Amir frowned at the scene outside his window. The winding roads, lush green trees, and vast rice paddies should have been picturesque, but not thirty minutes into the journey to Lembang Village, nausea had already begun to churn in his stomach. Pretending to sleep did little to lull him into actual rest, and sitting at the far-right corner of the bus only made it worse.

This was the fate of being single. The bus's front seats were taken by employees with families, each allowed to bring along up to three relatives. The air was filled with off-key karaoke from mothers and the occasional wail from someone's baby—he had no idea whose child it was. He knew, at least, it wasn't Kia's, since she and her family were riding in a van belonging to one of the band members headed to the villa.


He had hoped to sit next to Erin, but that idea was scrapped the moment Nathan declared he didn't want to sit at the back, citing his fear of motion sickness. Now Nathan was cozied up with Jessica, Xavier's sister, while Xavier and Erin shared a row of seats three rows ahead, each avoiding eye contact for reasons Amir couldn't fathom.

Hugging Ridwan's Arsenal pillow for some comfort, Amir unlocked his phone and opened the maps app, which he'd been using to track their journey. They still had forty-five minutes to go, and the villa was deep in the mountains. He grimaced as they approached another sharp bend in the road; just looking at it made his head spin. He quickly refocused on his phone, tapping over to WhatsApp.

Most of his contacts' statuses featured the company's family gathering banner. They'd all been instructed to post about it as a way of announcing the event and notifying clients. Bored with WhatsApp, Amir switched to Instagram. He rarely used it and only followed a few news portals for updates.


However, in the search bar, he noticed something familiar: the accounts he frequently checked on, with Erin's profile right at the top. He glanced around before sliding closer to the window to keep Ridwan from seeing his screen. Resting his head on the glass—ignoring the occasional painful bump as the bus rattled—he opened Erin's profile.

Her latest post was a shot of ramen from a Japanese restaurant they'd recently visited. It had no caption, though the comments section was filled with people raving about how delicious it looked. Most of her other photos were mirror selfies that kept her face out of view. What always caught his attention was Erin's taste in clothes—stylish, perfectly fitted.


Scrolling further, Amir paused at a controversial photo that had fueled endless gossip among his coworkers: Erin in a bikini. She only ever posted such photos while at the beach or by a pool, yet it still drew attention, especially since no one in the office had ever been friends with someone who looked like a model. They were overly fascinated, and though Amir couldn't claim to be any different, he knew he had to keep himself in check.

In the photo, Erin was lounging by a pool in a black bikini with hints of gold glitter. Her skin was darkened by a fresh tan, the lines of a previous bikini strap faintly visible against her shoulders. She wore a strapless top, her long legs stretched out, her flat stomach on display—likely the result of her strict diet of fruits and vegetables. The effect was mesmerizing, and Amir quickly scrolled away, unwilling to dwell on parts of her he felt were inappropriate to focus on.

The next photo was a throwback to her time in Australia: Erin in a white tube top and denim mini-skirt, laughing and posing with three of her friends, all blonde, all lively. As Amir looked closer, a realization dawned on him. He returned to Erin's main feed, noting a gradual transformation in her style. Once a fan of crop tops, tank tops, and mini dresses, she had shifted to more understated blouses and midi dresses, giving her an air of maturity that was both intriguing and strangely heartwarming.

Amir tried to push down the hope blooming inside him. Was Erin simply maturing, growing into a more self-assured version of herself? Or could this shift in style have anything to do with him? He didn't even know if he had a particular preference for how she dressed; all he knew was that each passing day seemed to deepen his feelings for her, especially as he watched her change in ways that drew him closer.

'Amir? Sleeping?" Ridwan nudged his knee, snapping him back to reality.

"No," Amir said, scrolling back to Erin's Instagram bio. Her story highlights were empty.

Ridwan smirked beside him. "Miss Erin is really beautiful, sir. Don't you ever get tired of looking at her?"

Amir shot him a sharp look. Ridwan pointed at the window, signaling that he'd seen Amir's screen through its reflection.

'You're rude," Amir muttered, locking his phone.

"Hehe, sorry, sir. But seriously, you're lucky. Everyone in the office is jealous of you. Even me, to be honest."

Amir felt a small surge of pride, though he tried to keep it hidden. "I don't have any relationship with her, so don't get weird ideas."

Ridwan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, sir! You're that close, and you're still not dating?"

First Steve, now Ridwan. Did people really think they were that close? Since developing feelings for Erin, Amir had tried to ignore what others thought, so he hadn't noticed just how obvious it might have been.

'What are you waiting for, bro? Lots of people are into Erin. Even Xavier, who's usually so stoic, might start liking her one day."

Amir glanced toward the front seats, where Xavier sat facing away from Erin, seemingly avoiding even looking in her direction. Was his tough and distant demeanor just a way of resisting Erin's charm?

Ridwan nudged him again. 'This is your chance, bro. There'll be moments at the villa. When the time comes, make a move!"

"What are you talking about? Acting like you know everything."

'That's the thing! You're more experienced than me, right? Do I really have to teach you?"

'I know what I'm doing!" Amir turned back to the window, letting his eyes take in the endless green rice fields.

'Just don't regret it if someone else makes a move. It'd hurt to lose her."

Amir knew Ridwan was only teasing, but the words struck a nerve. The thought of Erin with someone else… that was a pain he couldn't bear. Maybe Ridwan was right; maybe he needed to act sooner than later.

Still, Amir hesitated. He knew there were parts of himself he hadn't yet shown Erin, sides of him she didn't know. But one thing was certain: by the end of this trip, he would make her his.

Later, as they arrived at the hotel, Amir's mood lifted. Last year, their office had put them up in a rundown spot infested with cockroaches and strange occurrences that had left everyone rattled. But this time, the budget had clearly improved. Mrs. Bertha had chosen a solid four-star resort for the gathering.

The resort featured an open field bordered by cozy, hut-style villas. Seven of these villas faced one another, with a restaurant and souvenir shop at the far end selling local treats—Lembang milk cakes, ‘I Love Lembang' shirts, and flavored milk. Beyond that were hotel rooms, their exteriors resembling modest dormitories but with clean, well-furnished interiors.

Amir examined the simple yet stylish room he and Ridwan would be sharing. The walls were a soft gray with a wooden divider separating each bed's space. The bathroom was surprisingly modern, with a separate area for the shower and toilet—a massive upgrade from last year's chaos.

Ridwan, meanwhile, was rummaging through his bag, desperate to change his shirt after spilling instant noodles on it earlier. Each participant had been given a short-sleeved blue shirt bearing the company logo and the words "Family Gathering" on the back, which they had to wear for the rest of the day. Ridwan was frantically trying to find a way to clean and dry his shirt before their next activity.

The open door revealed a lively scene in the hall, with the employees greeting friends as they went back and forth between rooms. Employees without family members had single rooms, while those who brought family stayed in the bamboo villas closer to the field. Erin was staying in one of those villas with her brother—and likely spending time with Nathan, who had come along specifically to keep an eye on her.

Nathan had a certain aura to Amir. Everything about him—from his unfriendly gaze to the dismissive way he looked at others—seemed to exude confidence, bordering on arrogance. Then again, he was a celebrity chef's son, someone born into wealth. Amir could even admit Nathan was handsome, though there was a clear divide between them that made Amir question if he could ever match up in Erin's eyes.

Deep down, Amir knew that if he wanted a future with someone as remarkable as Erin, he'd have to work hard on every front. Part of that meant learning to navigate her world—a world that sometimes seemed miles away from his own. Still, for Erin, he was ready to bridge that gap, no matter how challenging it might be.

They might seem arrogant, but they're just selective about choosing friends. Fortunately, Amir wasn't easily discouraged. With Erin's relentless efforts to be around him, Amir felt confident he had the self-worth needed to be part of her world.

Amir's gaze drifted to the calm blue water of the swimming pool, lost in thought. Suddenly, a face appeared at the door—the very face he'd been daydreaming about.

Nathan?

He only saw him for a moment before he blinked, and in his place was Erin, standing there with a radiant smile.

Oh God, even in the standard family gathering shirt, Erin looked effortlessly stylish. She'd paired it with high-waisted white jeans, tying the shirt at her waist to accentuate her curves. The long trip from Jakarta to Lembang hadn't even touched her hair, which was still flowing in perfectly styled waves.

"Erin's here. Can you step out for a minute? I need to change my shirt," Ridwan said, gesturing at the spilled instant noodles.

Amir grabbed his phone from the table and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

He wasn't imagining things—Nathan was there with Erin. His first impression of Nathan had been right. The young man had an intense, assessing look about him, clutching a DSLR camera like he'd rather be anywhere else.

'I want you to meet my little brother," Erin beamed, as if she'd just won the lottery. 'Nate, this is Amir. Amir, this is Nathan."

Nathan barely offered his hand, while Erin's face glowed with excitement.

Amir squared his shoulders and offered a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you."

'Nice to meet you, sir," Nathan muttered, quickly pulling his hand back. He turned to Erin with a frown. 'Good now? I want to go take photos with Jessica."

"Okay, okay! You're such a flirt!" Erin teased, laughing.

"Just like you! I'll leave you two, then," Nathan said. He practically leapt down the steps in a single bound—easy with his height.

Amir watched him go, eyebrows raised. "What's with him?"

'You know Jessica, right? Xavier's little sister?"

Of course. Before Erin, Jessica was the darling of the office crowd, minus her serious older brother, Xavier. Jessica had a delicate, oriental beauty, with features that some compared to K-pop idols like Nagyung from Fromis_9. She was tall, unlike Xavier, and together, people joked that they looked like the number 10 when they stood side by side.

Amir gave a teasing smile. "Daydreaming, huh? Don't tell me you're fascinated by her too?"

So Nathan had a crush on Jessica? That's actually perfect. More time for him and Erin. No matter what, he was determined to find the right moment today to ask her out.

"Well, she is pretty," he teased.

Erin's eyes widened. Before she could reach out and pinch his waist, Amir quickly caught her hand. "You said you love me. Don't keep hurting me!"

"What? You hurt me first!" Erin twisted his arm with her other hand, catching him off guard. Amir winced, 'Does it hurt? Should I keep going? Just say she's beautiful again, I dare you!"

"Yes, she is be—Ow! No!" Amir laughed, clasping his hands in surrender.

Erin huffed but couldn't suppress a grin, leading the way to the restaurant while Amir followed, chuckling.

The restaurant, with its fifty-person capacity, was already half full with people in blue family gathering shirts. Erin and Amir took seats in the center with a view of the green field bordered by the row of bamboo villas. The cool weather had everyone ordering different types of noodles, and the rich aroma of Indomie filled the air. Amir and Erin, however, both opted for hot, sweet tea.

"Is that your room?" Amir pointed to the third villa on the left side of the row, where Nathan was busy snapping photos of Jessica, who was posing on the porch.

'Yes, that's our villa," Erin confirmed. 'Next to it is Kia's. Impressive that you can see that far."

'Kia?" Amir squinted, trying to spot the details.

A white minivan was parked in front of villa number one, with four men and a woman, all dressed in black, standing nearby. They must be members of Kia's husband's band. Number two was likely Kia's villa, where she sat on the porch holding a baby.

From this distance, faces were hard to make out, but Amir had the distinct feeling that Kia, in her thick glasses, was looking straight at them, as if she could spot Erin and him from afar.

Amir quickly looked away, stirring his half-full cup of sweet tea.

'Do you know what's confusing me?" Erin asked in a half-whisper.

'What?" Amir looked back at her, relieved she hadn't continued with the topic about Kia.

'Steve's room is number nine, right across from mine, just separated by the field. I caught a glimpse of his wife and kids earlier. I swear, his wife is gorgeous! She looks like Nabila Syakieb that Indonesian popular celebrity, but with curly hair. Their older child has her mom's features, kind of an Arabian look, and the baby has the most adorable, sharp little nose. They're like a family from a soap commercial—handsome, clean, perfect. How could Steve still be such a flirt with a family like that?"

Amir hadn't seen Steve today, but he knew Janet well. Erin wasn't exaggerating; Janet was indeed stunning—a news presenter and former flight attendant. The perfect wife. Amir shrugged, equally puzzled. 'That's just how some people are, I guess. Never satisfied. And some justify it by saying they're just bored of stability."

Erin nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of her tea. 'Don't be like that when we're married! Watch out!" she warned, giving him a playful glare.

'Me? Like that?"

'Yes! I'll twist your intestines if you are!"

'Why would I? My future wife will have it all—the perfect balance of good and mischievous. I won't need to look for anything else," Amir replied, taking a sip to avoid her reaction.

But Erin was blinking at him, clearly surprised.

Idiot! What I meant, Erin, is that you're perfect. You're neither the overly 'good girl" who'd bore me nor the 'bad girl" who'd exhaust me. You're everything I want—someone who'd scream on a roller coaster, but only if it's with me.

'What on earth…" Erin's cheeks flushed slightly. She sipped her tea too quickly, fanning her tongue after.

Amir gulped down his tea, more focused on Erin's adorable reaction than the drink. The more time he spent with her, the more his feelings grew, leaving him increasingly restless. He'd always been close to her, but somehow, everything now felt so exciting.

'Amir? Thirsty, are we?" Erin chided, fanning her mouth as she tried to cool her burning tongue.

Amir glanced at his glass. Empty.

Oh, great.

Now it was his turn to blush as Erin burst into laughter.

'Good afternoon, everyone!" The MC, a stocky man, greeted the gathering's fifty-plus participants seated on the soft grass.

'Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Rendy Kharisma, and I'm thrilled to be here with all of you energetic folks. Of course you're excited—who wouldn't be during a holiday, right?"

'ABSOLUTELY!" Steve shouted alone, drawing everyone's attention and laughter. His wife, sitting beside him, just shook her head, used to his antics.

'See? That's the spirit! Usually, those who shout the loudest have the heaviest workloads, am I right?"

'TOTALLY!" Steve yelled again, causing another round of laughter.

'All right then, let's relax and enjoy. I'll be announcing our fun lineup for today's events. First," Rendy glanced at his notes, 'we're kicking off with the opening right now. After that, we'll have games for kids, followed by games for employees, then team-building games. We should wrap up by six for a short break, then at eight, we'll start the awards ceremony and enjoy a special performance by the Bridgewall band along with a campfire dinner!"

Cheers and applause echoed around the open space.

'Before we start, a quick reminder. Today's activities involve some physical exertion. So if anyone would rather sit out due to health concerns, just inform our staff in the white shirts. Don't worry; we're prepared for any leg cramps, hunger pangs, or even high blood pressure. Are you all ready?"

'Ready!" came a unanimous cheer from the crowd.

'All right, let's kick off with the kids' games! Everyone, let's make a large square area. Step back, lift your bodies! Watch out for cables—hey, miss, careful there!"

Erin nearly tripped over a cable by her foot, and Amir quickly took her elbow, steadying her as they moved back with the rest of the crowd to form a large square around the MC standing in the center.

'According to our list, we have twelve children registered for the competition. Kids, please come forward!"

One by one, the children stepped forward. They all seemed about the same age—around ten. Among them, Erin instantly recognized Steve's son. The boy was the tallest, his skin pale and almost luminous, with thick eyebrows like his mother's but with narrow eyes, a feature from his father. This kid was bound to grow up handsome, she thought, hopefully without inheriting his father's questionable traits.

'Wow, look at all these cool, pretty, and handsome faces!" Rendy, the MC, exclaimed. 'Now I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves, starting from the left, okay?"

A handheld microphone made its way down the line, and Erin waited, focused, for Steve's son's turn.

'Keenan," the boy announced, his voice louder than expected, as though he might swallow the mic.

'Before we start the first game, let's do a little re-introduction," Rendy said with a grin. 'But this time, I want you to introduce yourselves with animal names—no repeats! Ready or not, let's go!" He handed the microphone to the girl on the far right, who looked around, a little unsure, until Rendy nudged her along.

'Rabbit," she finally said, drawing a few giggles.

The simple game was a hit, stirring laughter when some of the kids forgot the names of animals. Even Steve's son blurted out, 'Dinosaur!" The laughter grew louder as the game turned into guessing each other's animal names. One skinny boy, struggling to remember, guessed incorrectly so many times that he finally burst into frustrated tears.

'Don't cry, it's just a game!" Rendy reassured the boy gently, patting him on the head. 'If you can't remember, that's okay! Now, on to the next game. Let's split into two teams!"

The children's games grew more lively. Rendy led a game that encouraged them to speak up and stand by their choices, sparking mini-feuds that had the audience laughing hysterically. There was no formal winner by the end; Rendy simply wrapped up with the children exhausted and flushed with excitement.

Unfortunately, the sky began to darken, clouds gathering ominously. Rendy conferred with a staff member in a white shirt, then returned to the center of the field.

'I really hate to say this, but it looks like we took a bit longer than planned," he announced. 'So, we've only got an hour and a half before the next break, and, unfortunately, we'll have to skip the employee games." He held up a hand, cutting off murmurs of disappointment. 'Sorry about that! But we'll be moving straight to the teamwork games in just ten minutes. I'll be back soon!"

'Teamwork games?" Erin turned to Amir.

'Usually, they're like scavenger hunts, where you explore an area and complete certain tasks," he explained, 'It's fun! Especially if we don't get lost."

'If I get lost with you, I don't mind," Erin murmured, smiling.

The woman beside them, a veiled acquaintance, overheard and turned. 'Ah, Amir and Erin! It's been so long, Amir—I barely recognize you since we hardly meet these days."

Amir understood the subtle jab, but he only smiled, focusing on the boy she was holding by the hand. 'Josh, what grade are you in now?"

'Third grade, Uncle," the boy replied shortly. Raya, who still looked slightly annoyed, led her son over to the sound system area.

'Don't let it bother you, Amir," Erin said gently. 'True friends are happy for each other's happiness; they don't make sly remarks."

Amir fell silent, realizing the truth he'd long dreaded was finally coming to pass. Sooner or later, he'd have to face this change.

***