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"Come on, let's continue! It's Rico's turn now. Open your card and read what's written on it!"
Keenan patted Rico on the shoulder to get his attention.
Rico picked up the card in front of him, opened it, and read the question written inside.
"Which friend do you always turn to when you need to pour your heart out?"
Rico thought for a moment before answering.
"To be honest, I rarely talk to my friends about my personal life."
He leaned back before continuing in a relaxed tone.
"When I'm stressed or overwhelmed by college assignments, I usually prefer doing things I enjoy. Mountain climbing, going to the beach, diving, or finding other activities to help clear my mind."
"Wow, when you're stressed, you go mountain climbing? Wouldn't that just make you even more exhausted?" Rengga quipped.
"That's exactly what helps me think more clearly," Rico replied with a smile.
"So, what about venting to someone?" Alya asked.
"I usually write on my blog. Even then, I only write about things I actually want to share. For me, writing is easier than having to explain everything to someone else."
Rico's answer made several of his friends nod slightly.
They already knew that Rico wasn't the type of person who easily opened up about his personal problems. He was more likely to keep everything to himself and occupy his time with activities he enjoyed.
After Rico finished answering, their attention shifted to Laras.
"Alright, now it's Laras's turn!" Tissa exclaimed.
Laras reached out and picked a card from the stack in the middle of the circle.
"Let me read it myself," she said with an awkward chuckle. "For some reason, I'm already feeling nervous."
"You're nervous just reading a card? Don't tell me the question is about love!" Rengga teased.
"Will you shut up?" Laras shot back.
She opened the card and began reading its contents silently.
But just a few seconds later, her expression changed.
The smile that had been on her face slowly disappeared.
"What is it, Ras?" Alya asked curiously.
Laras quickly folded the card.
"Nothing! I don't want to answer this question."
"Hey, why not?" Keenan frowned. "What's the question?"
"I'll take the challenge instead!"
Without waiting for her friends to respond, Laras picked up the next challenge card.
Alya, who was sitting beside her, immediately snatched the question card from Laras's hand before she could hide it.
"Let me read it!"
"Alya, don't—"
Too late.
Alya had already opened the card and read its contents aloud.
"Do you have an ex you still can't forget, but whom you only use as an excuse?"
The group immediately erupted into a commotion.
"Hahaha! This has to be about Arnold!" Alya exclaimed, pointing at Laras. "Laras was Arnold's last girlfriend back in high school. And she still hasn't dated anyone since then. Don't tell me she's still having trouble moving on, Ras!"
"ALYA!"
Laras covered her face with both hands, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
Some of their friends laughed, while others began asking all sorts of questions about Arnold.
Amid the commotion, Hasan stole a glance at Laras.
Arnold's name wasn't unfamiliar to him. He knew that the guy had once been an important part of Laras's life, although Hasan had never really learned how their relationship had ended.
Without realizing it, a strange feeling began to stir in his chest.
A sense of curiosity mixed with something he was reluctant to acknowledge.
Did Laras still have feelings for her ex?
The question kept circling in his mind, but Hasan chose to remain silent.
He had no right to demand answers about something he had never even asked her about.
Meanwhile, Laras quickly reached for the challenge card beside her.
"Alright, that's enough! I don't want to answer that question. Arnold and I ended things on good terms, okay? There's no bad blood between us," she said, trying to regain her composure.
She opened the challenge card and read its contents in a quieter voice.
"Ask someone you don't know for their contact number, then save it on your phone."
Laras fell silent.
She looked around the circle, trying to find someone who could become the target of her challenge.
However, before she could make a decision, Keenan raised his hand.
"Easy! Just save Rico's number."
Everyone immediately turned toward Rico.
Keenan continued with a knowing smile.
"You didn't know him before, right, Ras? So the challenge still counts. All you have to do is ask for his phone number and save it on your phone."
"That's true!" Alya chimed in enthusiastically. "Come on, Ras! Are you really afraid of a challenge this easy?"
Laras bit her lower lip.
Actually, she had no problem asking Rico for his phone number. They weren't particularly close yet, so the challenge should have been easy enough to complete.
But for some reason, she suddenly felt awkward.
Maybe it was because everyone was watching her.
Or perhaps it was because Rico himself was now looking at her with a faint smile that made her even more flustered.
Laras took a deep breath.
It's just asking for a phone number. Why am I getting so nervous?
Finally, she gathered her courage and turned toward Rico.
"Rico, can I have your phone number?"
Rico was silent for a moment before smiling.
"Oh, sure, Ras."
He immediately took out his phone and recited his number to Laras.
Laras entered the number and saved it on her phone.
"Done!" she announced, showing the screen of her phone to the others.
A few excited cheers immediately rang out.
"Wow, Laras finally has Rico's number!" Rengga teased.
"What's that supposed to mean? It's just a challenge!" Laras protested quickly.
"Yeah, yeah. Just a challenge," Alya replied with a mischievous smile that clearly showed she didn't entirely believe her.
Rico merely chuckled before slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket.
For Rico, giving Laras his phone number wasn't something worth thinking too much about.
But without either of them realizing it, a new number was now saved in her phone.
And for Hasan, who was sitting not far from them, that simple incident left him with a feeling he couldn't quite explain.
He knew Laras was only completing a challenge.
He knew there was no reason for him to feel jealous.
Yet, when he saw Laras smiling as she saved Rico's number, Hasan suddenly realized something.
Sometimes, something significant doesn't necessarily begin with a significant event.
Sometimes, it all starts with something simple.
A question.
A confession.
Or merely a phone number saved in someone's phone.
Amid the chilly night air on Mount Srinjani, their game continued. Laughter still echoed through the campsite, cards continued to change hands, and secrets began to emerge one by one.
But beneath all that cheerfulness, some hearts were beginning to harbor new questions.
About feelings confessed too late.
About love that no one had dared to fight for.
And about someone who was quietly beginning to feel special, even though no one dared to admit it.