That evening, on her way back from the office, Elis spotted Yuni standing outside a small store in the neighborhood, happily licking an ice cream. For a moment, Elis simply watched—the way Yuni's cheeks puffed slightly as she ate, her hair falling messily around her face. It was oddly… endearing.
Gathering herself, Elis walked over. But the moment Yuni's eyes landed on her, she turned away sharply and started walking in the opposite direction.
"Wait," Elis called out, her voice a little urgent. "I want to talk to you."
Yuni's steps slowed, her tone serious. "Sorry, I have something important to do right now. I'll talk to you later."
"I promise, it won't take long," Elis said quickly. "Just hear me out."
Yuni bit her lip, her thoughts tumbling. Should I listen? He sounds so serious… Maybe just this once.
Finally, she sighed. "Alright then. What is it?"
"Can we sit and talk?" Elis asked. "I just came back from work, let's go to my room for a bit."
Yuni hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Fine."
Inside the room, Yuni flopped onto the sofa without asking permission. Elis blinked at her boldness but hid her surprise with a small smile.
"So," Yuni crossed her arms, "what did you want to say?"
Elis drew in a breath. "About yesterday… I'm really sorry, Yuni. I didn't mean those words."
Yuni shrugged. "It's fine. If that's all, I should head home. I've got homework to finish."
"Wait," Elis said again, moving quickly to the fridge. She pulled out a chilled bottle of strawberry milk and placed it in front of Yuni. "At least have this first."
Yuni blinked at the bottle, her pout softening ever so slightly.
Taking a quiet breath, Elis continued, her voice lower now. "I… don't have a good relationship with my parents. I have one older brother, and he's my father's favorite—he always does what our father says. But me… my father wanted me to marry someone he chose, take over his business. I couldn't. I loved someone else. And I went against my family for that person."
Elis's jaw tightened for a second before she added, "But in the end, my ex lover cheated on me. I broke all contact with my father after that. And since then… things have never been the same."
All the while, Yuni sat with her head slightly lowered, quietly listening to every word. Her fingers tightened around the bottle of strawberry milk.
When Elis finally fell silent, Yuni looked up, her voice soft but steady. "Don't think too much. Everything will be okay. And besides—" she gave the faintest smile, "I'm here, right? As long as you're happy… I'll be happy too."
Elis froze, eyes widening. "What do you mean?"
Realizing what she had just blurted out, Yuni's face flushed. She stumbled over her words. "I–I didn't mean anything! Forget it!"
But Elis only leaned a little closer, her eyes amused. "So… does that mean you've forgiven me, Yuni?"
Yuni fidgeted, then finally muttered with a tiny smile, "Yeah… I forgive you, Mr. Prince Charming."
To be Continued.....