Chapter 22: Surprises and Misunderstandings
22.1: The Surprise
Palace Training Room
Cindy pushed open the training room door, but Nabila, facing away from them, remained deeply focused on her practice. Her hands moved gracefully in sync with the music that filled the room. However, the moment she turned around and saw who had just entered, her body froze.
Her eyes widened In disbelief. Rizky— it was really him, standing there with a subtle smile on his face.
➤ As if by reflex, her lips moved soundlessly: "Pervert?"
Rizky, who easily read her lips, held back a laugh. His gaze was amused, as if savoring the moment. But before he could say anything, Cindy suddenly clapped her hands.
➤ "Stop, stop! Take a break!" she called out loudly. The music came to an abrupt halt.
Cindy waved at Rayan and the others, signaling them to gather. Meanwhile, Nabila remained rooted to the spot, her heart pounding faster than usual.
A whirlwind of emotions filled her chest—shock, embarrassment, happiness, and something else she couldn't quite name.
Rizky stepped forward slowly, his eyes never leaving Nabila. "How have you been?" he asked gently.
Nabila lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes. "Good," she replied curtly.
But in the next instant, her expression shifted. In an attempt to mask her nervousness, she blurted out in a sharp tone, "What's a pervert like you doing here?" A small frown appeared on her forehead.
Rizky smirked. "I missed you. I don't think I can stay away from you," he said nonchalantly.
Nabila's breath hitched. Her cheeks warmed instantly, but she quickly turned her head away, refusing to let him see. "Ugh, such a flirt!" she retorted, trying to sound unaffected.
But Rizky wasn't done yet. He gazed at her more intently, his voice turning slightly more serious. "I've been struggling to breathe since earlier. But now, I feel relieved. Do you know why?"
Nabila swallowed hard, suddenly unsure how to respond.
➤ "Because of you, Nabila. You are half of my breath," Rizky said calmly.
For a moment, the room fell into silence. But the tranquility shattered when the others erupted into exaggerated reactions.
Rayan and Zikri dramatically clutched their stomachs, pretending to gag. Ahmad faked a choking sound, while Qadir simply shook his head. "Astaghfirullah, is this guy a man or a romance drama actor?" he muttered, loud enough to make the others chuckle.
Rizky shot them a glance before exhaling deeply. "Well, that killed the mood."
Meanwhile, Nabila was still trying to steady her heartbeat. Rizky's words kept replaying in her mind. She wanted to say something, but her lips refused to move. In the end, she only managed to utter, "Whatever. I don't feel anything."
Rizky smiled faintly. He could see right through her denial. But wasn't that just part of the journey?
"That's fine," he said casually. "Love can come and go, die and bloom again. I believe that someday, you'll realize it."
Nabila fell silent. Deep down, she knew his words weren't just a joke.
Suddenly, Cindy dramatically interrupted again. "Alright, enough! If you keep this up, when will you actually practice? Don't turn this into a romantic drama!"
Both Rizky and Nabila burst into laughter at Cindy's interruption. Meanwhile, Rizky's friends began chanting teasingly.
➤ "Rizky, Rizky, the love poet!" Rayan jeered.
Cindy clapped twice. "Okay, okay, let's get back to training! Nabila, if you mess up again, I'll call Rizky to stay with you!" she teased.
Nabila instantly turned away, flustered. "No need! I can focus just fine on my own!" she huffed.
Laughter filled the room once more, and even Rizky couldn't help but smile at Nabila's reaction.
Yet, beneath all the teasing and laughter, something unspoken lingered in Nabila's heart.
Perhaps, admitting it was only a matter of time.
22.2: Improvisation That Invites Laughter
Palace Training Room
Cindy squinted while staring at Rizky's friends, who were just standing in the corner of the room without any clear purpose. With her hands on her hips, she sighed and turned to Nabila.
"Hey, Nabila, are these boys even useful? Instead of just being spectators, why don't we make them join the dance?"
Nabila glanced at them, who were still joking around, then smirked mischievously. "Hmm… let's give it a try," she said, as if struck by an interesting idea.
Nabila stepped forward to the center of the room and started giving instructions.
"Alright, everyone, take your positions as usual."
Nabila's teammates quickly moved into place, waiting for further instructions.
"Qadir, you're here, on the left. Rayan, stand in front of Qadir. Ahmad, you take the right, and Zikri in front of him."
She paused for a moment before glancing at Rizky with a meaningful look.
"And you, Rizky… you'll be right in the middle, next to me."
Suddenly, all eyes were on Rizky, who simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Ah, Nabila is really good at assigning positions," Rayan murmured with a sly grin.
"Hey, no complaints!" Cindy scolded, half-seriously.
"I'm not complaining, Cindy. I'm just happy to see Nabila taking the initiative," Rayan retorted, chuckling.
The room was filled with quiet laughter, but it quickly died down as the music started playing again. The practice resumed with Nabila leading the improvisation.
However, in the middle of the session, Nabila—still in a playful mood—stepped closer to Rizky and, without warning, deliberately stepped on his foot, pretending it was an accident.
"Ouch, Nabila!" Rizky exclaimed, furrowing his brows while trying to hold back laughter.
"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to," Nabila replied innocently, but her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
Behind them, Rayan and Zikri quickly covered their mouths, stifling their laughter. Cindy just shook her head, muttering, "These two never stop."
The practice continued until the end. Although the playful atmosphere dominated more than the seriousness, something was developing between them—a feeling that was becoming harder to ignore, especially for Nabila.
Liza's Room
Somewhere else, Liza sat on the edge of her bed, looking utterly confused. Cindy's words from earlier kept echoing in her mind.
"Wild… seductive… flirty?" she mumbled to herself, trying to make sense of it.
The more she thought about it, the less she understood. Instead of searching for answers online, she decided to go to the wisest person in the palace—Mutia.
"Kak Mutia will surely know," she thought, jumping up from her bed.
Mutia's Room
Liza knocked on Mutia's door eagerly. Not long after, the door opened, and Mutia greeted her with a gentle smile.
"Oh, Liza. What's up?" she asked, inviting Liza inside.
Without hesitation, Liza plopped onto the sofa and looked at Mutia expectantly.
"Kak, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Mutia replied, curious about Liza's serious expression.
"What does 'flirty' mean?" Liza asked innocently.
The room fell silent. Mutia's attendants immediately held their breath. Some lowered their heads, pretending to be busy so they wouldn't burst into laughter.
Mutia furrowed her brows, trying to process the question.
"Flirty?" she repeated.
After a few seconds of deep thought, she finally answered, "Maybe… bodybuilding?"
Liza frowned, looking even more confused.
"Really?" she asked doubtfully.
Mutia's attendants were already on the verge of losing control. Some covered their mouths, while others pinched their hands to keep from laughing.
Mutia, still trying to remain serious, asked, "Where did you hear that word?"
"Cindy said it, Kak," Liza replied quickly. "She told me I should be a bit wild, seductive, and flirty when approaching Rizky. But I don't understand—what am I supposed to do?"
Mutia immediately grasped the situation. She glanced at her attendants, who were trembling, trying not to laugh, and took a deep breath.
"Oh, I know," she finally said.
Liza's eyes sparkled. "Really, Kak? What does it mean?"
Mutia smiled slightly, then spoke with complete confidence.
"So, 'flirty' is like a zombie in the wild that got bitten by itchy caterpillars. It makes the zombie scratch all over."
The attendants almost lost It. Some turned their faces away, while others struggled to hold back their laughter.
Liza, still innocent, became even more serious.
"So, if I want to get closer to Rizky, I have to walk like a zombie while scratching myself?"
"Yes! In the wild, there are lots of insects and itchy caterpillars. So if you want to look wild, just scratch your waist a little and walk like a zombie. That's how you truly look flirty," Mutia explained with a confident look.
Liza nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh, I get it now, Kak! That makes sense!" she said excitedly.
She immediately hugged Mutia tightly.
"Thank you, Kak Mutia! You always have the best answers!"
Mutia smiled contentedly, while her attendants quickly turned away, desperately holding in their laughter.
As soon as Liza left, the door was shut tight, and…
"PFFFFFTTTT!!!"
The room exploded with uncontrollable laughter. Mutia's attendants laughed until they had tears in their eyes, while Mutia just stood there, utterly confused by their reaction.
How will Liza apply her "knowledge" from Mutia?
Will Nabila actually get jealous?
Or will the entire palace be left wondering about Liza's "wild zombie" act?
Stay tuned to find out!