Flashback, four months ago.
Ardo rode his Harley towards Rey’s new restaurant. Behind his full-face helmet, he smiled as he recalled events from ten years ago. Now, the five of them had grown into adults. Ardo chuckled as he reminisced about their teenage years. Sometimes, he wondered—would his life be as exciting as it was now if he hadn’t been friends with the other four?
Virardo Nugraha was an automotive content creator. He had originally worked as a marketing supervisor for a prestigious private company. However, he decided to resign after hearing rumors that another senior supervisor was about to be laid off due to staff reductions during the pandemic two years ago. Ardo made a deal with HR to step down so the senior supervisor wouldn’t lose his job. Besides, his social media accounts and online video channels were thriving, and he wanted to pursue his dream of opening his own automotive workshop.
Ardo took a sharp turn at an intersection. He rarely rode this expensive motorcycle unless it was for an important occasion—just to add a touch of romantic melancholy to his persona. Like today, as they celebrated ten years of friendship between himself, Aldo, Tomi, Indra, and Rey. Sure, they were twenty-seven, but they still acted like teenagers when they were together.
He arrived at the inner parking lot and parked his bike at the far end. Just minutes after he arrived, the sound of screeching tires suddenly caught his attention as a car braked abruptly beside him. Ardo burst out laughing when he recognized the car. He knew exactly who the driver was. The window rolled down, revealing Indra’s face, ready to tease him.
"My man, Ardo. You’re looking rough these days. Guess that’s what happens when you run a workshop," Indra teased.
Ardo grinned at his words. Tomi sat beside Indra, stretching as he removed his earphones.
"Hey, Tom. Thought you wouldn’t make it since you’re busy with recordings," Ardo greeted.
"Taking a break—my voice’s shot!" Tomi replied.
Lately, Tomi hadn’t been sleeping well, often staying overnight at the studio instead of going home. The two of them stepped out of the car, and Ardo waited for them before heading into the restaurant.
"So, you can’t perform at my club?" Indra asked Tomi.
Tomi had made an agreement with Indra weeks ago. When it came to financial matters, Indra was pretty particular.
"Nope!" Tomi answered lazily. He slung an arm around Ardo, whom he hadn’t seen in a while due to Ardo’s busy touring schedule and managing his workshop branches out of town.
"Aldo still isn’t here," Ardo remarked.
Tomi simply shrugged. Revaldo Aditya was always the last to show up at their gatherings—too much work to handle. As a journalist, his job never really allowed him to relax, and Aldo thrived in the chaos.
***
Rey was already inside the restaurant. Technically, it wasn’t open yet, but everything from interior design to chefs, staff, management, and operational systems was about ninety percent ready. Before the official opening, Rey wanted to share this small happiness with Ardo, Aldo, Indra, and Tomi.
They had always urged him to open his own restaurant rather than work abroad. Their excuse was simple: they wanted to hang out together more often without having to wait for Rey to come back to Indonesia. Rey bent slightly, wiping off oil splatters from the edge of a plate with a tissue.
"Perfect," Rey muttered when he was done.
From a hundred meters away, Rey could already hear Tomi, Ardo, and Indra laughing. One by one, they hugged him and congratulated him before settling into the aesthetic white chairs surrounding the table. Rey was the last to sit, eager to see their reactions after trying his food.
"These are the signature dishes that will be served at Lafdive," Rey announced proudly.
Tomi was already chewing, Ardo tasted the soup, and Indra took a deep sniff of the pastries without hesitation. Among true friends, there was no such thing as formality. Indra gave him two thumbs up in approval.
"Chef’s kiss!" Tomi said, imitating an Italian chef.
"Aldo should write a restaurant review on this. I bet it would skyrocket interest," Ardo suggested.
Rey beamed. "That’s a great idea. By the way, is Aldo still busy?" he asked, resting his chin on his hand.
"Who knows? I just hope he tones down his idealism a little. I mean, is he not worried that some undercover agent is posing as a street food vendor outside his house? The way he talks about economic issues is kind of nerve-wracking," Tomi said with concern.
Aldo was the one among them who often got into trouble for discussing sensitive issues related to the government. However, ever since he focused on his master’s degree and took a job as a teaching assistant, he wasn’t as reckless as he had been at the start of his career.
Aldo left his office only to get stuck in traffic, making him late for the ten-year friendship celebration with Ardo, Tomi, Indra, and Rey. Honestly, he wasn’t all that excited about such a childish event, but at nearly thirty, he didn’t have close friends besides them. With them, it was okay to act like teenagers again.
"Rey, I’ll be a bit late. Traffic’s crazy," Aldo said over the phone.
He could hear Indra and Tomi’s banter in the background. He hadn’t seen them for months. Sometimes, taking a moment to relive the past wasn’t such a bad idea.
"Okay, be careful, Do," Rey replied before hanging up.
Aldo finally arrived at Rey’s restaurant, which was yet to be officially opened. It was located in the heart of the city, in a prime business district. From the outside, it looked grand and luxurious. Adjusting his glasses, Aldo checked his watch.
"Not too late, I guess," he muttered, reassuring himself before stepping inside. The four of them were already laughing about something.
"Traffic was terrible," Aldo said as he sat down.
Rey stood up. "Hold on, Do. Your special meal will be ready in five minutes," he said before leaving the table.
Aldo nodded. Rey knew how sensitive his digestion was and always prepared a special dish for him whenever they gathered.
"Aaaah!" Tomi suddenly exclaimed, handing Aldo a piece of steak.
"I know you always skip lunch. No wonder you’re so skinny. Honestly, you should get married before the rest of us," Tomi teased.
Aldo chewed his food and forced a smile. Questions and suggestions about marriage were always touchy subjects for anyone over twenty-seven who was still single.
"Look at yourself before giving advice. My thesis data is still piling up," Aldo retorted playfully.
He was pursuing his master’s at the same university where he earned his bachelor’s degree, studying in the same education program.
"Tomi, you sound like my mom. Always talking about marriage," Ardo chimed in.
"Still not tired of being a TA?" Tomi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No choice. I help out with lectures and assignments. My professor would be overwhelmed without an assistant, considering how many classes he teaches," Aldo explained.
The previous assistant had resigned, leaving Aldo with no choice but to help his thesis advisor. Rey returned with mushroom soup, bread, and smoked meat for everyone. Aldo appreciated Rey’s thoughtfulness. For the next hour, they ate and chatted until sleepiness started creeping in.
"How about a vacation to Malibu? Or Bali?" Indra suggested.
The others immediately frowned.
"No way, Ndra. Boring!" Tomi protested.
"Nope. My work would pile up," Ardo replied.
Rey and Aldo exchanged smiles and shrugged, leaving Indra furrowing his brows, deep in thought.