turn down the negativity

ch. 31

Race menyesap minumannya dalam keheningan. Raka juga menyesap kopinya sambil mengalihkan pandangan ke arah lain.

Tiga tahun tidak bertemu membuat Race merasa awkward, lebih daripada saat mereka bertemu kali pertama. Padahal, Race sudah mengenal pria itu lebih dekat selama hampir satu tahun, tapi jarak kasat mata dan tak kasat mata yang terbentang membuat dua orang yang pernah merencanakan masa depan bersama ini menjadi pembuat keadaan terasa canggung.

Race tahu Raka ada di Amerika, di New York pula. Race bahkan sempat menyukai postingan pria itu di Instagram, foto pemandangan New York beserta Empire State Building-nya dari ketinggian entah berapa lantai. Tapi New York itu luas, kan? Tak mungkin mereka ada kesempatan untuk bertemu. Apalagi dengan lebih dari delapan juta orang yang mendiami kota ini.

Tapi, apa ini? Bahkan di hari pertama Race menginjakkan kaki di sebuah kafe, Race langsung menemui keadaan canggung ini.

"Kamu berapa hari di New York, Ce?" tanya Raka, memecah keheningan.

Race mendongak menatapnya. Mata cokelat Raka menatapnya hangat, dan seakan berbinar di bawah pancaran sinar matahari musim panas New York. Messy hair-nya membuatnya terkesan seperti foto model yang sedang pemotretan setelan jas kerja daripada seseorang yang benar-benar akan berangkat bekerja. Dan setelah tiga tahun tidak bertemu, Raka semakin terlihat tampan, dan rupawan.

And Race found herself staring.

"Huh?" Race mengerjap, lalu memundurkan diri untuk bersandar di kursinya. "Sepuluh harian lah, kira-kira."

Raka ber-"oh" panjang. "Udah jam setengah delapan, is it okay if I left you here?"

"It's okay," Race tersenyum geli. "It's not like i have to be under adult vision, tho. I'm thirty already."

Raka ikut tersenyum. "Okay, then. Have a nice day in my town."

Race menyipitkan mata. "You're copying Percy Jackson."

Raka mengangkat tangannya, matanya berbinar geli kendati wajahnya dipasang seserius mungkin. "I'm not. I won't dare, tho."

Race mengibaskan tangannya. "You're gonna be late."

"Yeah. And i won't regret it at all." Raka mengumpulkan barang-barangnya, lalu berdiri dari kursinya. "It's good to see you again, Race."

Race tersenyum. "Me too."

"See you real soon," Raka tersenyum singkat padanya sebelum membalikkan badan dan berjalan melewati meja-meja menuju pintu keluar.

And Race found herself staring at him until the door closed and he crossed the boulevard to go to his office.

Race lalu menghela napas. It's hard not to think about him. As she continued the plan to go here three years ago, she knows that there's a chance to meet again with him. She had prepared herself, but it's more easy to imagine than to actually done it. Now, when she met him again after three years, she didn't know what to feel about him.

She felt happy that he looks healthy and cheerful, but also a bit sad with the one year memory when they are still together that flooded her mind right away.

She feels a bunch kind of emotions all at once. About his charming appearance that looks like it never gets old, about his eyes which still staring at her gently like they never had "break up" words between them, all the more with her heart that seems like it didn't want to stop beating fast, as the shiver running down her spine as she stares at him with nervousness, and the embarrasing feeling when she found herself staring at him almost all the time.

But this is that important: she feels love full filled her again just like it never disappeared.

It turns out that the feeling never leave, it just wait for the right person to come again and full filled her with happiness.

It just wait for the right time to rise and shine again.[]