Ten minutes into the drive, Risa was relieved to find Kala wasn't a reckless driver. At least it was safe for her, someone who had just stepped off a plane and was prone to headaches or nausea from jet lag. She had never been to the Netherlands before; even Levin had forbidden her from flying this far alone. It was understandable—Risa was his only sister, so there was no way Bang Levin was going to let his little sister go easily.
However, after Risa convinced him that she had hired a local guide, he finally relented. And not just any guide; Emir was an acquaintance of a good friend of his. That was when Levin agreed to buy her the ticket as a gift for helping him take care of his wife during her illness. At first, Risa had pretended to refuse, but who doesn't love free stuff? Besides, her severance pay wasn't nearly enough to splurge without thinking, so Risa still had to be careful with money. She even sold her phone to buy a cheaper one just so she could go to Amsterdam with some financial peace of mind.
Kala cleared his throat. "So, what’s the occasion for this trip? It’s not exactly peak holiday season."
Risa’s daydream shattered, and she glared at this pushy man. "Well—just a vacation. I just want to see what’s here. Is that forbidden?" Internally, she wanted to scream into his ear, Can you not be so nosy?! Too bad you’re cute.
Questions should be answered with questions; Risa didn't like how Kala was digging into her reasons for this trip. She didn't need to explain that she had just fired herself, was tired of a Jakarta full of memories, and couldn't stand seeing her ex-boyfriend starting his career as an influencer. With his looks and easygoing charm, she was sure Ardo would be incredibly famous within a year.
Kala snorted. "Fair enough. Usually, people come to the Netherlands to get high. If you want, I know a few coffee shops that—" He glanced at Risa with a teasing smile.
She huffed in amusement. "No, not that. Anyway, what should I call you? Mas? Kak? Adek? Om? Pakde? Pak?" she teased, unwilling to lose, feeling more and more annoyed with Kala. She really wanted to smack his head with a rubber flip-flop.
"We’re probably the same age." Kala smiled thinly, his gaze focused on the road.
Risa blinked. "I’m twenty-four."
Yes, twenty-four years old, and three years removed from her last breakup. Would she spend the next few years lamenting her fate, or would she be able to open her heart again? Only God knew. But one thing was clear: right now, Risa wanted to disappear for a while and immerse herself in the cold Netherlands. She had considered a few other countries to soothe her heart, but for some reason, she felt drawn here.
Back then, when she joined Papa and Mama on their holidays abroad, Risa just tagged along to Europe without asking many questions. There was also Levin, who used to drag her along to countries in the European Union whenever he wanted to escape the house but didn't want to look like he was up to no good. So, he would bring Risa along as a shield. Damn him! In her entire life, this was the first time she had truly gone abroad all by herself.
"Oh, okay then. That means I’m a year older, so calling me 'Mas' is fine. I still have some Javanese blood from my grandfather, who was from Yogyakarta. But it’s up to you, whatever you’re comfortable with. Either way, you’re stuck with me for the next month. I promise I’ll take you to all the best spots." Kala smirked faintly.
Risa frowned; no wonder his face still looked so Indonesian, despite the Dutch influence. Turns out, he was a Premium Javanese Mas. "Okay, Mas. I can’t wait."
"Anyway, don't overthink anything. Leave it to me, because I’m the tour guide."
"Got it." 
This eccentric tour guide was way too good at making people feel uncomfortable. He was probably around 182 or 183 centimeters tall, with slightly long black hair and a smile that could make women slowly melt into the pavement. A guy like this must have a girlfriend, so Risa wouldn’t get her hopes up. She felt free; she didn't have to keep up appearances around him.
Risa didn't want to think too far ahead about their time together, but she was happy enough that she didn't have to bother researching this or that for her vacation. Kala had already promised so much about the Netherlands, so Risa just needed to enjoy the moment. Yeah, this was exactly the kind of holiday she wanted—no need to worry about where to go or how to get there. She just wanted to relax.
"Btw, are you seeing anyone, Sa?"
"Huh?" Risa arched both eyebrows, caught off guard by the sudden question.
Kala glanced at her for a split second. "Well... because I'm single right now."
"What do you mean?" Risa wanted to laugh; this guy was completely out of his mind.
"I'm a man, you're a woman." Kala smiled faintly, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "You know what I mean. Don't worry, though—I won't try anything."
Alright, Risa decided to answer. "I've been single for three years."
There was no harm in revealing her status to a man as attractive as Kala, but wasn't this a bit too fast? She knew the Dutch were famous for being blunt, but like this? It wasn't exactly safe for her heart, either. Did Kala become interested in her the moment they met?
When writing her books, Risa rarely used the 'instant attraction' trope because it never made sense to her. Yet, she had to admit that she could feel a certain spark right now. Too soon to call it love, yet too real to dismiss.
"Took you that long to move on, huh?" Kala teased.
Risa winced, but tried not to take too much offense. Honestly, she probably needed even more time to truly let go of Ardo. Deleting social media wasn't enough; Risa needed a bigger distraction. Work? Ironically, that just added more stress and led to her resignation. She couldn't stand working in a toxic team.
"Puppy love, Mas, you know how it is," Risa replied, trying to shut down this uncomfortable topic.
Kala snorted in amusement. "Let me guess, he was your first love? And you haven't dated anyone else since him?" Then, Kala glanced at her and shot her a mischievous grin.
Risa rolled her eyes and gave a wry smile. "Can you just stick to being a tour guide? Why are we suddenly talking about my love life? Btw, you are a real guide, right? Are you sure? You're not a fake guide?"
Did she come all this way just to talk about Ardo? Not a chance! It felt like just yesterday he had confessed his love, just yesterday they were walking in the park, and just yesterday they had broken up. Her three years felt like two weeks, and it was still so painful. It still felt like an open wound, even though so much time had passed. Ardo had broken up with her via a text message, and a few days later, he was already holding another woman’s hand.
"Wow, you’re doubting me? Actually, I’m way more fun than Emir. You’d be bored to tears if he were your guide. Oh, I haven’t asked yet—do you want to stay in a luxury hotel, an Airbnb-style apartment, or a small hotel that used to be an old canal house?"
Risa grumbled internally, ‘Damn, is this guy... is he testing me?’ But she was intrigued by the last part. "An old canal house?" Risa frowned. What on earth was that?
"It's a small hotel with a pretty unique interior design. It's a renovated old canal house, a blend of classic and modern. There aren't many rooms, so privacy is guaranteed. We can head straight for an afternoon stroll in Jordaan later, if you're not too tired," Kala explained.
"That sounds interesting. I'll take that one."
"Got it." Kala smiled faintly.