In front of the breakfast shop, Randa worked steadily and methodically. His careful, deliberate movements drew curious stares from passersby.
But the moment they noticed the large, bold price sign, their interest disappeared.
Randa had no idea what they were thinking. He was too absorbed in what he believed to be the very first and most important step of his life journey.
After a while, the fried bananas were ready. At the same time, the sweet aroma of vanilla and pandan drifted through the air.
Those who caught the scent couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Gulp.
Rani, who had been skeptical from the start, found herself swallowing too. She even wondered if Randa was using some kind of "food perfume," like bakeries that spray enticing aromas to attract customers.
As she drifted into thought, Randa suddenly appeared before her, holding a plate of three golden fried bananas.
"Here, Auntie. These are my fried bananas. Please try them—if anything's off, just let me know."
Rani jumped at his sudden appearance, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
"Oh, no need, Randa. Those are for sale."
She tried to refuse, though her face betrayed her curiosity and just a hint of hunger.
Seeing this, Randa pushed the plate closer, insisting it was fine. After all, since he was staying under her roof, it was only right for her to taste them.
In the end, after a little coaxing, Rani gave in and picked up a piece.
"Careful, Auntie—it's still hot," Randa warned.
But it was too late. Rani winced as the heat burned her fingers. Her face grew even redder with embarrassment.
Feeling bad, Randa quickly excused himself and went back to work, sparing her from further awkwardness.
Once he was gone, Rani carefully slipped the golden banana into her mouth. She chewed slowly, anticipation building—then her eyes lit up.
"Wow, this is really good!" she said sincerely.
In that instant, her view of Randa changed completely. The taste truly lived up to the price.
From a distance, Randa smiled and nodded at her reaction.
The onlookers who had been watching grew even more curious. Still, many remained skeptical of Rani's praise. Some even suspected it was staged, as though the two were conspiring to trick people into buying.
The atmosphere turned tense. No one dared to be the first customer.
Even nearby vendors grew curious. Who was this strange man, bold enough to sell plain fried bananas—with no special twist—for 6,000 rupiah apiece?
And so, Randa's batches kept selling out without a single buyer.
Thinking quickly, he considered handing them out for free. He was sure that once people tasted them, they'd want more.
But before he could act, a group of kindergarteners suddenly swarmed the stalls, including Randa's.
"Mister, one please!"
"Mister, me too!"
"Okay, okay, don't push! There's hot oil here—careful!" Randa said frantically.
The children didn't care about the price. They just wanted a bite right away.
Swiftly, Randa wrapped the bananas in banana leaves and handed them out.
"Here you go—careful, it's hot!"
"Yay, thanks, Mister!"
"Here's the money, Mister!"
For a while, he was busy serving them until every last banana was gone.
The children sat in groups, eating eagerly.
"Mine's the sweetest!"
"No, mine's sweeter!"
"Mine isn't just sweet—it's soft too!"
"Yeah, mine's super soft!"
The atmosphere grew lively. As the kids scattered, the aroma of fried bananas spread wider, tempting the nearby adults even more.
Not long after, the second batch was ready, and this time the adults jumped in. The moment they tasted them, their eyes sparkled—just like Rani's had earlier.
Orders poured in, with many asking for takeout.
Business was booming. Randa's stall quickly became the busiest among all the vendors.
Then, at one point, a chubby boy tugged his mother toward Randa's stall.
"Mama, I want this one!" he begged.
The middle-aged woman frowned at the stall, then glanced at the price sign with displeasure. But she masked it with a gentle smile toward her son.
"Kenzo, let's get something else, sweetheart. Fried snacks will make you cough."
"No! I want this one!" Kenzo whined louder.
The woman held back her irritation but kept her voice soft.
"Come on, dear. At home Mama already bought you plenty of tasty, healthy snacks. Not like this fried food—it'll make you sick."
But Kenzo stomped his feet.
"No! I want this one!"
Finally, the mother used the classic Indonesian mom tactic.
"Mister, these aren't for sale, right? Tell Kenzo so he'll believe you."
Randa froze. A faint memory stirred—his own childhood, standing in Kenzo's shoes, with Siti playing the role of his mother.
He gave a bitter smile.
"That's right, Kenzo. These aren't for sale."
The mother exhaled in relief.
"See? Even the Mister said so."
But Kenzo still stared at the bananas, drool nearly dripping.
Inside, Randa fumed. "Who said they're not for sale? The faster they sell out, the better—I can work less and rest more. Work-life balance, bro! Gen Z salaries should start at ten million at least!"
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He held up a steaming hot banana and wiggled it in front of Kenzo.
Kenzo drooled even more, while his mother tried—futilely—to coax him away.
"No! I want that one!" Kenzo cried hysterically, pointing at Randa.
The mother was at her wit's end. She could afford it, but she didn't want her son eating fried snacks so carelessly. Randa, unaware of her inner struggle, kept teasing Kenzo.
In the end, the mother lost her patience and dragged Kenzo away.
Onlookers chuckled, amused by Randa's mischievous antics.
Once they were gone, Randa calmly resumed his work.
Just when he felt his first day selling bananas had been a success, a little girl suddenly ran up and hugged him tightly.
"Daddy!"
Randa froze, startled and alarmed. Startled by the sudden call—and alarmed that she might get splattered with hot oil.
Quickly, he pulled away to keep her safe. Only then did he see her face clearly.
At first, he didn't recognize her. But then it clicked—she was the girl he had once saved from drowning.
"Oh, it's you. Are you okay now after that incident?"
"Yes, Daddy! Thanks to you, I'm fine!" she said brightly.
Randa felt awkward. Why was she calling him "Daddy"?
Had she misunderstood the word? Or did she see him as a father figure because he'd saved her? Questions piled up in his mind with no clear answer.
But one thing was certain—whatever the reason, it wasn't right for her to call him that. If her real father overheard, it could cause serious misunderstandings.
He prepared to explain. But before he could, another little girl appeared—nearly identical, except for her outfit and demeanor.
The first was lively and bold, while the second was shy and gentle.
Randa realized—they were twins. Relieved, he thought at least there'd be a witness to clear things up.
But just as he was about to explain, the unexpected happened.
"H-hi… D-daddy~" the second girl stammered shyly.
"Huh…?" Randa was stunned.
Was he hallucinating?
Why are these two calling me Daddy? Is this some trick? Am I being set up? Or worse—will people think I got someone else's wife pregnant?!
His thoughts spiraled, doubting even his own ears. But no—he was certain. They had called him "Daddy."
While he was still in shock, a young woman arrived. She looked relieved to find the twins, then gave Randa an apologetic glance before scolding them.
"Naira, Naila! Why did you run off like that? If you'd gotten lost, your mother would've blamed me!"
But the girls seemed unfazed, even a little smug.
"Hmph! It's because you walk too slow, Auntie. Besides, Daddy's here!" Naira declared.
Naila stayed quiet, only nodding, sneaking hopeful glances at Randa.
Randa was utterly bewildered.
"Alright, alright, it's my fault. Now let's go home. Grandpa and Grandma are waiting."
But Naira quickly protested.
"No, Auntie! I want to stay with Daddy!"
The woman sighed and urged them again. After some back-and-forth, the girl relented.
"Fine, I'll come. But I want Daddy's fried bananas first!"
The woman gave in and turned to Randa.
"Alright, please make two fried bananas."
But Naira cut in eagerly.
"No, four! No, wait—six!"
"Naira, are you sure you can eat that many?"
"They're not all for me! Two for Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie, and Mommy too!"
The woman paused, then nodded. "Alright then, six it is."
Randa quickly made six bananas and handed them over.
"How much?"
"Thirty thousand," he said without thinking.
She hesitated, then paid after seeing the large price sign clearly displayed.
As she did, she muttered under her breath, "Your Daddy really has no shame—just like you two."
Naira, not hearing clearly, asked, "What, Auntie?"
"Nothing. Come on, let's go—Grandpa and Grandma are waiting."
The woman gave the bananas to the twins.
"Here you go. Now let's head home."
"Yay, let's go!"
"Bye-bye, Daddy!"
"B-bye, Daddy~"
Meanwhile, Randa stood frozen, dazed. Only when they had walked off did he fully realize what had just happened.
He watched their backs slowly fade into the distance, a strange knot forming in his throat, a weight pressing on his chest, his eyes stinging as though from onions.
Randa was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what had just unfolded.