Monday morning, the office was busier than usual because the company was preparing its monthly report. Yubi arrived before most of the employees, immediately turned on his computer, and checked the list of tasks Dimas had given him Friday afternoon. He found several incomplete documents and began contacting the warehouse one by one to make sure no data had been left out.
"You're here already?"
Yubi turned around. Beni stood there holding two cups of coffee.
"This one's for you."
Yubi accepted the cup, surprised. "Why?"
"Consider it payback for helping me finish the archives last Friday."
Yubi smiled. "Thanks."
"Don't get too excited. The coffee isn't free."
"How much is it?"
"Five thousand."
Yubi let out a soft laugh. "Then I'll pay you back."
"Forget it. Just drink it."
That simple conversation made Yubi's morning feel lighter. He was beginning to have someone he could talk to without worrying about other people's prejudice. Though he had only been working there for a few days, he was starting to understand the personalities of the people around him.
Dimas was strict and hated late work. Beni talked a lot but was fairly helpful. Arman still kept his distance. A few of the female staff had started greeting him now and then, though they were not truly close yet.
Yubi didn't mind.
He had not come to the company to make a lot of friends.
He just wanted to work.
But that peace did not last long.
Around nine, Dimas called for him.
"Yubi, come to my office."
Yubi stood immediately.
"Yes, sir."
Inside the office, Dimas handed him a folder.
"This is the report for the board meeting this afternoon."
Yubi opened it.
"Do you want me to check this?"
"Not just check it. You're going to reorganize it."
Yubi looked at the amount of data.
"Sir, what time is the meeting?"
"Two."
It was already ten past nine.
"So, about four hours."
Dimas nodded.
"Problem?"
"No."
Yubi carried the folder back to his desk.
Beni immediately noticed his expression.
"Another assignment?"
"Yeah."
"That much?"
Yubi nodded.
Beni sighed.
"If I were you, I'd ask for help already."
"I can still get it done."
"If you keep this up, people are going to think you don't have a life."
Yubi smiled.
"Maybe I don't yet."
Beni was about to laugh, but when he saw Yubi's serious expression, he only shook his head.
At ten to eleven, Yubi brought the preliminary report to the small meeting room to verify several figures with the Business Development department. He knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Aurelia was reviewing a report in front of her laptop.
"Ma'am, I want to verify the distribution projection data."
Aurelia pointed to a chair.
"Sit."
Yubi sat down and opened his laptop.
"This report says shipments to the eastern region increased by eight percent. But the warehouse data shows an increase of only six percent."
Aurelia immediately checked the documents.
"You found this?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Aurelia took the document and compared it with the previous report.
"It turns out some of the data hasn't been updated."
Yubi nodded.
"I thought it would be better to fix it before the meeting."
Aurelia looked at him.
"Why are you handling it?"
"Mr. Dimas asked me to put the report together."
"This is actually an analyst's job."
Yubi gave a small smile.
"Maybe I'm being tested."
Aurelia let out a short laugh.
"Or taken advantage of."
Yubi fell silent.
Aurelia immediately realized what she had said.
"Sorry. That's not what I meant."
"It's okay."
Yubi stood after getting the figures he needed.
"Thank you, ma'am."
Aurelia nodded.
"Yubi."
"Yes?"
"If you have too much work, say something."
Yubi was slightly surprised.
"Why?"
"Because a new employee shouldn't be given every task just because he never complains."
Yubi smiled.
"I'll remember that."
He left.
Aurelia watched the closed door.
The more often she worked with him, the harder it became for her to believe that Yubi was someone who only wanted to profit from his family.
At twenty to two, Yubi finally finished the report.
He checked everything twice before handing it to Dimas.
"It's finished, sir."
Dimas skimmed through it.
"This section?"
"Updated."
"And this one?"
"I cross-checked it with the warehouse data."
Dimas nodded.
"Good."
He took the report to the boardroom.
Yubi returned to his desk.
His body was tired, but his work was not done yet.
A few minutes later, he received a message from Beni.
Eat later this afternoon?
Yubi sent back a short reply.
If I'm still alive.
Beni immediately sent a laughing emoji.
For the first time since returning to Indonesia, Yubi felt that his life was beginning to have a routine.
Simple.
Work.
Come home.
Eat.
Sleep.
There was no luxury.
Yet this was exactly the kind of life he had wanted all along.
The board meeting ended around three.
Kenan came out with several managers.
Dimas followed behind, carrying the documents.
"Mr. Kenan."
Kenan stopped.
"Yes?"
"The operational report from earlier has been corrected."
"Who did it?"
Dimas answered without hesitation.
"Yubi."
Kenan's expression changed.
"He did?"
"Yes."
Kenan took the report.
He read through several pages.
There were no mistakes.
Some of the data was even organized more clearly than in the previous report.
"He put this together?"
"That's right."
Kenan handed the document back.
"Good."
Dimas was about to leave, but Kenan called him back.
"Don't give him work beyond his capabilities."
Dimas frowned.
"Sir?"
"I don't want him treated differently just because of his family."
Dimas nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Kenan walked away.
But Dimas remained standing for a moment.
He had just realized something.
The managing director, who had always been so hard on Yubi, was actually keeping a quiet eye on his cousin's workload.
As evening approached, the office began to empty.
Yubi was still organizing some documents when the power on one side of the room briefly went out.
"Oh, man."
Several employees complained.
A technician quickly came to inspect the panel.
Yubi stood up and helped move several documents to a safer place.
As he was about to carry a box, his hand suddenly felt hot.
He pulled it back.
"What happened?"
Beni came over.
"I think I got hit by a staple."
Yubi looked at his fingertip.
There was, in fact, a small cut.
"It's nothing."
Beni was about to get the first-aid kit, but someone arrived first.
Kenan.
"What's going on?"
All the employees immediately stood.
"Mr. Kenan."
Kenan looked at Yubi's hand.
"What happened?"
"Just a small cut."
Kenan took the first-aid kit from the nearest desk.
"Give me your hand."
Yubi fell silent.
"Bi..."
The address nearly slipped out spontaneously.
He quickly changed it.
"Sir."
Kenan looked at him.
"Don't talk so much."
He cleaned the small wound with an antiseptic cotton pad.
His movements were careful enough.
Yubi watched Kenan's face.
For a few seconds, he felt like a little boy again.
Back then, whenever Yubi got hurt, Kenan had always been the first person to help him.
"There."
Kenan closed the first-aid kit.
Yubi looked at the cut on his finger.
"Thank you."
Kenan stood.
"Don't work with an injured hand."
Yubi nodded.
Kenan was about to leave.
But before he actually left the room, he stopped.
"Don't come in so early tomorrow."
Yubi looked at him.
"Why?"
"You're not a machine."
Kenan left after saying that.
Beni stared at Kenan's back, his mouth slightly open.
"I thought you two were in a cold war."
Yubi smiled faintly.
"We are."
"If this is what your cold war looks like, sign me up."
Yubi laughed softly.
But afterward, his smile slowly faded.
He stared at the door Kenan had left through.
There was a warmth he could not hide.
No matter how much Kenan hated him, Yubi knew one thing.
His cousin was still the same.
He still cared.
It was just that his wounds made him unable to show it the way he used to.
Downstairs, Kenan walked toward his car.
He had just started to get in when he heard a voice.
"Mr. Kenan."
He turned around.
Naila stood several feet away, holding a bag.
"Here."
She handed him the access card she had found on the administration desk that morning.
Kenan accepted it.
"Thank you."
Naila smiled.
"You're welcome."
Kenan studied the young woman's face for a moment.
Simple.
Not much of a talker.
But her smile was sincere.
"You haven't gone home yet?"
"I just finished working overtime."
"By yourself?"
"Yes."
Kenan glanced at his watch.
It was almost seven in the evening.
"How are you getting home?"
"By bus."
"It's late."
Naila smiled awkwardly.
"I'm used to going home this way."
Kenan was about to say something, but thought better of it.
He only said, "Be careful."
Naila nodded.
"You too, sir."
Kenan got into his car.
Meanwhile, Naila walked toward the bus stop.
No one realized that this simple encounter would become a new habit over the next few weeks.
Not because Kenan fell in love right away.
Nor because Naila immediately admired him.
It was simply because two people from different worlds began to discover that they actually had one thing in common.
They were both used to struggling on their own.
That night, Yubi sat in his rented room and opened a small box that had gone untouched for years.
Inside were several things that had belonged to his father.
A wristwatch.
An old photograph.
And a copy of the factory ownership documents.
Yubi stared at the signature still clearly printed on the page.
His name was listed as the second owner.
He slowly ran his fingers over the paper.
"Dad..."
His phone rang.
A message from Kenan.
Just one sentence.
Eight tomorrow. Don't be late. There's an operational meeting.
Yubi read the message several times.
Then he smiled faintly.
He replied.
Okay. Thanks for reminding me.
A reply came not long after.
Don't get the wrong idea. I'm doing this as the director.
Yubi let out a soft laugh.
He knew Kenan was keeping his distance.
But he also knew that if Kenan truly didn't care, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of sending a message.
Yubi set his phone down beside his father's documents.
The night grew later.
He still had no answers about the past.
But for the first time in five years, he began to feel that there might still be a way to repair his relationship with his father's family.
Not by forcing them to forgive him.
But by showing them who he really was.
And perhaps, someday, Kenan would understand that Yubi had never truly abandoned his family.