The day wore on, the sun dipping low and casting an orange glow over the leaves. Having spent the day exploring parks, the beach, and shopping malls, Stephan was driving the rented car back to the Manalo residence. 🌇
Meanwhile, Kirana had finished work, signed out, and left the publishing house. She walked to a bus stop a little distance away to wait for her ride. Yusuf, watching from his upstairs office window, saw her step outside and stand there.
As Stephan drove down the road, he spotted Kirana waiting at the bus stop. He pulled over, rolling down the window. "Hey, it's you! Do you work around here?" he called out, a friendly smile on his face. 🙂
Kirana turned, recognizing him. "Oh, yes. My office is nearby. What are you doing here?"
"I was just out sightseeing and was heading back home when I saw you," he explained.
From his perch, Yusuf watched Kirana talk to an unfamiliar man in a car, his curiosity, and a twinge of something else, sharpening.👀
"Come on, get in. I'm heading to your house anyway," Stephan offered.
"It's alright, I don't want to trouble you. I'll take the bus," Kirana declined politely. 😑
"What trouble? We're going to the same place. Get in," he insisted, his tone friendly but firm.
Relenting, she moved to open the back door, but Stephan stopped her. "Hey, wait! The back seat is full of my stuff from today. I just threw everything in there. Come, sit in the front." 😊
"No, it's fine, I can manage in the back," she protested.
"Don't be silly. Sit in the front, otherwise I'll feel like just your driver," he said with a playful laugh. 😆
"Of course not, I didn't mean that," she said, finally giving in. She got into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Stephan drove off, the car merging into the evening traffic. From his window, Yusuf watched the car disappear, his mind a whirl of questions. Who was that? Why did she go with him? The professional detachment he struggled to maintain crumbled completely, replaced by a sharp, personal unease he couldn't explain. 😥