Alina looked around, searching for the source of the scent. Her heart was in turmoil, caught between hoping it belonged to Vano and hoping it didn't. Alina wanted to see Vano. But at the same time, she didn't want to see him again, because then she'd dream about him all over again.
*There's no way he's really here, right? I don't want to see him again. Otherwise, the dreams will keep coming, and it'll become even harder for me to forget him.*
Alina thought to herself as she continued looking around.
"Lina, what's wrong?" Raysa patted Alina on the shoulder as she stood there looking confused, as if she were searching for something. "It's nothing. Come on, let's keep walking. So, do you know what you want to eat now?" Alina answered softly. Her breathing was still a little hurried, even though she was trying to calm herself down. "I think I'll eat at a restaurant, Lina. I just remembered that you're afraid of cats. If we eat at an angkringan, you might not be able to eat because there could be cats around." "If you want to eat at an angkringan, that's fine." "No, Lina. I want to try gelato. That restaurant has the gelato I want to try. Let's just go there." "Okay, sure."
When they arrived at the restaurant Raysa had mentioned, they immediately ordered food and drinks. Raysa also ordered one jumbo cup of gelato in vanilla, chocolate, and matcha flavors. Alina could only shake her head when she saw it. They spent the rest of the day enjoying Jogja, riding in an andong, a traditional Jogjakarta four-wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse. Raysa and Alina also made sure to capture the day's fun by taking photos and videos. Even so, Alina still couldn't focus because she kept thinking about what had happened before they ate.
Alina and Raysa returned to the hotel at eight that night. Before heading back, they stopped at the nearest supermarket to buy snacks for later at the hotel. Quietly, Raysa continued watching Alina, who had been acting strangely since the afternoon. Alina often drifted off and lost focus whenever Raysa spoke to her. Every now and then, her expression made it seem as though she were searching for something—or someone.
"Lina, can I ask you something?" Raysa asked carefully. "Sure. What is it, Ray?" "Are you really okay? You've looked like something's been wrong since this afternoon. You know I'm not the kind of person who goes around sharing other people's stories. You always listen to my problems, Lina. Now it's your turn to tell me what's going on and vent to me. You can do that with me. I'm really worried about you. At least then I'll know what's wrong and what I should do." Raysa asked in a worried, cautious tone. "Do you really want to know, or do you really, really want to know?" Alina teased, trying to lighten the mood. "Lina, I'm serious." Raysa's serious expression immediately turned into an adorably sulky pout. "Raysa, you're the second person I've told about this problem. So please, just keep it to yourself, okay?" "Yes, Lina." Raysa brought her right hand to her forehead in a salute. "So, there's someone I've liked for a long time, Ray." "Liam, right?" Raysa cut in impatiently, unable to believe Alina was actually going to talk about the person she liked. "Listen first, Raysa. At first, I was drawn to him. He was someone who made such a strong impression on me." Alina began telling Raysa about Vano. Alina was amazed by Raysa. In such a short time, Raysa had managed to make her talk about Vano—the person she'd kept so carefully hidden all this time.
That night, they spent hours with Alina telling the story of the love she'd kept buried for nearly ten years. ***