The day they had been waiting for had finally arrived. Since early morning, Rian had been getting ready more carefully than usual. It wasn't because he wanted to look impressive in front of his old friends. After all, it had been years since they had last seen each other, and he didn't want to show up at the reunion looking like someone who had just finished hauling bags of fertilizer. He had put on a new shirt, neatly styled his hair, and after making sure everything was in order, Rian stepped outside toward the yard, where his new BMW was parked. The car had only arrived yesterday, and it still looked far too clean to be touched carelessly. Rian walked around it once before getting inside, then remembered that he had promised to pick up Diah today. “Jojo, I'm leaving. Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone.” Jojo, who was sitting on the porch, merely glanced at him. “What trouble? I'm a peaceful house cat.” Rian stared at him skeptically. “Who was it that went into the storage room yesterday and knocked over three bags of feed?” “That was an accident.” “And who slept on top of my laptop yesterday until the screen stopped working?” Jojo calmly licked his front paw. “Your laptop was too comfortable.” Rian let out a long sigh as he picked up his car keys. “Just don't bother the workers.” “Don't worry. I'll only keep an eye on them.” “If they tell me you're bothering them, I'll come home and give you a bath.” Jojo immediately stopped moving. Apparently, that threat was far more serious than he had expected. “Fine. I'll be the most invisible cat in the world today.” Rian chuckled before getting into the BMW. The engine came to life with a smooth purr, completely different from the pickup truck he had been using all this time. There was still something unfamiliar about holding the steering wheel, but that feeling gradually turned into a small sense of satisfaction that was difficult to hide. A few minutes later, Rian arrived in front of Diah's house. The moment Diah saw the car pulling up, she slowed her steps. Her eyes lingered on the vehicle for several seconds before shifting toward Rian as he stepped out from the driver's seat. “Rian?” “Yeah?” Diah pointed at the car behind him. “Is that your car?” Rian glanced back. “Yeah.” “Yesterday you said you were thinking about buying a car. I thought you meant an ordinary one.” Rian chuckled. “At first, I was just going to look around.” “Then how did you end up with…” Diah continued staring at the BMW with a surprised expression. “When I saw this one, I liked it.” Diah smiled. “So you've become successful now, huh?” Rian opened the door for her. “Not that successful.” “If I had a car like this, I'd probably have been showing it off to everyone since yesterday.” “That's exactly why I didn't tell anyone.” “Why?” “Too lazy to deal with all the questions.” Diah laughed as she got inside. Rian then took the driver's seat and drove toward the restaurant where the reunion was being held. Along the way, they talked about their old classmates who might be attending. Names they hadn't mentioned in years resurfaced one after another, making the journey feel like opening an old high-school photo album that had been stored away for years. The closer they got to the restaurant, the more old memories came rushing back to Rian. The noisy classroom. The teachers who were quick to lose their temper. Friends who spent more time thinking about how to escape class than actually doing their assignments. And all the little mischief they had once considered serious problems, but which now sounded ridiculous whenever they remembered them. --- As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Rian spotted several cars parked in the front area. The place was fairly crowded, and a special section appeared to have been prepared for their reunion. Rian got out of the car and walked around to open the door for Diah. Diah stepped out while straightening her clothes. “You actually look like an important person now.” Rian laughed. “Don't start.” “I'm serious.” Diah looked him up and down. “It suits you.” Rian smiled with satisfaction. “Then I guess buying this shirt wasn't a mistake.” They walked inside together. The moment they reached the reunion area, someone called out. “Rian?” Rian turned around and immediately saw a slightly heavyset man walking quickly toward him with a huge grin on his face. “Ravi?” “No way! It's really you!” Ravi immediately slapped Rian on the shoulder. “How many years has it been since we last saw each other?” “I don't know. Feels like too long.” “Not ‘feels like.’ It has been too long!” Ravi burst out laughing. Not long after, Irul came over. “Hey, Rian!” Rian immediately grinned. “You're still alive?” “What? You thought I was dead?” “Back in our senior year, you almost died running away from the PE teacher.” Irul immediately laughed and raised his hands. “Don't bring that up!” Sandira, who had overheard them, walked over as well. “Oh my God, are you guys still talking about that?” “Because it was funny,” Rian replied with a laugh. They eventually sat together with Rian and Diah. Within just a few minutes, the awkwardness that had initially filled the room completely disappeared. Ravi started bringing up old stories, while Irul always had an even more embarrassing version to add. “Hey, do you guys remember when we skipped school just to play at an internet café?” Irul immediately burst out laughing. “Not just play. We told the teacher we had a family emergency.” Sandira stared at them in disbelief. “And you're proud of that?” “Now? I'm embarrassed,” Irul replied. “Back then, we thought we were geniuses.” Rian laughed along. “Even though Ravi forgot to take off his school uniform.” Ravi immediately pointed at Rian. “Don't blame me. You went too!” “I wasn't wearing a uniform.” “Exactly!” Their table erupted in laughter again. For a while, Rian truly felt like he had become a high-school student again. There was no farm. No financial reports. No businesses. No secrets. Just old friends sitting together and laughing about the stupid things they had done when they were younger. However, from the other side of the room, someone had been watching Rian the entire time. Fajar. Ever since high school, Fajar had never liked Rian. Rian himself had never really understood why. Even back when they were still in school, Fajar would often find excuses to mock or belittle him. And apparently, after all these years apart, that attitude hadn't changed. Fajar eventually walked over. “So you live around here now?” Rian turned toward him. “More or less.” “What do you do now?” Rian answered casually. “I have a farm.” Fajar raised an eyebrow. “A farm?” “Yeah.” “You're a farmer?” Rian nodded. “You could say that.” Fajar let out a small laugh before pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Seriously? Wow. I guess some things really haven't changed.” Ravi, sitting beside Rian, immediately looked at Fajar. “What do you mean?” Fajar smiled faintly. “It's just surprising. We went to school together, and now everyone has their own career. Some became managers, some started companies, some work at banks.” He paused before continuing, his tone sounding increasingly like a comparison. “And Rian became a farmer.” Several people at the table fell silent. Rian himself remained calm. Being a farmer wasn't something he was ashamed of. His farm was actually one of the main reasons his life was so much better now. Sandira tried to lighten the mood. “Being a farmer is still a business, Jar.” “Yeah, I know.” Fajar nodded as though he agreed. “But you know how things are nowadays. It's the age of business and technology. If all you do is farming, how long can you really keep going?” Ravi began to speak, but Rian stopped him with a glance. He didn't want Ravi getting dragged into an argument. Rian himself actually found the situation somewhat amusing. If Fajar knew who owned Harvestia, he wondered what his expression would look like. But Rian chose to remain silent. He hadn't come to the reunion to prove anything to Fajar. He came because Diah had invited him. He came to meet his old friends. If someone wanted to think of him as nothing more than an ordinary farmer, Rian didn't feel the need to correct them immediately. Fajar clearly didn't know any of that. In his mind, perhaps Rian was still the same ordinary boy from high school who lived a simple life. “Personally,” Fajar said as he picked up his drink, “if I had an opportunity, I wouldn't want to work as a farmer.” Rian looked at him. “Why?” “Well… the income.” Fajar smiled. “Compared to the kind of jobs we have now, it's obviously different.” Ravi looked increasingly uncomfortable. Rian, however, simply smiled. He could explain everything. The number of workers. The size of his farm. The revenue. The profits. Even how much his business had grown over the past few months. But what would be the point? He had never hidden what he did for a living. He simply wasn't the type of person who went around announcing what he owned to other people. Especially since Harvestia had only launched a few weeks ago. The brand had already begun attracting attention from several restaurants and high-end customers, but the identity of its owner wasn't widely known outside his business circle. Rian had never intentionally kept it a secret. It was simply that no one had ever asked. And he had never felt the need to start a conversation with, “Oh, by the way, I own a premium vegetable brand.” Fajar clearly had no idea. “If it were me, I'd say…” Fajar continued. “I wouldn't want to work as a farmer.” Rian looked at him. “Why?” “The income.” Fajar smiled. “Compared to other careers, there's obviously a difference.” Ravi looked like he wanted to say something, but Rian stopped him with a glance. There was no reason to get angry. Rian actually found the situation slightly amusing. If Fajar knew who owned Harvestia, what kind of expression would he make? But Rian chose to stay quiet. He hadn't come to the reunion to prove anything to Fajar. He had come because Diah invited him. He had come to meet his old friends. If people wanted to think he was just a farmer, Rian didn't feel the need to rush to correct them. The conversation eventually shifted when Fajar suddenly looked toward the restaurant's glass doors. A brand-new BMW M4 had just pulled into the parking area. Its body stood out among the other vehicles, and one of the restaurant staff had even stepped outside to help guide the car into a parking spot. Fajar stared at it for a moment. “Hey, Rian. Who did you come with?” Rian was still holding his glass. “Diah.” “What did you come in?” Rian raised an eyebrow. “A car.” Fajar chuckled. “I know it's a car. What kind?” Rian hadn't even answered when Ravi suddenly looked toward the window. He half stood from his chair and squinted. “Wait…” Irul turned toward him. “What?” Ravi pointed outside. “Isn't that a BMW M4?” Sandira looked over as well. “Seriously?” Ravi nodded. “Looks like it.” Fajar finally stood and walked toward the glass. He stared at the BMW for a moment before turning back to Rian. “Don't tell me…” Rian remained seated casually. Fajar pointed toward the car. “That belongs to you?” Rian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced toward the car for a moment before looking back at Fajar. A faint smile appeared on his face. It wasn't a mocking smile. It was simply the expression of someone who thought the question had somehow become far more complicated than it needed to be. “Yeah.” One word. Yet somehow, the entire table fell silent. Ravi was the first to react. “What?!” Several heads turned toward their table. Rian laughed. “Why are you yelling?” “You said you just had a farm!” “I do.” “Then that three-billion-rupiah BMW M4 is yours?!” Rian shrugged. “What's wrong with that?” Irul immediately laughed in disbelief. “Damn, Rian. If you're going to change your life, don't do it halfway!” Sandira laughed as well. “I thought you'd come in an ordinary car.” “That was the original plan.” Ravi still looked unconvinced. “Wait, wait. So all this time, we're talking about Rian like he's just a farmer, and the farmer shows up in a BMW M4?” Rian chuckled. “Are farmers not allowed to drive BMWs?” “Of course they are!” Ravi pointed at Rian. “Absolutely! But give us a warning first! My heart almost stopped!” Their table erupted in laughter again. Only Fajar didn't laugh. He continued staring at Rian with an expression that was difficult to read. His eyes shifted toward the BMW outside, then back to Rian. “Three billion?” Rian nodded. “More or less.” “And you bought that with money from… your farm?” Rian put down his glass. “Money I earned from working.” The answer was simple, but it left Fajar speechless. Rian hadn't said it arrogantly. There was no attempt to retaliate against Fajar's earlier remarks. He had simply answered the question. Diah, who had been sitting beside Rian the entire time, finally smiled. “He's been working hard for a long time.” Rian turned toward her. “Diah…” “What?” Diah laughed softly. “I'm just stating a fact.” Ravi immediately picked up on her words. “So Rian's farm isn't some small little farm?” Diah shook her head. “No.” Ravi became even more curious. “Then how big is your farm?” Rian was about to answer when Fajar asked another question first. “What is it called?” Rian paused for a moment. For the first time that night, he felt that perhaps there was no harm in telling them. “Harvestia.” Ravi, who had been holding his phone, suddenly stopped. “Wait.” He opened something on his screen, typed the name, and slowly widened his eyes. “Don't tell me…” Irul leaned closer. “What?” Ravi turned his phone toward them. The Harvestia logo appeared on the screen, along with several pictures of premium vegetables that had recently begun appearing in high-end restaurants and stores. “This is the premium vegetable brand, right?” Rian nodded. “Yeah.” “You own it?” “Yeah.” This time, even Irul and Sandira fell silent. Fajar said nothing. His confident expression gradually changed. He stared at Rian as though he had just realized that the person he had considered an ordinary farmer was actually standing far higher than he had ever imagined. Rian simply leaned back in his chair. He didn't feel the need to explain Harvestia's revenue. He didn't need to boast about the number of workers he employed or list the restaurants that had become his customers. He didn't need to. The BMW outside had already opened the conversation. And now, without Rian ever intending to do so, the identity behind the business he had never bragged about had finally been revealed to his old classmates. Ravi was still staring at his phone. “Rian…” “Hm?” “Are you serious?” Rian chuckled. “If I said no, then whose logo do you think that is?” Ravi immediately burst out laughing. “Damn. We've been looking at you all wrong this whole time.” Irul slapped Rian on the shoulder. “So earlier, when Fajar called you a farmer…” His sentence trailed off. Ravi immediately glanced at Fajar. Fajar said nothing. Rian simply chuckled. “Forget it. I am a farmer.” He raised his glass. “It just happens that this farmer owns a brand.” Ravi and Irul burst into laughter again. But amid their laughter, Rian glanced at Fajar. The man was still silent. And for the first time since they had met that evening, Rian saw something different in Fajar's eyes. It wasn't just shock. There was something deeper. Something that reminded Rian of their high-school days. Why had Fajar hated me so much from the beginning? The question returned to his mind. And this time, Rian had a feeling that this reunion might not be just a meeting between old friends. Perhaps there was a reason Fajar had always looked at him like a rival. He just didn't know what that reason was yet.

Chapter 39 — An Old Reunion, A Different Life