It was still early that day, but Bogor was already starting to feel hot. Not a trace of dew could be seen on the leaves. The air felt warm yet calming. The sky was still pale—a blue that had not fully awakened yet. Dina stepped out through the gate of her house. Today, she and her art group had agreed to meet to buy booth decoration supplies and materials for making their diorama.
From a distance, the sound of a car approached. Ando's black SUV stopped right in front of the gate. The window rolled down, and a small smile appeared on his face.
"Morning, Boss," he greeted.
Dina tightened her thin cardigan. "Morning. We agreed to meet at Naga Kencana. Why are you here?"
"I'm picking up the boss lady, of course," Ando replied with a grin.
Dina's face reddened slightly. "Good job, Aide," she teased.
Dina got into the car and fastened her seat belt. The scent of her cologne immediately wafted toward Ando, soft and calming. He noticed that Dina looked sweet today. She was wearing a white sleeveless knee-length mini dress with a blue floral pattern. Her slim waist was accentuated by a thin gold belt. A baby-blue cardigan added a fresh touch. Her hair was left loose, with a hair clip on one side. She carried a mini backpack on her lap.
"Let's go."
Dina's voice brought Ando out of his reverie. He started the car and slowly drove toward the stationery store where they had agreed to meet.
Outside the stationery store, Bram, Aldi, and Arvin were already waiting. Dina opened her notes and told her friends what they needed to buy. Watercolors, styrofoam, cardboard, glue, scissors, and other things. They then split up to look for the things they needed. It did not take long to gather the supplies. Most of the things they were looking for were available at the store, but a few items were missing.
"We need synthetic grass," Dina said, opening her notes. "And miniature trees, if possible."
Aldi and Arvin put their shopping bags into the trunk of the car.
"Also some used cardboard and cement paper," Bram added.
"So what do we do?" Dina asked.
Bram thought for a moment. "I know a place that sells miniatures for making dioramas. As for the cardboard and cement paper, we can buy those at a hardware store."
"Oh, okay. Let's go there," Dina said.
"Better if we split up," Aldi suggested. "Bram and I will go to the miniature shop. You, Arvin, and Ando go to the hardware store."
Arvin immediately protested. "It'd be weird if they're in the car and I have to follow them on my motorcycle."
Aldi clicked his tongue. "You're such a hassle. I'll ride your motorcycle. You ride in the car with them."
Arvin chuckled sheepishly. "Right, yeah. Here." He handed his motorcycle keys to Aldi.
They then split up. Ando, Arvin, and Dina got into the car. Along the way, they searched for a hardware store. After stopping at several stores, they finally found one that sold used cardboard and cement paper.
Dina chose a large piece of cardboard. When she lifted it, the sheet was too wide and made her stagger slightly.
"Here," Ando said briefly.
He stepped forward and helped her lift the cardboard.
"I can do it…" Dina said softly.
"Don't act so tough," Ando teased.
Dina puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
She saw Arvin carrying the folded cement paper. There were only a few sheets, but they looked heavy. Ando was also carrying sheets of cardboard in both his right and left hands.
After putting the cardboard and cement paper into the trunk, Ando invited Dina and Arvin to eat chicken porridge at a roadside stall. He was very hungry because he had left the house before breakfast.
"Boss, two quail egg skewers too," Arvin said to the server.
"Which one of us is hungry, you or me?" Ando commented.
Ando sat beside Dina. Very close, to the point where their legs touched. Even though the place was quiet and spacious, neither of them took the initiative to move away.
"You look really excited," Ando said while playing with the straw in his iced tea.
"Going out with you guys is fun," Dina answered quickly.
"With us or with Ando?" Arvin teased.
Dina almost choked on her water.
Ando instinctively flicked Arvin on the head, while Arvin chuckled. "Just kidding. Your face is so red."
Dina decided to focus on her porridge instead. "You're crazy," she muttered.
After shopping, they agreed to gather at Ando's house. Although they had previously agreed to make Dina's house their base camp, this time they had to change locations. The reason was that Dina was afraid Garfield would cause trouble. Besides, they would have to transport their supplies in Ando's car anyway, so they might as well.
It was Dina's first time entering Ando's house. She had been to his mother's clinic in the front yard before, but she had never had a chance to stop by his house.
Ando's house felt warm, filled with sunlight coming through the windows of the living room. The table in the room had already been cleared for group work, while they sat on the floor and began unpacking their supplies.
When Dina was halfway through taking off her cardigan, Ando's hand immediately stopped her.
Is she seriously this oblivious? he thought.
She was surrounded by four boys who were still going through puberty, without any parental supervision. Her sleeveless dress could obviously cause a problem.
"Put it on," Ando said firmly. His hand also pulled the cardigan back up onto Dina's shoulders.
"But it's hot," she argued.
"Put it on," Ando repeated. He did not want to be argued with.
Although she pouted, Dina obediently put her cardigan back on. After that, Ando went into his room and came out carrying his basketball shorts. He handed them to Dina.
"Put these on too."
Dina stared at him in disbelief, while her other friends acted awkwardly. They agreed with Ando. Dina's knee-length dress had ridden up slightly when she sat down. Especially since they would be moving around actively. It was obviously very risky. It was impossible for Dina to sit in a side-sitting position all day.
Dina noticed her friends' concern. She was not that crazy either. She gestured for Ando to lean down, then whispered to him.
"I'm wearing shorts underneath, you know," she whispered softly, embarrassed.
Ando whispered back. "I know. But they're body-hugging, right? What's the difference between that and not wearing any?"
Dina glared at him, and Ando stared right back. They seemed to be having a staring contest. Their friends were still sitting awkwardly.
In the end, not wanting to make anyone else uncomfortable, Dina had no choice but to take the shorts and head to the bathroom. She was annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. She had deliberately worn this dress because she knew it was going to be hot today.
She wondered if Ando was like this with Clara too. Dina had noticed that Clara often wore short skirts. Did Ando tell her off too?
Dina came out of the bathroom. Her appearance looked rather funny. Ando's basketball shorts were underneath her dress, making the dress look puffy from the waist down. Dina looked at Ando, who stared back at her with a satisfied expression before returning his focus to his work.
Dina sat back down. She had to admit, she was much more comfortable moving around now and no longer had to worry about her dress riding up or opening. She could even sit cross-legged freely.
After the little drama with her dress was settled, she started making patterns on craft paper. Ando and Arvin worked on the cement paper to make the "mountain" that would be attached to the booth wall, while Bram and Aldi cut cardboard to make the diorama.
They worked efficiently. Occasionally, they discussed things or took breaks to snack.
Arvin took a photo of them. "This is for process documentation. Teachers love this kind of thing."
Aldi looked at the scattered supplies. "There's so much stuff… and it's only going to be displayed for one day."
"Gotta go all out, bro," Bram commented without lifting his head. He was still focused on the diorama.
Arvin chimed in, "Bro, have you been hiding some kind of talent this whole time?"
"Yeah. Seriously, I thought you were only good at sleeping," Aldi said.
Ando and Dina simply laughed.
Bram shrugged casually. "Old hobby."
Ando opened a can of paint, then started painting the cement paper that had been shaped into a mountain with two peaks. His hand was steady, his movements slow and meticulous.
Dina watched him for a moment. "You're pretty meticulous too."
"I don't want our booth to be less cool than the other groups," Ando replied. "Besides… if I make a mess of it, you'll definitely complain."
"Absolutely!" Bram agreed.
Dina huffed in annoyance, then went back to cutting the styrofoam, continuing her work.
Afternoon turned into dusk. Orange light swept across the living room, illuminating their decorations, which were nearly finished.
Dina looked at it proudly. Their booth was going to be awesome. She was sure of it.