The 25th always changed the atmosphere at Mariposa Creative Agency. People came in with brighter faces, coffee in hand, and slightly lighter steps. Mobile banking notifications chimed from various desks. Even the printer, which had started acting up again that morning, couldn't ruin anyone's mood. Everyone knew it: today was payday.
Dina was the first to celebrate. She was sitting in front of her computer when a notification from the bank appeared. The moment she saw the number on the screen, her smile widened. She shifted her phone to her right hand, then opened their WhatsApp group.
PAYDAY DEVOTEES
Dina: PAYCHECK'S IN, GUYS.
The replies came one after another.
Adit: Thank God.
Miko: It's only the 25th. Don't spend too much, Din.
Dina typed quickly.
Dina: I'm rich today.
Two desks away, Sera read the message while shaking her head. She opened her mobile banking app, checked her balance, then opened the notes on her phone.
Rental. Electricity. Internet. Money for Mom. Dimas's tuition. Laptop installments. Monthly groceries. Sera added everything up, entered the result into a calculator, then locked her phone. She let out a long breath. Her paycheck had just come in, but most of it already had somewhere to go.
“What are you doing?” Dina had already appeared beside her desk with a coffee in hand. She pulled out an empty chair and sat facing Sera.
“Calculating my expenses,” Sera said.
Dina glanced at Sera's locked phone.
“When I get paid, I don't think about numbers.”
“That’s why you always panic at the end of the month.”
“I don't panic.”
Sera looked at her.
Dina was silent for a moment. “Okay. A little.”
Sera chuckled.
Dina opened her food-delivery app again.
“I want to eat something good for lunch.”
“Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to save money?”
Dina scrolled through the screen without a trace of guilt. “The me from the 24th is the version of me with no money.”
“And what version of Dina is this?”
“The version of me with money.”
Sera shook her head and turned back to her monitor.
From the desk across from them, Miko looked up.
“The version with money usually only lasts one day too.”
Dina turned toward him. “I didn't invite you to come along.”
Miko looked back at his monitor. “I didn't ask to be invited.”
“Annoying.”
“Obviously.”
Sera laughed softly.
The break-room door opened. Gilang came out carrying two cups of coffee. He walked toward his desk, then stopped beside Sera and set one of them down near her laptop.
Sera stared at the cup.
“This is for me?”
Gilang pulled out the chair beside her. “If not you, then who?”
“I didn't order this.”
“I did.”
Sera picked up the cup. It was still warm.
“How much?”
“Free.”
“I'll pay you later.”
Gilang turned on his laptop. “If you want to pay, then go ahead.”
Sera eyed him suspiciously.
Gilang smiled. “Kidding, babe.”
“Then don't make people suspicious.”
“I've only just started being nice.”
Sera took a sip of her coffee. It was just right.
“Thanks.” Sera nodded.
Gilang looked satisfied before returning to his work.
Dina watched them for a moment from the next desk. She opened her mouth, but ultimately chose to return to her phone.
The morning was still young.
At 8:27, an email came in from the client.
URGENT REVISION — PLEASE PRIORITIZE
Sera had just read the first two pages when Gilang appeared beside her desk.
“The meeting got moved up.”
Sera looked up. “What time?”
“Eight-thirty.”
He showed her the message from the client on his laptop.
Sera looked at the clock in the corner of the monitor.
08:27.
“Fantastic,” Sera said with a pout.
Gilang chuckled. “I'm thrilled too.”
Sera stood up immediately and grabbed her laptop.
“You have the final file?”
“I do.”
“Is the budget complete?”
“Yep.”
“The final deck?”
“That too.”
“Then let's go.”
They entered the meeting room a few minutes later.
Sera and Gilang often ended up in the same meeting room. Sera handled the projects while Gilang handled the accounts and clients, so the two of them almost always dealt with the same revisions.
When the meeting ended, Sera carried her laptop while staring at the revision list. “I never understand what the word ‘a little’ means to them.”
Gilang walked beside her. “A little means almost all.”
“I know.”
“That’s why you shouldn't get your hopes up.”
Sera stopped in front of her desk, then let out a rough breath. “Great advice.”
Sera sat back down.
The coffee Gilang had given her was still beside her laptop. She finished it before starting on the revisions.
As lunchtime approached, the WhatsApp group got lively again.
Dina: I'm hungry.
Adit: It's only 11:40.
Dina: Exactly.
Miko: There's still twenty minutes.
Dina: I need time to mentally prepare.
Sera typed.
Sera: The place behind the office, as usual?
Dina replied immediately.
Dina: It's the 25th today.
Sera: And?
Dina: I want dessert.
Miko sent a deadpan emoji.
Gilang joined a few seconds later.
Gilang: My treat.
Dina immediately replied with a sticker.
Dina: GILANG IS THE BEST.
Sera shook her head as she slipped her phone into her bag.
Sera: Don't come looking for me on the 27th.
Gilang: I won't.
At exactly noon, the five of them headed downstairs. The dining area on the lower floor was packed. They finally found a table in the corner by the window.
Dina immediately ordered pasta and dessert. Miko chose the cheapest item on the menu. Adit got a rice bowl. Sera ordered ayam sambal matah.
Gilang looked over the order.
“Dessert too?”
Dina looked at him casually.
“You're the one treating us.”
“I just realized the decision I made this morning was a bad one.”
“Too late.”
Adit laughed.
Miko shook his head as he handed the menu to the server.
“Hope your balance can handle it.”
“Just pray for me.”
The food arrived a few minutes later. Their conversation shifted to work, weekend plans, and Adit's story about his daughter refusing to go to school that morning.
Gilang didn't say much. He ate slowly, occasionally glancing at his phone.
Gilang noticed that Sera's plate was still nearly full. “You don't like it?”
Sera looked at her plate.
“I'm not that hungry.”
Sera didn't make a big deal of it. She took a piece of chicken from her plate and put it on Gilang's.
“You eat it.”
Gilang looked at the chicken, then at Sera.
“I didn't ask for it.”
“Better than throwing it away.”
Gilang laughed.
“Okay.”
He picked up his fork and continued eating.
At the end of the table, Dina was busy taking pictures of her dessert.
Sera returned to her food.
They returned to the office a little after one.
Dina disappeared straight to the marketing desk. Miko went back to the IT room. Adit took a call from a client. Gilang went into another meeting.
Sera had just opened her laptop when her phone vibrated.
Mom.
<<Sera, stop by the ATM on your way home, okay?>>
Another message came in.
<<And buy Dimas his medicine.>>
Then:
<<If you have time, transfer the electricity money too.>>
Sera opened her banking app. The balance that had seemed sufficient that morning now had to be divided up again. She calculated for a moment. “Hmm... Still okay.” Sera locked her phone and went back to work.
“What’s wrong?” Gilang suddenly asked, standing beside her desk with a folder in hand.
Sera looked up. “Nothing.”
Gilang watched her for a moment, weighing something, then set the folder on Sera's desk.
“Finance sent revisions.”
“Thanks.”
Gilang nodded, then returned to the meeting room.
Sera opened the folder. The afternoon passed in deadlines, emails, and several cups of coffee. At 6:10, most of the desks were already empty. Sera had just finished closing her laptop when her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
PAYDAY DEVOTEES
Dina: Guys.
A second message came in.
Dina: Don't go home yet.
Sera frowned.
Then a third message appeared.
Dina: I messed up.
Sera stared at the screen for a few seconds. Across the room, Gilang had just read the same message. He stood up and grabbed his jacket. Miko came out of the IT room. Adit, who had already reached the elevator, stopped and turned around.
Sera's phone chimed again.
Dina: Seriously. Please come to the break room.
Sera slipped her phone into her pocket and stood up. “Looks like we're not allowed to go home yet.”
Gilang was already walking toward the break room. Sera followed with Miko and Adit.
In the group, Dina sent one more message.
Dina: And don't get mad yet.
Sera stopped in front of the break-room door. She looked at the three people behind her. “This isn't good.”
Gilang opened the door. “Not necessarily.”
Dina immediately appeared from behind it. “I can explain.”
Gilang sighed.
“Usually when someone says that, there really is something that needs explaining.”
Dina stood there with a panicked look on her face.
And their 25th had just changed from payday into the beginning of a problem.