From Duren Down To The Heart
Chapter 12. are we friends??

"What??" Ririn was shocked to hear my story. "Lo seriously did Aldo do that?"

"Hm." I nodded. "gue also did not expect Rin.. I don't suspect at all that he's the culprit.."

Ririn..

"go tell you, because I love my best friend.. I don't like the wrong people.."

"thank's Clar.. My best friend is you.." Ririn hugged me.

"we can definitely get the best guy for us." I said as I returned Ririn's embrace.

****

I guess once I'm done with this, Keanu will be fine again..

But in reality, it didn't seem that easy the world sided with the man.

His face looked disappointed, as he presented his wares to people passing by his shop. But no one stopped by to buy his duren.

I who was serving the buyer, occasionally glanced at him, and remained the same, his expression still illustrating disappointment while occasionally exhaling a long breath.

"mbak... usually do you buy duren fruit also in the store next door?" I asked one of the buyers.

"no ah mbak, afraid, even given a foul duren, again!"

"but that was yesterday.. After all, the durennnya artisan has been compensated to all buyers who dapet duren rotten!"

"yes, but next time.."

I approached Keanu when I was done serving the buyers.

And the man only glanced at me for a moment, and looked back ahead.

"Patience.. Surely your sustenance will come too..!" I said, start the conversation..

"i thought everything was going to be fine again as before." he shook his head. "but it wasn't that easy."

I haven't responded to his words..

"but by the way. You are now strong enough to smell durian huh? how do I see, lately you've never used a clip again in your nose?"

I reflexed my nose, then I sniffed. "oh yes, I also realized that I'm not sick anymore when I smell duren.." I laughed.

"that's good. That means you don't have to kick me out again, right?"

"yeee? don't start again..!"

"start what?"

"you must be luring me to fight again like last time? didn't they?"

"no! I don't like fighting either.. Mending us peace, how?" he said, while chugging and raising both eyebrows.

"Mmmm.I actually want to help you.."

"help.. what?"

"I want to offer you a partnership!"

"meaning?"

"so, my plan, I want to add a menu in my fruit soup, which is sop duren! I want to take the durennnya from you, later while I promote your duren-duren again to my customers.. How's it?"

"wow.your idea is good too!"

"yeah dong.. Clara..!!" I said while shaking my hair.

"but you really hold the smell of duren?"

"yes, I'm sure you can fight that duren smell! How, deal?" I thrust a hand .

"the..!" Keanu shook my hand.

Well.. Hopefully this plan will go well..

And hopefully it will ease my guilt over Aldo's treatment of Keanu.

After all, I was Aldo's reason for doing that.

I told Om Yugo that cop about Aldo's problem.

Hopefully Om Yugo can help me without involving Keanu, because surely he will not want to, even if only used as a witness..

****

Today I started selling with my new menu.. And I really have withstood the smell of duren.

I even had a taste of the duren..

Alhamdulilla.. Many customers liked my new menu.

"wah. fruit soup plus durennya very good!" said one buyer.

"iya dong mbak. I use the durennya with the best quality. Anyway the duren is still very seger.. Want to know where I bought the duren?" ask the buyer.

"where exactly is mbak? I'd like to buy one too..!"

"uh..!" I pointed to the Keanu duren shop. "i bought there, guaranteed the duren fruit is good!"

"but he said there like to sell a rotten duren!"

"do not believe mbak. precisely there is the best quality durennnya!"

I didn't stop promoting Keanu's duren. And it's true.. I see, Keanu's shop is surrounded by many buyers.

Ahhe..

It feels so relieved! Seeing everything return to how it was. And I again saw a very happy look on Keanu's face.

"Extreme.." Keanu cleared his throat, and it turned out that he was already beside me now.

"just ngagetin!" I said while rubbing my chest.

"Thank you, yeah.."

I smiled. "sama-sama, we should help each other!"

She returned my smile so sweetly..

"but do you mind if I think of you as. friend?" tanyakanya.

"friends?"

"yeah..! Because I never had any friends. So let me feel what it's like to have a friend.. Can you?"

"oh. mmmm, of course! Friends?" I said while raising my little finger, and Keanu hooked his rivet.

"Friends!"

We laughed quite loosely, before I saw anyone peeking behind the car across from my stall.

Her face was like a stranger, and it looked like.. Aldo's!

Turns out he's still following me.

I want to solve his case immediately, so that he can be quickly thrown into prison, because of his outrageous deeds.

"what's up Clar?" ask Keanu

"oh. gapapa, I was like seeing my schoolmate across the street. But maybe the guy's gone."

"that's it?" he asked, which I replied with a nod. "what time do you want to close?"

I looked at the clock in my hand. "just a second, at most around 4!"

"want me to come home?"

"no, no need Mas, I have a promise with my best friend, want to meet at the cafe."

I had an appointment with Ririn, but on the other hand there was another matter that made me reject Keanu's offer.

Nadias!

Nadia would not like it if I was accompanied by Keanu. Because at that time he had already very clearly said that he liked Keanu.

****

"Cie... Don't you start liking the duren guy, huh? The proof, you are willing to face directly with duren. Though you used to hate the same thing called the smell of duren! To the extent that you often vomit because of the fruit.." ledek Ririn.

"has?" I tilted my head and looked at Ririn. "so fussy!"

"yeee.. But it's real right?"

"can't! I can't like him!"

"why?"

"that's why Nadia likes him too!"

"Nadia's your neighbor at the hostel?"

I nodded. "yes.. From the beginning he had blatantly said that he liked Mas duren! If now I like it too, I keep making love to Mas duren, isn't that like I stabbed him in the back?"

"yes, it's Clara.. He is not the same as Nadia! So her status is still SINGLE!" Ririn pressed her last sentence.

Didn't she??