At the Cafe - Morning
The round table in the corner of the cafe was their usual spot. Fatimah sipped her coffee calmly. Wony held her teacup with her pinky raised, the picture of elegance. Naila was half-asleep in her chair, her head almost touching the table. Alice was bouncing in her seat like she'd had too much sugar.
"Where IS Chima?" Alice fidgeted impatiently. "She said 3 o'clock! It's already 3:05!"
Fatimah remained calm. "Alice, five minutes isn't late."
Wony lifted her teacup delicately. "Chima is probably adjusting her fierce expression in the mirror. It takes time to perfect the art of looking angry."
Naila mumbled without opening her eyes. "Or she's yelling at a parking attendant. As usual."
Alice looked out the window. "Oh, there she is!" She squinted. "Wait... why is she with a guy? A HANDSOME guy?!"
Everyone turned to look. Chima was walking toward the cafe with purposeful strides. Beside her was a tall, blond, blue-eyed man with a wide smile and a white shirt slightly unbuttoned at the collar. He looked like he'd stepped out of an Italian romance movie.
Fatimah's eyes widened. "Who is that?"
Wony pulled out her hand sanitizer, though her eyes remained fixed on the window. "Handsome. But... too expressive for this cafe's atmosphere."
Naila remained uninterested. "Hmm? A guy?" She went back to sleep.
Alice squealed with excitement. "CHIMA! DID YOU BRING A BOYFRIEND?!"
The cafe door swung open. Chima stormed in with an annoyed expression. Behind her, Matteo smiled widely and waved at everyone like he was greeting a stadium full of fans.
"DON'T PANIC!" Chima slammed her bag on the table. "This is just my cousin! Matteo! From Italy! He showed up without warning!"
Matteo placed a hand dramatically over his heart, his Italian accent thick and charming. "Ciao, bella! Ciao, ciao, ciao!" He kissed Wony's hand, then Fatimah's, then Alice's. "So happy to meet! Chima never told me her friends were this beautiful!"
Wony pulled her hand back politely but quickly. "Thank you. But I just applied hand sanitizer."
Alice blushed. "Wow, an Italian guy! Cool! But Chima, why were you hiding him?!"
Chima groaned in frustration. "BECAUSE HE'S EMBARRASSING! OKAY?!" She pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.
Matteo circled the table. His eyes stopped on Naila. She was still asleep on the table, completely unaware.
Matteo froze. His eyes widened. His heart seemed to skip a beat. The cafe speakers seemed to play a dramatic beat.
Chima noticed his expression. "Matteo? Why are you quiet?"
Matteo whispered dramatically, pointing at Naila. "Chima... who is this sleeping angel?"
Alice leaned in eagerly. "Oh, that's Naila! Our friend! She's shy and lazy, but she sweet!"
Matteo clutched his chest. "Naila... such a beautiful name. Like a song. Like a spring breeze in Tuscany."
Naila stirred in her sleep, mumbling. "Hmm... ice cream... don't take it..."
Matteo looked even more enchanted. "She dreams of ice cream. Perfect. I am in love!"
Chima slammed the table. "MATTEO! NO! You've only seen her for FIVE SECONDS!"
Matteo ignored her completely. He stood in front of Naila, took a deep breath, and struck a dramatic pose.
"This... is destiny."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RJqjFvOdK
Matteo struck a dramatic pose: one knee slightly bent, hand on his chest, eyes closed. Then, with a soft, romantic voice:
"For you, Naila... love from Italy..."
He blew a flying kiss.
From Matteo's lips, a shimmering pink heart-shaped projection floated through the air. It drifted slowly across the cafe, passing over the table, over coffee cups, past Alice's surprised face.
Alice whispered in awe. "Wow... that's real love..."
Wony analyzed it calmly. "The visual effect is interesting. But unhygienic."
Fatimah was secretly recording on her phone. "This is content..."
The heart kept floating toward Naila. She was still asleep, completely oblivious.
Matteo whispered. "Catch it, my love..."
The heart hovered right in front of Naila's face. She opened her eyes because she felt a strange breeze. She saw the giant pink heart floating in front of her.
Naila blinked, then processed what she was seeing. "Huh? What's that?" She looked at the heart, then at Matteo smiling at her. "...Eh?"
With the lazy-but-surprisingly-agile reflexes of someone who had spent years avoiding effort, Naila dodged sharply to the left.
"I don't want it!" Naila said, still avoiding. "Too much effort!"
The heart sailed past where Naila had been sitting. It flew straight toward Chima, who was drinking her iced tea with an annoyed expression.
Chima took a sip, completely unaware. "Finally, he's quiet—"
The heart slammed into her chest.
THWACK!
The heart hit Chima's chest with surprising force. She jolted, eyes bulging. Her iced tea spilled all over the table.
"WHAT THE—"
Before she could finish, the force of the impact sent her flying backward. She sailed past her chair, past another table, and crashed into the cafe wall.
CRAAAACK!
The wall cracked in a spiderweb pattern, like something out of an action movie. Chima was slumped against it, eyes spinning, hair disheveled, the empty iced tea cup still perched on her head.
The entire cafe went silent. The barista stopped making coffee. A waiter dropped a tray.
***
A long silence. Only the sound of iced tea dripping from Chima's head.
Alice was the first to speak, with admiration. "...That was EPIC."
Wony calmly pulled out a tissue. "Chima... are you okay?" No response. "...Apparently not."
Fatimah ran to Chima. "CHIMA! CHIMA! WAKE UP!" She patted Chima's cheeks.
Naila was still confused. "I... I dodged that heart... and it hit Chima?"
Matteo was distraught, clutching his hair. "Mamma mia! Chima! I didn't mean to! It was for Naila! But why is my love so powerful?!"
Alice patted Matteo's shoulder. "You've got Superman-level love power, Bro."
Chima slowly opened her eyes. Her chest hurt. Her back ached. The wall behind her was cracked.
Her voice was hoarse with rage. "Matteo..." She struggled to stand. "YOU..." She grabbed Matteo's collar. "...DESTROYED... THE CAFE WALL... WITH YOUR LOVE?!"
Matteo raised his hands in fear. "I'm sorry! I didn't know my love was so strong! In Italy, flying kisses are gentle!"
Chima yelled. "THIS ISN'T ITALY! THIS IS A CAFE! REPAIRING THAT WALL IS EXPENSIVE!"
Naila spoke softly. "Chima... I'm sorry... I dodged..."
Chima turned to Naila, then let out a long sigh. "Naila... you didn't do anything wrong. The one who's wrong..." She pointed at Matteo. "...is my cousin whose love can damage property!"
Wony examined the cracks. "The wall is badly damaged. We'll have to pay for repairs."
Fatimah covered her face. "How much is our budget for this?"
Alice cheerfully offered. "I can sell a kidney!" Everyone stared. "...Just kidding. Or not."
Matteo grabbed Naila's hand dramatically. "Naila! Forgive me! I never wanted you to get hurt! I'd rather be the one who hit the wall!"
Naila pulled her hand back shyly. "Um... you don't have to... you don't need to..."
Chima separated them. "BACK OFF! BACK OFF FROM NAILA! YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE!"
Matteo still gazed at Naila with shining eyes. "But my love for her..."
Chima grabbed Matteo's collar again. "YOUR LOVE NEEDS TO BE CONTROLLED! WE'RE DEALING WITH THE WALL NOW! YOU STAY QUIET!"
Matteo fell silent, but kept smiling at Naila. Naila hid behind Fatimah's back.
***
Some time later, they sat down again. The wall was still cracked. Chima was pressing ice to her chest. Matteo sat in the corner with a guilty expression. Naila sat between Fatimah and Wony, too scared to be approached.
Fatimah spoke to the audience with an exhausted expression. "We came to the cafe for coffee. Ended up with a cracked wall, because of an Italian cousin falling in love, and Chima becoming the victim of love she never asked for."
Alice added from the side. "And we got the best content!" She showed her phone. "This is definitely going viral later!"
Chima groaned from her seat. "ALICE! DELETE THAT! DON'T UPLOAD IT!"
Wony spoke calmly. "Chima... actually, the way you flew into the wall was quite elegant. Your landing position was... very symmetrical."
Chima glared. "WONY! YOU TOO?!"
Naila spoke shyly. "Sorry, Chima... I didn't know dodging would make you hit the wall."
Chima sighed, then gave a small smile. "Naila... you did nothing wrong. You just reacted correctly." She pointed at Matteo. "He's the one at fault. Because his love is out of control."
Matteo raised his hand from the corner. "I promise! Tomorrow I'll control my love! Maybe with a seatbelt!"
Alice laughed. "Love with a seatbelt? Romance with safety first!"
Everyone laughed, except Chima who was still in pain. But eventually, even she let out a small chuckle.
Fatimah smiled. "Alright. Chima is alive. Naila is safe. Matteo is still in love. And the cafe wall..." She looked at the crack. "...needs five million rupiah to fix."
Chima tensed immediately. "FIVE MILLION?! MATTEO! YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT!"
Matteo flashed his charming smile. "For love, I'm willing to pay anything!"
Matteo blew another flying kiss toward Naila. This time, Naila was ready. She ducked under the table.
Naila's voice came from underneath. "I'll stay here. Until he leaves."
Alice grabbed Matteo's hand. "Tomorrow, we'll practice safe flying kisses! I can be your instructor!"
Wony tucked tissues into her bag. "And I'll bring helmets for everyone."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIpHtC9ADL
and then Add to home screen.