That Cold Guy is my Ex!

ARA

Night is the thing Arshaka likes the most. He really likes the tranquility of the night that Bandung presents. The housing where he lived, in the foothills, is still beautiful and far from the metropolitan frenzy.

Arshaka as usual spends his nights reading books or playing games. Or go out with his friends. But tonight, he would rather spend the night with a book.

Arshaka can spend hours reading. He's not a nerd, he just likes to add knowledge from anywhere whether a book or a movie. That's why his insight is broad too.

he read a book by William Shakespeare. After the last page of the book had been devoured, he closed the book and placed it next to the wooden picture frame. Then Arshaka's attention was diverted to the picture frame in which contains a portrait of 3 people. He and his two best friends.

A memory approached him.

The Flashback

"Faro, you're evil! Balikkin!" shouted a little girl with ponytail hair. He was staring at a boy who had been cool to put on a grin.

"Take it here, Sa. Come on, if you can." his tone was joking and ignorant. He's Alfaro.

The girl called Sa was scowling. Alfaro's body was higher than his. In her outstretched hand, was her Barbie doll.

"You're evil, I say Saka." threatened Risa as bad.

"You are usually a complaint. Saka, he doesn't exist anyway" Faro said.

Suddenly a hand picked up the barbie doll. Alfaro and Risa turned their heads. Apparently Arshaka took it. After that he handed it to Risa who was happily accepted.

"Alfaro, no fun ah. I'm going to be fighting Risa again." Alfaro grumbled.

"Later Risa cried, I have no responsibility" Arshaka said briefly.

"Faro is evil, not like Saka is good. You naughty." exclaimed Risa as bad.

"Yes sorry yes, Risa. " said Alfaro sincerely. He kissed Risa's forehead until Risa smiled back. Seeing that, Arshaka chuckled.

"Cium Saka also dong" said Risa jahil.

Arshaka felt a danger sign. He stopped his chuckle and walked away as Alfaro walked while turning his lips towards him. Then Arshaka ran, followed by Alfaro, who was chasing him. While Risa laughed loudly at the two friends.

Flashback Off

Arshaka smiled faintly. Those childhood memories were so missed.

***

Keynna took whatever snacks were on the minimarket shelf. After the restaurant, Keynna did not return home, she instead stayed at her sister's apartment. Not snuggling, only he couldn't meet face to face with his mother.

Then on the way, Keynna complained of hunger. As a result, Keenan dropped it off at the minimarket next to the apartment and left Keynna alone for shopping.

Keynna was neither worried nor upset. He was used to the neighborhood where his brother lived. After the basket was full, Keynna approached the cashier while looking down to check her groceries. And accidentally, he hit someone.

bruccous

"Oh." Keynna.

"Eh sorry, don't you papa?" ask the guy. He looked at Keynna who was looking down.

"Gue ain't pa-Alfaro?!" keynna's tone turned screeches when she realized the person she hit was Alfaro.

Keynna was surprised and quickly quickly reinserted his groceries aided by Alfaro. Then he and Alfaro stood up.

"Aren't you papa? Sorry I didn't see the road" said Alfaro regretfully.

"No, it's not wrong. I'm the one who should be apologizing." Keynna's chimpanzee.

"What shopping?" ask Alfaro.

"It's just a snack" Keynna replied briefly.

Alfaro knew that Keynna was keeping his distance from him. It seems like since the incident at the camp.

"If you don't mind, there's something I want to talk to you about" Alfaro said.

Keynna's forehead shriveled, "What?"

"You're done with your groceries. I wait in front." said Alfaro smiling.

***

Keynna already paid for his groceries and then came out minimarket. He could not believe that Alfaro was really waiting for him. Alfaro was sitting in the minimarket chair while playing his phone.

"Ekhem." deham keynah. Alfaro turned his head, he then stood up.

"Udah finished?" Keynna just nodded.

"What do you want to talk about?" ask Keynna then.

"Not here, come with me." replied Alfaro.

"Your imagination is truly extraordinary." said Alfaro smiling.

"Who knows. The proof is you can push me into the abyss" said Keynna cynically.

Alfaro's smile was pliable, "For that matter, I'm sorry. I don't mean to harm you." said Alfaro sincerely. But Keynna did not respond.

"I know you still hate me for it. I will explain to you the reason." continued Alfaro.

"Clear." Keynna's word is brief.

"Not here." Alfaro.

"Why?" ask Keynna.

"I can't really be clear here. There's a place you should look. And maybe after this your view of me could change."

***

Then Alfaro took Keynna somewhere. Keynna felt familiar with the area traversed by Alfaro's motor. Before long, Alfaro's motorbike headed for a forest.

"We arrived" said Alfaro. He turned off his bike and took off his helmet. Keynna's down too.

Now they are in a tree house. The rural area where the Arshaka tree house is located. But why would Alfaro know?

"It's a tree house, right?" ask Keynna.

"Yes, how do you know?" ask Alfaro.

"Gue was here" said Keynna.

Alfaro was silent for a while after then nodded his head. Of course, Arshaka brought Keynna here. This further strengthens his assumption that Arshaka and Keynna had dated.

"This tree house is only known to the three of us. And if you know, then Arshaka never invited you here, right?"

"That's how it is." answered Keynna soberly.

"If so, this story is getting more and more relatable and for me to be more impatient with the story to you" said Alfaro. "Yuk road." he continued and walked into the forest.

Keynna frowned confusedly, what exactly did the pale-skinned man want to tell her? His curiosity grew higher and Keynna walked after Alfaro to his favorite house.

After walking for 20 minutes, Alfaro and Keynna reached the tree house. The house shimmered in flickering light and beside it a moonlit lake co-existed.

"This house still hasn't changed" Alfaro said. He stared at the tree house. A place of memories of his childhood with his two best friends.

"So why did you invite me here?" ask Keynna without further ado.

"I think this tree house will be pitch dark, who would have thought it turned out to be the only one that glows the most here."

Keynna gaping, Alfaro's answer is not at all connected with the question he just threw

"Faro, don't you hear me?" ask Keynna upset. He looked at Alfaro who did not take his eyes off the tree house.

"Follow me." Suddenly Alfaro pulled out Keynna's hand and led her towards a tree in front of the treehouse. Alfaro then releases Keynna's hand and pulls out his phone. Keynna.

"What's the fuck you want?" ask Keynna.

But Alfaro did not reply, he turned on the flashlight and then pointed it at the tree trunk in front of them. His hand was tracing something.

"Your meeting." whispered Alfaro. He highlighted a writing engraving.

"ARA." read Keynna.

Alfaro nodded, "Arshaka, Risa and Alfaro."

"12 years ago, I just returned to Bandung. After living in Bali for almost 6 years. And here I got two new friends, the cold Arshaka and the chatty Risa." said Alfaro. Suddenly Alfaro told a story that made Keynna frowned confused but no longer curious.

"I thought their friendship made no sense. Two different personalities can be friends. But no doubt, I also entered the friendship environment. It turns out I'm just as strange. I used to be shy and didn't like socializing."

"Our friendship continued until SMP. And when seventh grade, I, Arshaka and Risa accidentally got lost. And that's when we found this place." Keynna nodded in understanding, so this place was discovered by them a few years ago.

"Because I really like this place, we decided to buy it. With money from saving for a year. After that we started to make a tree house, our childhood dream home first. And before long, be the tree house you see now."

"You guys are amazing." praise Keynna quietly. Junior High can afford land? At Junior High, Keynna couldn't even afford to buy her own phone. How much money are they spending then?

"We always play here at all times, after school or even holidays. We even missed our semester break and stayed here a full week" Alfaro said with a small laugh. Memories after memories danced in his head.

"Until the tragedy arrives." Alfaro's face turned murky. "Risa was diagnosed with heart failure. He always experienced shortness of breath until a heart attack and was immediately critical so Risa was always hospitalized. Then one day, when I was about to visit Risa, I heard that Arshaka and Risa had a fight. I don't know what they were fighting about but after that, Arshaka stopped seeing Risa."

"And on May 2, I heard that Risa was injured by a hit-and-run on Dago Street. When I got there, Risa wasn't there." Alfaro breathed a heavy breath. Tears hang heavily in his eyes. Once the icepap, the water ripples will come down past his cheeks.

"Then I was given Risa's phone, and on the call list, Arshaka's number was called many times, but she didn't answer. If Arshaka had answered, or if Risa had been my nelfon, her life might still be there."