The three of them stood still on the dirt road, staring at the village in the distance.
Arga's footsteps had long faded.
All that remained were birdsong and the wind brushing through the short grass around them.
Anin rubbed her face.
Danu scratched his head, as if still expecting to see a sign that said Welcome to Yogyakarta.
Jaka stood silently, staring at the ground, taking a long breath as if trying to swallow the chaos whole.
A few seconds passed in silence before Danu finally spoke, his voice low. "So… this is real, huh? We're actually… in another world?"
Jaka closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped.
"Of course it's real, Danu. Do you see villages like this in Jogja? Everyone's wearing piece of fabric, speaking a different language, and somehow we understand it all. Were you asleep this whole time?"
Danu blinked.
"Yeah, yeah… sorry."
"So what do we do now?" Anin finally spoke, her voice small and trembling.
"We can't just stand here forever. We have to go home."
"'Go home' how?" Jaka cut in, his voice rising.
"We don't even know what country this is. Who the king is. Who these people are. We're just three kids who got lost. How are we supposed to…"
"JAKA!" Anin shot him a sharp glare.
"We all want to go home. But yelling like this won't get us anywhere. Calm down."
Jaka fell silent.
His jaw tightened, but the anger in his eyes dimmed.
He knew she was right.
He was just as scared as they were.
Danu tried to break the tension, forcing an awkward smile.
"Well… if you think about it, this is kind of like isekai. You know, getting thrown into another world and then…"
"DANU!" Anin and Jaka shouted at the same time.
Anin glared at him like a teacher who had completely run out of patience.
"If this were an anime, I would've skipped this episode already."
Silence fell again.
Jaka let out a long breath, finally steadying himself.
"Alright. I'm sorry for yelling. Let's find food first. Then we think. Standing here won't help." He patted his pocket with forced confidence.
"Relax. I still have my wallet."
They looked at one another, then laughed softly.
A brief moment of relief, even if it would not last.
They walked down the dirt road toward the village.
The smell of wood smoke grew stronger, mixed with the sound of roosters crowing.
From afar, the steady rhythm of pounding rice echoed between tall grasses swaying in the breeze.
A woman drawing water suddenly froze and stared at them.
She quickly pretended to return to her work, but her eyes never left them.
Children playing with a rattan ball stopped mid-game. The ball rolled away untouched. One small boy stepped forward, only to be pulled back into a house by his mother.
Jaka straightened his posture.
Danu tried to look friendly, nodding with a stiff smile, but received only wary stares.
Anin lowered her head, clutching her bag tighter as her steps unconsciously quickened.
The deeper they went, the closer the bamboo houses stood.
The warm scent of boiled cassava drifted from cooking fires, reminding them just how hungry they were.
"Man… I feel like I haven't eaten in days," Danu groaned, rubbing his stomach.
"We were snacking at the square just this afternoon," Jaka replied.
"But yeah… it feels way longer than that."
"Focus," Anin said, scanning the area.
"Let's find a place to eat first."
As if answering their prayer, a rich, savory aroma reached them.
They turned together.
At the roadside stood a small food stall.
Wooden benches.
A low table.
A clay stove steaming gently.
A middle-aged man stirred a large pot while several hungry children waited nearby.
"Whoa…" Danu whispered, his camera almost lifting before Jaka stopped him.
"This looks straight out of a documentary."
"I get it," Jaka said quietly. "But remember, we're strangers here."
Anin's eyes sparkled.
"It's exactly like the history books."
They approached and sat cautiously.
The stall owner noticed them, smiled briefly, and without asking a word, ladled hot rice and vegetable stew into three wooden bowls.
The moment the first bite touched their mouths, the world seemed to pause.
Hunger vanished.
Danu closed his eyes, savoring the taste.
Anin paused occasionally to jot notes in her book before eating again.
Jaka ate slowly, his thoughts racing ahead.
For the first time since everything went wrong, they felt… normal. Just three ordinary students eating at a village stall.
Minutes passed unnoticed.
Their bowls were spotless.
The stall owner chuckled as he wiped the table.
"Clean plates already? Must've been starving."
Anin and Danu nodded with embarrassed smiles.
Jaka stood and handed over a crisp bill.
"This is for the food. Keep the change. Thank you, sir."
The man stared at the paper.
"It's beautiful," he said slowly.
"I've never seen something like this. Is it a painting?"
"That's… money," Jaka replied.
The man shook his head.
"I can't take that. Three bowls is six bronze coins."
Jaka glanced at his friends.
"I forgot," he whispered.
"Me too," Anin muttered.
"How about we wash dishes?" Danu suggested.
"If that fails, we run."
They stared at him.
"Nu, your ideas are really helpful today," Jaka muttered.
The stall owner frowned.
"What are you whispering about?"
Danu swallowed.
"It's real money, sir. Are you sure it can't be used?"
"I can't," the man said firmly.
"Try another stall."
Anin bowed deeply.
"We're sorry. We can clean, fetch water, anything…"
"I still need to buy rice tomorrow," he snapped.
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"This is money issued by the kingdom," Jaka said desperately.
The man's patience snapped.
"What kingdom uses paper like this?"
"Enough. Stop playing games." He slammed the table.
"If it's real, go shop at the palace! I need salt and rice, not toys!"
Villagers gathered.
Whispers grew louder.
"Scammers?"
"Look at their clothes."
"Spies?"
Anin bowed again, tears welling.
"We didn't mean to deceive anyone."
"Enough," the man barked.
"If you can't pay, we'll take this to the guards."
Danu tensed, ready to run.
Jaka clenched his fists.
Anin went pale.
Then a calm voice cut through the crowd.
"Excuse me… wait, wait."
A young man carrying a heavy bundle of firewood stepped forward.
Sweat dripped down his face.
"What's going on? I leave for a bit and it's chaos."
Arga appeared beside him.
"These are the ones who helped me in the forest."
The man set the wood down and looked at them carefully.
"Uncle, it's just a meal. Charge me. This firewood should cover it."
The stall owner sighed.
"Fine. You punk are lucky someone stepped in."
Danu collapsed onto the bench.
Anin bowed repeatedly.
Jaka nodded gratefully.
The crowd dispersed.
After the tension finally eased, they sat together again.
The young man and Arga sat side by side, keeping Jaka, Anin, and Danu company as the conversation slowly resumed.
The stall grew lively once more, filled with the sound of boiling pots and clinking cooking tools.
The stall owner, who had been furious earlier, now only sighed quietly as he tidied up the dishes.
"So… you're lost, then?" he asked, his tone much softer now.
Anin nodded.
"Yes, sir. We don't have anyone here. We were hoping to reach the capital. Maybe someone there could help us find our way home."
Jaka added, "We didn't mean to cause trouble, sir.Things just turned out like this. I honestly forgot that this was the only money I had left. I'm really sorry."
Arga and the young man listened closely, their eyes bright with curiosity.
When the trio finished explaining their situation, the young man lightly patted his thigh and broke into a wide smile.
"Well then, that's simple," he said.
"For now, just come stay with me. My house is only a small hut, but we can make some extra space for the three of you. Besides, I'm curious about your story. And next month, I'm planning to go to the capital myself to apply as a knight of the kingdom."
Jaka, Anin, and Danu exchanged glances. They were surprised, but at the same time deeply relieved. Luck, it seemed, was still on their side.
"Really? We can stay with you for a while?" Jaka asked, his voice brighter now.
"Of course," the man laughed.
"If you sleep out on the road, people will just start getting suspicious again."
The atmosphere grew noticeably warmer. The stall owner cut in, "So you're still insist, chasing your dream of becoming a patih, then?"
Arga answered quickly, "My older brother here is the one applying to be a knight next month, sir. That's why he carries so much firewood. Says it's to build strength."
"Be careful out there," the stall owner said gently.
"The world beyond this village isn't easy." His words fell softly, like advice from a father to the five young people sitting before him.
"Oh, right," the young man added with a grin.
"Well, since we're going to be neighbors for a while… let me introduce you properly."
"This is my younger brother, Arga. I'm sure you already know him."
"And I'm Bandung," he said.
"Bandung Bondowoso."