"You think Aldo is as good as he looks on the outside, huh?" Indra accused Priska, who had just woken up.
Priska froze at his words, feeling the condescending gaze of the man before her. She could no longer see Aldo the same way after what had happened. From what she had observed since last night, both Aldo and Indra casually switched between different pronouns when addressing people, seamlessly shifting between "lo-gue" and "aku-kamu" as if it was second nature to them.
"I don’t want to be with a girl who has a crush on another guy, especially Aldo." Indra scoffed, rubbing his chin. "You're lucky I won't do anything to you. Maybe just a little skinship," he added nonchalantly.
"What are you guys, really? Why don’t you have a heart?"
Hearing that made Indra smirk. "Priska, do you know how old we are? Twenty-seven. We’re not kids anymore. People who’ve tasted the ups and downs of life start changing in certain ways. We’ve been friends since high school, and every year, we place bets—on things as simple as sports matches to ridiculous things like how many times a delivery guy will ring our doorbell when dropping off an order." Indra smiled at the memory of the silly things he and his friends had done over the years.
"What’s your point? Why are you going in circles?" Priska snapped, growing more frustrated.
"My point is, the things you see as black and white? They don’t matter anymore. We just want to have fun. Let’s enjoy ourselves together. No harm done… you get money for playing along with us," Indra stated arrogantly.
Priska couldn’t wrap her head around Indra’s twisted way of thinking. He stood up from his seat, stretching his muscles and groaning. With a flick of his fingers, he gestured for Priska to follow him out of the room. As they walked downstairs to the living room, she barely listened to his endless chatter about where his wealth came from. Her bare feet felt cold against the floor.
"I need you to break up with all my crazy girlfriends. Act as my fiancée. I’ve already prepared outfits for you, and we’ll go to a salon later to fix that ridiculous hair of yours," he said, grabbing a strand of her stiff hair between his fingers.
"But I can’t act," Priska replied lazily.
"Then how do you plan to pay off your debt? Want me to actually rape you?" Indra asked, his eyes darkening as he glared at her.
Priska instantly shrank back. Something about Indra’s threats felt real, like he wasn’t just bluffing. Yet, she couldn’t understand him. He was the most aggressive one last night, and now he was saying he didn’t want to touch her?
"Relax when you’re with me. As long as you obey, you’ll be safe. I don’t like being rough with women," Indra declared smugly.
Priska approached a clothing rack, the kind she usually saw in department stores, though she rarely went shopping for clothes. The price tags were still attached.
"Expensive," she muttered in shock.
"When else will you get to wear clothes this pricey? If you do a good job, I’ll give them all to you."
Priska’s eyes widened. If this insane game between the five friends was just something trivial like this and didn’t involve actual rape, then maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal. But she knew she was being too optimistic. She was still confused about this strange situation.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, depends on your behavior," Indra replied casually.
She was so mesmerized by the beautiful clothes in front of her that she momentarily forgot she was a prisoner, expected to obey. Maybe because Indra wasn’t demanding much from her.
"Why did you ask Aldo to trap me?"
Priska still couldn’t believe Aldo had done something so cruel. Indra smiled faintly, leaning back on the sofa, enjoying the sight of Priska in her thin pajamas. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, and she noticed.
"We didn’t tell Aldo to do it. He did it of his own free will. Do you know what he was trying to avoid? A fifty-million-rupiah fine, Pris. He had to pay that if he didn’t find a virgin like you," Indra said casually.
Priska’s body went weak with sadness upon learning the truth behind Aldo’s lies. So, to him, her worth was nothing more than fifty million rupiah—sacrificed just because he didn’t want to pay a penalty.
"When it’s his turn to win the betting game, you can ask him yourself why he did it. I’m only telling you my perspective."
Priska was lost in thought. She sat beside Indra, her legs weak with shock. Aldo was cruel. For months, she had believed he had feelings for her, thinking their time together was leading to something real, something romantic.
"You really have a crush on Aldo, huh? Poor girl, unrequited love. Don’t even dream about it—word is, his parents only want him to marry someone from the same ethnicity. You’re sweet, Pris, but you’d better bury those feelings deep down and just have fun with me for now."
Priska stared blankly at Indra, snapping out of her daze at his offer. She didn’t trust him. Her entire perception of men had changed. She saw Indra as an enemy, one who could attack at any moment.
"You said you guys were looking for virgins, right? So… does that mean your goal is to take my virginity?" Priska asked, furious.
Indra clapped dramatically, laughing as if she had just solved a puzzle. "No, not me, personally. I don’t want to sleep with a virgin who knows nothing about sex. Can’t say the same for my friends, though. But as long as you’re with me, you’ll be safe. How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me, Pris?" His forehead creased in mild annoyance.
"Promise?" Priska asked, needing reassurance, even though she knew she couldn’t fully trust him.
"Promise. I won’t touch you sexually. But maybe I can teach you how to kiss," Indra smirked, pulling her waist closer before capturing her lips with his.
Priska struggled to break free, but Indra was too strong, refusing to let go until he was satisfied. He enjoyed her resistance—he hadn’t kissed a woman who actually fought back in a long time. Lately, all the women he’d kissed would moan exaggeratedly, acting like they wanted things to escalate to the bedroom. Unfortunately for them, Indra was getting bored of such easy acceptance and fake performances.
Indra pushed Priska down onto the sofa, pinning her wrists to stop her from squirming. He trailed his lips down her neck, planting kisses along her skin, relishing the way she gasped. He was certain Priska’s reactions weren’t an act; they were pure, instinctive responses.
"There’s something different about virgins. Makes me want to take things further. But I’m afraid you’ll end up moaning Aldo’s name when it happens," Indra teased, wiping away the sweat on Priska’s forehead as she panted beneath him, her head tilting back as he nipped at her neck.