1. Contraception

Helena had just closed the notebook when she saw that her phone screen was on. Sleepiness struck in the last hour of class, but right now, his eyes were sparkling from reading a series of incoming messages.

Nathaniel Hesa:

I'll be out of class in one hour.

So, how? Tonight?

I'll be waiting for you.

Her fingers were just about to move to reply to Nathan's message. However, a new message that came in caught her attention.

Ms. Friska :

How about it, Helen? Have you made a decision? Please, Helen. You have not stepped into the world of literacy for more than a year. This time I hope you will return to writing.

If now you want to turn down this offer, please think again.

I hope you'll come back.

Helena didn't get up from her seat. While the other students had already moved away to empty the class, leaving her alone.

She reads back-and-forth messages from Ms. Friska, a senior editor of Lovelis Media Publisher. The latter always helps edit the raw novel manuscripts until they can sell tens of thousands of copies in bookstores, some of which become best sellers.

That's right. Her writing activities have stopped for over a year since Helena entered the campus world. Campus activities kill her writing. There's time if he wants to. However, the idea of writing the story of her fictional characters died when she found her own love story.

Nathan, Nathaniel Hesa, the man who sent the message, who can always make him smile when he remembers, who has filled his life for precisely a year and over a week, is a man who can draw himself into a love story that doesn't have to be written.

With Nathan, Helena just had to live it. Helena doesn't have to think about the plot and characters with Nathan. With Nathan, Helena needs to love without the hassle of writing anything down.

Helena turned on her cellphone screen, revealing a photo of her face and Nathan's faces, using it as a lock screen photo. She smiles again. There seemed to be no regrets when she had to leave everything for that man. Several times he reassured that thought.

"HELEEN," Helena heard the scream until it echoed through the room.

Helena turned her head, smiled when she saw Jessy approaching her, and hurriedly sat on the empty chair beside her.

"Are you coming tonight?" she asks.

Both are in the second level of the Department of Business and Management. Even though they are in different categories, some courses often make them fall into the same class.

"What event is it?" Helena put the notebook in her bag, then looked back at Jessy.

"Wasn't it already discussed in the chat group?" Jessy looked annoyed. "It's Max's birthday, then we plan to meet at ..." Jessy pulled her eyeballs up. "The place hasn't been decided yet, but I think it's between Carl apartment or... Andrew's house, maybe?"

Helena nodded. "Oh."

"Oh?" Jessy looked dissatisfied with her response. "Everyone will come, Helen. Me, Sammy, Kai, Liam, and Carl. Max is clear, not to mention Lana, Jason, Liam, and Alice-they came together, you know. Leonard and Ellie also said they wanted to come even though they couldn't be confirmed."

Jessy mentioned the names mentioned earlier on the same campus, Wiratama University, located in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. Meanwhile, Jason, Lana, Alice, Ellie, and Leonard are in different universities. They vacated their time and came for the event.

However, "I already have an appointment with Nathan." Helena bit her lip when she got a disappointed look from Jessy for the umpteenth time.

"Helen, what's going on?" Jessy's words only sounded like complaining. She didn't need an answer. "Didn't you two spend the weekend together for the first anniversary? And I'm not asking you to get together every weekend, and it's just--"

"Jessy..." Helena looked at him apologetically. She didn't know what Nathan had planned tonight when she asked him to meet. Nathan said Helena just needed to come.

"You've never come when there is a get-together like this. Yes, right?" Jessy shook her head. "Or ... if you want to take Nathan along, let--"

"Jes, you know that's impossible." Remembering what happened a while ago. Something made Nathan change his facial expression only when Helena--accidentally--talked about her friends.

Jessy just nodded, looking resigned. "Yes. Okay. I understand."

"Give my regards to the others, okay?"

Jessy took a deep breath. "Ya." Her hand reached out to stroke Helena's head. "Have fun, okay?" Then smile. "But... if you have the time, after walking with Nathan, you can follow us too. I'll let you know where the place is later."

The last sentence from Jessy that Helena always heard was 'follow me if you have time!' even though Jessy knew that after being with Nathan, her time would run out and never be shared with anything. "Okay. Have fun, too," replied Helena.

****

_Fence Front Success Team_

Sammy :

Absent for those who come tonight.

Jessy :

It looks like everyone's coming.

Alice :

Wow. Is that right?

Ellie :

Count me in.

Liam :

Wow, lots of people.

Is this the complete formation?

Jessy :

Uh, Helena can't come. Hehe.

Max :

Wow, Helen. Are you serious?

Liam :

Max looks disappointed, yes.

Jason :

How, Max?

Kai :

Helen, you will regret if Max doesn't have a birthday next year.

Max :

Eee....damn....

Helena :

Maaaax, sorry yaa.

Max :

Yes, it's okay. Greetings to Nathan, yes.

Jason :

How's your greeting, Max?

Max :

Fuck *middle finger emoticon*

I am just kidding, Helen. Hehe.

Carl :

Huh?

Helen, didn't that happen?

Helena :

What's wrong?

Carl :

Break up with Nathan.

Jason :

Ooow, so??

Carl :

Dating with me.

****

Helena had arrived at the apartment. This is their second-anniversary celebration because last week Nathan gave a sweet surprise, a romantic dinner at a rooftop cafe in Menteng. Nathan took her to enjoy the sunset there in the afternoon and the sparkling city view at dinner.

That night Nathan made her feel special, and that was enough. For her, Nathan was enough. She knew that was the mainstream thought every girl had when deeply in love with someone.

And tonight, Helena doesn't know what they will do to celebrate the age of their one-year relationship. Nathan just told her to come to the apartment and didn't give any hints about what to wear at the moment last weekend.

So, for tonight Helena chose a black ruffle t-shirt with a red midi skirt with a dark floral print. She felt her appearance tonight fit to be taken anywhere. Her right hand gripped the sling bag as he pressed the bell. The hem of her flat shoes twitched when Nathan hadn't yet opened the door.

However, "Hi, sorry it took so long. I was in the bathroom."

Helena smiled. "Just got home? It's not just two classes today, is it?" She bent down for a moment to remove his flat shoes and replace them with the house slippers he usually wears when he is in his lover's apartment.

Nathan nodded and immediately took Helena's hand. "As usual, after the Student Association meeting."

Nathan is one of the department heads at the HIMA Faculty of Engineering, which is why they don't spend much time together. Besides being busy with college, he spends half his time in campus organizations.

And Helena is the opposite. Classwork took up her time, and she spent the rest waiting for Nathan to have free time. Like today, Nathan never received a refusal to ask her to meet.

Nathan closed the door before finally shoving Helena's shoulder to go first. The two of them stopped beside the sofa facing the lit television screen.

Helena turned around, looking at Nathan, who was relaxed in a black T-shirt and denim shorts. The man felt he didn't have to bother drying his wet hair after taking a shower. "We...are not leaving?"

"Hmm?" Nathan, already walking towards the pantry, immediately turned around and smiled before answering. "You want us to go?"

"Oh no. I mean, I thought you were going to ask me out. It doesn't mean we have to go out."

Nathan's smile remained. He grimaced, rubbing his stomach as he spoke. "I haven't eaten since noon."

"Oh yeah?" Helena walked to the pantry after putting her sling bag on the sofa. "Why didn't you tell me? Want to order food?"

Nathan shook his head, his arms outstretched as he accepted Helena's presence, unhesitatingly hugged her tightly. His face was placed on Helena's shoulder as he spoke in a low voice. "If I ask you to cook, can I?"

Helena laughed. "You're serious?"

Nathan again grabbed Helena's shoulder and directed her to the pantry. "That's right. It's rare for us to spend time together like this, right?"

"What do you have for cooking?" Helena opened the small cabinet on the wall, and she let Nathan hug her from behind. "Okay. You only have instant food," he muttered.

"I made things easy for you, didn't I?"

Helena hit Nathan's arm around her waist. "I'm not so bad at it!"

"Oh, sure. You're not bad. You're special with the wet fried rice you cooked the other day because you put the egg in at the end."

With all her efforts, Nathan brought back their early days when they were close, and Helena stole the show by making lunches. "You're in trouble if you keep bringing it up," Helena threatened as Nathan tried to recall the embarrassing memory.

Nathan laughed, his arms slackening before closing in again when he saw Helena taking a packet of pasta from the cabinet. "Good choice."

Helena glanced back a little before finally flinching again. "Oh, come on. I have to cook for you?"

Nathan took her right hand, fiddling with her fingers. "Of course not," he muttered. He brought Helena's hand to his face and kissed it. "We can do something . . . more interesting if you want."

Helena just put the pasta packaging away, her eyes glanced to the right, but she couldn't help but turn around. Her face moved slightly away when Nathan suddenly kissed her ear lightly. Her two free hands gripped the edge of the table in front of her as something strange pressed against the back of her body.

"One year... is enough to make you believe in me, right?" asked Nathan. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Helen...?"

There was a rush of nervousness, which made her body stiff and her lips numb. She counted to herself, maybe seven seconds, Nathan's question passed, and she remained stunned.

"Helen, can we do it tonight?" This time, Nathan stepped away a little as if giving Helena a chance to take time to think correctly without any more 'push.' "I just have one question for you with a one-word answer."

"Hmm," Helena mumbled, calling Nathan's body to come closer.

"So?"

Helena turned around, facing Nathan ultimately. She needed to move away a little so she could look directly into the man's eyes with the difference in height between the two. Helena held Nathan's hands together. After that… Nathan could know the answer.

****