[The Legacy Series] REDAMANCY - Love's Timeless Path

12th Note

"You remember Rara, don't you?"

Jagad paused mid-chew, eyebrows lifting. "Rara? The one who's in Singapore now? Adara Brajamaya?"

I nodded.

The hospital canteen was at its usual midday chaos. Trays clanged, chairs scraped, and that familiar bitter smell of coffee-that-should-probably-be-outlawed lingered in the air. White coats and scrubs filled the room; the whole place felt like a temporary ceasefire zone—everyone grabbing a breath between rounds, consults, and paperwork that multiplied like bacteria in a petri dish.

A group of residents occupied the corner table, laughing too loudly about some case from this morning or maybe gossip—probably both. The sharp ring of silverware, low voices, bursts of laughter—it all shaped the strange comfort that only hospital cafeterias tend to have.

As we ate, talk naturally drifted toward old memories. And eventually, to her.

"I almost forgot," Jagad began, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "but yeah, you two were pretty close. One organization together, right?"

"Which one, Mas? Have I even met her?" Wimar asked, brows scrunched in that standard-confused-resident expression.

Jagad nodded. "You know her. The girl everyone said was the prettiest in my year."

Wimar blinked for a second, searching his memory. Then his face lit up.
"Oh. Yang dandannya menor banget, kan?"

My hand moved before my brain did. I gave his shoulder a light smack.

"That's exactly how you talk when you spend too much time with Agni. No filter whatsoever."

Wimar groaned dramatically, hand on the offended shoulder, staring at me like I had stolen his last shred of dignity.

As we delved into more throwback stories, the canteen's hustle and bustle faded into the background. It felt like our medical school days had transported us to a time when the only concerns were exams, not surgeries.

"Just why do you want to meet her again, Jen?" Jagad cast a disapproving glance at me. I could tell that my friend was being cautious when he asked the question. I was sure he couldn't forget that Rara once had feelings for me, even if it had been a while—to be honest, I was not interested in women other than Haira. Although it may sound cliché indeed, if you think about it, who would want to continue dating the same person for ten years without knowing if they would end up married? Yes, though even in this day and age, not getting married was an option too—but to persist for ten years? I felt like if that wasn't love and devotion, I didn't know what else to call it.

"Makan doang, Gad." I answered quietly while opening my canned drink. I took a small sip before looking at my two best friends. "So it's okay."

Jagad sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine; don't forget to tell Haira. Gue tahu kalian pasangan paling chill, tapi please jangan sampai nggak bilang apa-apa sama dia."

I nodded in agreement with his request. I also had no desire to lie to Haira.

"By the way, Gad, are you going to propose to Giandra or not?" I teased my best friend; I heard that he had bitten the end of his girlfriend's ring finger at my engagement party to get the illusion of a ring with his bite mark. I didn't know what he had just read, but I admitted the idea was quite cute for someone like him.

"I did."

"Hah?" Wimar and I shouted together.

"It's not official!" Jagad corrected instantly, raising both hands like someone had just accused him of malpractice. "It was just a casual thing. We were in Bali, during my birthday. celebration"