The scent of lavender wafting from the diffuser mingled with the crisp air conditioning of the high-end boutique.Jaka stood rooted in front of the black marble checkout counter, staring at the elegantly uniformed woman behind it.A small golden name tag on her left breast caught the light from the crystal chandelier overhead.Hina Yulia.To Jaka, Hina was merely an acquaintance from his high school days. He couldn't quite pin the label of 'friend' on their relationship.Their past interactions could be counted on one hand, limited to formal greetings or the occasional shared group project.Back then, Hina was one of the school's undisputed idols. She was a presence constantly orbited by students vying for her attention. Everyone wanted her. Except for Jaka, of course.Not that Jaka was blind to the charm of the woman standing before him. He was just ruthlessly realistic with himself.Fantasizing about romance when the electric bill was past due and his family's stomachs were frequent

"A school reunion?"Jaka repeated the two words, his tone as flat as the surface of a still lake. His voice was nearly swallowed by the classical music playing softly through the boutique.Hina gave a slight nod from behind the counter, her index finger tapping rhythmically against the surface."It's not just a regular class reunion," Hina paused, leaning forward slightly. "It's a grand reunion. Anyone from any graduating class can attend if they're interested. And word on the street is... Miss Karina is attending this time.""Karina?"Jaka's brows furrowed slightly in pure confusion.Hina's hand froze midair. Her eyes widened instantly, as if time around her had just been frozen by magic. She stared at Jaka as though he had just stepped out of an alien flying saucer."Huh?" Hina's mouth hung half-open. Silence descended upon them for three full seconds. "Don't tell me you seriously don't know who Miss Karina is?"In response, Jaka merely offered an overly casual, one-shouldered shrug

The roar of a motorcycle engine echoed loudly, rebounding off the concrete walls of the underground parking garage before cutting out the moment the key was pulled from the ignition.The heat along the Semarang-Temanggung border was blistering today, but a wave of cool air instantly greeted Jaka's skin the moment he stepped into the office building's lobby.His footsteps echoed in a quiet, rhythmic cadence across the polished marble floor, reflecting the tall silhouette of his frame.In the corner, the stainless steel elevator doors slid open. Jaka stepped inside, pressed the button for the tenth floor, and leaned back casually.His eyes swept across the interior. The design was elegant, paneled with mirrors and accented in gold.'Fancy... Wonder how many billions it took to put up a building with materials this high-end?'Jaka crossed his arms, his mind casually running rough estimates from land prices to construction costs.'Is there enough in my bank account to rent out an entire f

A sharp click shattered the silence of the room. The metal doorknob turned from the outside, letting a beam of bright hallway light cut across the floor like a blade.A man strode inside, brimming with confidence. The hard tap of his leather shoes against the marble floor set an arrogant rhythm that echoed off the walls.He was dressed in a sharply tailored gray suit that complemented his frame. Resting in the crook of his arm was a bouquet of multicolored roses—their overpowering, cloying scent bordering on excessive, an eyesore that ruined any real aesthetic."Andini, darling," he drawled. He deliberately softened his tone to sound romantic, though it only came off as ridiculous. "How about we have dinner together tonight?"The temperature in the room plummeted straight to freezing.Andini’s expression hardened like an ice sculpture. Her lips curled downward into an immediate scowl, radiating blatant distaste.'Repulsive. He is an absolutely repulsive man,' she thought, writhing in

The dim light of the room cast a warm orange glow across the glass table. A soft draft from the air conditioner blew past, stirring a few stray strands of Andini's silver hair.A faint trace of lavender mingled with the crisp scent of paper, drifting through a silence thick with tension.To the rest of the world, Andini was the very definition of grace. Composure was her ultimate shield against any crisis. Tonight, however, that shield lay in ruins."W-What are you doing?"Her voice trembled violently. Embarrassment and anxiety collided, reducing her words to a quiet squeak. Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white.'She's adorable when she's flustered,' Jaka thought.Seeing the usually ice-cold figure before him lose all composure was a rare sight indeed. The flush spreading across Andini's cheeks acted like an invisible magnet, effortlessly pulling away whatever restraint Jaka had left to tease her without mercy.Jaka stepped forward. The rhythmic