The next morning, right at 10:30, Sam and Loir arrived at Yuni's house to pick her up. Today was their big outing—first the dolphin show, then lunch together.
The moment Yuni's mom saw Sam standing at the door, her eyes lit up with delight. She clasped her hands and said warmly,
"Oh my, look at you! So handsome! But how come I've never seen you before?"
Sam froze for a moment, unsure how to respond, while Loir threw him a helpless glance. From behind, Yuni came rushing in, adjusting her earrings as she teased,
"Mom, he's our friend. Loir's very close friend. Right, Loir?"
Loir, caught off guard, rolled his eyes at Yuni but stayed quiet. Sam quickly jumped in to save the moment with a small smile.
"Actually, I'm a close friend of both of them," he explained politely.
Yuni, slipping on her shoes, clapped her hands. "Alright, let's go! We'll be late otherwise. We still have to line up for tickets."
Sam chuckled. "Already taken care of. I booked them online."
Loir's heart swelled with pride.He sneaked a look at Sam, warmth blooming inside his chest. My boyfriend is so smart,he thought, cheeks burning as he whispered to himself.
Just as the three of them were about to head out, a voice called from behind.
"Wait. I'm coming too."
It was Elis.
Yuni's smile instantly stiffened. She narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice in irritation. "We already have tickets."
"I do too," Elis replied calmly. "Booked online."
With no choice left, Yuni introduced Elis to Sam and Loir. Loir, nervous about the time, immediately said, "Let's talk in the car, or we'll be late."
They all piled into Sam's car. Loir wanted desperately to sit beside Yuni, but Sam had other plans—he wanted Loir right next to him in the passenger seat. Yuni raised a brow and teased Loir from the back,
"Oh, I see. Found your boyfriend and forgot about your best friend already?"
Loir turned red and quickly motioned for him to keep quiet. Sam laughed, secretly amused, enjoying Loir's flustered little expressions. Meanwhile, Elis slid into the seat beside Yuni.
Yuni crossed her arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Why is someone else's future husband sitting next to me?"
Elis leaned closer, his tone calm but firm.
"Don't spoil the mood. We're here to have fun. And for the record, I'm not marrying anyone. If I don't want it, no one can force me."
Something in her voice made Yuni's heart soften. For the first time that morning, the knot in her chest loosened a little.
The four of them soon reached their destination. The dolphin show was magical. They laughed, took pictures, even fed the dolphins. Yuni sneakily snapped countless photos of Elis, her cheeks warming every time she zoomed in. She also took plenty of couple shots of Sam and Loir, who blushed but didn't protest.
Afterward, they wandered into the water park nearby. Splashes, laughter, stolen glances—the day was filled with little joys. Loir, ever the observer, secretly snapped photos of Elis and Yuni playing with water together. Later, he nudged Sam with a grin.
"Look at them. Don't they look perfect together?"
Sam glanced at the photo and smiled knowingly. "Yeah. They really do."
By lunchtime, the four of them found a cozy restaurant. They ordered seafood pasta, fried rice, noodles, and a rainbow of juices—mango, orange, pineapple. When Yuni asked for strawberry juice, the owner shook his head apologetically.
"Sorry, miss. No strawberry juice today."
Yuni forced a smile, brushing it off. "No worries. I'll take apple juice instead."
But Elis frowned, pushing her chair back. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
Before Yuni could protest, she disappeared.
Loir, who had been watching closely, leaned in toward Yuni with a sly smile.
"You know, that guy really likes you. It's not just you secretly liking him—he likes you back. I can tell from the way he acts around you."
Yuni blinked in surprise. "What are you even saying?"
Sam chimed in, resting his chin on his hand. "Loir's right. From what I've seen, Elis definitely has feelings for you."
Yuni's cheeks burned crimson. She quickly tried to change the topic, blurting, "Oh, and you two! Admit it already—you're dating!"
Sam chuckled, slipping his hand into Loir's beneath the table. "We're not official yet… but I do like Loir. And if I hold his hand now…" He squeezed tighter, eyes gentle. "…then I'll never let go."
Loir's face turned as red as a cherry, making Sam laugh softly.
Just then, Elis returned, slightly out of breath. He placed a bag full of strawberry juice bottles in front of Yuni.
"Here. Found them."
Yuni blinked at the five or six bottles, utterly shocked. "Why… why so many? One would've been enough!"
Elis shrugged casually. "Better to have more. Keep them for later."
Across the table, Sam and Loir exchanged a glance and burst into quiet laughter.
"Next time we go out," Elis said firmly, "I'll make sure the place we eat at has strawberry juice. If not, we're not eating there."
Yuni rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the little smile tugging at her lips.
Lunch passed with laughter and stolen glances, but when it ended, Sam and Loir whispered to each other, then suddenly announced,
"We'll head home now."
Yuni blinked. "Huh? I'll come with you—"
But Loir squeezed Sam's hand tighter, and Sam said with a grin, "No, you two stay. Spend some time together."
Yuni caught the mischievous look in Loir's eyes and finally laughed, shaking her head.
"Fine, fine. Go safely."
And just like that, Sam and Loir left, deliberately giving Elis and Yuni the gift of being alone.
To be Continued....