Chương 1: CHAPTER 01 - MY LOVELY STEPSISTER I [LUNA X ARIA]
Luna Miranda is a student at the Faculty of Social Sciences at a prestigious university in Bandung. Luna has a quiet and somewhat reserved personality. Despite this, she is intelligent and diligent in her studies. Amid the busyness of lectures and assignments, Luna often prefers to be alone rather than in crowds.
Although she is quiet and not very sociable, Luna has a childhood friend, Maya Aulia. Maya's personality is the opposite of Luna's. Maya is cheerful, friendly, and gets along easily with everyone. These two friends complement each other, and their personality differences are the strength that makes their friendship even stronger. Like glue and a stamp, that's how their friendship is described. They are always there for each other, in both happy and sad times.
Several years ago, when Luna's father passed away, Maya's family also attended the funeral. This moment was deeply etched in Luna's memory because Maya and her family's support meant a lot to her. When Luna was grieving and crying by her father's grave, Maya felt a similar sorrow as if her own father had passed away. Maya's presence gave Luna additional strength, and from that moment, their relationship became very close and inseparable to this day.
After finishing class today, Luna prepared to go back home. The journey from campus to her home takes about fifteen minutes on foot. Luna never walks home alone; Maya always accompanies her, although they part ways when they reach the bus stop.
As they walked together, they talked about various things. Maya, with her cheerful way of speaking, always managed to make Luna smile and laugh. They passed through familiar streets, with lush trees and a calming evening atmosphere. When they arrived at the bus stop, Maya and Luna said goodbye to each other. "Be careful on your way home, Luna," said Maya with a warm smile. Luna nodded and replied, "You too, Maya. See you tomorrow." After that, they parted ways and continued their journeys.
Upon arriving home, Luna noticed something unusual. A pair of adult men's shoes were neatly placed beside her mother's shoes. Luna felt very curious, why was there suddenly a male guest when she was not at home? With a pounding heart, Luna entered the house, arranging her shoes on the shoe rack.
In the living room, Luna saw her mother chatting amicably with a man she had never met before. Her mother noticed Luna's arrival and gently said, "Luna, come here, dear. This is Haris." Luna could feel the warm gaze of the man who smiled kindly at her.
Her mother continued, "Haris is... someone special to me. We've been in a relationship for six months." Luna was shocked to hear this. "I know this is sudden, but Haris is very kind, and I want you to know him. We met at an event and have been seeing each other since. I didn't want you to feel left out, so we thought now was the right time to tell you."
Luna remained silent, trying to digest this information. Haris approached her and softly said, "Nice to meet you, Luna. Your mother talks about you often. I hope we can get to know each other better."
Luna's mind was filled with various questions and mixed feelings. However, she knew one thing—her life would not be the same after this sudden introduction.
Luna just gave a small smile to Haris, then hurriedly walked into her room. It seemed Haris's arrival made Luna very sad. It felt like her mother had betrayed her and her deceased father. Luna's mother, Ratna, asked Haris to wait calmly in the living room. Ratna entered her daughter's room and saw Luna crying.
Seeing Luna crying so sadly, Ratna felt anxious and guilty. Luna hugged her pillow tightly, tears streaming down her face. Her heart felt painful, as if a deep pain was piercing her soul. In her mind, her mother's relationship with Haris seemed like a betrayal to her late father. She felt as if she and her father's memory were being forgotten. All this time, Luna felt her father was the only man who deserved to be in their lives, and Haris's presence erased the sense of security and hope she had maintained. Luna was trapped in a dilemma between accepting her mother's happiness and preserving her father's memory.
Ratna tried to explain and apologize for hiding their relationship all this time. She knew how hard this moment was for Luna, and with deep guilt, she said, "Luna, I'm sorry for not telling you earlier about my relationship with Haris. I didn't mean to hurt you or make you feel ignored. I just wanted to find the right time to explain everything."
Luna remained silent, but her eyes reflected confusion and deep pain. Ratna felt she had to continue explaining, even though it was difficult. "I know this is hard for you, dear. But you have to know that I also need time to be happy. Haris is someone who made me smile again after losing your father. I haven't forgotten your father, he will always have a place in my heart, and so will you."
Ratna then held Luna's hand tightly, trying to comfort her. "Luna, I know this may sound sudden and surprising, but I've decided to marry Haris soon. I hope you can understand and give your blessing. I want you to know that I still love you and your father, even if the situation changes. Whether you like it or not, this is a decision I have to make for my future. Please, give us a chance and try to get to know Haris better."
Facing this new reality, Luna felt her heart ache. Tears still flowed, but her expression slowly changed from angry to more calm, although disappointment still haunted her. Ratna hoped this conversation could be the beginning of Luna's acceptance of Haris in their new life.
Ratna stroked her daughter's hair gently, providing warmth and comfort. "Luna, change your clothes and try to talk to Haris. Consider this the beginning of our relationship with him," Ratna said softly but firmly. Luna nodded slowly, still searching for a way to accept this new reality. Ratna then left the room and returned to the living room.
Upon arriving in the living room, Ratna sat beside Haris, who looked anxious. "How is it, Ratna? Is our relationship accepted by your daughter?" Haris asked with clear concern on his face. Ratna took a deep breath and replied, "Luna is still very emotional and shocked by all this. She needs time to accept everything, Haris. We have to be patient and understanding with her."
Not long after, Luna was already in the living room. Although her face still showed she did not like Haris's presence or the fact that he might become her stepfather, Luna tried to hold back her feelings. She sat awkwardly across from Haris, her gaze empty, but there was a glimmer of hope that time would help heal the wound and adapt to this new relationship.
Ratna held Haris's left hand, subtly signaling that she wanted Haris to start the conversation. Haris, understanding the signal, took a deep breath before saying, "Luna, I work as an architect, like Ratna. We often collaborate on many projects," he said with a gentle smile. Luna responded briefly, "Yes."
Haris continued, "Currently, I work at a large company in this city. My current position is stable enough to give me time to focus on the family. You know, this is very important to me." Luna nodded slowly, with a flat response, "Oh."
Seeing that the conversation was still awkward, Haris tried to open up more, "I also have a daughter, a few years older than you, Luna. She lives with her mother now, but we still have a good relationship. Maybe someday, you can meet her." Luna responded briefly again, "Really."
Although Luna's responses were still very simple, Haris and Ratna kept trying to create a warmer and more open atmosphere. They hoped that gradually, Luna could understand this new situation and accept Haris into their lives.
Their conversation abruptly stopped. Ratna just sighed shortly, then clapped her hands to lighten the atmosphere and suggested, "How about we start having dinner together? Before Luna came home from college earlier, I had prepared some simple food."
Luna weakly nodded without saying anything, while Haris gave a faint smile and agreed. The three of them then walked to the dining room. The atmosphere was still awkward, but Ratna kept trying to create a warmer environment. They sat together at the dining table, and Ratna began distributing the food to them.
During dinner, Luna remained silent, only slowly eating her food. Haris tried to make some light comments about the food and his day at the office to lighten the mood, but Luna did not respond significantly. Realizing that the atmosphere would not change anytime soon, Haris finally asked for permission to return to his home.
"Ratna, Luna, thank you for the dinner. I think I should go home now," Haris said politely. Ratna smiled and nodded, "Thank you for coming, Haris. Be careful on your way."
Luna remained silent, her eyes avoiding Haris's gaze. With mixed feelings, Haris said goodbye and left Ratna's house, hoping that time would help heal and adapt his new relationship with Luna in the future.
After Haris left, Luna quickly rushed back to her room. She threw herself onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, still not believing that she would soon have a stepfather. Feeling restless about the future, she took her smartphone beside her. She searched for a name in her contact list and found the mobile number under the name Maya.
At this time, Maya was reading a novel when her smartphone rang. Maya's face lit up when a familiar number appeared on the screen. "Hello, Luna. What's up? I just bought a novel with
the genre you know..." Maya said excitedly. However, on the other end of the phone, Maya heard Luna's crying voice.
Maya asked what had happened to Luna, "Luna, what's wrong? What's the matter?" Luna then explained today's events with a sobbing voice, "Maya, I don't know what to do. Mom announced that she would marry Haris, a man she just met. I... I am not ready for all of this. It still feels weird knowing that I will have a stepfather."
Maya listened carefully, trying to provide support and comforting words to her friend, "Luna, I know this is hard for you. But maybe you should give Haris and yourself a chance. Maybe he can be a good stepfather. I'm always here for you, you know that, right?"
Luna nodded even though Maya couldn't see, feeling a bit comforted by her friend's words. "Thank you, Maya. Maybe you're right. I just need time to accept all this," Luna replied with a voice still hoarse from crying.
Maya smiled with relief hearing Luna's voice now sounding a bit calmer. With the intention of diverting her friend's thoughts from the problem at hand, Maya resumed talking about the novel she had just bought. "Luna, you have to hear about this novel I bought. It's a popular romance novel about same-sex love right now. You will definitely like it," Maya said excitedly.
Maya had always liked novels with same-sex romance themes. These novels often offered deep and emotional stories, making their readers immersed in every page. Because of Maya's influence, Luna also began to take an interest in the same type of novel. They often spent time together discussing plots and their favorite characters, feeling connected to the stories they read.
"Luna, I am sure this novel can cheer you up. Do you want me to send you the summary?" Maya asked, hoping to lighten her friend's burden, even if only for a moment. On the other end of the phone, Luna smiled slightly and replied, "Sure, Maya. I think I need something to distract me. Thank you for always being there for me."
Hearing this, Maya became even more motivated to share about the novel, hoping to help Luna forget the problems she was facing, even if just for a while.
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