Yubi's third day at work began busier than usual.
By seven thirty, the operations room was already filled with the sound of document printers. Several distribution trucks had their departure schedules changed because of congestion at the port. The staff were busy contacting warehouses, shipping companies, and branches in various cities.
Yubi arrived early as usual. He placed his bag under the desk, turned on his computer, and opened the task list he had prepared the night before. To him, working with a clear plan was far better than rushing around when problems arose.
He hadn't been sitting for even five minutes when Dimas approached him with three thick folders.
"Yubi."
"Yes, sir."
"Cross-check all this week's shipping data against the warehouse reports."
"All right."
"After that, help the purchasing team archive the contracts."
Yubi was slightly surprised.
"Purchasing too, sir?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No."
"Then get it done."
Dimas walked away just like that.
Beni, sitting at the next desk, let out a quiet sigh.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"That isn't really your job."
Yubi turned to him with a smile.
"It's okay."
"Mr. Dimas did that on purpose."
"Maybe there's just a lot of work right now."
Beni chuckled softly.
"Are you naive, or just too nice?"
Yubi smiled too.
"I'm only getting paid to work."
That simple answer left Beni speechless. In his five years at the company, this was the first time he had heard anyone answer like that.
On the eleventh floor, Kenan had just finished signing several documents. His secretary handed him a preliminary evaluation report on the new employee.
"Sir, here's the preliminary report."
Kenan glanced through the file.
Yubi's name was at the top.
Discipline: Excellent.
Accuracy: Excellent.
Willingness to Learn: Excellent.
He frowned.
"There aren't any bad notes?"
"Not yet, sir."
"He's never been late?"
"No."
"He's never argued with his supervisor?"
"No, sir."
The secretary hesitated before continuing.
"Even Mr. Hasan, the office boy on the operations floor, sent his thanks because Yubi often helps him."
Kenan closed the folder without comment.
The more positive reports he received, the harder it became for him to maintain his belief that Yubi had come with bad intentions.
But memories of the past filled his mind again.
Uncle Ardi.
The funeral they had missed.
The factory that had been sold.
The empty house.
And Yubi, who had vanished without a trace.
"Sir?"
His secretary broke into his thoughts.
"Anything else?"
"No."
"All right."
A little before ten that morning, the operations division's computer network experienced a brief disruption. Some shipping data could not be accessed.
The staff began to panic.
"The customer reports haven't been sent!"
"The warehouse data is gone!"
"It's not gone—the server isn't connected!"
The room suddenly grew noisy.
Yubi remained seated calmly. He studied the error message on the screen, then checked the internal network connection.
"What's going on?" Dimas asked.
"It looks like the backup server didn't connect automatically."
"You know how to fix it?"
"I dealt with a problem like this during my internship."
"Then hurry."
Yubi asked the IT department for permission through the internal phone line. Once he received approval, he helped check the basic configuration, which was indeed the cause of the disruption.
Ten minutes later...
All the computers were back to normal.
The room filled with relieved sighs.
"It's working!"
"The data's back!"
Dimas stared at Yubi for a moment.
"Good work."
It was the first praise to come from his mouth, though it was spoken very quietly.
Yubi only nodded.
"I just happened to know how to fix it."
Dimas didn't answer. In his heart, he began to acknowledge the young man's ability.
That afternoon, Yubi carried several documents to the Business Development room.
When he opened the door, he saw Aurelia discussing something with two staff members.
"Sorry to interrupt."
Aurelia looked up.
"Come in."
Yubi handed her the folder.
"The revised distribution data you requested."
Aurelia immediately opened to several pages.
Her eyes moved quickly.
A few seconds later, she gave a slow nod.
"It's neater than the previous report."
One of the staff members smiled.
"Ma'am, this is the guy who helped Mr. Hasan yesterday too."
Aurelia turned to Yubi.
"Word about you travels fast, apparently."
Yubi laughed softly.
"I hope it's not bad news."
"Not yet."
That brief answer made the atmosphere a little warmer.
As Yubi was about to leave, Aurelia called him again.
"Yubi."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Thank you for the data."
"I'm glad I could help."
Aurelia watched Yubi leave the room.
There was something different about that man.
She couldn't explain it yet.
But Yubi's humility felt... genuine.
Toward evening, heavy rain began to fall.
Raindrops pounded against the office building's windows, making Jakarta's sky darken earlier than usual.
Most of the employees chose to wait for the rain to let up before heading home.
Yubi used the time to help Beni organize the archives.
"You really don't have to help."
"It's fine. We'll finish faster this way."
"You're always like this, aren't you?"
"Like what?"
"Whenever you see someone struggling, you jump right in to help."
Yubi gave a faint smile.
"My dad once said that heavy work feels lighter when you do it together."
The words slipped out just like that.
But after saying them, Yubi's expression turned melancholy.
It had been a long time since he had mentioned his father in front of anyone else.
Beni gently patted his shoulder.
"He must have been a good man."
Yubi only nodded.
Upstairs, Kenan had just finished meeting with a visitor.
As he passed the archive room, he happened to see Yubi carrying two boxes of documents with Beni.
Even though it was already after work.
"You're still here?" he murmured.
Raka, who had just stepped out of the elevator, saw them too.
"When you think about it, he's a lot like Uncle Ardi."
Kenan turned to him at once.
"What do you mean?"
"The way he helps people."
"The way he talks."
"Even the way he smiles."
Kenan didn't answer.
He still remembered how his uncle had always been the first to help the neighbors without being asked.
That memory only made his chest feel tighter.
"Don't compare them."
Raka sighed.
"I'm just saying they're alike."
After the rain eased up a little, the employees began leaving the office.
In the lobby, Yubi stood watching the rain still pouring down.
He had forgotten to bring an umbrella.
"It's still coming down hard."
The voice came from beside him.
Aurelia stood there holding a folder and a compact umbrella.
"You're not heading home yet?"
"I'm still waiting."
The two fell silent again.
Neither of them felt awkward.
Instead, the silence felt comfortable.
A few minutes later, a female cleaning attendant looked confused in front of the door.
She had to go home to pick up her child, but she didn't have a raincoat.
Yubi walked over to her.
"Ma'am."
"Yes?"
"You can use my umbrella."
"But then what about you?"
"I'm still waiting."
The attendant refused several times before finally accepting it.
"Thank you so much."
"You're welcome."
Aurelia watched without saying a word.
After the attendant left, she turned to Yubi.
"Now you're the one without an umbrella."
Yubi smiled faintly.
"The rain will stop soon."
"What if it doesn't?"
"I'll take the bus. It's not far."
Aurelia let out a quiet sigh.
"Then... let's walk together as far as the bus stop out front."
Yubi looked hesitant.
"I don't want to trouble you."
"I'm the one who offered."
For the first time, Aurelia didn't refer to herself formally when she spoke.
Yubi finally nodded.
"Then... thank you."
Through the glass of the elevator that had just opened, Kenan saw the scene.
Yubi and Aurelia walked side by side beneath one umbrella toward the bus stop.
They didn't touch.
They didn't exchange any unnecessary conversation.
Yet for some reason, the simple sight made Kenan stop in his tracks.
Raka, standing beside him, saw it too.
"Looks like Yubi's starting to make friends."
Kenan turned his face away.
"Hopefully he doesn't cause any trouble."
Even so, deep down, he felt something he couldn't explain.
He hated Yubi.
He was still angry.
But seeing his cousin walking home alone in the rain with a shabby bag slung over his shoulder, he couldn't truly feel at ease either.
The bond that had grown between them since childhood had not completely disappeared after all.
It was only... buried beneath wounds that had yet to find answers. . .