Aldo didn’t want to bother himself too much with the ridiculous lottery idea Indra had come up with. He went home to his residence in an upscale housing complex, guarded by security officers working 24-hour shifts. Here, Aldo was surrounded by people with similar educational backgrounds and wealth levels.
As an intelligent man, he didn’t particularly like this kind of social stratification, but he did appreciate the security it provided. Not just anyone could enter the neighborhood without clear identification. As a journalist, he had plenty of enemies.
Aldo yawned repeatedly, drowsiness taking over. The imbalance between his enthusiasm and his physical condition often irritated him. He was at his most productive and focused at night when everything was quiet and free from outside distractions.
However, tonight, he fell asleep faster than expected after lying down for just a moment on his soft bed. The next morning, Aldo woke up feeling regretful—he had planned to revise his thesis last night. He quickly checked his phone. The notification chime hadn’t stopped buzzing.
“Damn, they’re still talking about this?” Aldo muttered.
Hundreds of messages flooded the group chat. The four men were still discussing how to trap a virgin girl.
[ Aldo, I know you’re awake! ]
It was a message from Indra, who had deliberately tagged his number. Still lying in bed, Aldo sighed in frustration, caught reading the messages without responding.
“Bastard!”
Aldo sent the voice recording, and Tomi immediately bombarded the chat with goofy emojis. Ardo excused himself, saying he was too tired and needed sleep, while Rey only responded briefly.
Aldo tossed his phone onto the bed and stepped out of his bedroom, refusing to get caught up in their discussion about virgins. After washing his face, he settled in front of his computer in his study. Since he hadn’t had time to work at night, he was determined to make up for it by revising his thesis this morning.
“All right, let’s get to work,” he murmured.
Aldo had been highly competitive since childhood. Unlike the neighbors’ kids, who were enrolled in international schools, Aldo’s mother had chosen to send her youngest son to a regular school, wanting him to socialize more.
He didn’t necessarily need a master’s degree. He had gone back to school as a distraction after failing to convince Giska to marry young. If only Giska had agreed, they would probably already have two kids by now, and he’d be focused on providing for his family instead of wasting time messing around with Indra and the others.
***
That afternoon, Aldo met up with Virardo Nugraha, or simply Ardo. The man owned an automotive workshop specializing in modifications and full-service repairs. Aldo wasn’t keen on coming, but his friend had forced him to wash his car himself. Ardo claimed Aldo was too spoiled, always relying on car wash services. He argued that careless car owners could easily have valuable items or even original parts stolen and replaced with counterfeits.
“Thought you weren’t gonna show up,” Ardo said, hands on his hips.
Aldo yawned, rolled down his car window, and checked his under-eye circles in the side mirror. His appearance was still decent, though he felt slightly unwell. However, he was too lazy to see a doctor. The bespectacled man stepped out of his car and glanced around.
“Well, look at you, all set,” Aldo teased.
“For my lazy-ass friend who spends more time investigating government affairs than caring for his car, I, Virardo Nugraha, shall patiently teach this slant-eyed dude how to wash a car properly,” Ardo declared dramatically.
Aldo burst into laughter and playfully smacked Ardo’s head, annoyed at being called lazy. Ardo laughed in return.
“Let’s eat first,” Ardo suggested, walking toward the private lounge.
“Okay,” Aldo agreed, following him.
If Ardo hadn’t invited him, Aldo probably wouldn’t have bothered eating yet. He often skipped meals. One of the dishes ordered happened to be his favorite.
“When’s the lottery happening?” Aldo asked.
He hadn’t kept track and had never really counted the days since their so-called ‘Cabe-Cabean’ lottery. Ardo, who had been chewing his food, suddenly choked at the question and quickly gulped down his drink.
“Beginning of the month, I think. The problem is… it’s really hard to find a virgin girl.”
Aldo frowned. The topic of virginity was a sensitive issue in this country, even though, in reality, non-virgins outnumbered virgins. The five of them were all playboys, frequently changing partners—but always consensually. Finding a virgin girl willing to play along seemed nearly impossible unless she was completely out of her mind.
“Why does she have to be a virgin? Can’t we tweak the rules a bit? What if we get slapped with a rape charge? There are plenty of girls out there—some would even sleep with us for free, or for a hefty price just for a one-night stand. Especially you guys, who love spending money on women. I’m not into that shit,” Aldo said flatly.
The five of them had been mischievous and playful since their teenage years. But this game was extreme—it involved criminal activity and sexual assault if they ended up trapping a naive, innocent girl who had never been in a relationship or touched by a man before.
“That’s not the point, Do. That’s exactly what makes it a challenge. You never know, right? There might actually be a girl out there willing to give up her virginity for money, under certain circumstances. Who doesn’t like money?” Ardo replied.