As dusk approached, after they finished eating and started walking home, the sky, which had been clear just moments before, suddenly clouded over. Before they could reach the bus stop, heavy rain began pouring without warning.
"RUN!" Bara grabbed Kiki's hand, and the two of them jogged to the awning of a closed shop, the nearest—and only—place to take shelter.
They were both out of breath, their clothes slightly damp around the shoulders, but instead of complaining, they laughed. Somehow, a mess like this felt funnier than it did annoying.
"This is the most poorly planned date in history," Kiki remarked, wiping the remaining rainwater from her arm.
"That's what makes it fun." Bara sat down on the awning's steps and motioned for Kiki to sit beside him. "Imagine if everything had gone according to that plan of yours on paper. It would've been so boring." He chuckled.
They sat side by side, watching the rain come down harder and harder. The sound of it made for a strange but comforting backdrop to their conversation, which grew quieter and more personal.
"Bara," Kiki finally asked, her voice softer than usual. "Why do you want to get close to me? We're so different. I'm stiff, and you're laid-back. I like plans, and you like being spontaneous." Kiki waited for Bara's answer.
Bara thought for a moment before answering, his eyes still fixed on the rain ahead. "That's exactly why, Ki. I've spent way too long living carelessly, never thinking about the consequences, running away from serious things. You... you remind me that life still needs direction and responsibility. But you also don't make me feel like I have to become someone else to deserve being by your side. That's rare, Ki. Seriously." He spoke earnestly as he looked into Kiki's eyes.
Kiki fell silent, her heart fluttering at his answer.
Their hands, which had been only a few inches apart on the step, slowly moved closer—until their pinkies accidentally touched.
They were both startled, but neither pulled away. They just sat there awkwardly in silence, pretending to stay focused on the rain ahead.
The rain let up about half an hour later.
Bara walked Kiki home since her house wasn't too far from the café.
They stopped in front of the gate, neither of them knowing what to say to end their first date, which had been full of mishaps.
"Thanks for today," Kiki said, playing with the end of her jacket, which was still slightly damp. "Even though it was a complete disaster." She smiled.
"The mess is part of the fun." Bara grinned, but his eyes looked more serious than usual. "I had a great time, Ki. I really did."
An awkward silence followed. Bara leaned slightly forward, as if he was about to say or do something, and Kiki—her heart already pounding—instinctively held her breath.
But before anything could happen, the porch light at Kiki's house suddenly blazed on, followed by the sound of the door opening from inside.
"Kirana? Who's that out front?" Kiki's mom called from inside, making them both jump back in shock.
"I-IT'S A SCHOOL FRIEND, MOM! I'M GOING INSIDE!" Kiki hurriedly pushed Bara away from the gate, panicking.
Bara's heart dropped too, but all he could do was wave awkwardly as he quickly backed toward the alley, then broke into a little run when Kiki's mom started walking toward the gate.
Kiki went inside with her face still red—half from panic, half from the moment that had almost happened—and that night, before going to sleep, she could only smile to herself as she stared at her bedroom ceiling.
The most disastrous date ever, she thought.
But for some reason, I want to have another messy date like this.
Kiki's grades were still good, but they had dropped a little in two subjects—enough for Kiki's mom, who checked her children's grades like she was reviewing a company's financial report, to become immediately suspicious.
"Why did your Physics grade drop, Ki?" Mom asked that night, her tone already sounding like an interrogation.
"I just wasn't careful enough, Mom," Kiki answered, trying to stay calm.
"You've been coming home late a lot lately. What's going on?" she asked carefully.
Kiki fell silent.
She wasn't ready to tell her about Bara—not because she was embarrassed, but because she knew exactly how her mom felt about "dating in high school": a waste of time, a distraction, and a threat to her future.
"I was studying with a group, Mom. With some friends," Kiki answered, only half telling the truth.
Her mom stared at her for a long time, as if she knew something was being hidden, but in the end, she only said, "Don't let your grades drop again," before going to her room.
Kiki sat alone in the dining room, feeling a weight in her chest. Lying to her mom was new to her—and she hated how it felt.
The next day at school, she told Bara about it.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Ki," Bara said, trying to comfort her. "You just haven't found the right time to tell her yet." His words calmed Kiki.
"I'm scared, Bar. Scared Mom will be disappointed. Scared she'll think I've changed because of you." Kiki sounded overly worried.
Bara was silent for a moment, then gently took Kiki's hand. "If someday you have to choose between our relationship and keeping your mom at ease... I won't be mad if you choose that first, Ki. I don't want to be the reason you fight with your own family." Bara faced Kiki as he spoke sincerely.
Those words made Kiki realize even more clearly that their relationship wasn't just about the two of them. It was also about figuring out how to be honest with the people around them, little by little, without hurting anyone.
In the middle of Kiki's problems with her mom, Bara received some shocking news of his own.
His father, who usually only came home during Eid, suddenly showed up at the house on an ordinary day with big news: he had been permanently transferred to another city, and he wanted Bara to move with him—so they could "finally be a whole family again," as he put it.
Bara didn't know whether to be happy or confused.
On one hand, this was what he'd wanted for so long—a father who was closer, a more complete family.
On the other hand, it meant leaving behind his school, his band, his friends... and Kiki.
He didn't tell anyone for several days, not even Kiki, until Kiki noticed something was wrong herself.
"Bar, what's wrong? You've been quiet since yesterday," Kiki asked during break.
Bara let out a long sigh and finally told her everything—about his father, the offer to move, and the dilemma that had kept him from sleeping for the past few nights.
Kiki fell silent, her chest feeling heavy as she listened.
But she held herself back from immediately showing a selfish reaction.
"That's... that's big news, Bara," she said softly. "How do you feel about it?" Kiki asked carefully.
"I don't know, Ki. I want to be closer to my dad. But I also don't want to leave behind everything I've built here. Including you." His voice was uneasy.
Kiki squeezed Bara's hand. "I'm not going to ask you to choose me. This is about your family, Bara. I just want you to know that whatever you decide, I'll support you. But don't make a rushed decision just because you're afraid of disappointing one side." Kiki explained.
The band competition was only two weeks away, but Bara's energy during practice was clearly different.
Yuda, the band's drummer, finally called him out.
"What's with you lately? You're playing guitar like you don't even care," Yuda said during practice.
Bara only shook his head, not ready to tell his bandmates yet.
But Sisi, who had only known Bara through the competition, turned out to be pretty perceptive.
"You've got something heavy on your mind, don't you?" Sisi asked quietly during a break in practice. "I'm not forcing you to talk, but if you need someone to talk to besides Kiki, I'm here." She offered.
Bara gave her a small smile, appreciating the kind gesture, but still chose to remain silent.
There were some things he only wanted to talk about with one person: Kiki.
After practice, he found Kiki waiting at the school gate. It was already dark, but Kiki had stayed.
"You haven't gone home yet?" Bara asked in surprise.
"I want to walk you home. You've looked tired lately," Kiki answered simply.
On the way home, they walked slowly, in no hurry, talking about all kinds of silly things so Bara's thoughts wouldn't keep circling back to moving away.
Sometimes, what you need most isn't a solution, but simply a friend willing to walk beside you through the confusion.