Kaivan chuckled softly, warmed by Radit's enthusiasm. Leaning back in his chair, he watched his friend's expression with quiet fondness. "That's great, Radit. I knew you've always had a knack for things like that," he replied with genuine admiration. "Oh, by the way, I'm heading to the workshop today to talk about some new ideas from my trip. There's a lot to plan."
Across the room, someone was watching them with an unreadable gaze. Tania sat with Dandi and Rina, her loyal companions. Her eyes narrowed slightly, full of quiet skepticism. "Taking apart phones? What are they even up to?" she murmured under her breath.
Dandi, seated beside her, caught her words and snickered. "Why, Tania? Are you suddenly interested in that nerd?" he teased, grinning wide.
Tania scoffed, brushing off the jibe. "Interested? Of course not. I'm just curious about why he's so close to Radit, that's all," she replied coolly. Yet her eyes lingered on Kaivan, betraying a curiosity she couldn't quite hide.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere shifted slightly. Radit, just summoned by a group of classmates, rose from his seat. Before leaving, he inclined his head politely toward Kaivan. "Yo, Kaivan. I'll see you later," he said briefly.
Kaivan raised an eyebrow, surprised by Radit's uncharacteristic formality. "Okay, Radit. Catch you later," he answered, though a question stirred quietly in his mind. Radit strode off with easy confidence.
From another corner, Tania, Dandi, and Rina tracked Radit's every move. Dandi rubbed his chin, studying the scene. "What was that? Did Radit… bow to Kaivan? Am I dreaming?" he joked.
Rina, usually the quiet one, nodded while adjusting her glasses. "That was strange. Radit doesn't usually care about anyone. But just now… it felt like he respected Kaivan," she observed softly.
Tania rolled her eyes, trying to mask the unease blooming within. "Radit's just acting weird. There's nothing special about Kaivan," she said flatly, though her thoughts were busy untangling the moment she had just witnessed.
Dandi smirked slyly, eager to stir the pot. "Hey, Tania. If you're that curious, why don't you just ask Kaivan? Didn't he confess to you once? Maybe he still has feelings."
The remark pulled a faint smile from Tania, though she worked hard to keep her face composed. "That was ages ago. Don't bring up something so silly," she replied, her voice betraying the faintest tremor.
But Dandi's words planted a seed in her mind. She rose, moving slowly toward Kaivan, who was quietly savoring a moment of solitude. Sunlight poured into the cafeteria, casting long shadows across the floor. Each step she took felt deliberate, her usual cheerful smile replaced by one slightly tense.
"Hi, Kaivan," Tania greeted as she reached him, lifting a hand with a hint of hesitation, hoping to catch his attention.
Yet Kaivan didn't respond. He kept walking, eyes fixed ahead, as though Tania were no more than a passing breeze. His stride was calm but sure, leaving an impression that made Tania feel suddenly invisible.
She froze, eyes wide in disbelief. Her heart pounded, a strange feeling curling in her chest. "Did I… just get ignored?" she whispered. Her face twisted with confusion and a flicker of indignation. "Me? Ignored?!" she blurted, her voice rising before she could stop herself.
Returning to the table where Dandi and Rina waited, Tania tried to compose herself. Yet each step felt heavier than the last, her thoughts tangled with images of Kaivan. Moments from their past replayed in her mind, leaving her wondering if she had overlooked something important.
The setting sun bathed the city in a gentle golden hue. In a quiet corner, where few ever passed, stood an old building, majestic yet silent, as though keeping the secrets of time. Inside, a hidden warehouse served as Kaivan and his friends' sanctuary: a place where ambition, hard work, and friendship blended into an unexpected harmony.
---
The rolling door groaned as Kaivan pushed it up, the sound echoing down the dim corridor like the opening note of a mysterious story. A sharp scent of metal mixed with dust filled the air, joined by the low hum of machines and the soft rustle of scattered electronic parts. Dim lights cast long, restless shadows that danced across weathered walls.
"How's the dismantling coming along?" Kaivan asked, his voice breaking the hush, alive only with the steady purr of equipment. His gaze swept the room, warm with quiet expectation as he searched for the faces that had become his family.
Zinnia looked up from her work, a tiny pair of tweezers in her hand. Her violet ponytail swayed lightly as she smiled. "We collected fifty-eight grams of gold today!" she reported, her voice bright with triumph. "And there's still half a sack of old phones left."
Nearby, Radit sat cross-legged, a battered calculator resting on his knee. He looked up, satisfaction tugging at his lips. "Not bad. At current prices, that's about twelve million rupiah. Split four ways, that's three million each." Pride warmed his tone, like a strategist pleased to see his plan succeed.
Kaivan returned a small smile, though something deeper gleamed in his eyes, a hunger for more. "We'll have to strip them all. I found a new supplier willing to sell us even more used phones at a bargain," he said, words sparking fresh energy in the air.
From the corner, Fran glanced over from where he was checking a heavy piece of machinery. "So that's where you disappeared yesterday? Chasing suppliers?" His voice teased, but admiration flickered behind his grin.
Kaivan nodded, brushing dust from his worn shirt. "Exactly. If we keep this pace, we'll hit our goal sooner than we thought. And tonight," he added with quiet certainty, "we celebrate our effort."
Their glances met in shared resolve, and the room soon filled with the clatter of tools and the low rhythm of work. Zinnia moved nimbly, fingers dancing over tiny circuits. "Hey, Kaivan, we're out of nitric acid," she called lightly.
Radit, brow furrowed, continued recording each figure with care. "List anything else that's low, I'll grab it at the chemical shop on Kopo Street," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Fran hauled a sack of old phones toward the main table. Muscles strained beneath his shirt, yet his easy smile never faded. "If we want to work faster, we'll need better gear. We could invest some of today's earnings," he suggested.
At the center, Kaivan seemed like the conductor of an orchestra. His movements were steady, his voice firm yet warm. "Zinnia, check how much nitric acid is left. Fran, help me bring in the next bag," he instructed, never pausing. "We need everything sorted before nightfall."
By evening, their haul exceeded all expectations. Kaivan held a pinch of gold in his hand, studying it with quiet pride. "Twenty-five grams in one day. Incredible, everyone," he said, a smile softening his determined face.
When the work was done, they tidied the room and prepared for the next step. Kaivan and Radit carried the gold to a trusted buyer. The process felt like a ritual, proof of the struggle they shared. The money they earned wasn't just a reward for their labor, but a symbol of the bond that tied them together.
That night, they celebrated their success at Ludwig Café, a place steeped in memories, where the aroma of warm coffee greeted them at every corner. Kaivan sat at the center of his friends, realizing they were no longer just a team, but a family bound by something deeper.
As dusk slowly melted into night, Kaivan stood once again in the warm glow of the old warehouse where he worked. The scent of metal and dust lingered, wrapping the room in a quiet, familiar comfort. It felt like home now, a place where struggle and the search for meaning found their harbor. In his hands rested the Tome Omnicent.
With trembling fingers full of hope, he opened its pages. The touch of the brittle paper sent a subtle pulse through him, as though magic stirred in its fibers. Under the dim light, letters formed words that seemed to come alive:
After dinner, go to Sukajadi Park, and be kind to the girl who is crying.
Kaivan read the line carefully, his brows knitting in thought.
"Be kind… without bringing anything today?" he murmured, curiosity mingling with doubt. Closing the book gently, he stared at the wall, trying to unravel the meaning behind the message.