°•~Happy Reading~•°

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The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual. Dinda glanced at her phone, the screen glowing with the notification she dreaded: "Please transfer by 3 PM. Final reminder." It was 2:45 PM.

Her mind raced as she looked around the cramped bonding house room she rented in Jakarta. It wasn't much—just a narrow bed, a small desk cluttered with books, and a wardrobe with peeling paint. She sighed, running her fingers through her tangled hair. The electricity bill was overdue, and the landlord had already hinted at cutting her off if she didn't pay today.

She picked up her wallet. Twenty-five thousand rupiah. Not even enough for dinner and transport to her evening tutoring job. She bit her lip, debating her next move.

Her phone buzzed. A message from her best friend, Nisa:
"Hey, are you okay? You seemed stressed this morning."

Dinda hesitated but replied:
"I'll be fine. It's just a little tight on money. No worries."

Almost immediately, Nisa responded:
"Want me to transfer you some? Pay me back later."

Dinda stared at the screen. Her pride protested, but her desperation screamed louder. Before she could reply, another buzz interrupted her.

A notification from her bank app:
"You've received Rp 100,000 from Nisa."

Her chest tightened, and tears welled in her eyes. Without waiting, she quickly transferred the money to the electricity company. At 2:59 PM, the transaction went through.

She called Nisa, her voice cracking. "Why did you send it without asking?"

Nisa laughed softly. "I know you, Din. You'd never ask, even if the world were falling apart. Just don't forget to eat, okay?"

The line went quiet for a moment, and Dinda smiled despite herself. "I owe you."

"No, you don't. You'd do the same for me," Nisa replied.

As Dinda ended the call, the lights flickered briefly, a reminder of the urgency she'd just survived. But now, as the room glowed warm and bright again, it didn't feel so heavy anymore.

Sometimes, she thought, surviving isn't about doing it alone—it's about knowing who's got your back when things get urgent.

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°•~THE END~•°