Sharone wiped her lips with the back of her hand before straightening her back again. When the bottle stopped spinning and pointed at her, Viona smiled softly.
"Sharone," she said, slightly slurring due to the effects of alcohol. "Truth or dare?"
Theresia, sitting next to James, glanced at her sister, confident that Sharone would choose dare. Her sister always preferred challenges over talking about herself.
However, Sharone surprised everyone. "Truth," she replied without hesitation.
Viona blinked for a moment, almost about to ask a probing question—about Steve, about Sharone's true feelings, about all the things she had kept to herself.
But before the question could come out, Viona felt Frans' hand move gently to her shoulder, providing a warm comfort that calmed her. The touch was like waking her up from the alcohol's haze that was starting to cloud her mind.
Viona took a breath, changing the question on the tip of her tongue. "Okay, then... What secret have you been hiding from your sister, Theresia?"
Theresia, who had been enjoying her drink, choked slightly. "Huh? Why me?" she asked in panic.
Sharone raised an eyebrow and looked at her sister with a mischievous grin. "Hmm... a secret, huh?"
James chuckled softly next to Theresia. "Wow, this is interesting. Now I'm curious too."
Theresia glared at James. "You're supposed to defend me, not be curious!"
Sharone pretended to think while tapping her chin with her fingertip. "Alright, I'll tell a little secret about my sister..."
Theresia grew increasingly panicked. "Sis, don't mess around!"
Sharone smiled victoriously before finally saying, "Theresia... still talks in her sleep. Sometimes she even mentions James in her dreams."
The room erupted with laughter.
"Really?" James laughed heartily while glancing at his girlfriend with keen interest. "What do you say about me, hmm?"
"Wow, this is interesting," added Frans, chuckling softly.
Theresia instantly covered her face with both hands. "Oh my gosh, Sis! That's not the secret I wanted everyone to know!"
Sharone simply shrugged innocently. "But it is a secret, right?"
Viona, who had initially held back from asking about Steve, finally laughed at the interaction between the siblings. At least the question didn't disrupt the mood.
James wrapped his arm around Theresia, who still had her face covered in resignation. "Well, I need to hear it myself next time. Maybe I can record it as proof."
Theresia glared sharply at her boyfriend, but her cheeks were still flushed. "Don't count on it!"
Sharone smiled contentedly, enjoying her little victory. But out of the corner of her eye, she could see Steve remaining silent, his thoughts a mystery.
After a few rounds of the game, the laughter began to subside, and they all noticed one thing—their drinking was starting to take effect.
"I think we should stop before someone falls asleep at the table," Frans said, rubbing his face. Viona, sitting beside him, nodded in agreement, resting her head slightly on Frans' shoulder.
James chuckled softly. "Agreed. If we continue, we'll all wake up with headaches tomorrow."
Theresia took a sip of water, trying to neutralize the alcohol's effects. "Then let's have a normal conversation. Maybe we can share some light stories."
Sharone leaned back in her chair, her hand still holding a glass that was half full. "Light stories, huh?" She glanced at Steve briefly, but the man only stared blankly at the table, lost in his own thoughts.
"Let's tell something fun," Viona interjected, trying to keep the mood light. "For example, the most embarrassing experience you've ever had."
Theresia immediately protested. "Why do we have to share embarrassing stories?"
James laughed at his girlfriend's reaction. "Why? Are you afraid I'll discover something that makes me love you more?"
Theresia lightly punched his arm. "Not like that!"
Viona smiled at the couple. It felt nice to see someone so open in their relationship. She glanced at Frans, who returned her gaze with warmth.
Sharone sipped her drink and then said, "If we're talking about embarrassing moments... I remember the first time I performed at a big concert. I had practiced for months, everything was perfect... until I stepped on a cable on stage and almost fell."
James laughed. "Seriously? What happened next?"
Sharone snorted softly. "I pretended it was part of the show."
Theresia scoffed. "There's always a solution for Sis Sharone."
Steve finally spoke up, his voice heavier than usual. "But still, you managed it well, right?"
Sharone turned to Steve, staring at him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, of course."
Viona sensed the subtle tension between the two, but she chose not to comment.
Frans, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up. "As for me... the most embarrassing experience was probably when I first had to take care of a patient alone at the hospital."
Theresia and Viona immediately looked at him curiously. "Why? What happened?"
Frans chuckled softly, appearing a bit hesitant before recounting. "So, there was a patient who needed to be injected, and I was really nervous. I tried to stay calm, but when it was time to inject..." He paused, then covered his face with his hands. "I dropped the syringe on the floor. The patient laughed, and I became even more embarrassed."
Viona laughed and patted his arm. "But now you're an expert."
Frans smiled warmly at Viona. "Yeah, because I learned from my mistakes."
The conversation flowed more comfortably after that. They discussed many things—school, work, even their individual dreams. However, amidst the laughter and stories, something felt different.
Steve still often glanced at Viona unconsciously, while Sharone occasionally looked at Steve with an unreadable expression. Frans and Viona appeared more comfortable than ever, making the boundaries between them increasingly obvious.
In each of their hearts, there were things left unsaid. But that night, they chose not to bring them up. They just wanted to enjoy the moment, at least for a while.
Theresia stretched her body while yawning slightly. "It's almost dawn; do you guys want to go home or just sleep here?" she asked, glancing at Viona and Frans.
Viona turned to Frans, her eyes slightly droopy from the lingering effects of alcohol. "What do you think? If we go home now, I'm afraid I might fall asleep on the road."
Frans nodded in agreement. "Maybe it's better if we rest for a while."
Sharone, who had been sitting quietly playing with the empty glass in her hand, spoke up. "By the way, Theresia's room can be used for you girls, and my room can be for the guys."
James immediately agreed with the idea. "That sounds good; it's better than us getting tired on the road."
Theresia smiled satisfied. "Okay, so girls in my room, guys in Sis Sharone's room. Agreed?"
Steve, who had been quiet so far, simply nodded. Many things swirled in his mind, but he chose to keep them to himself.
Sharone stood up first, then stretched her body. "Alright, let's go in before the sun comes up for real."
Viona took Theresia's hand as they headed to her room, while Frans and James walked towards Sharone's room. Steve followed behind, occasionally glancing at Viona before finally disappearing into the house.
The long night finally ended, but for some reason, their feelings didn't feel any lighter. Instead, there was something hanging in the air—something that remained unresolved.
When James entered the bathroom, Frans and Steve sat on the edge of the bed. They remained silent for a moment, only the sound of water running from the bathroom could be heard.
Frans turned to Steve, his expression neutral, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "So... what was Viona like in school?" he asked casually, but it was clear there was a deeper meaning behind his question.
Steve, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up slightly. He gave Frans a quick glance before finally smiling faintly. "Viona?" He exhaled slowly. "She was always cheerful, always excited when it came to something she liked. But she was also stubborn. Once she set her mind on something, it was really hard to change her direction."
Frans smiled faintly. "That much is still the same until now."
Steve laughed lightly. "I'm not surprised. She used to lose track of time when she played the piano. Sometimes I had to stop her, telling her that the lesson was over. But she would always insist, 'Five more minutes, Kak Steve! I'm almost there with this part!'"
Frans chuckled at that. "So typical of Viona."
Steve looked at Frans for a moment, then sighed. "You're lucky, then."
Frans furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
Steve shrugged, pretending not to think too much about his own words. "Well, Viona is an adult now, and she has you who is always there for her."
Frans didn't respond immediately. He sensed there was something behind Steve's words, but he chose not to dig deeper.
A few moments later, James emerged from the bathroom with a towel draped over his neck. "All done! Who's next?"
Frans got up from his seat. "I'll go."
As Frans entered the bathroom, Steve remained seated, staring at the ceiling for a moment before letting out a long breath. Maybe he was overthinking things. Or maybe… there was indeed something still left in his heart.