"What?!" The gasp rang out in perfect unison, Melati, Rosa, Rasya, and even Wina stood frozen, their voices overlapping in sheer astonishment at Dewi's words.
Rosa was the first to recover, stepping forward with wide, incredulous eyes fixed on Felzein.
"Mr Felzein… you're truly a doctor?" she asked, her voice a mixture of awe and disbelief.
The others followed suit, Melati, Rasya, and Wina edging closer, drawn by the strange gravity of the moment.
Their eyes settled on the small card clutched in Dewi's fingers.
There it was, printed unmistakably, Vradistza Adrian F.
Beneath the name, a registration number, followed by the name of an accredited medical institution.
Their expressions shifted almost in slow motion, from confusion to shock, then to dawning comprehension.
"Doctor Vradistza Adrian?!" they cried out together, as though saying the name aloud might make the absurd notion more believable.
Rosa turned to him, visibly stunned, her gaze darting between the card and his face, "So… you're the Felzein? The prodigious doctor everyone talks about? The one who's always in the news?" she breathed.
It defied all logic. Just the night before, he had walked her home without ceremony, as casually as any ordinary acquaintance might.
And now? Now he stood revealed as a medical virtuoso, with that maddeningly handsome face that made the truth all the more difficult to accept.
The entire staff of Koba Baru Pharmacy, save for Wina, who was still new to the place, had known Felzein for three years.
Yet, it was only today that the true nature of the young man before them dawned upon their minds.
Behind his mask, Felzein offered a faint, almost wistful smile, "Please… I beg you, keep my identity to yourselves," he implored softly, his tone measured and composed.
"All I desire is a measure of peace."
Rosa, Melati, and the others exchanged knowing glances, a quiet understanding passing between them. Resolutely, they nodded.
An unspoken oath was made, to guard this secret fiercely and never betray it to another.
Dewi stepped closer, her voice earnest and respectful, "Doctor Vradistza… you have our word. Your secret shall remain safe."
Felzein inclined his head in acknowledgement, gratitude plain in his voice.
"Thank you."
With that, he turned away, the weight of his hidden life still cloaked behind that unassuming mask as he quietly made for the door.
Suddenly, Felzein came to an abrupt halt.
"Oh... by the way…"
Every gaze once more fixed upon him.
"Of late, there have been numerous impostors who claim to be me," he spoke softly, his voice laden with quiet gravity.
He drew a measured breath, then continued, "If you should ever encounter such a one, be certain that the true Doctor Vradistza appears thus…"
With a casual flourish, he lifted the mask that veiled his visage, and...
A sudden gleam from the pharmacy's light caught upon his face, casting an almost ethereal glow.
Once again, Rosa found herself utterly transfixed, struck anew by the sheer magnetism of his features.
Melati, Rasya, Dewi, and Wina stood motionless, as though time itself had stilled.
Much like Rosa at their first meeting, they momentarily forgot the very reality of their surroundings.
Felzein swiftly replaced his mask, having anticipated their stunned silence.
"If anyone professes to be me, yet lacks the countenance you have just beheld… rest assured, they are but a counterfeit Doctor Vradistza."
Without pause or further word, he turned and strode from Koba Baru Pharmacy.
Left behind, Melati, Dewi, Rasya, and Wina remained rooted to the spot, their voices caught in stunned silence.
Only Rosa regained her senses first. She drew a slow breath and murmured, "I implore forgiveness..."
As if roused from a shared dream, the others echoed in unison, "Astaghfirullah..."
"An angel," whispered Melati, glancing at Rosa. "That WhatsApp status you posted for Mr Felzein, was that yours?"
Rosa smiled knowingly, "Well… isn't my beau rather handsome?" she said lightly.
"Hmph! He'll be mine soon enough," Melati retorted with a mischievous glint.
"Oh, come now. You already have Welly," Rosa replied, incredulous.
"Welly?!" Melati's grin widened challengingly.
Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and dialled swiftly.
"My darling… Finished already? So, what surprise have you planned for me?" came Welly's sweet voice down the line.
Melati snorted sharply, "Surprise?! There is one. The surprise is... I'm done with you!" she declared firmly.
"I'm reporting your abuse to the police!" she continued, her voice trembling with righteous fury.
"And now… we're finished. Over!" she thundered, ending the call abruptly.
"What?!" Welly's shocked cry rang out.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The line was dead.
"Hello... hello... Mel..." Welly's voice came again, panicked.
"Melati, you wretch!" he shouted, slamming his phone down.
"Just you wait, Mel! I'll make you pay!" he hissed venomously.
Melati smirked triumphantly, "How's that? Brave now, aren't you?" she taunted confidently.
"Of course you are! You just saw Mr Felzein's face!" Rosa murmured, still in disbelief.
"We may be friends… but that doesn't mean we don't compete," Melati declared, spirited.
"I'm in," Rasya said eagerly.
"And me too," Wina added shyly, eyes alight.
Dewi sighed, the weight of reality heavy, "I'm married already," she said regretfully.
"But it doesn't matter, does it? When else will we have a 'special contest' like this?" she added half-jokingly.
"Hmph!" came a chorus of scoffs from Rosa, Melati, Rasya, and Wina, their expressions mingling irritation and amusement.
"Listen, Mel..." Rasya's tone grew concerned.
"You've ended things with Welly. What do you think he might do next?"
Rosa, Dewi, and Wina fell momentarily silent, each weighed down by the same sobering thought.
Rasya had a point, an unsettlingly valid one. Welly, as they all knew, was not the sort of man who bore rejection with grace.
Melati, however, straightened her back and balled her fists with renewed conviction.
"The police," she declared with quiet force. "I intend to report him."
Rosa glanced at her, hesitant, "Do you have any proof?"
Melati's expression faltered as her hand flew to her forehead, "Oh, of course... the bruises have vanished!" she exclaimed, as if just realising the irony of her miraculous recovery.
"That complicates things," Wina murmured, frowning. "Without physical evidence, the case might not hold."
"What matters most now," Dewi interjected, her voice firm with sisterly concern, "is that you stay safe, Mel."
"I'd advise you not to return home. Find a bedsit or stay with someone for a while, anywhere but there," she added gravely, clearly imagining the worst of Welly's potential.
Melati gave a solemn nod, "I understand, Dewi. I'll give it serious thought."
"Well then, shall we be off, Mel?" Rosa asked, her voice softening.
"I'm coming to yours tonight, if that's alright," Melati replied.
"Of course. Let's go."
With that, the two young women took their leave, stepping out into the afternoon light.
Behind them, the others returned to their posts, the gentle chime of the pharmacy's bell signalling both an end and a beginning.
*****
Meanwhile, Welly, still simmering with frustration, snatched up his phone and dialled the number of his long-time confidant in mischief, Aryo.
"Aryo… where are you?" he demanded, his tone clipped and impatient.
"At the den, with the usual lot," Aryo replied lazily, the sound of banter in the background betraying his relaxed mood.
"I'm in a foul state… I'm coming over," Welly muttered, the edge in his voice unmistakable.
Aryo gave a short laugh, "You? In a state? That's a rare sight," he quipped, amused.
"Don't push it," Welly snapped, irritation brimming.
Still chuckling, Aryo replied, "Alright, alright... just get here. And don't keep us waiting."
Welly brought the call to a sharp end and kicked his engine into life, tearing off through the dusk towards the hideout, his temper simmering just beneath the surface.
A good half-hour passed before he arrived, his motorbike skidding to a halt in front of the run-down building that served as their unofficial base of operations.
Inside, the familiar motley crew, Aryo, Gaga, Diga, and Abdi, were already gathered, sprawled about in varying degrees of idleness.
These were the lads Welly could count on for every shady turn.
On the scuffed wooden table, a haphazard collection of liquor bottles stood like sentinels, their contents catching the amber glow of a flickering light overhead.
Welly entered without ceremony, his expression a stormcloud of frustration.
Wordlessly, he reached for one of the bottles, uncorked it with practised ease, and poured half its contents down his throat in a single, savage gulp.
"If you're so eager to meet your end, at least do it with a touch more class," Aryo remarked dryly, arching a brow as he observed Welly's dramatic gulping.
"You're barking mad," murmured Gaga, his head slowly shaking in quiet disapproval.
Welly exhaled a ragged breath, his features contorted with a mix of anger and disbelief.
"Melati's left me," he announced hoarsely, his voice already slurred, the alcohol beginning to loosen both his tongue and his composure.