You & Dusk
Embarrassment

(Flashback Part)

The world is vast but often feels cramped for things that cannot be explained. For example, if we meet accidentally with someone who has been present for a while but left deep memories to hope to meet again.

Maybe so with Alfy, it has been two years since he experienced the bad thing even though finally in his third year wearing white gray he had to experience it again. But it was worse than before, so he had to change schools because he was not strong enough to hold his own school friends bullyan.

Added to the facts about her brother revealed, adding to the pain she felt in the last years of her High School. After the death of her brother, she became often moody but Alfy grew into a strong Muslimah. Over time, the bullyan******* that he suffered during his final years of school vanished along with his decision to attend college.

In college, a new life awaits. With the spirit of starting over and not wanting to turn around to see those bad memories, Alfy continued living. One by one the people who cared about him arrived.

In the college world, a new world that he never thought of brought him to have many friends who could appreciate him more and make him make peace with the past.

Until one time on his campus, after a lecture he accidentally saw the first person who cared about him in the past. A man who had helped her out of fear at the time.

The man is seen walking in the corridor of his college major, long into the old man's lodge walking closer and closer. Alfy was still watching him, he was guessing whether this man was him.

When the man who noticed it raised his gaze that had lowered his head to see his smartphone, Alfy was sure that this man was Arman. Someone in the past who was a hero to him and then Alfy felt things he had never felt before.

Arman then walked to visit him, unconsciously they looked at each other and Alfy smiled at him and then Arman stopped. He felt strange, finally out of curiosity with the woman he saw he looked back. He looked at the woman's back, covered and very closed.

The woman's smile at him, made Arman curious and the more he walked away the more he fell in curiosity.

Alfy, who has just seen Arman, a teenage boy who helped her, feels for the first time since her brother died. He smiled back unconsciously. Until the man passed, Alfy looked at Arman's back for a moment before Arman turned his head spontaneously Alfy turned his head forward not wanting to be seen by Arman.

From then on, Alfy kept thinking about it. Days passed and he no longer saw Arman. Until one time in Sunday morning, on campus activities in the square of the city. At a stand that sells used clothes, Alfy accidentally meets him, accidentally they both collide.

He saw that the man was Arman. His eyes were fixed, and he looked down in shame. Arman continued to apologize but Alfy panicked and turned around to leave but it turned out that Arman grabbed his hand, spontaneously he took off the hand and left Arman looking guilty.

Yes, that was the beginning of their interaction. After that Alfy continued to experience another accident. Like when they cross paths once again in the campus corridor. Closer until they are one step away.

But Alfy looked down as if he didn't know what to do. He saw very well that Arman was trying to say hello but he did not know what to respond until they passed.

Alfy was feeling stupid, why could he be that shy in front of Arman. It's true keeping that distance is necessary, but Arman is not a stranger to her. So why is he still not being honest with what he feels.

One more time when he had just joined the Scientific Reasoning SME, it was clear that he saw Arman in the secretariat but again he did not know he had to behave and chose not to approach.

It felt heavy, he continued to avoid even when they passed each other in the hallway SME. when Arman was talking to the SME chairman at that time. Alfy who did not want to look awkward even invited a friend who was beside him to chat so that he had the busyness not to glance at Arman.

Avoiding being confused should behave. In the room he tries not to glance at Arman, trying to make Arman look like an unfamiliar stranger. Even so there was a sense of uneasiness and wanted to end his pretense.

After the meeting was over, Alfy did not get much information at the meeting because he arrived late, he tried to ask other students. After considering finally he decided to start a conversation with Arman who at that time seemed to be watching him.

But his intention back he undoes, somehow his reflex body directs him away from Arman and prefers to ask Ana who at that time seemed to rush to leave.

Once again he looked foolish, what was stopping him from just asking. Perhaps her honor as a Muslim, she confidently assures herself that she should not behave that way towards men who are not her mahram.

After that he tried to return to the reality of his life by not thinking about the necessary things, things that will only interfere with his time.

But the time seemed not to approve, in one afternoon somehow he was reluctant to enjoy the cool afternoon breeze he a beach. Recalling the memories of his dead brother, remembering the greatness of his God who had created the beautiful sky at that time.

Thinking about the beauty of the sky, he suddenly heard the voice of the man behind him talking to him. He looked around and didn't know what to respond to when he saw the man was Arman.

He only saw the man without knowing the man who turned out to be Arman said what to him, because he felt restless and embarrassed finally he said to Arman. Leaving Arman still in his place.

He walked away hitting his head, remembering the stupidity he was doing. But once again he strengthened his intention that the thing he had done was right. A Muslim woman should not be alone with a foreign man on a beach in the afternoon.

Alfy again strengthened his intention, as he went several times he saw Arman on campus but could not say hello. Until he felt that he should start the conversation, at least they could get acquainted.

But awkwardness and shame prevented him from approaching Arman, until he remembered that afternoon, when he accidentally met Arman on the beach.

Alfy decided to return to the beach, at the same place at the same time. He stood enjoying the afternoon sea breeze, waiting, waiting for him to accidentally meet Arman again and maybe this time he could say hello at least introduce himself.

He waited, thinking that what he was doing was in vain, but fate said no. As he looked up at the sky, he heard a call and was like a stranger. Alfy was shocked and in disbelief when he turned around and it turned out that the voice was Arman.

Once again he could not act, he finally turned around and said goodbye. In his heart was chaotic and blamed himself for turning around and wanting to leave. But in his third step, he again heard Arman's voice saying that they were both on the same campus.

Hearing that Alfy stopped, he turned around and that was the first time they had spoken since the time they first met while still sitting on the High School bench. They started a short conversation under the twilight sky. But Alfy never once mentioned that the two of them had known before, Alfy only responded to Arman's words as if it was true they had only known that day.

Arman said many things, he said that how many times had he accidentally met Alfy. Sure Alfy knows, but he just doesn't want to be honest. Even so Alfy was quite happy because Arman was aware of their meeting despite their first meeting, when Alfy was bullied, when Alfy was disturbed, dear Arman did not seem to remember the incident.

- Connected