Rain fell as Sefti and Zixo left the library. They ran to the bus stop, but they still got soaked. Sefti laughed, then suddenly fell silent.
“I’m tired of always being the obedient daughter,” she said.
Zixo held out a handkerchief. “You’re allowed to choose.”
“If I choose you, your life will become more difficult.”
“My life is already difficult. But I don’t want you to choose me out of pity.”
Sefti looked at him. “I’m choosing you because being with you makes me feel like myself.”
The bus arrived, but they didn’t get on. Beneath the bus stop’s roof, with the sound of rain drowning out the bustle of the city, Sefti took Zixo’s hand.
“I like you,” she whispered.
Zixo felt as though all of Jakarta had stopped moving.
“Me too,” he replied. “But I can’t give you much yet.”
“I’m not asking for much. I’m only asking you not to lie about how you feel.”
That night, they walked home beneath an umbrella that was far too small. Both their shoulders were soaked, but for the first time, they walked without any distance between them.