“From now on, I’m your loyal customer!” Mely plopped down on a plastic stool beside the stall, fanning her hand in front of her face as if she were overheated despite the chilly weather.
“Whoa, sunglasses, thirty thousand? Really, Bro? They’re only thirty thousand?” Mely exclaimed, immediately trying them on. “Wow... These sunglasses are pretty clear. It’s already getting dark, but they’re still lightweight, not blurry at all. These look perfect for relaxing at the beach. Look at how smooth the frame material is, Bro. The screw hinges... they look really sturdy. They may be knockoffs, but the quality is top-notch!” Mely praised them in a slightly raised voice, already sounding like a brand ambassador. As it turned out, her words and animated gestures caught the attention of several women and girls passing by after sunset. Curious, they came closer.
“Are the sunglasses good?” one of them asked.
“Of course! Here, see for yourself. Try them on. They’re affordable too,” Mely urged, holding out one of the pairs in her hand. They tried them on, and eventually decided to buy them. Mely’s friendly, easygoing personality entertained the customers, and they enjoyed talking with her.
Regi, who had been quietly watching Mely, slowly leaned his shoulder against the metal pole of the simple tent. His eyes never left Mely for even a second as she busily served customers with a friendly smile, as though she were the real vendor. Amid the bustle of the fairly dusty park, the aroma of spices from the market snacks, and even the sharp stench of garbage, Mely stood out conspicuously in her appearance.
Judging from Mely’s home, the girl seemed accustomed to living comfortably, surrounded by luxuries and conveniences that would make many people think she’d be uncomfortable setting foot in a place like this. But... reality wasn’t what Regi had imagined.
*You’re making me fall harder than I ever have, Mel,* Regi thought, feeling a warm flutter in his chest. Regi felt that Mely embodied a rare kind of sincerity, especially with how bluntly she spoke. Not long after, Regi approached once the customer in front of Mely had left. He offered her a small bottle of cold water, then looked into her eyes.
“Tired?” Regi asked gently, his voice almost drowned out by the clamor of the other vendors. Mely accepted the bottle with a hand slightly damp from sweat, then gave a small giggle as she fanned away a strand of hair that had nearly come loose from her tie.
“Kind of, but it’s fun!” Mely replied before taking a drink of the water Regi had handed her.
“You seem to be taking your role as a vendor very seriously.”
At Regi’s remark, Mely looked at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “So, do I look like I’d make a good girlfriend for you, Bro? I’d love to be your girlfriend, even if I were the second one,” Mely joked, finally bursting into laughter until she started coughing. “*Cough, cough*... Ahaha... I’m really talking nonsense tonight. And now I’m saying I’d be the second one too. But that’s better, right? It wouldn’t be quite as cruel as calling me a homewrecker, since you’re not someone else’s husband yet,” Mely continued, still giggling.
Watching Mely’s antics, Regi turned his face away to hide his rare smile and muttered, “You’re something else.”
Mely heard him clearly and answered, “Seriously, Bro... this has to be the effect of being chased by a mad dog, nearly getting run over by a meatball-cart vendor, and now my little bag... wait. Where’s my little bag?” Mely frantically scanned the area around Regi’s stall, her eyes comically wide. “Oh no! Don’t tell me it fell into the sewer when I was running for my life earlier?!” Mely exclaimed again before checking her pants pockets. “Huh... thank goodness I still have a little money and my phone,” Mely muttered in relief, though she continued grumbling because there wasn’t much money in her pocket.
Meanwhile, Regi clicked his tongue fondly. The girl he had just praised in his thoughts was so chatty! She was like a hammer drill, her noise constantly clinging to him and never fading away. “That’s enough... Go home. It’s getting late,” Regi said flatly, shooing her away.
“Ugh, I’m being kicked out!” Mely pouted, deliberately putting on an exaggeratedly cute expression. “How am I supposed to go home? There’s a stepmom at home who loves making snide remarks. She even told me to go out and wander around, while my dad is busy being a tycoon and is currently trying to find a way out, and... well, because that bunch of scary men in black suits from the other day who almost tied me up and turned me into an express-export package shipped overseas are still chasing me, huh...”
Hearing Mely’s complaints, along with the words “export” and “men in suits,” Regi narrowed his eyes. Beneath her luxurious lifestyle, Mely had become a poisoned dilemma over the past few days, trapped in the dark whirlpool of an international crime syndicate.
“What do you mean? Who are these men in suits? The other day it was thugs. What exactly happened? You still haven’t explained it to me!” Regi demanded, standing tall in front of Mely with a look that insisted on an answer.
Just as Mely was about to answer Regi’s question, gazing back at him in fascination... Suddenly—
“Wham!”
Mely’s flirtatious gaze snapped away. The sudden sound of a heavy impact against a garbage drum shattered the night air. Three burly men in expensive black suits suddenly emerged from behind a narrow bend. Their footsteps were heavy, their eyes savage, and one of them seemed to be carrying a weapon—a knife... or perhaps a gun.
*Damn... I could be found out... Oh my God,* Mely thought as her body began to tremble with fear. *This is all Mom’s fault. It’s so unlike her to ask me to buy martabak around here, like she’s having some intense craving. She’s already gone through menopause, for crying out loud,* Mely grumbled furiously.