Ingsun: The Light

Mama

She was finally home. That was all that mattered.

The sun was already sinking toward the horizon, painting the neighborhood in warm orange light. She had no idea what time it actually was. Her phone had died hours ago after the battery finally gave up.

Her power bank was still inside her backpack. And her backpack... of course was still sitting in Benu's bedroom. That was why she'd been forced to travel the old-fashioned way.

First an intercity bus. Then a bus rapid transit. Finally, a motorcycle taxi from the neighborhood entrance.

It had been far less convenient than simply booking a ride through an app.

Still...

Compared to somehow teleporting from Solo to Semarang through a bathroom door, surviving a ninety-minute trip home felt almost ordinary. Tired, sweaty, and sticky from the journey, she walked toward the front door.

The carport was empty. Mom wasn't home yet. That matched what she'd said this morning. Her flight from Bandung wouldn't land until late afternoon, so she'd probably arrive sometime between sunset and seven o'clock.

Only now did Nada fully appreciate how practical her mother could be.

Years ago, she'd insisted on making a second duplicate of the house key. The original stayed with Mom. The first copy belonged to Nada.

The second one... was hidden beneath a medium-sized flowerpot on the front porch. At the time, Mom had admitted she wasn't even sure what kind of emergency would require a third key.

Now, Nada understood perfectly. Mom really is a genius.

She lifted the flowerpot and smiled with relief when she found the spare key exactly where it had always been.

Her own key was inside the backpack she'd left at Benu's house. Going back there now would be exhausting. She'd retrieve it later tonight. She could always tell Mom she was meeting classmates for a school assignment.

After unlocking the door, Nada stepped inside and immediately switched on the air conditioner. Her dead phone landed on the dining table. Charging it could wait. Right now, all she wanted was ice-cold water.

She pulled a bottle from the refrigerator and drank half of it without stopping. Just then, a car pulled up outside.

Mom?

Perfect timing.

If Mom had gotten home first, she'd definitely start asking why Nada was arriving so late. And that would mean inventing yet another story, just like she'd done with Dayu.

She set the bottle down and peeked through the living room window. That wasn't Mom's car. Maybe she'd taken a ride-hailing car directly from the airport instead of stopping by campus.

Then she saw her mother climb out of the passenger seat carrying several shopping bags. Instead of going inside, she leaned against the open window, laughing brightly as she chatted with the driver.

Although Nada couldn't see the driver's face from this angle, she knew exactly who it was.

Mr. Gading.

Who else would drop everything just to drive Mom home? A moment later, she walked inside carrying bags full of Bandung souvenirs. The sparkle in her eyes hadn't faded.

"You came home with Mr. Gading?" Nada asked, unable to hide the flatness in her voice.

Mom nodded. "Yeah. He happened to be at the airport meeting a client, so he offered me a ride. Looks like I'll have to take a taxi to campus tomorrow," she placed a paper box on the dining table. "I bought you gudeg. Bandung-style. It isn't nearly as sweet as the ones here."

"I already ate," Nada replied shortly before disappearing into her bedroom to change.

She returned wearing a bright yellow sleeveless T-shirt and dark blue shorts. Although she'd technically already had lunch, curiosity drew her to the shopping bags.

Every single one carried Bandung store logos. None looked like gifts from Mr. Gading. Meanwhile, Mom collapsed happily onto the sofa, smiling at whatever was on her phone.

Probably chatting with her old high school friends. Or... with her beloved Mr. Gading. The thought alone made Nada's head feel strangely hot. Before she realized it, she'd already torn into the gudeg.

Mom had been right. Instead of the rich sweetness Solo was famous for, this version leaned toward savory.

"Hey," Mom suddenly appeared beside her, ruffling her hair. "I thought you said you'd already eaten. How come you're attacking the gudeg like you're hadn’t eat for a week?"

"Hungry again."

The answer was as brief as ever. Mom laughed.

"Did you have another surprise tutoring session today?" she took the cold water bottle from the table and drank. "I thought I saw you wearing your school uniform just now."

Nada looked at her mother for a moment.

At thirty-six, Mom still looked astonishingly young. More like a college freshman than a university lecturer. Her fair skin remained smooth and firm, and her slender figure still had graceful curves that made strangers mistake her for Nada's older sister.

Sometimes, people even assumed she was still a college student. It wasn't surprising she attracted attention everywhere she went. Her social media posts routinely collected hundreds of comments and likes.

She had more than ten thousand followers across all social media platforms. Men constantly competed for her attention. Being beautiful certainly helped. So did being one of the leading applied physics lecturers at Sebelas Maret University.

Who wouldn't fall for someone both brilliant and beautiful? Apparently... Gading Harsasusena had. And from what Nada could tell, Mom liked him back.

With obvious reluctance, Nada nodded. "It was math tutoring."

Mom rolled her eyes dramatically. "Your teachers seriously need better scheduling. If they're going to hold extra classes, why not plan them ahead of time? Everything's always last minute. What are they, firefighters?"

Enough.

The conversation had gone on long enough.

Before Mom asked anything more, Nada quickly transferred the untouched gudeg into a clean plate and stored it with the other dishes Mrs. Ranti had prepared earlier. She needed an excuse to disappear before her lies grew any bigger.

After washing her hands, she headed toward the bathroom to grab a towel. Her phone had just begun charging from an outlet near the living room cabinet when Mom called from the garage.

"That's unusual."

Nada turned.

"What is… unusual?"

"Your scooter," Mom sounded puzzled. "It's already in the garage. I thought you usually went out again after sunset."

Nada blinked. "...What?"

"Your scooter. It's parked in the garage already. Aren't you going anywhere tonight? To Aren’s place, doing homework?"

A chill crawled up the back of Nada's neck.

My scooter...?

Still wearing the towel around her neck, she hurried into the garage. Mom couldn't see her expression from where she stood. Which was fortunate.

Because Nada's eyes went wide.

There it was. Her five-year-old scooter. Parked neatly in its usual place at the back right corner of the garage. Exactly where she always left it so Mom's car could fit.

The problem... was obvious.

Who brought it home?

The last time she'd seen it... it had been parked outside Benu's house.

"Hey!" Mom called after her. "Why are you running?"

Nada barely heard her.

She raced toward her bedroom instead. Her heart pounded harder with every step. When she reached the doorway, she stopped. Her entire body froze.

Her backpack... the heavy one stuffed with textbooks... sat neatly on the chair beside her study desk.

Exactly where it always belonged.

Her fingers trembled for nearly a full minute... Nada stood there as motionless as a stone statue.