20 Heartbeat II

"Hey.... I'm here. Turn to the right." Aruna followed Damar's instructions from the phone screen. 

They were making a video call via a message application.

Aruna started to close her phone screen, finding Damar waving at her.

The tall man with a typical sling bag was easy to find.

Aruna walked towards where Damar was standing. 

Damar bluffy showed a warm welcome, daring to open his hands, hoping Aruna would respond with a hug that he offered.

"Puk.. Puk..." The girl was wearing a jeans outfit, white sneakers, a jacket for her top and a backpack gave a two-punch response to Damar's chest.

"You?? acting up in the early morning."

Damar held Aruna's blow's mark, moaned as if in pain at the girl's refusal.

Damar showed this kind of behavior too often to make her smile.

"Who escorted you? Sis Alia?" 

Damar's question was greeted by Aruna's nod. 

Initially, Damar agreed to pick her up at home. However, on second thought, it was better to involve Aruna's sister, Alia, who was more skilled in living hidden love. 

Even though in reality their relationship was only limited to best friends, both of them understand that their trip this time was not worth disclosing.

"Don't worry, Alia has already arranged everything. Right now, I seem to attend a seminar in Bandung."

Aruna told Damar that she manipulated her parents' consent.

Damar smiled at Aruna's innocent behavior.

"Oh, great... Maybe our trip to Bandung can be added to two days?" Damar looked happy. 

He and Aruna didn't have to be pressed for time.

"Our train leaves in half an hour. Sit down and let me buy you a cake for breakfast." Damar continued.

He then walked two steps before finally turning around and looking at Aruna once again.

Aruna blinked her eyes. She was confused when the young man's hand ran through her hair and gently pulled the ribbon wrapped around her hair tie.

"Let me keep this ribbon. I like your hair loose. You look prettier."

The eccentric young man just walked away, leaving Aruna shaking her head, and almost fell into the sweet treatment Damar massively served.

***

"They are again?"

Damar felt something was wrong. These fragrant cakes should be handed over to Aruna. 

He felt that someone was following him. He then decided to walk in the opposite direction, slowly walked while observing, making sure his suspicions were not wrong.

Two men with a matching outfit equipped with a complete separation Bluetooth headset type.

It was perfectly adhered to both ears almost imperceptibly.

A moment after, feeling sure, Damar disappeared behind the wall watching those who looked confused.

'Yep. They are the same stalkers.'

Damar rushed over to Aruna, grabbing her wrist, and led the girl into the train carriage.

"Damar, it doesn't seem like this is our train." Aruna was confused.

Damar should have known the train they were riding would not take them to Bandung.

"Calm down, Aruna. I know, follow me and don't let go. Understood?!"

Damar paused for a moment while whispering his request to Aruna. The girl still didn't understand, but she nodded, catching the young man's worried expression.

The two of them walked down the aisles of the train carriages.

Damar realized that one by one, the stalkers boarded the carriage. They looked the same as ordinary passengers, except for the black object stuck to the ear. 

It was like a marker in Damar's eyes.

Damar's footsteps increased, followed by Aruna. The girl's left hand was firmly gripped by the young man's right hand in front of her. 

The stalkers walked faster and faster until their presences were inevitable. They began to show up, nimbly following the two of them.

The conductor's long whistle sounded. Damar casted his gaze for a moment, making sure Aruna was ready to run with him. 

After feeling sure enough, the two teenagers ran as best they could, followed by a group of people who tried to catch up.

The train slowly moved and the speed continued to increase.

Damar closed the door of the last carriage they had been through, asking Aruna to jump out. 

The girl was scared. It was beyond her means.

Seeing the stalkers getting closer, the man hurriedly jumped, leaving his right hand to grab Aruna's palm, pulling the girl's body with confidence.

Aruna closed her eyes tightly as she realized she was about to slam down. Her cries of fear could be heard until finally, she realized that she was already in Damar's arms.

In only a few seconds, the man jumped and caught her. With a height of 185 cm, it was easy for Damar to do this.

Aruna's breath was panting, accompanied by an irregular heartbeat. Running and jumping off the train was an adrenaline rush. 

She limply bowed, grateful for her Luck to survive.

Damar made sure Aruna was alright, asking the girl beside him to wave her goodbye to the group of stalkers who were running around inside the walking carriages.

The man broadly smiled triumphantly, followed by Aruna, who was amazed at Damar's expression.

"Come on!!"

This time, Aruna followed Damar's nimble steps without hesitation. She ran and walked fast while staring at the back of the man who occasionally turned around to make sure she wasn't left behind.

They came back towards the station platform.

"There might be others (stalkers). Let's find another safer place."

Damar's idea was greeted by Aruna. The girl came closer to grab his arm to make sure he didn't let her go.

The young man's face flushed, finding out himself able to move Aruna's body, and touched it without begging.

***

"Ah!! You guys are stupid!..."

Someone on the other end of the line complained, patting his temples with one hand and the other holding a phone to his ear.

"Who asked you to arrest them? I just need their photos from a distance." Hendra roughly put his phone down.

For a moment, there was a strange feeling attacking his chest.

Hendra's heart was racing even stronger. It was something that he couldn't define yet.

'Shit!' What if they get caught?? I can be so embarrassed. Aargh... They are too stupid'