1 Prologue I

A peaceful night.

Droplets of rain falling on my window so that displays beautiful scenery with a reflection of light garden lamp outside. The sound of ​the clock that always move around, it echoed every second. The cold hit every pore of my skin.

With a cup of hot chocolate, is able to turn on my mood and the silence in my room. Unwittingly, I already completed two homeworks at once. They are Indonesian and Geography to collecting tomorrow.

Time flies so fast.

"Finally, I finished!" I said.

After the last sentence written on white paper with black ink pen. I sighed, followed by stretching the muscles all over my body. I do not know how long I sit on this revolving chair. Eventhough I sit on this chair. But, my Coccyx still painful.

I tidy up some books that scattered on the top of the study desk and stationery into my own pencil box which is a little bit dirty because of dust.

"I'll wash off this later."

Half of my soul that could be considered a perfectionist, it cannot hold everytime I am looking at the mess stuffs in front of me. Yes, perhaps this is a kind of innate trait from my father who is a neatness-lover.

Before I fly on my cozy bed, I have to finish my problem first with the needed supplies for tomorrow. Starting from the subject books that should be brought, notebook, pencil case with full of stationery in it, and oh, sports uniform!

Tomorrow is Wednesday and I have to take sports class. Actually I do not like that subject. If I do not take the class like the other naughty students, I will get bad grade in that subject.

"Mom!" I have to go out of my room to meet my mother.

She were relaxing, watching television with a package of shrimp crackers between her both hands, looking at me with confused eyes.

"Did I disturb you?" I asked very carefully. Hope she is not angry.

"No, you didn't, Son," she responded quietly. "Incidentally, my favourite drama hasn't started yet. What happen?"

"Did you see my sports uniform?" I asked.

"I already put it in your wardrobe. Just search!" she responded in half raised voice. Her forehead frowned.

"I looked for it, Mom. But, it's not there," I said.

"There is!" she said confidently.

"Really, Mom!" I interrupted her. "You can come to my room for a moment."

With a feeling of compulsion from her face, she placed the package of shrimp crackers onto the table near her. She get up from the red sofa and walking to the wardrobe in my room.

With her two magical hands and two eyes, she immediately find my sports uniform among the clothes piled on top of each clothes. Real magic!

Mother show my sports uniform in front of me and said, "What is this?"

My eyes staring at the thing in her right-hand and silent.

"That's why, if you are looking for something, use your eyes not your mouth!" she said.

She give me the pair of the things to me and return to the sofa in living room.

I still could not believe it while looking at the black color of sports uniform with white stripes which she managed to find.

"How it can be?!"

I feel surprised and amazed.

It is true. Some people said that all mother from around the world are like given a power through their sense of sight from God, where we have been looking for something until half dead, still cannot to find it. However, mother with her powers is able to find something that we cannot see. It is true and real. I just proved it a few seconds ago.

I walk out of the room. Then, approached her on the sofa and hug her from behind and kiss her cheek.

"Thank you very much, Mom. Love you!"

Mom just smiled at me.

I go back to my room, put my sports uniform into a small bag immediately and put them inside my school backpack.

After clearing my problems with school supplies, I lay down on the bed that already been waiting for me. Suddenly a cold sensation hitting my back.

"Comfy!"

While lying down, I turn on my cell phone. My illustration about one of my favorite action anime characters holding a sword in an attacking position, appeared immediately. However, suddenly my gaze fixed on the writing of the date on my cellphone screen.

"Tomorrow is Ayse's birthday!"

I just realized this right now. My heart skipped a beat for a moment.

Ayse is my best friend since childhood. We have always been together since in 3rd grade of elementary school. However, I forgot about the moment of our introduction. I was so busy with the school world so that it caused some old memories erased from my brain.

The two of us have always been in the same school since in elementary school. However, when we entered junior high school we separated. But, we are together again in high school. Sadly, we have not been in the same class since in 10th grade. Currently in 11th grade, she is in grade 11-B and I am in grade 11-D. Our classes are distinguished by floor, which her class is on the 2nd floor. Meanwhile, my class is on the 3rd floor — same floor as the 10th grade. Hopefully in 12th grade we can be together in the same class. That is what I was hoping for.

"Why did I almost forget about it?!"

I positioned my body in a state of prone, with my cell phone still gripped in my hands. I sighly.

"Tomorrow is the right day to declare my feelings to her.

Okay, I'll take her out for dinner tomorrow."

I am pointing my fingers to the search engine in browser. Then, searching for the keyword, "Restaurants around West Jakarta."

With a bit slow of internet connection due to the rain, it took about a minute to wait. The blue line runs until the end, followed by the display of the names of all restaurants listed there.

"They are so far …," I said softly with my eyes still looking every name of the restaurant in the search engine.

But, suddenly my eyes stopped at one name of restaurant.

"Vita Nova Restaurant?" 

My gaze turn to the address of the restaurant. I read letter by letter until at the right moment my cellphone switched displays suddenly, followed by the default ringing tone that keep on ringing.

"One Call from Ayse"

"Huh?"

I swipe up the green 'Accept Call' sign.

"Hey!"

"Devin!" Suddenly Ayse's voice sounds loud from my cell phone. "What are you doing now?"

"Um, as usual. Lying in my bed after doing homeworks," I replied. "You?"

"Just eating my homemade egg soup," she replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, you can cook now?"

"Of course!" she replied excitedly. "Ah, it's lie! Actually I still cannot really do it."

"It's because I saw a tutorial video on internet about how to cook egg soup. So yeah,  I wanted to eat egg soup,

Not as bad as I thought!"

"That's great! You've made a new progress, Ayse!" I said, praising her.

"Thanks," she said, shy. 

"Next time I'll bring my homemade egg soup for you," she continued. "If I'm not too lazy to get up early."

Ayse laughed.

"I guessed it," I said with smiled.

"Oh, do you have homework for tomorrow?"

"Fortunately, no," she replied. "Well, i have one homework. It's Geography subject for the day after tomorrow."

"But, I'm lazy to meet my homework.

"You?" Ayse asked me.

"Indonesian and Geography subjects," I replied.

"In Geography subject, have you presenting about the Earth's layer of air, yet?"

Ayse suddenly stopped eating. "Huh? Already got the material?!"

"My class already presented that material yesterday. So, tomorrow I just collecting the assignment regarding the conclusion of the presentation," I replied.

"Oh my God! My class still discussing the theory of the universe formation!

"The day after tomorrow, I have to collect notes about planetesimal theory and whatever theory ... I forgot its name," she explained.

"I'm sure the day after tomorrow, your class will be explained about the Earth's layer of air and distributing to the presentation group," I said.

Ayse sighed. "It's because of Mr. Edi was sick for a week. So, my class missed the material."

"Better i got taught by Mrs. Resti, forreal!

I am jealous of you!"

"Oh, it's just like normal," I said. "In fact, I like to fall asleep every time she teaches in my class. Her voice is so low!"

"Basically, you like to sleep," Ayse replied laughing. "But your grades are always good. That's what I'm surprised about."

I just laughed at her words.

"Ayse,"

"Hmm?

Sorry, I am still eating right now," she said to me. "Have you had a dinner?"

"Yes, I am done, yet," I replied.

"Good!" she answered. "Oh, what did you want to say?"

I silent for a moment. Did not respond her. My heart beats fast.

The air in the room become very cold. Eventhough I did not turned on the air conditioner.

"Hello, are you still there?"

Instantly her voice disperse my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah … sorry," I said.

"Oh, you're still there," Ayse said. "Come on, don't make me curious with your sudden silence!"

"Okay.

"Ayse, do you have time tomorrow?" I asked her with all my courage.

"Um, tomorrow …,"

TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!"

Her voice getting loud suddenly. I take my cell phone slightly away from my ear.

"Tomorrow I'm free," she continued.

"I wanted to take you out for dinner after school tomorrow. Also, celebrate your birthday," I said.

"Of course I can!" Ayse said happily. "Where?"

"Do you know Vita Nova Restaurant?" I asked her.

"I never heard about that restaurant. Is that a new restaurant?" she asked again.

"I don't know when the restaurant officially opened," I replied. "But when I saw on the website, it's directly located in the same direction as where my tuition center at."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," I said. "But strangely, I've never seen that restaurant before when I was study there."

"When was the last time you studied there?"

"Umm, i think it's five years ago …?"

"Well, of course you don't know. The restaurant seems to be opened since after you're not became a student in the tuition center," she explained.

"Yeah, maybe …," I said.

"By the way, from the direct website of the restaurant, I saw that the building is quite small,

"But we don't know if we go straight there because the real picture and the internet pictures can be deceiving."

"It doesn't matter to me," she said. "I am actually curious about the restaurant, you said."

"After school, I'll come to your class, as usual, okay?"

"Understood, Sir Devin!" she said.

"Stop calling me 'Sir,'" I said. "It's already giving me an old impression in my age which is still 16 years old."

However, Ayse did not say anything. Only a laughed from her mouth.

"Okay, I am sorry," she said after a satisfied laugh.

"By the way, are you feel sleepy?"

"A little," I replied. "But if you still want to chat, that's fine, I'll accompany you."

"Have you finished your meal?"

"Not yet," Ayse chuckled.

"Better you finish your meal first. After that, you can do other activities," I explained.

"Yeah. My soup is already getting cold too," She replied. "Okay, my cell phone battery is ready to die now."

"Thanks for the chit-chat at this rainy night. See you tomorrow in school!"

"See you!" I said.

Suddenly, the dial tone sounded from my cell phone. The conversation with Ayse ended in the rainy night. A smile formed on my face remembering the conversation a few seconds ago.

My plan is worked.

Tomorrow is the right time to declaring my feelings to her. The feelings of impatience and fear mixed into a single entity, enveloped my soul.

"I really can't wait for it!"

Before I rest my phone, I set an alarm for 06.00 o'clock to be my wake-up call tomorrow. Then my cell phone which already accompanied me all day, harged with the power supply cable that plugged into the socket. A green line with a lightning bolt appears on my cell phone screen. I put it on the small table beside my bed.

I get back out of the bed because of a glass mug filled with hot chocolate lying on my study table, caught my attention. I take it out of the room to the kitchen and wash it. After that, I step into the bathroom to clean my teeth and wash my hands and feet before going to bed. It is kind of routine that I always do before going to bed.

After a few minutes, I come out from the bathroom with all completely clean. Then, my two feet stepped back to my super comfortable bedroom.

It is already at 22:45. It is the time for me to recharge my energy for tomorrow. My body touching the bed again. I put my body in supine position — with a pillow under my head.

Within seconds, I fell asleep.

Over the moon.