One: Paris

1

If I could choose, I would choose to stay. Even though it hurts, it's better like this. Go and let him be happy, without me.

SOEKARNO-HATTA INTERNASIONAL AIRPORT

"Nessa!" he ran to me and hugged me. "Be careful, sorry for everything. We are still friends. Even though we can't be the same as before, your position from the past until now has never changed, never shifted, or was occupied by other people. I don't know why you suddenly left like this. I also can't blame you because I don't know anything, but you need to know, that whenever you need me, I'm ready to listen to your stories, like before.. I love you. I'm waiting for you to come home." My tears flowed, I left because of him. But now he hugs me and says he will wait for me to come back.

***

I pressed the record button on my camcorder. People are busy with their own luggage. I put my iPhone in my pocket and took out the Chino's control. When I arrived at the open cabin door, I paused for a breath of PARIS air.

Finally waiting for hours to die of boredom paid off, I had prepared for this historic event and wore special clothes. A beret hat with a pair of pearls to embellish it, a pleated dress in a light pink sunset, and high heels, then walk proudly with a toy poodle on a short bridle down the hall.

I'm still trying to condition my bags and a cup of anti-jet lag drink. I wrapped Chino with a thin Air French blanket and went to the baggage claim area.

Nausea began to hit when I saw the human form of traffic jams in the line for baggage and customs. Let's just say that the universe is kind because my suitcase is easy to find as well as the trolley but an amazing thing happened after that, I am now in a very large space containing a group of human beings! Customs or otherwise endless queues, endless waiting times, and me languishing.

I checked my bag once more, making sure important papers were safe. Passports travel checks, car insurance certificates, driver's licenses, credit cards, Chino's vaccination history documents as well as certificates from doctors, emergency numbers, and addresses.

***

A suite at Plaza Athenee I rented for a few days before moving to the campus dormitory, with an irregular heartbeat driving a set of my suitcases through the lobby, and the elevator until it finally arrived. An amazing sight unfolded before my eyes as I opened the door, the biggest room my life had ever been! Marble floors, classic style walls, perfect decoration, LED TV complete with Home Theater, large beds, and the expansion of Paris that is clearly visible from the window. Paradise!

While still fascinated by this room the sound of an incoming call rang, I immediately picked it up. The good news is the little red Smart Car that I ordered has arrived!

Immediately I ran down to the lobby with Chino and found the toy car parked in front of the lobby, immediately I sped into the car and was ready to mess with Paris.

I felt like I was starting to lose control when I saw the shady shades tinged with the shimmer of the sun that cast shadows on the rows of ivy-covered houses, the boats twinkling over the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. For a moment I completely forgot all the problems I had.

***

I arrived at the hostel just before dinner time, my pile of things lying in a fairly large empty room. Some of the suitcases contained clothes, 2 containers filled with shoes and sandals, others contained several dozen bags. 4 bookcases, fitted mannequins, several rolls of cloth, Desrues, and Lemarie.

Massive unpacking is going on here, and the first thing I do is organize all of my clothes in a dedicated wardrobe room. Started by filling the sides with my VIP roster outfits, a list of regular clothes on the other hand. Shoes lined along the bottom wall with fleece lining some Rebooks, Stella McCartney, glitter sandals, red Mary Jane Rubin, red sequined pumps, lots of strappy sandals, and don't forget to hang the dress [already color coded].

Dozens of bags I arranged on a large table with drawers according to their type, I used the drawer to put boxes of accessories. I just bought a big glass to put on the end.

Now I am moving from the special clothing room to the front, the bookshelf I asked for is already installed on the wall to the right of the bed. I took out the books that were in the box and put them on my desk in front of the bookshelf.

Arranged by type and author, the first row is textbooks on world fashion history, draping, sewing, types of materials, colors, branding, fashion entrepreneurship, fashion merchandise, and several fashion language dictionaries.

The second to third line is a collection of novels, there are translated novels by Lisa Graham series fashion-forward adventure of Imogene, Jenny Han, John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Isabelle Merlin, Lindsey Kelk, E.M. Foster, and Keri Smith's stupid books, there are also Indonesian novels by Orizuka, Anggun Prameswari, Boy Chandra, and a series of productions by the publisher Amore, I also have novels by Diana Rikasari and Lala Bohang, and finally some coloring books.

It's tiring, I glanced at Chino who was biting her Sock Monkey "I wish I had my own sock monkey too." then return to the book. Looks like it won't be over today, I decided after I finished with these books I'd go back to the hotel, remembering Chino who hadn't eaten and me starting to need chocolate and milk.

I took out my phone and opened Instagram, typing a user id into the search box. Jullianprasetyo. I saw a new post there, how surprised I was to realize the picture was me, me who was walking dragging my suitcase through the gate with the caption 'See you again.' Tears fell from my eyes remembering the incident at the airport. Then I typed a different name into the search box. Bramanaarsya. User not found, so the writing that appears. Did he close his account? Why? I was silent in my place, trying to find an answer to this confusion when a chat from the chat group came in, from OUR.

[Rosa] Mana nih si gadis Paris

[Lista] Tau deh, gak on dia. Belom nyampe kali.

[Rosa] Ih, harusnya sii udah

[Lista] Au deh. Tungguin aja, paling entar juga nongol

I laughed at the conversation.

[Me] Ibam tutup akun Instagram udah pada tau belom?

[Rosa] Ha? Masa sih. Bentar gua cek

Ih iya bener ga ada Nes!

[Lista] Wah, gawat nih gawat. Cerita Nes, lo bedua kenapa sih sebenernya.

I answered with a voice recorder and told the story from the beginning. Chino was already asleep when I turned off the phone screen, I picked her up and walked slowly out of my room.

As I was about to put my room key into the pocket in the middle of a long hallway, I heard the sound of someone running towards me from the end of the hall. I looked back and thump! I fell because I was hit by someone, Chino hit the floor then woke up and winced in pain, and the items in the pochette fell on the floor.

The knock on the knees and the floor made a blister that really hurt.

"I'm so sorry, r u okay?" asked the accident maker.

I didn't answer the person's question and would rather save the poor Chino in pain and then pick up my things when I looked up to see what kind of human was running around at this hour (it's almost midnight) and was planning to kill him with a single scream on his face, but the reality was different, I was transfixed by the man with blue eyes and disheveled hair in front of me.

He wore an oversized white shirt with a khaki-colored bomber jacket and short jeans above the knee, with long blonde hair. I heard someone screaming suddenly and brought me back to my senses, I saw him holding my room key. When I tried to stand up, the pain in my knees only got worse, luckily he helped me up.

I reached for his hand to take my room key but his hand avoided my reach. "Give me back my room key!" I snapped at him.

The screams of several people were heard again but clearer, he took my pochette around his neck and then smiled stupidly for a moment before I was picked up by him and led out of the dorm block to the university building.

I was carried in bridal style with my face literally forty-five degrees from the field of vision, I couldn't help but see the straight line in his jawline and the curve of his cheekbones. He dropped me off in front of the large library, the screams no longer audible, and the sound of his breathing gasping for air. "I'm really sorry, are you okay?" he asked.

"Look at me! Does this look okay to you?" I replied annoyed.

I can assure you that Chino is showing irritation towards this man. In my eyes, it was almost midnight and this man was being chased by several people, this man could be...

"I'm not a robber," he explained. He seemed to understand with my probing gaze. "I lost playing the game and had to get the penalty, they chased me because of it." He stepped forward and made me stop at the library door.

"I say nothing." My eyes blinked many times because his face was getting closer and then finally closed my eyes because maybe he wanted to...

"New student? Doesn't look like a Parisian," he asked and stepped back. "Jeffyin Traynor." he stretched out his hand and then pulled his hand back when he realized all my hands were gone from having to carry Chino. "But just call me Jeffyin." his smile was etched once again.

"I have to go," I said as I took the room key and my pochette from him.

I turned around and walked away from him to the car and immediately left there. On the way, I stopped at a pharmacy to buy antiseptic, bandages, and some plasters, the pain was still there. Hopefully, it won't leave a mark, I walked back to the car and sped straight for the hotel.