Episode 3: The Secret in His Smile
The days in Rarang passed quietly, but for Alya, they suddenly felt different.
Every morning, she found herself glancing toward the rice fields half hoping, half pretending that Ardan would be there again.
And he always was.
Sometimes he came to take pictures.
Sometimes he came just to talk.
And sometimes, he didn't say much at all only smiled, that quiet smile that made Alya's heart skip every time.
One afternoon, as they sat beneath the old mango tree, Ardan showed her a picture on his camera.
"It's beautiful," Alya said softly. "The light looks so warm."
"It's not the light," Ardan replied. "It's the person in it."
Alya blushed, turning her face away. "You're teasing me."
Ardan chuckled. "Maybe. But I mean it."
The wind rustled through the leaves. For a moment, the world felt still just the two of them, surrounded by the sound of the countryside.
But then, Ardan's smile faded. His eyes grew distant, as if a shadow passed through his thoughts.
"Ardan?" Alya called gently.
He blinked, forcing another smile. "Sorry. I just remembered someone."
"Someone you miss?"
Ardan hesitated. "Yeah… someone I lost."
Alya wanted to ask more, but the look in his eyes stopped her. It wasn't sadness it was something deeper, something she couldn't name.
And as the sun began to set again over Rarang, Alya realized something simple yet powerful:
She wanted to know everything about him even the parts that hurt.