various other steps that were about to cross.

Rere almost collided with a mother who was walking to the phone from the opposite direction if only her arm was not pulled by Sena.

Sena warned Rere to be careful and pay attention to the road at least after they got across.

"Well, that scene feels like proof that we're actually friends.."

Sena held back her laughter looking at Rere who seemed to be stuck between illusion and the real world.

"Well, you got a friend?"

"Heh, of course! This ugly human finally has friends!"

Rere walked merrily, with a slight tiptoe and humming.

Rere's happiness seems to be treating the soul of Sena who is also struggling to get a friend in her new life.

If he is in Rere's position, he will most likely react the same.

The two of them did have something in common, as Rere revealed just a moment ago.

Sena turned her gaze to the side, alternating to the right and left staring at the busyness of the people she passed by.

There was a young man who handed out a cafe brochure that was about to open, there was a crust trader who was making dough with various customers around him, as well as two small children who had a fight for nothing.

The two children, about seven years old, had a funny fight.

One of them who was smaller and fat was angry by stomping his feet, until the flesh of his cheeks was shaken adorable.

While the older and taller child just stared at him as he pleased, with tears and snot that spilled everywhere.

The funny scene reminded him of his quarrel moments ago.

Also Tina's last sentence whose pain effects were still lodged from her heart.

"Hey, Rere."

Rere turned his head, turning his gaze to the woman beside him.

Sena's height makes her have to look up a little to look at her face.

"Hm?"

"Are you friends with me because you expect something from me?"

Rere shifted his gaze forward, keeping his neck from turning numb.

"Of course."

Making the invisible wound in his heart re-tear.