21–1 Tarmin's Ketoprak (Indonesian Peanut-Sauce Salad)
University of Indonesia campus, 10:00 PM.
Students from the evening classes pour out, heading home.
Two identical twin girls in pink leather jackets stroll casually along the sidewalk toward the Seroja Indah Apartments.
Rani: "What a tiring night class."
Rina: "Yeah, especially with a killer lecturer."
The twins giggle.
Meanwhile, in a nearby parking area not far from the apartment gate, a tall, well–built man and his two friends are busy devouring plates of ketoprak.
"Weladalah.. wedus!"
Yes, these are Giono, Karto, and Turiman — The Green Gang.
Giono: "Well, would you look at that… Tarmin, why's your ketoprak so spicy tonight?"
Tarmin: "Only used two chilis, Boss."
Karto: "Of course it's spicy, Min. Those were bird's eye chilis!"
Turiman and Tarmin grin like horses.
Turiman: "After ketoprak, it'd be perfect to order coffee, right Boss?"
Giono: "Sheep… That's exactly what I was thinking, Man!"
Karto: "Black coffee, right Boss?"
Turiman: "Two spoons of coffee, half a spoon of sugar."
Giono: "Weduss… And don't forget, stir exactly 18 times."
Tarmin chuckles quietly.
***
21–2 Yu Karmi's Snack Table
Giono gulps down a glass of mineral water, face red from Tarmin's chili blast.
Giono: "Sheep… You trying to prank me, Min?"
Tarmin just chuckles, while Karto and Turiman smirk.
Giono: "Hey, Karto! Go order three coffees from Yu Karmi…"
Next to Tarmin's ketoprak cart is a long table and chairs, covered with snacks: bread, cakes, chips, instant noodles, and coffee. This snack table belongs to Yu Karmi.
Karto: "On it, Boss…"
Giono: "Karto, make sure one is black…"
Karto: "Two spoons coffee, half spoon sugar."
Turiman: "Stir exactly 18 times. No more, no less."
This time it's Tarmin's turn to grin like a horse.
Giono: "Hey, Tarmin! Want coffee too?"
Tarmin: "No thanks, Boss."
Turiman: "Tarmin's afraid the coffee will fight the ketoprak…"
Tarmin frowns. Karto bursts out laughing.
Giono: "Wedus… Don't worry, Min. The coffee's on the house…"
Karto and Turiman grin like mischievous goats.
***
21–3 Four Suspicious Young Men
Under the dim streetlamp, in the parking lot, Giono, Karto, and Turiman enjoy their coffee and cigarettes.
At Yu Karmi's table, the three chat about nothing in particular. Suddenly, Karto glances toward the apartment gate.
Karto: "Hey, Turiman! Take a look at the entrance."
Turiman turns toward where Karto's pointing.
There stand four young men, each holding a pair of nunchaku, twirling them like fans.
Turiman: "Suspicious…"
Karto: "Yep. They've been there since before we started eating ketoprak."
Turiman: "Looks like they're waiting for someone…"
Karto: "Judging by the weapons, they're clearly waiting for an enemy."
Turiman: "I think they're gonna beat someone up."
Karto: "Yup, Man…"
Giono, who had been ignoring them, now looks toward the apartment gate, brow furrowing.
Giono: "Karto, pay for the coffee."
Karto: "How much, Yu? Three coffees, four packs of peanuts."
Yu Karmi: "Twenty thousand, Mas."
Karto hands over the money.
Giono: "Pay for the ketoprak too, To."
Karto: "Three ketoprak, how much, Min?"
Tarmin: "All together, twenty–six thousand, Mas."
Karto hands him thirty thousand.
Karto: "Keep the change, Min…"
Tarmin grins like a horse.
***
21-4: Giono Becomes Suspicious
As the leader of the Green Gang, Giono could already read the movements of the four young men armed with nunchaku
Giono: "Weladalah... Karto, you and Turiman, keep an eye on them."
Karto and Turiman nodded.
Giono: "Don't let them start trouble here."
Karto: "Got it, Boss!"
Turiman simply nodded in alertness.
Tarmin whispered something to Yu Karmi.
Suddenly, one of the four young men pointed ahead.
Giono, Karto, and Turiman turned their heads toward where he pointed.
Two twin girls in pink leather jackets were walking cheerfully toward the apartment gate guarded by the four men.
Giono: "Weladalah, wedus..."
***
21-5 Giono Just Watches
Karto: "Boss, looks like they're going to mess with those twin girls..."
Turiman: "Cowards. Four against two..."
As a seasoned fighter, Giono could tell from the twins' light footwork that they were not to be underestimated.
Giono: "Karto, Turiman... stay put and watch."
Karto and Turiman nodded.
Sure enough, the four young men ran up to the twins and surrounded them.
The ninchakus spun around, creating a cage.
The twins—Rani and Rina, experts in throwing knives—showed no sign of fear.
Sensing trouble, Rani and Rina glanced at each other.
Rani: "Rina, are you scared?"
Rina: "Are you scared, Rani?"
The two laughed lightly and took their stances.
Giono simply observed, holding an empty plastic cup.
Karto and Turiman were itching to jump in—though often silly, they were excellent fighters, which was why they served as Giono's right-hand men.
One of the four young men, Sopian, twirled his nunchaku in front of Rani and Rina.
Sopian: "Hey, Pendi! Let's grab these two mbelgedes girls!"
Pendi: "We'll make it look like an accident..."
The four of them closed in tighter on Rani and Rina.
***
21-6 Nunchakus Encircle Rani and Rina
Sopian lunged forward, swinging his nunchaku at the twins, followed by the other three.
The flurry of swings and strikes kept Rani and Rina hemmed in.
So far, they had been able to dodge.
Occasionally, they struck back with punches and kicks, but their movements were limited.
Rina: "Rani, get the knives ready!"
Rani nodded, pulling four knives from inside her jacket.
Giono, Karto, and Turiman grew tense.
Karto: "Cowards... you martabak ketan!"
Turiman: "Shame on you, ganging up on women!"
Karto: "And with weapons too..."
Giono ignored their chatter. The cup in his hand began to tremble.
***
21-7 Knives vs. Nunchakus
From the exchange so far, Giono could tell these four were worthy opponents for Rani and Rina.
But outnumbered, the twins began to struggle.
Suddenly—
Rani threw four knives at Pendi and Panjul.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rina did the same toward Sopian and Eko.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
All four spun their nunchakus rapidly.
Clang! Clang!
The knives clashed against the spinning sticks and fell to the ground.
The twins were shocked—other than Mariana, no one had ever deflected their blades before.
Sweat trickled down their foreheads.
Rani: "Damn it, they can block our knives, Rina..."
Rina simply nodded, too busy dodging.
The four pressed their attack, driving the twins back.
Then suddenly—
Pletak!
Panjul: "Aduh!"
A huge lump formed on Panjul's forehead. At his feet lay a plastic cup.
A familiar voice barked:
"Weladalah... wedus..."
***
21-8: Plastic Cup vs. Nunchaku
Panjul turned toward the voice.
He saw three men—one of them tall and broad—approaching.
It was Giono, Turiman, and Karto.
Karto and Turiman unbuckled their belts.
Turiman's belt had a stainless steel tip shaped like an Indian head.
Karto's belt had a tip shaped like a horse's head.
Giono carried only the two plastic cups, one in each hand.
They advanced toward the fight.
Panjul: "Hey, Pendi, look! That thug made a lump on my head!"
Pendi: (frowning) "What do they want?"
Sopian: "If they want trouble, then... hit them!"
***
21-9 The Fight Turns Even
Karto spun his belt over his head and lashed out at Eko, the horse-head tip whistling through the air.
Turiman swung at Pendi with the Indian-head tip of his belt.
Giono moved toward Panjul, cups in hand.
Sopian still faced off against the twins.
The fight began to even out.
Panjul, already rattled from the earlier blow, now found himself under heavy pressure from Giono.
Panjul: "Kutu kupret!"
His strikes were dodged or blocked—by plastic cups.
Whack! Whack!
Nunchaku met cup—and the cup didn't even dent.
It was clear Panjul was no match for the leader of the Green Gang.
***
21-10 Belt vs. Nunchaku
Karto hammered away at Eko with his belt.
The shorter nunchaku couldn't get close.
Turiman's belt whirled like a helicopter blade, keeping Pendi on the defensive.
The twins easily handled Sopian—when they worked together, he was no match.
The four men's only real strength was in fighting together... but now each was isolated against a strong opponent.
***
21-11 The Four Overwhelmed
Sopian began to falter under the twins' relentless knife throws.
Sopian: "Damn, we came to gang up on them, now they're ganging up on me!"
Panjul, too, was in trouble—Giono's plastic cups carried a strange cold energy that pushed back his stick.
Panjul: "Kutu kupret! These cups are as hard as steel and cold as ice!"
His movements slowed.
Eko was also losing ground—Karto's belt strikes kept him completely at bay.
Whack! Whack!
Metal met wood, and Eko's arms grew heavy.
Eko: "Edan... never met anyone who could counter my nuncaku like this!"
Karto just grinned, sensing victory.
***
21-12 Desperate Defense.
Pendi fought desperately against the whipping attacks of Turiman's belt.
Pendi: "Bujur buneng… if this goes on, I'm gonna die here…"
Facing such fierce and agile opponents, their strength was draining fast. They were growing tired.
At first, they had thought Rani, Rina, and the Green Gang would be easy prey. Now they realized their enemies were street-fighting masters who ruled the back alleys.
Cold sweat began to drip down their foreheads. Panic and unease crept in. The increasingly ferocious onslaught made their courage shrink.
***
21-13 Beating the Four Armed with Nunchaku
Rani: "Get the knives ready!"
Rina: "Alright, let's finish off one of these four cockroaches."
Sopian, feeling pressured by Rani and Rina's paired techniques, couldn't do much.
Sopian: "Kampret, those two girls are about to throw knives…"
His movements began to slow. The strikes of his nunchaku—two short sticks linked by a chain—were becoming sloppy.
Meanwhile, Rani and Rina unleashed their synchronized style.
Rani leapt high, hurling two knives toward Sopian's upper body.
At the same time, Rina threw two knives aimed at Sopian's lower body.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Ouch!"
One of Rani's knives grazed Sopian's cheek, leaving a long, stinging cut. The other nicked his head, shaving off a patch of hair and leaving a bald spot.
One of Rina's knives struck Sopian's hand, making him drop his nunchaku.
The other embedded itself in his left leg, making him limp before collapsing to the ground with a cry.
***
21-14 Capturing the Four
Panjul, who was facing Giono, was completely exhausted.
Panjul: "Kutu kupret! My nunchaku can't get close to this guy."
Suddenly—
Whack! Whack!
"Ouch"
This time it wasn't nunchaku vs plastic cup, but a plastic cup smacking Panjul's head twice in a row.
The first bump hadn't even gone down before two more appeared…
Panjul's vision blurred with spots of light before he slumped to the ground, dropping his nunchaku.
Panjul surrendered.
Giono: "Weladalah! With skills that tiny, you dare cause trouble in Green Gang territory? Wedus!"
Rani and Rina watched Giono take Panjul down.
Rani: "Look, the uncle with the plastic cup just took down one of the four thugs."
Rina: "Amazing! A plastic cup can withstand nunchaku strikes."
Rina: "You can tell his inner strength level."
Rina: "Definitely two levels above ours."
The twins laughed brightly, though still panting from the fight.
***
21-15 Surrender
Eko, dueling with Karto, was also exhausted. Every strike of his nunchaku was countered by Karto's belt.
Giono: "Wedus! Don't drag it out, Karto! Finish it!"
Karto just grinned, his belt whipping back and forth.
Karto: "Got it, Boss! Then I'll order more coffee from Yu Karmi…"
Giono: "Wedus! Aren't you afraid your stomach will burst after twelve cups of coffee?"
Still grinning like a donkey, Karto lashed out again.
Then—
Crack!
"Ouch"
The metal tip of Karto's belt slammed hard into Eko's cheek, twisting his face to the side.
The hit was so strong, two of Eko's teeth flew out.
He stumbled sideways and fell, clutching his cheek and groaning. His nunchaku rolled away.
***
21-16 Pendi Surrenders
Seeing his three friends down, Pendi lost all courage. Before he could end up with lumps and broken teeth, he quickly threw away his nunchaku.
Pendi: "Mercy, sir! Don't hit me. I've got a wife and kids!"
Turiman chuckled at Pendi's plea.
Turiman: "You're right, To—they've got the guts of sticky rice pancakes!"
Karto glanced over at Turiman and just grinned.
Panjul: "Kutu kupret! You coward, Pen!"
Sopian: "No fight in you at all, Pendi. Disappointing!"
Eko: "Awuh! My teeth are gone, Pend! And you just give yourself up…"
Giono: "March these four to the parking lot."
Turiman and Karto herded them toward the parking lot near Yu Karmi's table.
***
21-17 Mineral Water for the Ketoprak Players
Giono: "Karto, buy four cups of mineral water for these ketoprak actors!"
Karto: "Yes, Boss!"
Giono: "Want another cup of coffee, Karto? I'll buy it for you."
Karto grinned again.
Turiman: "His stomach will burst, Boss. He's already had eleven cups today!"
Karto just laughed.
Giono walked over to Rani and Rina.
Giono: "Sorry, girls—where are you from?"
Rani: "We study at UI, Pakde (uncle."
Rina: "Yeah, Uncle, our campus is right next door."
Giono: "Weladalah! Then why did those four attack you?"
Rani: "No idea, Uncle!"
Rina: "Ho-oh, Uncle. Honestly, no idea."
Giono nodded.
***
21-18: Giono's Style of Interrogation
Giono fixed Panjul with a sharp gaze.
Giono: "Hey, you with three bumps! Who told you to stir up trouble here?"
Panjul stayed silent.
Giono's temper rose. He grabbed his plastic cup, ready to smack Panjul's head.
Panjul: "Mercy, sir!"
Fearing more bumps, Panjul finally spoke.
Giono: "Wedus! Who sent you to make trouble?"
Panjul: "We didn't mean to cause trouble…"
Sopian: "We know this is Green Gang territory."
Pendi: "We were only after those two twin girls…"
Eko: "Awuh! My teeth!"
Giono's eyes widened.
Giono: "Weladalah, wedus! Chasing after two girls?"
Turiman: "Shrimp-cracker men, no shame!"
Karto: "Ganging up on two girls? You're all sticky rice pancakes!"
The four hung their heads.
Giono: "Why target someone in Green Gang territory?"
Turiman: "Who told you to go after those girls?"
Karto spun his belt.
Wush! Wush!
Pendi, already scared, trembled as he answered.
Pendi: "Broto!"
Giono's eyes narrowed again.
Giono: "Wedus!"
Turiman: "The Big Madam is starting to mess with us, Boss…"
Karto: "Greedy woman! They've taken the Kembang Setaman nightclub…"
End of Chapter 21
To be continued chapter 22