As If They Never Parted
Echoes of the Past Twelve years ago, if anyone was looking for Aris, they would definitely find Dimas right next to him. The two friends were like glue and paper back in high school. However, after graduation, the winds of fate carried them to different continents—Aris pursued a scholarship to Germany, while Dimas stayed behind to build a culinary business in Jakarta. Gradually, their text messages, which started as a daily routine, turned weekly, then monthly, until they were finally swept away by their respective busy lives. Ten years passed without a single greeting. That night, the ballroom of the hotel hosting the high school grand reunion was brightly lit. The clinking of glasses, boisterous laughter, and 2010s pop music filled the room. Aris stood near the buffet table, feeling a bit out of place among the faces that had now grown mature and adult. As he was pouring a drink, a familiar voice from behind stopped him in his tracks. "Aris? Is that... Aris, right?" Aris ...