Headquarters

After getting permission from my mother, I also went with Naya to the market to buy the ingredients for the food we were going to cook.

Naya is very friendly, even though she is very outspoken and there is no gentleness at all to be a woman.  Well, I understand, because Bambang said, Naya is good at martial arts, so she's not a woman who cheats.

"What are we doing, huh? I'm lazy to cook," Naya muttered as she walked unsteadily down the market.

"Shouldn't the food be heavy or light?"

"It's easy, I usually make donuts, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, cakes and that's it."

I nodded in understanding.

"There is a cassava, buy it!"  I dragged Naya to a shop selling cassava.

"What do you want to do?"  Naya asked confused.

"Old date snack!"  I said with a wink in my eye.

"Okay, I like it when it's cheap!"  Naya showed a wide grin.

"Then, how do you make meatball?"  I suggest.

No one who does not like a meatball!  Is not it?  Moreover, if the sambal is mixed spicy, salty, sweet.  Who can refuse?

"Can you make it?"

I nodded slowly.

"Okay, that's all, we'll buy traditional snacks as well for extra,"  Naya exclaimed excitedly.

I nodded slowly.  We also bought the necessary materials, then immediately left the market.

Naya took me to a house that was quite roomy.  The house is said to be used to be the headquarters of Roulette. No families are lean here, just the Roulette guys who often come and relax.

Bambang and several other Roulette members were already there when we arrived.

I ignored their gazes and followed Naya to the kitchen.

"Okay, I don't know what to do with this cassava!"  Naya said as soon as she put all the ingredients on the table.

"You peel it, wash it, cut it into pieces, then boil it with a little salt!"

"Just like that? Are you sure? Where would they want to eat like that?"

"No, it's not like that! After it's boiled, we cut it into thin strips lengthwise, then we fry it, when it's done, we mix it with the balado powder which is usually given in Cimol, Nay! You understand, right?"

Naya's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.

"So, you want to make cassava that is processed with balado like that famous brand? Wow, and the method is this simple, right?!"

I nodded at Naya's question.

"Okay, I do it! The instructions are clear, so you just focus on meatball!"  Naya exclaimed with enthusiasm.

When the Maghrib call to prayer sounded, the Muslim Roulette members performed the prayer service, after which they left.

Only Bambang is left here.

Bambang entered the kitchen, folding his arms across his chest.

"Woah, the kitchen smells really good!"  said Bambang.

"Hey, pour hot water into the teapot! Make some coffee!"  Naya's orders.

Even though he was sullen, Bambang still did it.

He made coffee in the big teapot that Naya pointed at.  After that, he took the teapot outside and put it under the fan.

Not long after, someone came from the direction of the entrance.  A woman who looks very beautiful, but a tomboy.

"Alone, will you?"  asked Bambang slowly.

"None of your business!"  snapped the girl.

Wow, this is the first time I've seen a girl who is so curt at Bambang.  I could see them quite clearly from the kitchen.

"Why the hell? Are you in a bad mood? Gilang's throwing a tantrum again?"  said Bambang casually.

The girl didn't answer and just sat on the end chair while playing with her cellphone.

"Why didn't you pick up my phone earlier?"

"Why do I have to pick up the phone of someone who already has a boyfriend! Then she'll be mistaken for a third person again, me!"  snapped the girl again.

Wait, girlfriend?  Does Bambang have a girlfriend?  How come I just found out, huh?

"What is it, Ca? What's clear when you say it! Me? Have a girlfriend? Are you fooling around?!"  exclaimed Bambang with a grin on his face.

I turned to Naya.

"Nay, who the hell is she?"  I asked in a half-whisper.

Naya, who was focusing on frying, came closer to me.

"Her name is Naca, Bambang's future girlfriend! He's fierce! Don't disturb them," said Naya in a whisper.

Oh, all right.

"You don't have to act, Bams! I saw your girl's post when you were at the top! You guys were so romantic, you went hiking together!"  Naca snapped.

I shut my mouth tightly.  Excuse me, but she's talking about me, right?  Should I hide?

But, Bambang and I don't have that kind of relationship, so why am I hiding?  Where is my common sense?

"Jealous aren't you?"  said Bambang in a flat voice.

"Me? Jealous?! Chh!"  cynical the girl.

I could see a strange smile rising on Bambang's face.

"She's not my girlfriend! My girlfriend is you, right? Eh, no, a potential girlfriend is you!"  Bambang looked at the girl closely.

"She's my favorite aunt's daughter!"  Bambang explained.

"Besides, if you look at her posts, don't just stick with one, you dumb! There's also a photo of her and Gepeng in her account. She and Paimin are also there! You're just pretending! Just say jealous!"

Naca smiled meaningfully.  She seemed happy after hearing Bambang's explanation.

"Mel, you and Bambang don't have anything other than brothers and sisters, right?"

I almost laughed at Naya's question.

"Without respect, Bambang is not my type!"  I whispered.

Naya chuckled softly.

"So, what's your type? Or, like who, for example? Please don't mention Yogo's name! You're going to be noisy with me!"

Oh! Naya's face was terrible when she forbade me to mention Yogo's name.

"I like men who have good ethics, caring, humorous, handsome, tall, well that's more or less like that!"

Naya thought for a moment as she drained the cassava that she finished frying.

"Paijo is like that, isn't it?"

Wait!

What?

Paijo?!

I took a deep breath.  Is Naya making fun of me?  Or what?  Why did she mention Paijo's name after hearing my ideal type?

"Didn't I mention good etiquette, caring and humorous?!"  I protest.

Naya looked straight at me.

"Paijo is usually with women, his ethics are good, that's how respecting women are! He's a comedian too, and of course, he's a caring person! Especially with women," said Naya without the slightest hesitation.

"Are you sure he's like that?"  Of course, I immediately doubted Naya's opinion.

"I've known him since I was little!"

"I don't know how well you know him, but what he showed me is far from what you just said! He's rude! His mouth is hotter than a chili pepper, and his eyes are always intimidating! He's not a funny guy at all!  And attention? In my eyes, he's a man who doesn't want to bother with other people's business!"

Naya stared in disbelief.  It's the exact opposite of her view, isn't it?

"Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"  Naya screamed in disbelief.

"How many Paijo's in Roulette?"  I asked confused.

"One!"  said Naya quickly.

"Okay then!"