The days after opening that small business became a time full of surprises for Doni. He began to understand that running a business wasn't just about making products and waiting for customers to show up.
There were so many things he had to think about.
From ingredient inventory and cash flow to figuring out how to make customers feel comfortable.
Every morning, Doni arrived early. He opened the shop-house before the streets grew busy. Sometimes he was still exhausted because he'd had to calculate expenses and make plans for the next day the night before.
But this fatigue felt different.
Now he was tired because he was building something of his own.
"Don, how many hours did you sleep last night?" Bima asked when he saw how pale Doni looked.
Doni was arranging several food ingredients on the table.
"Maybe three hours."
Bima immediately sighed.
"Three hours? Are you trying to run a business or end up in the hospital?"
Doni chuckled.
"You're being dramatic."
"I'm serious. Don't chase your dreams so hard that you forget to take care of yourself."
Doni paused.
Bima had a point.
He'd been so focused on proving himself that he'd forgotten his body had limits too.
"I'm just afraid of missing my chance."
Bima looked at Doni.
"You won't lose your chance just because you take a short break."
Doni smiled.
His friend often reminded him of things he never thought about.
Several weeks passed.
Doni's business started becoming known among the people in the area. It didn't get busy right away, but little by little, customers began coming back.
One customer even became a regular.
His name was Mr. Darto.
Every afternoon, he came by to buy food and chat with Doni.
"You're still young, but you think differently," Mr. Darto said one day.
Doni smiled.
"Differently how, sir?"
"Most young people quit as soon as they fail. You just seem to get more motivated."
Doni chuckled.
"I get scared a lot too, sir."
Mr. Darto nodded.
"Being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid. Being brave means you keep moving forward even when you are."
Those words reminded Doni of something his mother had said.
It turned out that many successful people thought the same way.
Not because they had never doubted themselves.
But because they didn't let doubt control them.
However, just as Doni's business began to take off, a new problem appeared.
One morning, Doni went to buy ingredients as usual. When he reached his usual supplier, he was shocked to see that the prices of several ingredients had gone up.
"They went up again, sir?" Doni asked.
The vendor nodded.
"Yeah, Don. The supplier raised their prices too."
Doni looked at the price list he'd been given.
His calculations immediately changed.
If he raised his prices, he was afraid his customers would leave.
If he kept the old prices, his profits could disappear.
His mind was racing the entire trip home.
As soon as he arrived at the shop-house, Bima saw his face.
"What's wrong?"
Doni set down the groceries.
"The ingredient prices went up."
Bima nodded slowly.
"That's a major problem for a small business."
Doni sat down.
"I don't want to disappoint my customers."
"But you can't keep losing money either."
Doni fell silent.
The choice felt impossible.
That night, Doni discussed it with his mother.
"Mom, what do you think I should do?"
His mother, who was folding clothes, looked at Doni.
"Have you tried calculating everything?"
"I have."
"And?"
"If I keep the prices the same, there's almost no profit."
His mother smiled faintly.
"Sometimes you have to make decisions that not everyone will like."
Doni looked at his mother.
"But what if the customers leave?"
"If they leave just because you adjusted your prices to match the situation, then they don't really understand how hard you've worked."
Doni pondered her words.
The next day, he found the courage to raise his prices slightly.
He also explained the change to his customers.
"I'm sorry about the price change. I'm trying to maintain the quality, so I have to make a slight adjustment."
Some customers accepted it.
But others complained.
"It's expensive now."
All Doni could do was smile.
"I understand, sir. I didn't actually want to raise the prices either."
After the customer left, Doni felt a little sad.
Not because of the money.
But because he hated disappointing people.
Nina, who came by that afternoon, noticed Doni's expression.
"What's wrong?"
Doni told her everything.
Nina listened until he finished.
"Don."
"Yeah?"
"You can't make everyone happy."
Doni fell silent.
"You have to learn to accept that."
"But I just want this business to do well."
"And that's exactly what you've been doing."
Doni looked at Nina.
"You know what? A lot of people fail not because they lack ability, but because they're not ready to face difficult decisions."
Doni smiled faintly.
"You talk like an old lady sometimes."
Nina laughed.
"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."
They laughed together.
However, in the middle of his growing business, someone appeared again.
Reno.
The man who had given him his business card some time ago.
He came by one afternoon while Doni was cleaning up the place.
"You're making good progress."
Doni turned around.
"Reno."
Reno looked around.
"I heard this place is starting to get busy."
Doni remained cautious.
"It's still small."
"Everything big starts out small."
Doni didn't answer.
Reno then sat down.
"I have an offer for you."
Doni immediately looked at him.
"What kind of offer?"
"I want to help expand your business."
The atmosphere fell silent.
Doni studied Reno's face.
"What do you mean?"
"I can provide capital. Help you open branches. Make your business grow faster."
The offer sounded appealing.
Almost too appealing.
Doni knew that help like this could make his path much easier.
But he also knew that nothing was ever truly free.
"What do you want in return?"
Reno smiled.
"I just want to become part of this business."
Doni didn't give him an answer yet.
He looked at his small shop-house.
The place he'd built with his own sweat.
The place that proved he could start something from scratch.
That night, Doni went home with his mind racing.
On one hand, Reno's offer could bring his dream within reach.
But on the other, he was afraid of losing control over something he'd only just built.
For the first time since starting his business, Doni faced a choice that wasn't only about courage.
It was about principles.
And this time, the decision he made could change the course of his life.