Time seemed to move more slowly for those who were waiting, but eventually, Sunday finally arrived. Early that morning, Dina and Dino were already busy getting ready for their outing. At first, Dino had been reluctant to bring Dina along. He wanted to have fun, not be burdened with looking after his little sister, but Alfa managed to convince him that Dina needed some healing too. He also promised that he would help look after Dina, so Dino didn't need to worry.
The morning was still chilly when a car stopped in front of their house. Dina and Dino came out with backpacks on their shoulders.
"You sit in the middle, I'll sit in the back," Dino instructed his sister. He then got into the back, joining a friend who had already taken a seat there.
Two of Dino's female friends, whose faces Dina recognized, were already sitting in the middle row. They had been to Dina's house before to work on an assignment, but Dina hadn't had the chance to talk or properly introduce herself to either of them.
"Hi," Dina greeted awkwardly.
"Hi," the two girls replied warmly.
Alfa was sitting in the passenger seat. He turned around as soon as Dina got in.
"Ready?"
"Ready," Dina replied.
"If you need anything, just let me know," Alfa added.
Dina nodded.
The car started moving. Strangely, Dina didn't feel awkward at all. Dino's friends were very friendly toward her. They introduced themselves to Dina. The driver was Esa. The girls beside her were Nabila and Syifa. The one sitting in the back with her brother was Putra. They included Dina in their conversations, so she never felt like an outsider.
The conversation flowed around ordinary topics. No one ever brought up college or assignments, as if everyone had silently agreed that, during this little vacation, those topics were taboo.
Throughout the drive, Alfa was the one who most often encouraged Dina to join the conversation. He also frequently offered her snacks or drinks.
"So, which one of you is actually Dina's brother, you or Dino, Al?" Nabila asked.
The car immediately erupted in laughter.
"Seriously, Alfa's way too attentive," Syifa added with a laugh. "He's more attentive than Dino."
Alfa chuckled. "I've already been adopted by Dino's mom."
"Yeah, too bad you guys missed the celebration," Dino chimed in.
Dina laughed along, her cheeks growing warm.
Taman Sakura at Cibodas Botanical Garden was not as crowded as usual. The air was cool, the trees were neatly arranged, and shades of pink were scattered everywhere like a painting.
Dina stopped for a moment, staring at the rows of cherry blossom trees.
"It's beautiful," she said softly.
Alfa stood beside her. "Yeah." Alfa pointed into the distance. "Over there, those bonsai trees I told you about."
"Wow," Dina exclaimed in admiration. "You really kept your promise."
Alfa smiled. "Of course. I don't like making empty promises."
They walked along the pathway. Dino and the others were a little farther ahead, laughing loudly and busy taking pictures. Dina and Alfa fell a few steps behind.
"Have you been here before?" Alfa asked.
"Not here, but I went to Cibodas not too long ago," Dina replied. "On a school trip. To Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park."
"With who?"
"With my friends. Remember Ando and Bram? The ones who met you at the hospital that time."
Alfa nodded slowly. "The one who was sleeping and the one who kept sneaking glances at you?"
Dina immediately turned toward him. "Hey, watch it. He already has a girlfriend."
Alfa simply smiled. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
They stopped beneath a cherry blossom tree. The wind gently blew the petals down around them.
Dina lifted her face, smiling to herself.
Alfa watched her for a moment before asking lightly, "Happy you came?"
Dina turned toward him. "Very happy. Thanks for bringing me here, Al."
"You're welcome," Alfa replied. "I'm happy if you're happy."
It was actually a perfectly ordinary comment, but somehow it made Dina's smile grow even wider.
When they regrouped with everyone else, Dino glanced at Dina. For a long moment. As if making sure she was okay.
"Tired?" Dino asked.
"No," Dina replied. "I'm happy."
Dino gave a small nod, then handed his sister a drink. Dina accepted it and joined her brother and his friends in their conversation.
---
That night, Dina lay on her bed with her legs slightly bent, in the most comfortable position she could manage after spending the whole day walking. Her body was tired, but her head felt light. It was the kind of exhaustion that felt good.
Percy jumped onto the bed and curled up beside her thigh.
"Tired too, huh?" Dina murmured as she stroked the cat's head.
She reached for her phone. Her gallery was filled with memories from that day: blue skies, trees in various colors, blooming cherry blossoms, and several pictures of herself with her brother and her new friends.
The clock showed 9:25 p.m. when Dina opened Facebook.
She scrolled for a while, then went back to her gallery. Her finger stopped on one photo. It wasn't anything particularly special, really. Just Dina and Alfa standing with their backs to the camera, facing a stretch of cherry blossom trees. They weren't holding hands. They weren't standing too close. There was still a respectful distance between them. But somehow, the picture looked… peaceful.
Dina picked another picture of the cherry blossoms. Then one of everyone together.
She let out a small sigh, then typed a caption.
"Finally made it here. Tired, but happy."
Dina tagged everyone in the photos, then pressed Post.
Just like that.
The first comment came in less than a minute later.
Icha: Omg Dinaaaa. Someone looks VERY happy after her little trip.
Dina smiled.
The next comments quickly followed.
Nia: Okay, this was definitely not just a regular outing.
Syifa: Why do I look so fat in this picture :(
Dina bit her lip, trying to hold back her increasingly wide smile.
Nabila, Esa, and Putra only left likes.
Not long after, Alfa's comment appeared too.
Alfa: I had fun too. Let's go somewhere again sometime.
Dina had just started typing a reply when Icha's comment appeared again.
Icha: Oh, is this Dina's future boyfriend? Ooh, ooh…
Dina slapped her forehead when she saw her friend's shameless teasing. She really had no filter. How embarrassing.
Nia: Uwoooowww… Din, we're waiting for an explanation.
Dina quickly typed a reply, but before she could press the post button, her brother had already added a comment.
Dino: No. @Alfa is my friend.
Dina stared at the comment. She debated whether she should add another comment or just leave her brother's clarification alone. In the end, Dina simply liked her brother's comment and closed the screen.
Dina had just returned from the kitchen after getting a drink when another notification popped up.
Ando commented on your status.
Dina's heart fluttered when she saw the notification. With a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, she tapped it.
There were no words.
Just one emoji.
Ando: :)
Dina stared at the emoji for a while.
"Why just that? What does it mean?" she asked in confusion.
She waited a few seconds. There was no follow-up comment. No incoming chat either.
Percy let out a small meow.
"What is wrong with him?" Dina stroked his head. "He's so unclear."
But for some reason, her mood immediately dropped. Ando really was the best at ruining her mood.
Elsewhere, Ando stared at his phone screen longer than he would ever admit.
Dina's post was still open.
The picture of Dina and that guy.
The same guy he had seen at the hospital.
Ando moved his phone onto the table, then leaned back in his chair. His hand slipped into the pocket of his hoodie, his fingers unconsciously curling into a fist.
"It's just a trip. With everyone else," he muttered.
But his chest felt tight in a way it normally didn't.
He opened the comment section again. That word, future boyfriend, really irritated him.
Ando let out a slow breath.
He had only sent one reaction. A smiling emoji. Safe. Neutral. Nothing conspicuous.
Let Dina figure out what it meant on her own.