The Game is Starting Soon!

"Nadia, don't feel too down, okay? I know you're probably half-hearted about doing this job. But I won't stop you from writing whatever you want. For now, until your work truly meets expectations, I'll reconsider its publication later. Stay strong, sweetheart..."

Nadia's POV

I stretched my body, tilting my neck left and right. Sitting too long in front of the computer, staring at an endless stream of programs, was making me nauseous. Hahh, it feels like I'm back in my college days again... I sighed tiredly.

The programs I was working on—from debugging systems to writing algorithms for company applications—were all overwhelming after staring at the screen for hours.

After a long debate and persuasion from sis Via, I finally agreed to take on a freelance IT admin job at Solar Publishing. It wasn't my first choice, but hey, I still needed to eat, right?

I sighed quietly and glanced at my phone, which showed it was already past 4 PM. Feeling like I had worked enough for today, I decided to save all the data and shut down the computer. Firman and Afif had left an hour ago, leaving only me to lock up the office. But no worries, the three of us each had spare keys, so it was fine...

"Nad, heading home?"

I turned around as a familiar voice called me. I saw Mrs.Fania, a senior editor, greeting me with a warm smile. The woman in her hijab syar'i approached, carrying a large bag in her left hand.

"Sis! Oh my God! Don't carry heavy stuff! Diwangga is going to scold you, you know!"

Without hesitation, I pocketed my phone and quickly took the bag from her. I let out a breath, looking at Mrs. Fania's innocent face as she watched me. The problem was, this woman in front of me was in early pregnancy with her third child. I was worried something might go wrong...

"Nad, it's fine. This bag isn't that heavy! You and my hubby are the same—you both worry too much," Mrs. Fania laughed softly, as if to ease my concerns.

We walked together toward the company parking lot, waiting for her ride.

"I know it must be hard for you, doing something that isn't your passion," Mrs. Fania suddenly said after a long silence.

The evening breeze lightly played with my hair, and I tucked it back in place before responding.

"I'm fine, really. Like Mrs. Viarra said, maybe I need more experience and practice to write a novel that readers will truly love. I also feel like I've been forcing my ideas too much without considering whether readers will actually enjoy them..."

I lowered my head, staring at the tip of my sneakers. This conversation made me a little sad because, for the time being, I had to focus more on my new job, which I had only started two weeks ago.

I felt Mrs Fania's gentle fingers pat my shoulder, as if passing on her warmth and reassurance.

"I'm sure that one day, you'll write a novel with a story so unique that no one will see it coming..."

Her words of encouragement touched my heart, making me feel determined again.

"Thank you, Sis..." I smiled brightly at her. Fania smiled back, and soon, a distant car horn broke the moment. We both turned as a Kijang car passed through the security checkpoint.

Tin! Tin!

"Mom..."

As soon as the car door opened, a little girl in a hijab ran towards Mrs.Fania. My heart warmed at the sight of her interaction with her eldest daughter, Prita, who was only seven years old.

"Honey, let's go home now?"

I turned to see Mr. Diwangga calling for Fania. He was also carrying their second child, Axel, who was just over a year old.

"Cell..." I always felt giddy seeing Axel. That chubby little face was too adorable—I always had the urge to pinch his cheeks. Or, if I got the chance...

Krauk!

Waaahh... waaahh...

See? What did I say? I just had to playfully bite Axel's chubby cheek, and now he was crying his heart out...

Duk! Duk!

"Auntie Nadia! Ugh, now look! You made my baby brother cry!"

I winced, feeling guilty as Prita repeatedly smacked my leg with her tiny fists. Diwangga and Fania just chuckled at my antics.

"Alright, alright, that's enough! Prita, stop, you're hurting Auntie Nadia," Fania gently scolded her daughter.

Despite being small, Prita's punches could really sting when she hit me over and over, ugh...

Prita pouted, clearly upset that I made her little brother cry, though I was just being playful, hehe...

"Nad, it's getting late. Just come home with us," Diwangga offered.

I was about to refuse since I wanted to stop by Sky Café first, but when I saw the sky turning a soft shade of orange, I decided to accept. Besides, Sky Café closed at 6 PM anyway, hmm...

This is me. Even though life feels tough and lonely at times, there are always people who genuinely support me.

'Thank you, all of you...'

I smiled as I hopped into the car with Fania and Diwangga's family.

Nadia's POV END

●●●●●

Angkasa's POV

Ting!

I glanced up briefly to see who had arrived, and without realizing it, a small smile formed on my lips when I saw Nadia, who had been absent for the past few days.

"Huh? Oh... um... Y-you..."

I chuckled as I watched Nadia's face suddenly turn red when she focused on me. This evening, I had assigned Alvian to count the remaining coffee bean stock in the back, so I was the one manning the cashier.

"Want to order the usual?" I asked, ready to serve my customer. Nadia nodded at first but then quickly shook her head. I looked at her in confusion, seeing her hesitate as if she wanted to say something.

"Err... u-uh... can I... umm... order... uhh... that... cappung? Ahh... cinno? Uhh... no... what's it called?! It's so hard to say, oh my god..."

I burst out laughing at her confusion. Her tongue got all twisted as she tried to say Cappuccino.

"You want a Cappuccino, right?" I corrected her. Her flushed cheeks made her look even more adorable, and she shyly nodded. So cute!

"One Cappuccino with a strawberry cake, right? Just a moment. Hmm... the total is twenty-two thousand rupiah(around 1.35 dollar). But today, the Cappuccino is on me," I said with a sincere smile.

I saw her face turn even redder as she quickly looked away from me. Still, I managed to catch a soft, whispered thank you from her lips.

Humming to myself, I started making her Cappuccino. Today, I wanted to try a different latte art—maybe a bear? I still remembered how bright her eyes were when she saw my panda latte art a few weeks ago.

"Lorry, take this order to table number 9, okay? Oh, and tell Darius to watch the cashier for a while—I'm going to check on Alvian in the back," I said as I finished preparing the order.

Lorry nodded and swiftly delivered Nadia's order. I had planned to take it to her myself, maybe have a little chat, but... hmm, another time.

I quickly headed to the storage area to check on Alvian's work.

One hour later...

"Boss, should I ask Mr. Hanif to restock this one?" Alvian asked, holding up a sack of Robusta coffee beans from Brazil. Those beans were pretty hard to come by, and our stock was always limited since other coffee shops also wanted them.

"Yes, we need to stock up more. Make sure it arrives by next week. Tell Hanif," I replied while reviewing the inventory list.

Alvian nodded and continued his work. I went back to focusing on the list until a sharp voice made me frown slightly.

"Oh, so this is what you do now? A coffee shop owner?" The voice was filled with mockery, stabbing like a taunt. I didn't need to turn around to know who had just arrived.

"What do you want, Bumi?" I asked coldly, not bothering to look up. The man I had just named let out a small chuckle. But it wasn't just any chuckle—it carried a hidden meaning.

I quickly realized and turned to see Alvian, my barista, still frozen in place. I sighed and patted his shoulder to snap him out of it.

"Alvian, go home. We're closing early today," I said while glancing at my watch. It was still almost 5 PM.

Still an hour before closing, but Bumi's presence here definitely meant something. I ordered the café to close early and told Alvian and Lorry to go home.

End of Angkasa's POV

After ensuring Lorry and Alvian had left, Angkasa finally sat across from Bumi at one of the tables, while Darius stood not far away, his expression neutral yet alert.

"So, what's your real reason for coming here? I doubt it's just to say hello," Angkasa broke the silence. He lit a cigarette between his lips, inhaled slowly, and exhaled leisurely.

Bumi scoffed lightly, crossing his arms as he leaned back slightly in his chair. His eyes locked onto his younger brother, who was busy enjoying his cigarette.

"Is that how you talk to your older brother? Remember, Angkasa, you still share the same blood as me, and—"

"I already told you, I left the Atmadja family! I'm no longer part of that! My name is just Angkasa, nothing more, nothing less, Brother!"

Bumi let out a frustrated sigh at his brother's words. He couldn't believe Angkasa hated the name that was bound to him. No matter how far he ran, no matter where in the world he hid, his blood and fate would always tie him to the Atmadja legacy!

The two men fell into a tense silence, both lost in their thoughts.

"Father wants you to come back..."

Bumi's voice finally broke the stillness—short and direct. But those words made Angkasa's body tense up. No! He would never set foot in that house again, not even if it was his own family.

"No! I—"

"Don't refuse, Angkasa! Have you forgotten what happened to Father last time? Ever since then, you've changed! You can't just walk away and abandon everything..." Bumi cut in sharply, his gaze firm.

Angkasa was clearly stubborn. His jaw clenched, his eyes glared fiercely at Bumi.

"AND THAT OLD MAN HASN'T FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS WIFE, HAS HE?! FATHER LEFT MOTHER ALONE, LETTING HER BURN TO ASHES, DAMN IT!"

BANG!

Angkasa's fist slammed onto the table, causing a visible crack to form on its surface. His breathing was ragged, his emotions boiling over. He always lost control when talking about the fire from ten years ago. He hated it... hated how powerless he had been.

"Mother sacrificed herself for Father, all for that stupid, damn mission! Do you even understand how I feel? She burned to death, and Father couldn't do a damn thing to save her!" Angkasa's eyes burned with anger and deep sorrow.

"Which is exactly why you must come back! Return to your family, Angkasa! You know we've remained silent for too long while outsiders freely use the Atmadja name for their own gain. And us? WE'VE BEEN LABELED AS BLOODTHIRSTY, MERCILESS MAFIA!"

Bumi's voice was equally intense as he argued with Angkasa. He was fed up. It had been ten years since their mother's passing, and their once-whole family had been torn apart. Every word he spoke was full of fury, demanding long-overdue justice.

Clang!

"Ahh, sshh..."

Both brothers immediately stood up, alerted by the noise outside the café. The night sky had settled in, though it lacked its usual stars.

Bumi reacted first, stepping outside to investigate while Darius followed closely behind.

Creak!

"Well, well... look what we have here. Something interesting just happened," Bumi said in a sharp, taunting tone, his intimidating gaze fixed on someone caught red-handed.

As Angkasa stepped outside, his eyes widened in shock at the sight of a familiar figure—the girl who came to his café every day—Nadia!

She stood frozen in fear, her eyes pleading silently for Angkasa to help her.

'What is Nadia doing here?!'