"Damn... what kind of question is this, made by aliens or something?" Salman groaned, breaking the silence as the trio—one pesky mosquito and two pseudo-lovers still testing the waters—tried to find references for their assignments.
Salman's loud complaint, unsurprisingly, earned sharp glares from the nearby librarian.
And as any good friend would do, Harwan didn't hesitate to land a solid bonk on the top of Salman's head using the thick book in front of him.
"Geez, I've explained this to you a hundred times and you still don't get it?" Harwan muttered in frustration, grabbing Salman's notebook and their physics textbook to once again explain the problem-solving steps.
"Just let it go, forcing it won't help. Instead of absorbing anything, your brain might just rebel and make you nauseous like a pregnant lady," Jennifer chimed in from the other end of the table.
"Don't interrupt me, honey. This guy, he—" Harwan cut himself off suddenly.
"Well, well, interesting," Salman grinned, not missing the chance to tease him. Harwan had glanced toward Jennifer, who was now subtly smiling. "So, you've reached that stage already, huh? Since when?"
"You wanna shut up or should I kick you out of our group?" Harwan snapped back, half-teasing but fully annoyed.
Rather than backing off, Salman smirked and narrowed his eyes at both Harwan and Jennifer, who neither confirmed nor denied his suspicions.
"Pity. I was just about to offer you two VVIP tickets to the S****N concert," he said, pulling out the tickets from his pocket. But within seconds, the tickets vanished from his hand—snatched away in the blink of an eye, much to both his and Harwan's shock.
"They've been mine for over a month. Happy now?" Jennifer replied, calmly examining the tickets she'd just seized.
"Wait, I didn't even say anything—"
"Please. I can read your mind like an open book. You were dying to know about our so-called relationship, right?" Jennifer smirked at him, tossing him a teasing glance.
Honestly, it wasn't that surprising. Ever since the start of their fake dating arrangement, Harwan and Jennifer had decided to keep it secret from Salman.
"Unbelievable," Salman muttered, glaring at her briefly before relaxing again. "By the way, you guys joining the December retreat?"
"Of course," Harwan replied instantly.
"We'll see. It's still far off," Jennifer said without lifting her eyes from the books.
Two days later, in order to accompany Jennifer to the concert, Harwan did something quite rare: he stood in front of the mirror for a solid ten minutes, practicing how to talk.
Even his sister Anastasia couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief.
"You're such a hopeless simp. You're not even officially dating yet and already acting like this. What happens if you do start dating?" she teased as they passed each other by the door.
"Let me be," Harwan replied casually. "Besides, wouldn't you be happy to have a pretty sister-in-law?" he added while heading downstairs.
"Hopeless," Anastasia muttered, though a faint smile tugged at her lips as she followed him.
While waiting for Anastasia in the garage, Harwan messaged Jennifer to check her location. Since they lived in opposite directions, it made more sense to meet directly at the venue's parking lot.
"You're taking forever, sis," Harwan complained after a few minutes.
"You think girls get ready in five minutes? Keep dreaming," Anastasia snapped back, shutting him up.
"Don't be so harsh on your little brother," their mom suddenly appeared and scolded Anastasia.
Seizing the opportunity, Harwan hugged his mom and stuck his tongue out at Anastasia.
"See? Told you," he said smugly.
Anastasia just narrowed her eyes at him but smiled nonetheless. Though she had the commanding voice of the eldest sibling, their mother was the true boss of the house. Even their father wouldn't dare oppose the 'queen' when she was in a mood.
In a city like Jakarta, attempting to beat the traffic by leaving only two hours before a concert could easily be labeled as reckless.
Most locals would agree. Yet Anastasia didn't seem bothered at all, despite the long drive to the venue.
By some miracle, they arrived fifteen minutes before the auditorium doors closed. They met up with Jennifer and entered through the VVIP lane—prompting a curious look from her.
"My sister's one of the co-founders of the EO organizing this event," Harwan explained, noticing Jennifer eyeing Anastasia, who was being greeted left and right backstage.
"Don't get cocky, little punk," Anastasia cut in just after Harwan spoke.
Harwan and Jennifer were momentarily stunned. The place was chaotic—filled with echoing shouts and buzzing preparations.
"Here, hold on to these and keep them safe," Anastasia said, handing Harwan two backstage passes. She winked and smiled. Then, turning to someone passing by, she added, "Can you take them to the SVIP seats? I have to speak with the agency."
Unlike the regular seats, they were escorted to a prime location with an excellent view of the stage. On top of that, each seat had a private monitor.
"Here you go," the staff member said. "These monitors will activate automatically and show close-up shots of the performers."
"Thanks, man," Harwan replied.
"Thanks for coming with me. I really needed a break—especially after all that school stress," Jennifer said, stretching out on the plush sofa seat with a big smile.
"Not bad for a fake boyfriend, huh?"
"I'd say so. People who find out we're just pretending probably wouldn't believe it if we said it out loud," Jennifer replied with a slight snort.
"Hmm..." Harwan glanced around awkwardly, fidgeting like a worm under heat. As the auditorium lights slowly dimmed, he blurted something out—something he might come to regret later.
"Then how about we stop pretending and make it real?"
Jennifer instantly straightened, her eyes snapping to him. The music had begun, but the words hung in the air, louder than any beat or melody.
She stared at him, stunned. Harwan avoided her gaze, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
The moment turned awkward—charged with unsaid feelings and held breaths.
Throughout the concert, they kept stealing glances at each other, eyes darting away whenever they accidentally locked.
By the end, the SVIP privileges allowed them to take photos with the performers. Harwan watched Jennifer laughing with one of the idols, a soft smile on her face.
"So? Did you confess?" Anastasia's voice startled him.
"Buzz off."
"Rejected, huh? Figures."
Harwan turned to her, flustered. "Rejected? What are you talking about? I—"
"Wan, come here!" Jennifer suddenly called.
Startled, Harwan's sister gave him a gentle push toward her.
His expression shifted in an instant as he approached Jennifer, the frustration melting into something softer. They joined the group photo session, side by side.
Ten minutes later, they exited the venue, heading toward the parking lot. Anastasia had stayed behind for her EO duties, so they opted for a ride-share.
"About earlier—"
"How about dinner? I know a great pecel spot nearby," Harwan interrupted nervously.
"Harwan—"
"Or maybe a quick trip to the mall? Little window shopping, maybe?" he added, fumbling with his phone.
"Harwan!!"
Jennifer's sharp voice cut through the air.
He froze. Her eyes locked on his, fierce and unflinching.
"If you're waiting for an answer... Give me a week."
"A week?"
"Just one week. Let me think about it."
Harwan let out a slow breath. Despite trying to hide it, his jittery glance from left to right gave him away.
Their relationship teetered at a precipice. From here, anything could happen: they could become lovers, drift back to friends, or worse—become strangers who once shared something tender.
"You fucking idiot!!" That was Anastasia's reaction.
"No, no. He's just bego," Salman corrected a beat later.
But it was done. The dice had been cast. All Harwan could do now was wait—for Jennifer's sword or her embrace.
"Have you completely lost your mind?! That boy is beneath you!" the sharp-faced man slammed a photo onto the table.
His glare behind his glasses and the tense veins in his aging neck made it clear—he was furious.
Jennifer, however, sat calmly on the couch in his office.
"Have you ever thought any guy was worthy of me? Every single one, you found some reason to disapprove," she said coolly, her voice laced with disdain.
"You forget so quickly? That bastard you dated last time? Did you forget what he did?!"
"He wouldn't have turned out that way if it weren't for your constant pressure!" she snapped, her anger flaring.
"I swear, if you date this boy—"
Jennifer stood abruptly, fists clenched at her sides. Her eyes burned.
"Try pulling the same stunt again. The London competition... I'll withdraw."
Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from the weight of finally pushing back.
Without another word, she turned and left the room.
Back in her room, Jennifer sat on the edge of her bed, uncertain of what lay ahead. Her threat had been bold, possibly reckless—but necessary.
Her phone buzzed.
It was the group chat. Salman had just messaged:
"Damn you two! You upgraded to SVIP behind my back?!"
"You think you're the only one with connections, huh?" Harwan replied with a laughing emoji.
"I didn't even do anything," Jennifer typed with a grin.
"Don't play innocent. You loved those SVIP seats!" Salman fired back.
"You better sleep, or I'm not giving you my answers for tomorrow's test," Harwan replied.
Jennifer stared at her screen, then at Harwan's last message.
Her thoughts drifted back to his confession.
Maybe I should just say yes, she thought.
Harwan wasn't just anyone. Since the beginning, he had somehow always been there—comfortably invading her mind.
But then her father's threats echoed again. What if this thing—whatever it was—didn't last? What if he met her father and realized it wasn't worth it?
And so she stared at the screen, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her heart.