I Love You, J!
Chapter XI - Back to Reality

“Kirana!”

I blinked. I heard someone calling my name. My eyelids are heavy to open. My head felt dizzy as I moved it to the right and left.

“Kirana! What time is it?”

Now I feel my shoulders being shaken. Ah, I'm still dizzy, why be forced to get up anyway? Oh wait, haven't I become a ladyboy now? I fainted after being hit by rattan. What if the prince was angry because I was embarrassing on my first day?

I forced myself to wake up with eyes still locked in panic. “Ampun prince! I'm guilty, I shouldn't have come any closer. Pangapunten prince!”

“Kirana? You why?”

Heh? Why didn't the prince answer? I opened my eyes and looked around me.

No way's. I was in my room in 2023. Is this real? Or indeed I have been dreaming to the year 1809 that feels so real.

“You why the hell?” Mama looked at me confused. “Lapse of nightmares huh?”

“Mama!” I screamed while hugging Mama because I was relieved. I've returned to the right time. Thank goodness it was just a dream.

“Aduh, you're trying to make Mama scared anyway?” mama said with an anxious tone. “No usually like gini.”

“I'm a nightmare, Ma! How ugly! I went to the 1800s, in the age of forced labor!”

“Hah? It is far from your dream. Shower first, let it be fresher, already this afternoon,” said Mama.

I just nodded and walked slowly to the bathroom. It was supposed to be Saturday, last Friday night I fell asleep after work. Should've. So today I don't go to college, I can rest and calm down.

I lazily washed my face in the sink. My head still feels heavy. Did I stay up late last night? It felt like I had slept for days.

“Aw!” I grimaced when I accidentally touched my head. Wait, why is my seat sick? Out of curiosity, I squeezed my eel again. “Aduh!” I grimaced again. Really sick, in the affected part of the rattan hit by Prince Natawijaya.

Well, youho. Why is this weird? If it's just a dream I shouldn't feel pain, except when I sleep I accidentally hit something.

I hurried back to my room and saw my bed. There was nothing I could or accidentally hit around the bed. When the match with Laras in a dream, I hit my own in real life?

Bizarrely. It's unbelievable. If it was just a dream, why do I remember it so clearly? I'm goosebumps. Mas Yudha, Jantaka, Kinasih, Laras, Prince Natawijaya. They're all in my dreams. Could they all be real?

***

“Lo said what just now?” ask Yasmin.

We met at Junot's house. I told him I was having something weird.

“Gue dreams go to the year 1809, the time of Anyer-Panarukan highway project is still being worked on,” I said.

“Ck, you are too deep in college work, to dream,” said Junot.

“No, I am again working on the East Asian History course,”. “Lo are both in my dreams. Lo, Yasmin, lo so Kinasih, son of Ki Sura, a healer.”

“Hah? How horrifying is a novel, Na. Lv? Physician's son?” Yasmin looked at me in disbelief.

“My touts so what?” ask Junot.

“Poor breeders, live in an old cottage in the middle of the forest.”

“Lho, my turn is poor swordsman?” junot Protest. “Wah, really ngarang nih anak.”

Yasmin laughed at Junot's protest. “Still mending me to be a healer.”

“Gue is not nagging,” I said. “Name of Jantaka, Jun. Lo jago silat, wooden sticks can be dented if you hit. Unfortunately you poor.”

Yasmin's laughter exploded, while Junot grew better because he did not accept being a poor swordsman.

“Keep lo so what in the dream?” ask Junot.

“Gue remains Kirana, I can also fight, the story I run a mission disguised as a ladyboy Prince Natawijaya, to find out information and alignments prince.”

Yasmin who was gulping down white water immediately gushed out. I don't blame her for being so disrespectful, she must be surprised to hear me disguised as a court lady.

“Aish, slovenly!” Junot. “That's really dong, Yas!”

“Lo says Prince Natawijaya? Who led the Duchy of Sukaraja? The famous beautiful and loved people?” ask Yasmin.

“Iya!” sahutku. “Lo know, who is Prince Natawijaya in my dream?”

“Diem first, Jun,” says Yasmin. “You know me, Na, who is Prince Natawijaya? Really handsome as described history book?”

“Javier.”

“Hah?”

“Javier. He became Prince Natawijaya.”

“Ah, what the hell?” junot Protest. “Those idol turns out to be a prince! It's not fair this is mah.”

“Heh, Javier is pantes times, so prince! If he does I agree! No need to protest against poor warriors!” Yasmin.

“So the son of the healer bacot also lo yes,” reply Junot. “Na, like a dream you excessive deh, you can chat as you like who is the prince.”

“This is not a setup, Jun. I was shocked to see Javier in my dream as a prince. Aura he is sultan. Funny thing is, I woke up because I accidentally got thrown a rattan ball he.”

“Hah?” Yasmin widened her eyes. “Buset deh, even in the dream world you still hit the ball? Wow, my salute..” Yasmin applause.

“Tuh people can not throw a real ball huh? Mouthful feeling,” Junot said.

“Lo sewot very, Jun? That means Javier is consistent, it could be that he is Kirana's mate,” Yasmin concluded.

“Stupid? Lebai lu,” reply Junot.

“You know not, what's weird?” my many. “Waking up my eel feels painful, as if I have hit a rattan ball.”

“Serious?” Yasmin looked at my forehead more closely. “Which one?”

“This.” I pointed at my forehead which still hurts to the touch. “Still this pain if held.”

“Maybe lo sleep time motion continues accidentally kepentok,” said Junot trying positive thinking.

Well, I think so too. But until now I still feel my dream is real. I can't find any reason why I dream like that. I never even dreamed of Suliwa, my favorite character in Angling Dharma. I've also never dreamed of a past setting before.

I'm curious. What exactly did I just experience last night?

***

I started Monday with a confused feeling. After that strange dream, I never experienced it again. My sleep was normal and my forehead was no longer painful.

After Jevan's tweet cornered me and I managed to slap him with facts, the situation got better. People are also starting to forget about the other events I've been through that have to do with Javier and Juan. I'm back to being Kirana who's nobody.

Just as I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, someone appeared again before me as I was about to enter the library. The girl with shoulder-length hair, slim and confident. Oh wait's. I've seen him. Instantly I shiver. I saw the current version of Laras. Hard to believe, is this just a coincidence?

The girl intercepted me. His facial expression was clearly unfriendly. He looked at me irritatedly, in contrast to Laras' friendly attitude in my dreams.

“Lo Kirana right?” ask the girl.

“Yes, what's up?” I asked back.

“Gue Amanda, Junot's girlfriend,” the girl said. He emphasized the word girlfriend very clearly.

Wait for. A boyfriend?? Is she the girl that was waiting for Junot in the backstage when the guy was gigging? At that time I did not see his face clearly. Aish, I am also lazy to remember that moment. I remember another embarrassing incident when I passed out because I was dragged by the people of pogo.

“Gue want to talk to you briefly,” Amanda continued. “Gue don't know yes, what kind of relationship you Junot, which he obviously said if you guys were from small.”

“Yes, it's bener.”

“But seeing how Junot instantly nyamperin you with a frantic face when you faint, it seems like your relationship is more than just a childhood friend.”

“That's because the first time he saw me pass out, it's nothing. We’re just friend. Relax aja.”

“He is not just nyamperin lo, but carry you to the health room, leave me in the backstage. He even forgot I was still there,” Amanda continued. “Lo knows how irritated I am because of that. I'm not guilty lo, only I don't understand why girls and boys can win doang without any feeling more.”

“It's even stranger if I have more feelings for Junot,” kilahku. “Ngebayangin him to be my girlfriend, hmm.. can't, very strange. I don't think you need to worry.”

Amanda took a step closer and looked at me intensely. “Gue doesn't want any lo between me and Junot. Sori, but I think I have a right to worry. You can't, don't often relate to him?”

“Can,” sahutku steady. The current version of this barrel turns out to be just as straightforward and firm as the old version of Laras.

“Thanks,” says Amanda briefly.

Amanda turned around. I saw the exact same way of walking as Laras. My hair is goosebumps again. What is the universe planning for me?