Rey turned his body. His body still felt sore, from lying in the hospital bed for too long. That afternoon, the room was quiet, only the faint tick-tock of the wall clock was audible. Rey started to feel bored.
Suddenly, the door opened. The face he always longed for appeared from behind the door. Ratna came in, accompanied by Helen. Ratna's face looked anxious. Rey offered a weak smile.
"Rey, oh my, what happened to you?" Ratna asked, quickly approaching and taking Rey's hand.
"I miss you," Rey replied softly, as if joking. His smile was thin but still charming.
Ratna was startled. Her cheeks immediately flushed. Deep down, she knew Rey might not be entirely joking. But Helen was there—and Ratna didn't want to become school gossip. To save the atmosphere, she quickly countered, "Oh, you're so funny. Sick and still have time to joke around."
Helen just smiled, watching their behavior.
"It's true, why would I lie," Rey pretended to pout.
Ratna held back a laugh, seeing Rey's funny expression.
"Well, get well soon, Rey," Helen interjected.
The atmosphere was stiff for a few seconds. The three of them didn't know what to talk about.
"Rey, why did Harold gang up on you?" Ratna finally broke the silence, her face serious.
"Because of you," Rey answered teasingly.
Ratna and Helen immediately laughed. Rey joined in, but his laugh was stifled because his chest still hurt.
"Rey, stop with the jokes. It's not funny if you end up grimacing like that," Ratna gently protested. "I brought some fruit. Can you eat it yet?"
"I'm still on hospital food. But maybe soon. The doctor said I might be able to go home in two days," Rey replied.
"That's good, get well soon," said Helen.
"We should go now, Rey, see you at school," Ratna said, standing up.
Just then, the door opened again. An elegant older woman walked in, followed by a younger woman—Rey's aunt. The older woman's face was gentle and dignified.
"Oh, are these Rey's friends?" the grandmother greeted with a warm smile.
"Yes, Auntie, I'm Helen."
"I'm Ratna," Ratna added politely.
The older woman smiled broadly.
"I'm Rey's grandma, Mrs. Broto. Since his parents passed away, Rey has been living in Bandung with me and his aunt."
His aunt, standing beside her, added with a soft smile, "Luckily, Rey has good friends like you. Thank you for visiting."
Ratna and Helen smiled shyly. "Yes, Auntie. We should be going now."
"Alright, be careful," said the grandmother.
"Bye, Rey," Ratna said, waving her hand.
Rey returned a weak smile. Seeing Ratna step out, his chest somehow felt warm—not because of the IV drip or the medicine, but because of a feeling that was slowly growing and which he could no longer hide.