Enjoy Things While You Can

The band entered the bustling fast-food restaurant, the aroma of fried food and sizzling patties enveloping them as they picked a booth in the corner. Nahida, Kokomi, and Albert volunteered to place the order, leaving Carter, Beyond, and Simon to settle into the booth. The trio barely had time to get comfortable when the sound of a familiar voice called out.

“Hey, Simon! What are you doing here?”

Simon froze at the cheerful yell. Carter looked at him curiously. “Who’s calling?”

Before Simon could respond, he turned his head towards the source and immediately ducked under the table, hands clasped over his head like he was bracing for impact.

“Nooo, what are they doing here?” Simon hissed, his voice muffled by the table.

Beyond raised an eyebrow, following Simon’s wide-eyed stare to the booth beside them. He spotted a lively group, and among them were Rajesh and his twin, unmistakable faces from Putra University. Rajesh was waving enthusiastically at them while his twin sat chatting with a girl who exuded an air of confident intrigue. Her sharp gaze was locked on Carter, clearly trying to place him.

“Great,” Beyond muttered. “The nosey twins are here.”

Rajesh wasn’t about to let the moment slip by. He rose from his seat and strode over to their table, his twin following closely behind.

“Simon, my man!” Rajesh grinned, reaching out to grab Simon’s arm. “Why are you hiding? Come on, let’s catch up!”

Simon resisted, digging his heels into the floor, but Rajesh had the upper hand. With one firm tug, Simon was whisked away toward the twins’ table.

Meanwhile, Ranni, the girl from earlier, slid effortlessly into Simon’s vacated seat beside Beyond. Her presence was sharp and deliberate, her movements smooth as if she’d planned this. Beyond immediately shifted a few inches away, creating a buffer of space.

“Beyond,” Ranni greeted, arms crossed, her tone half-teasing, half-serious.

“Ranni,” Beyond replied curtly, barely glancing her way.

Ranni’s sharp eyes flicked to Carter, who had been watching the interaction in silence. “And who’s this cutie?” she asked, her lips curling into an amused smirk.

Carter hesitated before introducing himself. “I’m Carter.”

“I see,” Ranni said, leaning back slightly. “What’s he, the new assistant or something?”

“Of course not,” Beyond interjected without missing a beat. “Nahida’s still with us.”

“Hmm,” Ranni mused. “I always wondered how she puts up with you guys. A bunch of boys playing rock stars—must be exhausting.”

“I’m 19,” Carter shot back, his tone mildly offended.

“It’s just a figure of speech. Don’t get your feelings hurt, child,” Ranni smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction.

“What do you want, Ranni?” Beyond demanded, his patience visibly thinning. “We’re just here to eat. Can you leave us in peace?”

“Relax, Beyond,” Ranni replied, feigning hurt. “I’m just here to chat. Why are you so wound up?”

Beyond didn’t bite. “Cut to the chase. And return Simon when you’re done.”

Carter, sensing the tension, wisely kept his head down, pretending to be absorbed in a game on his phone. His vision wasn’t perfect, but squinting closely at the screen was a welcome distraction from the escalating drama.

Moments later, Nahida, Kokomi, and Albert returned with trays of food. Nahida froze when she spotted Ranni at their table. Her expression darkened, and with an audible thud, she slammed her hand on the table.

“What’s she doing here?” she demanded.

“Hi, Nahida! Long time no see,” Ranni replied cheerfully, her tone drenched in faux innocence.

“Where’s Simon?” Kokomi asked, her sharp eyes darting around the room.

Carter pointed toward Rajesh’s table without lifting his head. “He’s over there.”

Albert scowled and took a seat beside Carter, muttering under his breath. Kokomi gently placed a hand on Nahida’s shoulder, attempting to calm her.

“Let’s not cause a scene,” Kokomi said softly, though her voice carried an edge of warning.

Nahida ignored her. “Ranni, why are you here?”

Ranni straightened up, her smirk widening. “Relax, I was just explaining to Beyond why I’m here. My band’s entering the Battle of the Bands competition, too. Since I saw Nahida picking up the flyer, I figured I’d pay you all a visit.”

Nahida scoffed. “Figures. So, what? You’re here to spy?”

“Hardly,” Ranni replied. “We’ve already got Cherry, one of the five bassists, and a vocalist. Just need a keyboardist to round things out. Speaking of which…” She let her gaze linger on Albert.

“Not happening,” Beyond cut in, his tone final.

Before Ranni could respond, Kokomi returned with Simon in tow, gently tugging on Ranni’s arm. “Come on, Ranni. Let’s not keep your brother waiting.”

To everyone’s surprise, Ranni obliged without argument. She stood, towering over Kokomi for a brief moment before stepping back toward her table.

Kokomi turned to find her bandmates staring at her, their expressions a mix of shock and curiosity.

“What?” Kokomi asked, genuinely puzzled.

Nahida leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “What’s your secret? How did you get her to back off so easily?”

“She doesn’t hate me,” Kokomi replied simply, unwrapping her burger. “She’s just shy.”

“Shy? She’s a menace,” Simon muttered, slurping his soda.

“An inconvenience,” Albert added.

“An adorable junior,” Kokomi said with a smile, biting into her burger.

Carter, still processing the exchange, looked up. “Who was she?”

“A snob,” Nahida answered without hesitation.

“Witch,” Simon added.

Kokomi waved it off. “Don’t worry about her. She won’t bother us during the competition.”

As they resumed eating, Carter’s mind churned. Joining the band was turning out to be more eventful than he’d anticipated, and Kokomi’s enigmatic presence intrigued him more than ever.

Their meal ended quietly, but as they left, Carter stole one last glance at Ranni’s table even though he couldnt see, he could feel her gaze on them. Her piercing gaze followed them out, a silent reminder that the competition ahead would be anything but ordinary.