Bittersweet Arrangements : A Sugar Dady Affair

“Dirga, are you not afraid of my Daddy?” Elena asked when the motorbike Dirga was riding left the Seivaz family’s magnificent residence.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Why should you be afraid El?” Dirga answered, turning his head slightly so that Elena could hear his words. To be honest, Dirga shuddered with horror at the intimidating gaze Jeremy gave him earlier. But because of Vanessa’s help, Dirga was able to survive and escape all of Jeremy’s questions.

“Yes, that’s all, the boys who have been to my house have all given up,” chuckled Elena, feeling funny when she remembered the expressions on the faces of the boys who had come to her house.

“I have serious intentions with you. So why be afraid. Besides, I think it’s natural for Daddy to act like that, his daughter is so beautiful like this,” replied Dirga with a smile as he looked at Elena from behind the rearview mirror.

“You little bastard! Come on, hurry up. If the motorbike is running like this, when will we arrive!” said Elena who also chuckled.

“Okay, we’ll continue chatting later,” replied Dirga then increased the speed of his motorbike.

Throughout the journey, a smile remained on Dirga’s lips. There was a sense of disbelief and pride within him. Finally, he succeeded in getting Elena to go on a date with the permission of both of their parents. And he was the only student from SMA Merah Putih who managed to get permission to visit Elena’s house.

As per Elena’s request, they both sat under a large banyan tree. Elena intentionally wanted to visit the Alun-alun located in the backyard of the Yogyakarta Keraton. It was a gathering place for Jogja residents and a hangout spot for tourists. Typically, in the evenings, this field, with two banyan trees in the middle, began to come alive. Vendors started opening their stalls, owners of odong-odong turned on their lights, and tourists arrived one by one. But that didn’t mean this place would be empty during the morning and afternoon. Even now, Elena could see people coming and going around the Alun-alun area. Street vendors also seemed to be setting up their stalls.

Yogyakarta’s Alun-alun was one of Elena’s favorite places. In Elena’s memory, she vividly remembered that her parents used to take her and her siblings here to spend time playing. On holidays, they often jogged together. Recalling those moments, Elena suddenly missed the times that had become beautiful memories. The times when her family used to spend time together outside the house. It was simple, but Elena really wanted those moments to happen again. Since she entered high school, they had almost never done it again. Everyone was busy with their own activities.

Here, Alun-alun was one of the iconic places in Yogyakarta that created many beautiful memories with her family. A timeless hangout spot. Formerly known as Alun-alun Kidul or more commonly called Alkid, it used to be a training ground for the palace warriors. The backyard of the Yogyakarta palace was also rich in stories. Allegedly, the construction of this Alun-alun was to make the back of the palace resemble the front, which was also planted with twin banyan trees. This was done so that the palace did not seem to turn its back on the South Sea controlled by the Queen of the South.

Another story closely tied to Alkid’s existence was the myth of “masangin” or passing between two banyan trees. The history of this masangin ritual originated from the mute topo bisu mubeng beteng ritual performed every night of 1 Suro. While circling the fort, people were not allowed to speak. The culmination of the ritual was passing between the banyan trees. It was said that between these two trees, there was a symbol that functioned as a repellent against disasters. People with pure hearts could pass between the banyan trees, while those with evil intentions would not succeed.

However, in the modern era with advanced technology, masangin is no longer a ritual but just a game. Anyone visiting Alun-alun Kidul and curious about its myth can try this game. After playing masangin, visitors can also rent tandem bicycles or decorated odong-odong with colorful lights. Your evening tour at Alkid can be concluded by sipping a cup of wedang ronde or coffee while sitting on a woven mat. Unfortunately, Elena won’t be able to enjoy all these fun activities before evening.

“I really love this place,” said Dirga, who had been ignored by Elena, lost in her thoughts for the past 10 minutes.

For those 10 minutes, Dirga’s gaze did not shift at all from Elena’s beautiful face. For the first time, Dirga had the chance to gaze at Elena’s face for quite a long time from a close distance. So there was no way Dirga would miss this golden opportunity.

“Especially today. I feel so happy to sit together with such a beautiful girl like you,” Dirga complimented, genuinely expressing his feelings.

“You’re exaggerating!” Elena scoffed at Dirga’s compliment, having heard it for the umpteenth time.

Since the beginning, Dirga had always been sweet to her. Before falling for Devan, Dirga’s compliments used to make her heart flutter and her cheeks blush. But now, Elena found Dirga’s teenage-style flattery amusing. Starting today, Elena was determined to forget Devan, erase all the feelings she had for that emotionless guy, and genuinely try to open her heart to Dirga, who was more suitable for her as they were the same age, or any other guy she might meet. Whatever it takes, Elena wanted to get Devan out of her mind. She even wished for amnesia so she would never remember or miss that guy again.

“Seriously, El, I’m not joking. I really like you. I hope our relationship goes beyond just being friends,” Dirga honestly confessed, shifting his gaze away from the beautiful girl beside him and looking straight ahead since they arrived.

“Maybe,” Elena replied briefly, then glanced at Dirga. “You heard what Daddy said, right? We’re not allowed to date until we graduate from college,” Elena warned Dirga again about her Daddy’s firm statement.

“Yeah, I heard and understood. That’s why I want us to be friends until that time comes. When it’s hard for me, I can ask you from Daddy,” Dirga replied seriously, inviting loud laughter from Elena.

“What’s so funny, El?” Dirga asked, feeling puzzled.

Elena shook her head, suppressing her laughter before speaking, “It’s just funny, Ga. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I still want to have fun and enjoy my delayed teenage years. So, just chill, Ga. Let’s just go with the flow,” Elena explained casually.

“Okay, I promise to study hard so that I’m worthy of you when we graduate from college,” Dirga replied again, feeling a bit disappointed. It wasn’t the answer Dirga had hoped for. What’s wrong with dating? They were both adults. Dirga just wanted their status to be clear.

“Don’t joke around too much! Let’s just enjoy our time together,” Elena replied, then got up from her seat. “I want ice cream!” she pointed to the ice cream cart that she had been eyeing since earlier. Elena’s favorite ice cream whenever she visited the Alun-alun in Yogyakarta.

Unintentionally, Devan, who was riding a motorcycle passing through the square, saw Elena standing in front of the ice cream cart on the edge of the square. Devan immediately stopped his motorcycle and went back to make sure if the girl he saw with the guy was indeed Elena.

Devan was surprised because it was indeed Elena that he found. Then Devan looked around Elena, searching for the presence of her two friends. There was no way she would go out with just a guy. Devan turned off the engine and got off to approach Elena.

“El, what are you doing here?” Devan greeted, successfully startling the two teenagers.

“Uncle Devan!”