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

26th Note

(Haira)

—

The salty breeze whipped through my hair as the yacht sliced through the sapphire water, and the late afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon, casting an orange glow across the shimmering water as the yacht sliced through the waves. The air thrummed with the lively chatter of friends, the DJ spun upbeat tunes, and the scent of barbecue wafted enticingly from the grill, mingled with the sweet aroma of birthday cake. Laughter and music filled the air, punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the joyous yells of people diving off the deck for a quick swim.

"It seems quite nice," Giandra whispered.

I nodded before chuckling.

Today I had come to the birthday party of the woman who almost ruined my relationship with Jendra yesterday. As 'plus one' invitees, Giandra and I chose to stand a little far from the rest of the crowd. To be honest, we didn't really know the other medical students except Jendra, Jagad, Wimar, Agni, and Bria.

It was a shame that Satya couldn't come because he had to take care of a family event. I understood because I was often absent from our gatherings due to family matters, too. Business people sometimes liked to have lots of events. That was really tiring.

I sipped the pina colada in my hand. I couldn't remember how many glasses of whiskey Giandra had downed, and she was still busy chewing the meat on her plate.

Rara, the birthday girl, was a vision in a white sundress, her laughter echoing across the deck. She flitted between guests, a radiant smile plastered on her face. She sipped on tropical cocktails, munched on delicious canapés, and shared stories from when she was studying in Indonesia, and I didn't understand what they were talking about at all. After her brief speech, this birthday party became a kind of reunion party for medical students.

To be honest, not many people were invited—maybe around 40 people, and that was with their own plus one.

As the golden light began to fade, painting the sky in hues of pink and purple, I started to feel a little light-headed. Not to mention, I had to go back and forth to the bathroom because I drank too much.

"You need to stop, Kak," Agni reminded me. "You're not as strong as Mbak Andra when it comes to alcohol."

"What's this party anyway? Almost all of the guests are doctors, but the drinks served are mostly alcohol," Bria, who was standing next to me, grumbled, busy sipping the iced lychee tea in her hand.

I could feel that these two girls didn't really like Rara.

"Kak, try compressing this onto your face." Wimar, who had just returned from the toilet, handed me a small towel, which I happily accepted before pressing the thick cloth over my face.

"Jagad is still accompanying Jendra, right?" Giandra muttered next to me, her eyes looking straight at Wimar, to which he answered with only a small nod.

"Mas Jagad deliberately accompanied Mas Jendra so that Rara bitch wouldn't bother him anymore." Wimar announced.

There was a beat of silence.

Agni let out an explosive laugh first, slapping the table as if Wimar had just delivered the punchline of the century. Giandra, who had been mid-sip, actually snorted her whiskey, coughing while trying not to choke.

Wimar blinked, unbothered, adjusting his glasses with the same academic seriousness he used.

"Yes, that's the aim," Giandra finally breathed out once she stopped coughing, finishing another glass of whiskey before leaning on the bar table. Her voice was still shaky with laughter, eyes glossy from both the alcohol and amusement.