Zara had been busy in the kitchen for an entire hour. She was so enthusiastic as she worked with all the ingredients she had taken out of the refrigerator. Her sadness and irritation toward Tama seemed to vanish when she found herself surrounded by a complete collection of gleaming cookware. Not to mention the refrigerator packed with cooking ingredients, which had Zara thinking about what else she could make later.
Good grief... She had only been ordered to cook once. She was already imagining herself coming back to this apartment to cook again.
Zara was quick and skilled in the kitchen. The Chicken Cordon Bleu served with mashed potatoes and cream sauce was neatly arranged on a plate. She served one portion for Tama to try and stored the rest in a zipper bag in the freezer.
And apparently, Tama's instincts were sharp enough for him to come straight to Zara the moment her cooking was finished.
"Sir... My cooking is ready. I made some frozen food for you to keep in stock. If you want to eat it, you just have to fry it," Zara announced. She couldn't hide the pride in her voice.
Tama responded with a faint smile. This girl was so happy over the smallest things.
"Can I go home now?" Zara asked as she untied the apron strings around her waist. But she seemed to be having trouble—the strings were tied too tightly, and the apron wouldn't come off.
Seeing Zara struggle, Tama took the initiative to help her. He moved her hands aside and replaced them with his own.
Tama's tall body bent slightly, his breath brushing Zara's shoulder. The closeness made her body tense. Her hands nervously clasped together as she hoped the apron strings would come undone quickly.
"Don't tie it in a knot next time," Tama whispered after the strings came loose.
Zara, who had fallen silent, nodded in agreement. She walked a few steps forward, leaving a very clear distance between them.
Tama's attention shifted toward the dining table, where a plate of Zara's cooking sat. Without waiting, Tama picked up a knife and fork and cut into the breaded fried chicken.
Tama brought a piece of chicken with mashed potatoes coated in cream sauce to his mouth. The combination of flavors created a complete taste.
He chewed slowly, savoring the chicken's crisp exterior and tender interior. The savory ham and melted cheese on his tongue created a perfect harmony of flavors. The soft, creamy mashed potatoes blended with the light cream sauce, complementing the chicken's savory taste.
A drop of cream sauce remained at the corner of Tama's mouth, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.
Zara watched him in secret, waiting for his reaction to her cooking. Her feelings were unsettled, afraid that Tama might not like it. It was the most luxurious dish she and her mother always made together whenever they had plenty of money.
Tama smiled happily. Zara's cooking was incredible. He hadn't expected her to go to the trouble of preparing chicken that seemed slightly complicated to him.
That made Zara smile too, happy that her cooking hadn't disappointed him.
"Hmm, not bad," Tama said flatly, but Zara didn't care about the judgment in his words. She had already seen the pleased reaction on his face when he first tasted it. Besides, Tama now seemed to be eagerly shoveling another bite into his mouth. That alone was enough to make her proud.
Seeing Tama enjoying his meal, Zara then said goodbye. "In that case, I'm going home, sir."
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Tama asked when he saw Zara already preparing to carry her small bag.
Afraid he'll eat me! Zara screamed inwardly, though only her mind could hear it.
"I have to take care of my mother," Zara replied quickly.
"Don't you want to eat first?" Zara shook her head, refusing Tama's offer. She felt too awkward to stay any longer in the man's apartment.
Tama nodded in understanding. "You're right. Give me a second. I'll call my driver." He pulled his phone from his pants pocket, but Zara quickly interrupted and rejected his suggestion.
"No need to drive me, sir. I'll just take the bus."
Tama fell silent for a moment, considering Zara's suggestion, which he felt wasn't quite right. But he couldn't keep forcing the girl to do what he wanted. Once again, he was only a stranger who, for some reason, was so worried about the girl beside him.
"Okay," Tama finally said.
Zara smiled happily and turned to leave the apartment. Unexpectedly, Tama followed behind her. When they reached the door, Zara turned around and looked at Tama one last time. Her lips curved into a wide, sweet smile that enchanted Tama.
"Zara..." Tama murmured before she actually stepped out of his apartment.
"Yes?"
There was an unwillingness in his gaze to let Zara disappear from view.
He didn't know why, but Tama still wanted to feel close to Zara.
"Please take good care of yourself," Tama said sincerely, hoping Zara's life would be better the next day.
"Promise me you won't go back to that club again?!" he said emphatically, refusing to let Zara ignore his words.
Zara nodded, deeply moved by his concerned words. Tama was a stranger who cared so much about her, even though there were moments when facing him made her feel afraid and uneasy.
"Yes, sir... Thank you for saving me. If I get another chance, I'll repay all your kindness, Mr. Tama, even if I can't do it directly," Zara said wholeheartedly.
One last time, Zara looked at Tama for a little longer before finally breaking their gaze and walking away from him.
"See you again, Zara," Tama murmured, full of hope as he watched her small figure slowly grow more distant.
Zara sat lost in thought on a bus bench crowded with passengers. Evening was when people returned home after spending the entire day working. But not Zara. She had nowhere to go home to. There was no house to shelter her with a sense of safety and comfort.
Zara felt sad about her life now. Ever since her father died, her life seemed to have been struck by one disaster after another.
In her previous life, she had lived a comfortable life in a harmonious family. Her father had been a computer technician at one of the country's prestigious private universities, while her mother had simply been a housewife. Although they had lived simply, she had never lacked material comfort or affection. Her parents had showered her with all their love.
But after her father passed away, problems began appearing one after another. Her father had been accused and charged with a criminal offense for receiving money connected to corrupt practices at the university where he worked, in a software procurement project.
As a result of his actions, the university suffered financial losses, and the heirs were ordered to repay the embezzled funds, worth two billion rupiah.
And because her mother couldn't bear the burden of the compensation, she went into debt, while all of her father's remaining assets were seized to cover the losses.
Losing the father she loved, on top of an unimaginable debt, left Zara devastated. But what troubled her heart even more was the suspicious nature of her father's death. The chain-reaction accident that took his life felt too coincidental, especially considering the immense pressure the deceased man had been facing before his death.
She vividly remembered the anxious look on her father's face and how he often kept to himself after coming home from work. It was completely unlike him. Normally, her father would come out to greet his wife, help with the cooking, or simply chat with her.
Zara suspected that certain parties were deliberately covering up the truth behind her father's death—a conspiracy that might be connected to the corruption case that had ensnared him.
Questions lingered in her mind. Had her father really died in an accident? Or had someone deliberately erased the evidence and silenced him?
But shadows of despair began to close around Zara. As an ordinary college student with no connections or adequate resources, she felt small and powerless amid the tangled corruption case and the mystery surrounding her father's death.
Uncovering the truth behind her father's death and clearing the deceased man's name felt like trying to swim against a raging current.
Pessimism gnawed at her spirit, reminding her of her limitations as someone small and weak.
Zara could only hope that justice would find its way to her soon. No matter where it came from.