↷✦; w e l c o m e ❞
The morning sun in Astina City shone so brightly, it was as if the universe had turned a spotlight on Carliam Loise. In front of a full-length mirror, Carliam adjusted his sapphire blue silk tie.
"World," he murmured in a fake baritone, "get ready. Because today, my charm will make Anara Kusuma forget how to breathe."
Carliam turned around, grabbed his dapper suit jacket, and strode out of the house with his chin held at a 45-degree angle. His confidence was stratospheric. To him, every step was a catwalk, and every gust of wind was the soundtrack to an action movie.
At the end of the street, five men, looking more like a failed circus troupe, were waiting. They were "The Chaos Squad," Carliam's loyal friends whose sanity was in question.
"Target detected at nine o'clock sharp," reported Justin Darwin, holding his binoculars upside down. As a strategist, Justin possessed a sharp mind, but he always froze at critical moments.
"She's going to pass by the garden to water the flowers. It's time, Liam!"
Kevin Julio stepped forward, showing off a dazzling silver ring. "Wear this, Liam. I borrowed it from my aunt. Just tell her this diamond came from a secret mine in South Africa, not from an accessories shop near the market."
Amos Adipati, the self-styled philosopher, patted Carliam's shoulder with a very serious expression. "Remember, my friend. Love is aesthetic suffering. If she rejects you, tell her that rejection is the highest form of self-recognition."
"Shut up, Amos!" Edwin Albara shouted, squeezing a large basket. Inside were fifty stressed-looking doves. "Liam, when you snap your fingers, I'll release these birds. The effect will be dramatic!"
Meanwhile, Elio Adibrata was already sound asleep, leaning against a utility pole, snoring softly as if this plan had nothing to do with him.
Carliam walked towards the garden. There, Anara Kusuma—a cheerful girl with a laugh as sweet as honey—was watering sunflowers. Carliam cleared his throat, struck the coolest pose he'd learned from a fashion magazine, and snapped his fingers.
"Anara!" Carliam called out authoritatively.
CRACK!
That was Edwin's signal. With high fighting spirit, Edwin pulled the door of the pigeon basket. However, instead of soaring into the sky beautifully, the birds panicked because their basket was stuck. The flock of pigeons flew low and charged in one direction: Carliam's face.
"ARGH! MY EYES!" Carliam screamed as dozens of pairs of wings slapped his face.
The culmination of their misfortune came when one of the fattest pigeons decided to defecate right on Carliam's forehead, just as Carliam's body plunged into the fountain pool that was being repaired.
BOOM!
Anara jumped in surprise. She saw a man in an expensive suit, now drenched in mud, with a dove perched on his head.
"Brother Carliam?" Anara held back laughter until her face turned red. "Are you... practicing being a fountain statue?"
Carliam slowly stood up. Even though dirty water dripped from the tip of his nose, he still ran his fingers through his messy hair. He gave a lopsided, arrogant smile.
"No, Anara," Carliam replied calmly. "This is a modern art installation about how humans should be at one with nature. I did it on purpose to... test your reflexes."
Anara finally burst out laughing. "You really are the weirdest brother in the world!"
Behind the bushes, Justin tore up his strategy plan. Kevin hid his ring. Amos began writing a new quote about failure. And Edwin just scratched his head, which didn't itch.
Carliam laughed with Anara, a laugh that sounded very genuine. However, a moment after Anara turned around, Carliam held his chest, which suddenly throbbed with pain. He stared at his trembling palms, then quickly hid them in his damp jacket pockets.
His confidence was sky-high, but he knew the hourglass of his life was already beginning to run down.