It had been a while since Nayla saw her old college friends in person. They weren't particularly close anymore, but a spontaneous "catch-up coffee" plan had been brewing in the group chat for weeks. And somehow, she had agreed.
They chose a café downtown minimalist design, overpriced lattes, and the kind of seating that forced you to talk instead of scroll.
Nayla arrived on time. The others were late, as usual.
When they finally walked in, Rina, Citra, and Ayu greeted her with familiar excitement that felt a little forced.
"Oh my god, Nayla!" Rina said, pulling her into a quick hug. "You look the same. Do you ever age?"
Nayla smiled politely. "Not."
They ordered drinks, found a corner booth, and fell into the kind of small talk that only existed between people who once knew each other deeply, but didn't anymore.
"So," Ayu said, stirring her matcha, "are you still ghosting everyone on WhatsApp?"
"I reply… sometimes," Nayla muttered.
"Yeah, three-word answers after three business days," Citra joked.
The table laughed.
Nayla forced a chuckle but said nothing.
Then Rina leaned in. "Be honest, are you seeing anyone right now?"
Nayla's heart flickered.
She hadn't planned to talk about Raka. Her world with him felt too intimate, too sacred to be placed under fluorescent café lights and dissected like gossip.
But before she could deflect, Citra added, "You used to always say you didn't do relationships."
"I didn't," Nayla said quietly.
Rina raised an eyebrow. "Did?"
"I'm… seeing someone," she admitted.
Three heads turned.
"For how long?" Ayu asked, intrigued.
"A couple of months."
"Who are you?" Citra grinned. "Do we know him?"
Nayla shook her head. "He's not from our circle. He's… different."
They leaned in, suddenly interested.
"What's he like?" Rina asked.
Nayla paused. Her fingers traced the edge of her coffee cup.
"He's loud where I'm quiet. Bold where I hesitate. He talks like life is always worth showing up for."
They all blinked.
"And you like that?" Ayu asked, skeptical.
"I didn't think I would," Nayla admitted. "But… it turns out I like being understood without having to explain myself all the time."
A long silence.
Then Rina said, "Wow. You've changed."
Maybe. Or maybe she was finally just allowing herself to be seen without shrinking.
The conversation drifted back into safer waters, work stress, travel plans, and trending shows, but the air felt different now.
When they said their goodbyes outside, Rina hugged her again.
"Hey," she said softly. "I'm glad you're letting someone in. You always seemed lonely back then."
Nayla didn't deny it.
She just smiled and said, "Thanks."
On the train ride home, she texted Raka:
Met my old college friends today. Told them about you."
His reply came fast:
"Oh? Am I famous now?"
"Not yet. But they were surprised I'm capable of human connection."
"I always knew you were. You just needed the right wifi."
She snorted, cheeks warming.
As the train rumbled on, Nayla realized something quietly significant:
She wasn't hiding him.
And maybe, for the first time, she wasn't hiding herself either.