A few days passed after Naira's encounter with Arka at the mall. Naira wasn't thinking about that man much anymore. To her, their encounters were nothing more than a coincidence that had happened several times.
That afternoon, Naira went with Nurul to eat at a place not too far from home. They had just stepped out of the restaurant when Naira's gaze landed on two men standing nearby, and she immediately recognized one of them.
"Arka?"
Nurul turned to follow her gaze.
"Which one?"
"That one."
Naira pointed to a man wearing a black shirt. But before Nurul could answer, Naira was shocked to see the man standing beside Arka.
"Huh?"
She knew him. It was Naura's husband. Naira frowned. It seemed like they were discussing something fairly serious.
"Don't tell me they know each other," she murmured.
Naira then walked over.
"Bima?"
Naura's husband immediately turned around.
"Naira?"
Arka, who heard the voice, turned his gaze as well. Their eyes met.
"Naira," Arka said with a faint smile.
Naira gave him a small smile.
"So you two know each other?"
There was no answer. Naira only grew more confused when she saw both their expressions suddenly change.
Naira looked from one to the other. Neither of them answered her question right away. Instead, there was something strange about the atmosphere between them.
"Why are you two being so quiet?"
Bima, Naura's husband, finally cleared his throat.
"We know each other."
Naira nodded in relief. "Oh, I thought you didn't know each other."
Arka only gave a faint smile. Unlike Bima, who had looked like he was holding something back the entire time.
"Naira, are you and Nurul heading home?"
"Yeah, in a little while."
"Then go home first."
Naira frowned. "Why?"
"It's nothing."
That answer only made Naira more suspicious. She glanced at Arka, who had been silent the whole time.
"Then we'll get going."
Naira tugged on Nurul's hand and started to leave. After only a few steps, she heard Bima's voice from behind her.
"Don't get too close to him."
Naira stopped in her tracks and turned around.
"Who?"
The man shot Arka a sharp look before turning his attention back to Naira.
"Arka."
Naira became even more confused.
"Why?"
"It's nothing. Just don't."
Arka, who had been silent until then, let out a soft laugh.
"Still like telling other people how to live their lives?"
Naira looked at them again. This time, she truly had no idea what was going on.
"What is going on between you two?"
"Nothing," Naura's husband answered quickly.
Arka only smiled crookedly.
"If there's really nothing going on, why am I not allowed to get close to Naira?"
Bima shot him a sharp look.
"Because I know you."
"And I know you too."
"Enough." Naira cut them off before their conversation turned into an argument. "I don't understand what your problem is with each other."
The two men finally fell silent. Naira let out a long sigh.
"If you have a problem, don't drag me into it."
Arka stared at Naira for several seconds. His gaze was different this time.
"I never meant to involve you."
"Good."
Naira then turned to Bima.
"And don't suddenly forbid me from being friends with people either."
"I'm only warning you for your own good."
"Yeah, but I can take care of myself."
Bima didn't answer.
Nurul, who had been standing beside Naira the entire time, could only watch them with a confused expression. She had never seen Naira caught in a situation like this before.
Naira finally took Nurul's hand.
"Come on."
They began walking away. But before she was completely out of sight, Naira glanced back. Arka was still standing there. He was looking in her direction too. Their eyes met for several seconds before Naira hurriedly turned away.
"Why do I keep running into him?" Naira muttered.
Nurul immediately turned to her. "Him?"
"Nobody."
Meanwhile, from a distance, Bima continued staring at Arka with a serious expression.
"Don't mess around with my sister-in-law."
Arka slipped both hands into his pants pockets.
"I never mess around."
"Don't let me see you getting close to Naira again."
Arka only gave a faint smile.
"What if she's the one who comes to me first?"
Those words left Bima speechless.
Arka then turned and walked away, leaving him behind.
Without either of them realizing it, that afternoon's encounter became the beginning of something far more complicated, because there was one thing Naira didn't know. The man who had piqued her curiosity several times was actually the person her twin sister's husband least wanted to see.