Day 22 before departure.
There was something strange about waking up after officially getting a girlfriend.
At least, that was what Raka thought.
He opened his eyes at 6:11 a.m.
Reached for his phone.
Then smiled to himself when he saw one name on the screen.
Lara
Lara: wake up.
Raka replied immediately.
Raka: Morning, girlfriend.
Three seconds.
Lara: That gives me the ick.
Raka laughed.
Raka: It's only been a day.
Lara: Exactly. Don't be so cheesy.
Raka: Who was the one who confessed first yesterday?
Lara: YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CONFESSED FIRST.
Raka: But that chat from last year—
Lara: I'm blocking you.
Raka laughed even harder.
His bedroom door opened.
Nayel stood there, looking sleepy.
“Bro.”
Raka immediately locked his screen.
“Knock.”
“I did.”
“When?”
“When you were smiling to yourself like you were possessed.”
Raka threw a pillow.
Nayel dodged it.
“Called it.”
“Called what?”
“Lara.”
Raka grabbed a second pillow.
Nayel immediately ran out, shouting,
“Mom! Raka and Lara are dating!”
“NAYEL!”
Too late.
From downstairs came Meira's voice.
“Dating who?”
Raka covered his face.
The day hadn't even really started yet.
Lara had the same problem.
The difference was, her problem's name was Mirea.
“Try it one more time.”
Lara was straightening her books.
“No.”
“Just once.”
“What?”
“Say ‘my girlfriend.’”
Lara turned to her with a sharp look.
Mirea laughed so hard she nearly dropped her mug.
“Your face is killing me.”
“Why do I have a friend like you?”
“Because your life needs an audience.”
Lara sighed.
Her phone vibrated.
Raka.
Raka: My mom already knows.
Lara sat down immediately.
Lara: WHAT?
Raka: Nayel.
Lara: I'm going to kill him.
Raka: Get in line. I'm first.
Lara laughed.
Mirea watched her.
“Is that a girlfriend smile?”
“Shut up.”
“One hundred percent.”
Lara threw a tissue.
Mirea caught it.
Then her expression softened a little.
“Are you happy?”
Lara stopped.
The question was simple.
She smiled.
“Yeah.”
“Really happy?”
Lara looked at the screen.
Raka's name was still there.
“Yeah.”
Mirea nodded.
Then she said, “Twenty-two days.”
Lara's smile shrank a little.
“Yeah.”
Mirea immediately regretted it.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
But the words lingered.
Twenty-two days.
Yesterday had felt long.
Today felt short.
They met on campus at eleven.
Technically, nothing had changed.
Raka was still Raka.
Lara was still Lara.
Gedung Samasta was still hot.
Kevar was still way too serious.
Sena was still loud.
Tavia still loved butting in.
And yet, somehow, walking toward someone who was now officially your girlfriend felt different.
Lara saw Raka standing near the stairs.
Raka saw Lara approaching.
They both stopped.
Then they both looked confused.
Sena, standing beside Raka, looked back and forth between them.
“What’s with you two?”
“What the hell?” Raka asked.
“You’re dating now, but you still look like strangers meeting for the first time.”
Lara immediately looked at Raka.
“You told her?”
Sena answered first.
“He didn't need to tell me.”
“Then?”
Sena pointed at Raka.
“He came in this morning, smiling to himself and saying life was beautiful.”
Raka immediately smacked her arm.
“I never said that.”
“Same difference.”
Tavia came up behind Lara.
“You two are dating?”
Everyone went silent.
Tavia froze.
Then her eyes widened.
“FOR REAL?”
Lara covered her face.
Raka sighed.
Sena backed away.
“I’m going downstairs.”
“Don’t go,” Raka said.
“I don't want to get caught in the blast radius.”
Tavia grabbed both of Lara's shoulders.
“WHEN?”
“Tav.”
“YESTERDAY?”
“Tavia.”
“WHO CONFESSED FIRST?”
Raka cut in, “Can you turn your volume down?”
Tavia turned to him.
“You?”
Raka went silent.
Tavia let out a little scream.
“NO WAY.”
Kevar came out of the room.
“What?”
Tavia immediately pointed at Raka and Lara.
“THEY’RE DATING.”
Kevar looked at the two of them.
He was silent for two seconds.
“Good.”
Tavia couldn't believe it.
“Just ‘good’?”
“We have a meeting in ten minutes.”
“Kevar, this is history.”
“The lighting vendor is more important.”
He went back inside.
Sena laughed from the end of the hallway.
Raka looked at Lara.
“Told you.”
Lara held back a smile.
“Told me what?”
“Kevar has no soul.”
Kevar's voice came from inside.
“I HEARD THAT.”
They all burst out laughing.
And for the first time, their new status felt real.
Not because of the confession.
Not because of the chat.
But because the people around them knew now.
The afternoon meeting went as usual.
What wasn't usual was what happened under the table.
Raka sat beside Lara.
Lara was taking notes.
Raka discreetly slid a packet of candy toward her.
Lara took it.
A few minutes later, Lara nudged her water bottle toward him because she knew Raka hadn't had anything to drink yet.
Raka drank from it.
Neither of them said a word.
Tavia noticed.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then she sent a message to the smaller group chat.
Tavia: I'm gonna throw up.
Sena replied:
Sena: It's only been a day.
Lara saw the notification.
She held back a laugh.
Raka asked quietly, “What is it?”
Lara showed him the screen.
Raka typed in the group chat:
Raka: Just say you're jealous.
Tavia:
Tavia: God forbid.
Kevar suddenly stopped talking.
“If the group chat is more important, I’ll leave.”
Everyone immediately put their phones down.
Lara lowered her head to hide her laughter.
Raka whispered, “He’s scary.”
Lara replied, “So is your boyfriend.”
Raka turned to her.
Lara realized what she had just said.
Her face grew hot.
Raka grinned.
“Say it again.”
“No.”
“What did you just say?”
“The meeting.”
“Lar.”
“Shut up.”
Raka was still smiling.
After the meeting, they went to Kedai Sela.
As usual.
Except when Lara sat in the chair by the window, Raka didn't immediately sit across from her.
He stood there.
Lara raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
Raka pointed at the chair beside Lara.
“Can I?”
Lara looked at the chair.
Then at Raka.
“You usually sit across from me.”
“Can I sit here now?”
Lara held back a smile.
“Why?”
“Just feel like it.”
“So cheesy.”
“I’m just asking.”
Lara moved her bag.
“Sit.”
Raka sat down immediately.
Close.
Not too close.
But close enough for Lara to notice the scent of Raka's cologne, a smell she knew by heart.
Darsa came over.
Stopped.
Looked at where they were sitting.
Then smiled.
“Ah.”
Raka immediately grew suspicious.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on.”
Darsa only wrote down their order.
“The usual for two?”
Lara nodded.
“Yeah.”
Darsa walked away.
Raka looked at Lara.
“He knows.”
Lara laughed.
“Everyone knows.”
“I’m not ready.”
“You said you were brave yesterday.”
“Confessing is different from being watched by the whole campus.”
Lara laughed softly.
Then silence fell.
A comfortable silence.
Raka played with the straw wrapper.
Lara watched the street.
Until finally, Raka asked,
“Have you started packing?”
Lara's smile immediately faded a little.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“It’s still a long way off.”
“Twenty-two days.”
Lara turned to him.
“You’re counting?”
Raka didn't answer right away.
Lara smiled faintly.
“You are.”
Raka sighed.
“Yeah.”
There was something in his voice.
Lara leaned back.
“Scared?”
Raka chuckled.
“Kind of.”
“Why?”
Raka spun the straw.
“Because I just got you.”
Lara fell silent.
“And in twenty-two days, you’re leaving.”
The words didn't sound demanding.
Just honest.
Lara looked at her hands.
“I’m still leaving.”
Raka nodded.
“I know.”
“You’re not going to ask me to cancel?”
“No.”
His answer came too quickly.
Lara turned to him.
“You sure?”
Raka looked at her.
“If I asked you to cancel, and then five years from now you regretted it?”
Lara was silent.
“I don’t want to be the reason you turn down something you fought for before you ever had the courage to tell me.”
Lara smiled a little.
“That’s very mature of you.”
“Write down the date.”
“Rare?”
“Extremely.”
Lara laughed.
Raka continued, “But am I allowed not to like it?”
“You’re allowed.”
“Am I allowed to say five months is a long time?”
“You’re allowed.”
“Am I allowed to miss you?”
Lara looked at him.
“You have to.”
Raka smiled.
“Deal.”
They started making something Raka later called the twenty-two-day list.
The idea came up because Lara said there were a lot of places they hadn't visited together yet.
Raka immediately opened his notes.
“List.”
Lara frowned.
“Seriously?”
“Twenty-two days.”
“You want to make an itinerary?”
“So none of them go to waste.”
Lara laughed.
“Obsessive.”
“What’s first?”
Lara thought.
“Kedai Sela.”
“We’re here right now.”
“Cross it off.”
Raka typed.
1. Kedai Sela — done.
“Second?”
“Toko Buku Pendar.”
“Third?”
“Taman Sagara.”
Raka stopped.
Lara looked at the screen.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That photo?”
Raka smiled.
“Hmm.”
Lara continued.
“Halte Lajur Lima.”
Raka typed.
“Why the bus stop?”
“Because so many of our conversations ended there.”
Raka glanced at her.
“That’s deep.”
“Sometimes I’m poetic.”
“Rarely.”
Lara jabbed him with her elbow.
“Jembatan Karsa?”
Raka raised an eyebrow.
“Already done.”
Lara looked at him.
“The other day?”
“Hmm.”
Raka typed:
Jembatan Karsa — where we started dating.
Lara immediately snatched his phone.
“Don’t write that.”
“Why?”
“So cheesy.”
Raka took it back.
“Let’s give it some history.”
Lara rolled her eyes.
They kept writing.
Teras Loka.
Tangga Timur.
Eat on Jalan Kertala.
Take a bus with no destination.
Watch a movie.
Look for books.
Eat Meira's cooking.
Buy something small for Lara to take to Elvarsa.
Until the list grew to more than twenty-two items.
Lara laughed.
“We don’t have enough time.”
Raka looked at the list.
“Then we’ll continue it when you come back.”
Lara fell silent.
When you come back.
Not if.
The sentence was simple.
But it gave Lara something she hadn't realized she needed.
The certainty that someone was imagining her return.
The first three days as a couple felt easy.
The fourth didn't.
Not because they fought.
Because reality started creeping in.
Lara received the online orientation schedule from Universitas Velmora.
Departure documents.
A packing list.
Dorm rules.
Class schedules.
Everything was starting to feel real.
Raka helped.
They sat in the library, going through the list of requirements.
“Passport?”
“This is domestic.”
“Oh, right.”
Lara looked at him.
“My boyfriend is so smart.”
“Shut up.”
“Health certificate?”
“Done.”
“Insurance?”
“Done.”
“Emergency contact?”
Lara stopped.
Raka stopped too.
“Who?”
“My mom.”
“Oh.”
Raka nodded.
For some reason, he sounded a little disappointed.
Lara held back a smile.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Want to be my emergency contact?”
“I'm not family.”
“Boyfriend.”
Raka looked at her.
His expression changed.
Lara laughed.
“Oh my God.”
“Don’t just say things like that out of nowhere.”
“You kept saying ‘my girlfriend’ yesterday.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“When you’re the one saying it…”
Raka stopped.
Lara waited.
“…I just like it.”
Lara smiled.
“You’re so easy to make happy.”
“You’re the one who has trouble saying things.”
Lara turned back to the documents.
“Boyfriend.”
Raka turned quickly.
“What?”
“Testing it.”
“Again.”
“No.”
Raka closed Lara's laptop.
“Hey.”
“Again.”
“Open it.”
“Boyfriend.”
Lara held back a laugh.
“Boyfriend.”
Raka smiled in satisfaction.
“Good.”
Lara hit his arm.
But the more days passed, the more often one thing came up.
Five months.
Sometimes it wasn't said.
It was simply felt.
When Raka took pictures of Lara more often than usual.
When Lara secretly saved Raka's voice notes.
When they sat at Kedai Sela longer because they didn't want to go home too soon.
When small things felt like something they needed to keep.
On day 16 before departure, they went to Taman Sagara.
The same place as the old photo.
Raka brought Sena's small camera.
Lara looked at it.
“What for?”
“Pictures.”
“Just use your phone.”
“It’s different.”
“Since when are you into photography?”
“Since my girlfriend decided to run off for five months.”
Lara shook her head.
“Drama queen.”
They walked on.
Until they found the spot where the old photo had been taken.
Raka pointed.
“You were standing there.”
Lara stood in the same spot.
“And?”
“Laugh.”
“Being told to laugh just makes it weird.”
“Fine. Don’t look at the camera.”
Lara rolled her eyes.
Then the wind blew her hair into her face.
She muttered a curse.
Raka laughed.
Lara laughed too.
Click.
Raka took the picture.
Lara immediately moved closer.
“Let me see.”
Raka showed her.
Lara fell silent.
It resembled the old photo.
But now it was different.
“Beautiful,” Raka said.
“The picture?”
Raka looked at her.
“This time, the person.”
Lara held back a smile.
“Cheesy.”
“Honest.”
Raka lowered the camera.
Then said, “One more.”
“What?”
Raka stood beside Lara.
He opened the front-facing camera on his phone.
“Together.”
Lara stepped into the frame.
Raka took a picture.
Lara looked at it.
“You look terrible.”
“As long as you look good.”
“Save it.”
“Already did.”
Raka put his phone away.
Lara asked, “Why take so many pictures?”
Raka fell silent.
Then answered,
“For the five months.”
Lara couldn't joke after that.
She simply held Raka's hand.
That night, Lara sent him a message.
Lara: Rak.
Raka: Hmm?
Lara: Are you scared of long-distance?
Three dots appeared.
Raka took a long time.
Raka: Yeah.
Lara was slightly surprised by his honesty.
Lara: Why?
Raka: Because even now, when you take too long to reply, I start thinking.
Lara laughed.
Lara: Possessive.
Raka: Honest.
Then:
Raka: I'm scared you'll be busy over there.
Raka: Have a new life.
Raka: New friends.
Lara read it.
Raka continued:
Raka: And eventually, the things that matter now will just become ordinary.
There was no joke this time.
Lara stared at the screen.
Lara: Including me?
A long pause.
Raka: Yeah.
Lara called him immediately.
Raka picked up quickly.
“Hello?”
“Idiot.”
Raka chuckled.
“What?”
“Why would you think that?”
“It could happen.”
“Rak.”
“Hmm?”
“I'm going away for school.”
“Yeah.”
“I'm not changing identities.”
Raka laughed.
Lara continued, “Five months is a long time.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m scared too.”
Raka fell silent.
“Scared of what?”
Lara hugged a pillow.
“That you’ll get tired.”
“Because?”
“Of dating a screen.”
Raka laughed softly.
“Wasn’t our relationship mostly on a screen before, too?”
Lara fell silent.
He was right.
They had fallen in love mostly through chat.
“The difference is, now I can't see you tomorrow.”
Raka didn't answer right away.
“Lar.”
“Hmm?”
“We don’t have to pretend it’ll be easy.”
Lara listened.
“We might fight.”
“Maybe.”
“Get bored.”
“Maybe.”
“Miss each other until it gets annoying.”
“Definitely.”
Raka laughed.
“But one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t delete it.”
Lara fell silent.
“What?”
“If there’s a problem.”
Raka's voice grew more serious.
“Don’t type it out and then delete it.”
Lara looked at their chat.
“If you’re mad, say so.”
“Hmm.”
“If you’re tired, say so.”
“Okay.”
“If you start feeling different, say so.”
Lara drew a breath.
“You too.”
“Deal.”
“Don’t pretend to be strong.”
“You too.”
“Don’t disappear.”
“You too.”
They were quiet.
Then Lara said,
“I love you.”
Silence.
Lara froze.
She didn't even know why the words had come out.
Bigger than liking him.
More frightening.
“Rak?”
There was no answer for several seconds.
Lara started to panic.
“Raka?”
“Hmm.”
“Why are you quiet?”
“I’m smiling.”
Lara covered her face.
“Gross.”
Raka laughed.
“Say it again.”
“No.”
“Lara.”
“I already said it once.”
“I wasn’t ready.”
“Not my problem.”
“Mean.”
Lara laughed.
Then Raka said softly,
“I love you too.”
This time, Lara was the one who fell silent.
Raka laughed.
“There.”
“Shut up.”
“I know you’re smiling.”
“I’m not.”
“Liar.”
And that night, two new words entered their relationship.
They weren't deleted.
Day 9 before departure.
The suitcase finally came out.
Paviliun Aster looked like a shipwreck.
Clothes on the bed.
Books on the floor.
Cables on the desk.
Mirea sat in the middle of all the chaos.
“This isn't packing.”
Lara held up two jackets.
“Then what is it?”
“A disaster.”
“Which one should I bring?”
“The black one.”
“What about the gray one?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re leaving for five months, not moving to another country.”
Someone knocked on the door.
Mirea opened it.
Raka stood there with two bags of food.
“Come in,” Mirea said.
Raka stepped inside.
He looked at the room.
Silence.
“I’ll just go home.”
Lara threw a shirt at him.
“Help.”
Raka laughed.
He sat down on the floor.
An hour later, the three of them had managed to reduce the suitcase's contents by half.
Mirea left to buy something.
That left Raka and Lara alone.
Raka folded a sweater.
Lara watched him.
“You know how to fold clothes?”
“My mom owning a catering business doesn't mean I can't take care of myself.”
Lara laughed.
Raka put the sweater in the suitcase.
Then he noticed something on the desk.
A printed photo.
The photo from Taman Sagara.
The new one.
Raka picked it up.
“You printed it?”
Lara snatched it away.
“Don't snoop.”
“Taking it with you?”
“No.”
Raka smiled.
“Liar.”
Lara slipped the photo into the front pocket of her suitcase.
Raka didn't tease her.
He only smiled faintly.
Then he took something out of his bag.
A small envelope.
“What is it?”
“Open it later.”
“When?”
“When you get to Elvarsa.”
Lara immediately tried to open it.
Raka snatched it back.
“Hey.”
“That's cheating.”
“Promise.”
Lara sighed.
“Okay.”
Raka handed it back.
Lara put it in her suitcase.
“What’s inside?”
“Secret.”
“A love letter?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“So it is.”
Raka laughed.
Day 3 before departure.
Time began to feel cruel.
Three days.
No one was ready.
They spent the afternoon at Halte Lajur Lima.
They weren't waiting for a bus.
They were just sitting there.
Lara rested her head on Raka's shoulder.
“We used to come here a lot.”
“Hmm.”
“Why?”
“Because your ride always took forever.”
“Liar. Sometimes you waited for me on purpose.”
Raka smiled.
“Yeah.”
Lara played with his fingers.
“Rak.”
“Hmm?”
“If I cry at the station tomorrow, don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m more likely to cry.”
Lara immediately lifted her head.
“Seriously?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
Raka looked at the street.
“I don’t like goodbyes.”
Lara rested her head on his shoulder again.
“This isn’t goodbye.”
“I know.”
“It’s only five months.”
“Hmm.”
“We’ve already wasted more time than that just waiting for each other.”
Raka chuckled.
“That’s true.”
Lara lifted her face.
“So?”
Raka turned to her.
“So what?”
“Don’t be sad.”
Raka smiled.
“I’m allowed to be sad.”
Lara fell silent.
“So are you.”
Raka held her hand.
“We don’t have to pretend.”
Lara nodded.
They sat there until the sky grew dark.
For the first time, there was no vehicle they wanted to wait for.
They only wanted time to stop.
It didn't.
Day 1.
Lara's last night in Ranuwena.
Everything was already packed.
The ticket was ready.
The train left at 8:20 a.m.
Raka would come to the station.
Mirea would come too.
Meira had even sent food along.
Everything was ready.
Lara wasn't.
At 11:57 p.m., she called Raka.
Raka picked up.
“Not asleep yet?”
“Can't.”
“Same.”
Lara lay down.
“Rak.”
“Hmm?”
“Tomorrow…”
“Don’t.”
Lara chuckled.
“What?”
“Don’t say it like you’re dying.”
“I was just going to say tomorrow.”
“We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
“Hmm.”
“Then you’ll get on the train.”
“Hmm.”
“I’ll go home.”
“Hmm.”
“You’ll get to Elvarsa.”
“Hmm.”
“Then we’ll video call.”
Lara smiled.
“It’s that simple?”
“It has to be.”
Lara was quiet.
Then she said,
“I’m scared.”
Raka didn't joke.
“Me too.”
“What if we change?”
“Say so.”
“What if we fight?”
“Work it out.”
“What if we’re tired?”
“Rest.”
“What if we miss each other?”
“Call.”
Lara held back tears.
“What if I want to come home?”
Raka was silent for a moment.
“Come home.”
“What if I can’t yet?”
“Wait.”
Raka drew a breath.
“I’m right here.”
The words were simple.
But they finally made Lara cry.
Quietly.
Raka heard her.
“Lar?”
“Hmm.”
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“Shut up.”
Raka chuckled.
Lara wiped away her tears.
“Rak.”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t hang up yet.”
Raka smiled.
The same words as before.
The difference was that now they understood what each other's silence meant.
“Okay.”
“What if I fall asleep?”
“I’ll wait.”
“Won’t you be bored?”
“No.”
“Then?”
Raka was quiet for a moment.
“Love you.”
Lara closed her eyes.
More tears fell.
“See?” she said.
“What?”
“Now you say it so easily.”
Raka laughed.
“Practice.”
“Good.”
They stayed connected.
They didn't talk much.
They didn't need to.
Their last night in the same city passed with two people listening to each other's breathing through a screen.
And for the first time, the screen didn't feel like a place to hide.
It became a bridge.
Something they would soon have to rely on for five months.
Before falling asleep, Lara whispered,
“Don’t be late tomorrow.”
Raka chuckled softly.
“I’ll get there before you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Lara smiled.
Their twenty-two days were almost over.
But this time, neither of them was afraid of the next day because something had gone unsaid.
Everything important was already there.
Already heard.
Already read.
Not deleted.
Tomorrow, distance would truly arrive.
And for the first time since their relationship began, the challenge was no longer whether they were brave enough to choose each other.
It was whether that choice was strong enough to survive when one city could no longer hold the two of them.