Ardo’s plan was to stop somewhere quiet—if there was any quiet street left at all. Then again, his mind started digging for a more creative idea, and he wasn’t sure where he should even stop just for a single long kiss. But just as he started the engine, Tomi suddenly hopped into the back seat. The cheeky guy grinned sheepishly when Ardo shot him a sharp look.
“Hey, might as well take me along. You’re heading the same direction as my place anyway,” Tomi said.
Ardo wanted to strangle him for ruining the mood and killing his momentum. “Who did you come here with? Why the hell should I be responsible?”
Tomi sighed in annoyance. “Ugh, Indra got called to his brother’s office, so I figured I’d rather go with you than hang around like a third wheel next to the Crown Prince and Prince of Sigma Future Group. Come on, drive!”
Arisa glanced briefly at Ardo before turning to Tomi in the back seat. “But he’s dropping me off first, Tom.”
“Sure, sure! I won’t bother your lovey-dovey moment, I swear. I’m gonna sleep. Stayed up all night writing songs,” Tomi said, folding his arms and closing his eyes.
Ardo exhaled deeply through his mouth. Arisa bit back a laugh, watching him stew in quiet frustration. There would be other chances, of course—but who wouldn’t be annoyed when their moment got interrupted? To calm himself, Ardo tried to think positively. After all, he didn’t even know where exactly he’d stop just for a kiss.
“Tomorrow—on campus,” Ardo finally said, before realizing Tomi was still there. “I mean… I’ll return your money.”
“Okay. No rush, we see each other every day anyway,” Arisa replied.
Both of them smiled, trying not to laugh since Tomi was still in the car. The subtle hints between them felt like secret drug deals, when in truth they were just talking about when they’d get to kiss. Ardo couldn’t stay sulky for long—he reached out, gently stroking her head as if to apologize for almost losing his temper. Arisa nodded and smiled, and that alone was enough to ease him.
When he finally got home after dropping Tomi off, his mother asked a few questions about the reunion party. Then Ardo grabbed a change of clothes and headed straight for the shower. Back in his room, he checked his phone. A smile tugged at his lips—Arisa had messaged him, worried as always. Five years of dating, yet it still felt like they’d only just fallen in love yesterday. Ardo wasn’t crazy; he was simply in love.
[ You home yet, Do? ]
[ Just finished showering. About to sleep. ]
[ Okay then, I’m going to sleep too. Sleepy~ ]
[ Good night! Sweet dreams~ dream of me, haha ]
[ Hahahahahaha! ]
After that, Ardo turned off the lights and got ready for bed. Tomorrow, he’d go to campus to pick up his prize. Though people sometimes called him Mountain Monkey, Arisa rarely used that nickname. He didn’t actually mind—it was a teasing nod to his love for hiking on weekends. The real difference between him and his friend—Aldo lay in their nicknames: Ardo was Prince of Love. It sounded poetic—but was, in fact, deeply ironic. Aldo was the playboy; Ardo was the faithful one.
***
Maybe because Malang was a small city, not many people recognized Ardo here. Or perhaps most of his fans were from big cities—or even abroad. Whatever the reason, he didn’t care. What mattered was that he could freely walk around one of the biggest amusement parks in town with his ex-girlfriend.
“Two hours already,” Ardo muttered as they stood in line for the haunted house.
Arisa tilted her head up at him. “After this, I want to ride the roller coaster. Then we’ll go back to the hotel.”
Ardo rolled his eyes. “That one’s for kids. I saw it—it’s tiny.”
“Exactly,” she said casually.
They had tried almost every ride there. It wasn’t as grand or exciting as Dufan, but really, who could resist playing around once they were already there? Certainly not Ardo. After indulging the wicked woman’s whims, they went back to the hotel to freshen up. That night, they strolled through the local food market. Ardo felt an old tug in his chest—memories flooding back—as they sat face-to-face at a small street food stall.
“We used to eat like this a lot,” Ardo said, unable to stop himself.
Arisa shrugged, looking down at her plate. “Pretty sure there’s no chicken intestine satay this good in Amsterdam.”
Ardo had been trying to stay calm all evening, pushing aside the fact that the woman sitting before him was now engaged—to a pilot, no less. But her words just now felt like a slap across the face. God, he thought, “If I were ever given a second chance, I’d treat her better. Even if she no longer loved me.”
“And you’ll be alone more often when he’s gone flying?” Ardo probed.
Arisa narrowed her eyes. “What are you getting at, Do?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? You’re lonely, you just won’t admit it.” Ardo scratched his brow—though it didn’t itch—and took a sip of his ginger tea, pretending to be calm.
Arisa leaned slightly across the table and whispered softly, only for him to hear, “I could never have multiple orgasms with you if you kept insisting on being my husband. I don’t love you.”
Her blunt confession stunned him. He rubbed his face, utterly speechless. What did she even know about orgasms? They’d never even slept together. Twenty-eight years old and still a virgin—some foolish men might think Arisa was lying. But Ardo knew better. They had broken up simply because Arisa refused to go to a hotel with him. Damn it.
Just remembering it made Ardo furious. He felt ruined, while Arisa got her perfect pilot prince. Damn it again! What kind of ridiculous phrase was that—pilot prince? If time could turn back, the next morning he’d drive straight to her house and apologize. If needed, he’d kneel with one knee on the ground, holding a pot of roses—not a bouquet, because Arisa always pitied cut flowers for dying too soon in a vase.
“With women, it’s different, Do. There has to be love, affection… and trust first. And I don’t feel any of that with you anymore. You’re handsome, rich, funny—so what? What does that do for me? You broke my trust. Meanwhile, Kala isn’t in the air 24/7—he usually takes a week or two off so we can travel. And you know what? Not kissing for months makes it even better when we finally do. There’s that spice of longing. It’s fun.” Arisa clasped her hands together and smiled, eyes closed.
Ardo wished the ground would swallow him whole. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Showing off like that.”
Arisa opened her eyes and wrinkled her nose. “You started it.”