Reordinate the Fate

Third Destination: Sidewalk Food Stall

All the five returned and entered the cottage in a tremble. It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, they had fun for a long time in the waterfall. "I'll take a shower first!" Stevan quickly left the others.

“Do you want to take a shower too?" Max offers the opportunity to clean up first to Risa. The girl nodded, "I'll use the bathroom in the bedroom then."

The three remaining men sat at the dining table with their bodies all wet. Fortunately, the dining table chairs are made of veneered wood so they do not absorb water. So do the wooden floors under their feet. "I am hungry." Cliff hugged his cold body and his stomach that asked to be filled because the energy is running out for heating up his body.

"Can I make instant food now, Max?" Max nodded, "Later, remember to buy some new packages." Cliff get up to his feet and heading straight to the kitchen. Doesn't care about the floor getting wet. He will dry it after bathing.

"Make some for us too." Will said from the dining table.

Cliff takes out 3 packs of instant noodles from their food supply bag. He also took three eggs from the refrigerator provided in the cottages. Such like magic, a few moments later the dishes laid out on the dining table, right in front of Will and Max.

"I didn't ask you to make me." Max bit his egg first, "But thank you."

"Your dearest friend asked for some, so I made itu for you too. Beside that, you need warm food while waiting for the two people taking a shower." Cliff eats his instant noodles even though it is still hot, "Otherwise you will get a stomachache and bloating from cold." said the little boy while swallowing the noodles quickly.

It doesn't take a long after that, Stevan comes out of the bathroom, "Hey, did you guys cook it?"

"We will freeze if we wait without any warm food, you lazy person."  Max stood up, "I'll take a shower, you can eat mine if you want to. I only ate the eggs.”

“Me eating your leftover?” replied the boy, “Okay!” Stevan immediately wiped Max's seat with a towel still on his shoulder and ate Cliff's. He also feels hungry after played at the waterfall.

"Do you want to eat something at the sidewalk food stall around this cottage as the dinner tonight?"

Will nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea."

"What idea?" Risa who had just finished her bath sat in one of the dry chairs. "Stevan gave an opinion to us to eat at the sidewalk food stall." Will answered, "I haven't eaten in that kind of place in a long time. Even in town, I haven't bought it since debut.” Risa takes the remaining piece of wheat bread in the middle of the table and eat it.

"I've never been eating something in food stall.” Risa said, "I know what it is, but it I think I never buy it. Some of my friends reminded me about food cleanliness in the sidewalk food stall.”

Cliff stands up from his seat, "I think in a place like this, because the air is very cool, the cleanliness is pretty guaranteed. We'll see the condition again there." Cliff leaving the dining table, "I'll take a shower now, please wash my dishes, Stevan."

"So how? Wanna try it?” Stevan looks at Risa who is moving to drying Cliff's seat. The girl stands up straight after finished drying and says, "Okay, let's go. I never tried it anyway. This thing will be interesting.”

★★★

It is now 7 PM and they are moving out of the cottage. The five go in line with body fully jacket-and-trousers covered because the temperature in the pollution-free hills like this is quite cold, even when the sun hasn't fully set.

"We saw some food stalls on our way to buy groceries yesterday."  Stevan explained, "So we're heading that way."

It doesn't take a long time until they can see several sellers with their respective stalls. "It’s not as quiet as I thought.” said Will as the man saw several tables filled. Some are filled with a group of women, some are filled with lovers, and it seems like another table is filled with a family of two children.

"Alright let's go around while no vehicles are passing." Stevan starts moving toward one of the stalls. "Hey, you never asked me to eat at a place like this." Risa said to Stevan. The boy nodded, "Of course. I can't possibly bring you to eat on the edge of a city street full of dust. You won't like it. "

Risa understands Stevan's words. She once said that she hates city crowds and heavy vehicle traffic. "This stall sells a variety of fried foods. There are fried cassava and several other types of fried food."

Stevan sees the first stall and says what he saw to Risa. “This stall serves processed corn: roasted corn, sweet corn, and many more." Stevan looked at the next stall, "This one sells bread and that one sells processed rice and meat."

Stevan is impressed several times by sidewalk food stalls which sold food items that were not commonly sold, such as Japanese food, Chinese food, Korean food, and kebabs. "The latter sells their instant noodles and processed noodles."

"You can choose  what you want. Now we will sit first.”

Risa looks at Stevan, "Shouldn't we decide what to eat first and sit down—" Risa looked at the stall that she had just passed, "Eh?  They don't have seats to eat on their own in every stall, Stevan.”

Stevan laughed, "You really never eat at the sidewalk food stall."  Stevan moves to stand behind Risa and put her hands on Risa's shoulders. The man turned Risa to look the other way. "What?"

Finally, Stevan touched the back of Risa's head and pressed it slightly, "Oh."

Stevan returns to his place beside Risa, "Yes, we sit together. In one place. Down here.” Stevan moves to one of the tables on the carpet on the side of the road. "Come here.” The other four follow.

"So what do you want to eat? We should take turns to order."  Stevan said again.

"You leave first. I will order after you." Stevan stands up. Max and Cliff follow him and they left Will along with Risa.

"I've never eaten in a place like this." Risa opened the conversation, "But eating in this area is pretty good. The air is very fresh out here.” The girl takes a deep breath and exhaling.

"I think you will regret if you miss times like this. But, of course I don't recommend you sit on the sidewalk like this if you're in town.” Will laughed, "Imagining an idol eating in this condition.  Your fans will give you lots of gifts contain with foods, concern about your health.”

Risa laughs while thinking about it. Both of them chuckled and continued on with some conversations that made them closer. Enjoy moments when no one will recognize them in public.

Or maybe not?

★★★

"Wow! This is delicious!”

Risa eat sweet boiled-corn and that serve with condensed milk and cheese. "It's a perfect dish in cold weather like this, right?"  Stevan eat the takoyaki he bought from a Japanese food stall.  Risa nodded, "Can I try something else?"

"Why do you need my permission to me, huh? That's your own mouth and stomach. "

"Then I want kebab." Will rises to his feet. "Let me accompany you. I'll buy drinks for you guys. Is there something you want?"

"I'll go with water." Max raised his hand for a second. Cliff and Stevan ordered warm milk, "Can you order me fried rice at the Chinese food stall too?" Stevan added. Risa stands up and nodding, "All right, sir."

Risa and Will approaches the kebab seller and Risa delivers the order, after that they went to order Stevan's food, and the last went to beverage stall. Will was delivering their order when Risa suddenly looked back.

Risa feels it. Something watched her. Her senses respond quickly. With her eyes, she pointed here and there looking for someone who was watching her, but she could not find it, until Will touches Risa's shoulder. "Risa!"

"Y-yes?"

Risa turns doubtfully back to Will "What do you want to drink?"

"I'll get warm tea, please. No sugar." Risa occasionally looked back to checking around. “Let's go back. We are finished ordering." Risa finally gives up and walks after Will.

"You're taking a long time. Your kebabs have come before you are even finished with— " Stevan stopped speaking when he saw Risa's expression, “Hey, what's up? Why do you look really worried?” Risa takes a deep breath, "I feel like being watch by someone," Risa shook her head softly, "Most likely that person took my picture earlier."

"What?"

Stevan responsively explained the 'sensitivity' that Risa got because she was in the entertainment industry. Max looks at Risa, "Maybe you're cold or tired, so your sensitivity increases.  If there really is someone taking pictures, maybe they like you, idolizing you and one ot your fans. It won't be a big trouble.” Max tried to calm her down.

"Calm down." Stevan handed Risa a package of kebabs, "Just enjoy your meal. Nothing bad will happen, okay?"

Risa again takes a deep breath and exhaling, this time to calm down, "You're right, maybe I'm just tired.” Risa looked around for the last time "There's nothing to worry about." Risa convicing herself, unwrapped the kebab and eat it.

While Risa herself had calmed down, Stevan quietly continues to observe the back of Risa who sits opposite him. He strongly believes in the sharpness of his friend's senses. But Stevan also could not see someone taking pictures or anything towards them.

He hopes Risa's sense is really wrong this time.

★★★