5. Marsha and Arnold's First Meeting

The long awaited meeting.

The day finally arrived. An upscale restaurant located inside Central Park Mall in West Jakarta became the witness to the meeting between two families who had been close friends for a long time, especially the two mothers, who had been best friends since their university days, Arnold’s family and Marsha’s family. In the elegant atmosphere of the restaurant, decorated in a classic European style and accompanied by soft instrumental music, Mrs. Dina sat gracefully alongside her son, Arnold Zafazel, a handsome and charismatic young man dressed in a dark grey semi formal suit with neatly combed hair.

"Don't be too nervous, Dear," Mrs. Dina whispered softly while sipping her warm tea. "Aunt Bertha and I have already agreed, today, we’ll just let everything flow naturally. You just need to be yourself."

Arnold nodded while letting out a sigh. "Okay, Mom. But I really didn't expect to be set up on a blind date like this. It feels like a total blind date scenario," he replied with a faint smile.

Not long after, Mrs. Bertha appeared walking confidently, accompanied by her daughter Marsha Livia. The elegant young woman with long hair was wearing a pastel peach midi dress and looked absolutely stunning. Her smile was sincere, and her eyes were gentle. For a moment, Arnold froze. There was something familiar about that face.

"Arnold?" Marsha greeted him with a sweet smile. "Do you still remember me?"

Arnold stood up from his seat and shook Marsha’s hand politely. "Marsha … is that you? We were in the same kindergarten class, weren't we?"

Marsha laughed softly. "Ha-ha-ha. Oh my goodness, you still remember!"

Mrs. Dina and Mrs. Bertha exchanged glances and laughed happily.

"We’ll leave you two to chat for a while, okay?" Mrs. Bertha said as she stood up.

"Aunt Bertha and I are going to drop by our favourite salon first, dear. I’m sure you two have lots of things to talk about," Mrs. Dina added, winking at Arnold.

"Don’t run away, Arnold," Mrs. Bertha teased before leaving.

"I won't run away, Aunt," Arnold replied with a smile.

As soon as the two mothers left, there was a moment of silence between them. But it didn't last long.

"You’ve changed so much, Marsha," Arnold said as he sat back down. "Back then, you were small, talkative, and always fighting over toys."

Marsha laughed. "Ha-ha-ha. And you used to cry whenever you lost at puzzles."

Arnold joined in the laughter. "Ha-ha-ha. Oh come on, don't expose my embarrassing moments!"

They both laughed together. Slowly, the atmosphere became more relaxed and comfortable.

"So, where are you working now?" Arnold asked while sipping his lemon tea.

"I work at our family company as an interior designer. It’s pretty good, I handle all kinds of projects. But mostly I work with premium clients. Sometimes it can be quite stressful, but I really enjoy it," Marsha replied with a smile. "How about you? You’re a CEO now, right?"

Arnold nodded. "Yes, at AZ Corp. We focus on technology and property sectors. At first I was hesitant about continuing the family business, but eventually I started enjoying it too. There are lots of challenges, but that’s exactly what makes it interesting."

Marsha looked at Arnold with admiration. "You look so mature now and successful."

Arnold felt a little shy. "Ah, it’s nothing special. You also look so elegant now. I never expected you would grow up to be this beautiful," he said honestly.

Marsha looked down for a moment, trying to hide the blush rising on her cheeks.

"Thank you. You know, when I was in high school, I once saw you at an inter-school debate competition."

Arnold raised his eyebrows curiously. "Really? You were watching?"

Marsha nodded. "Yes. And ever since then, I don’t know why, you became like someone I admired secretly. But I just kept it to myself. I never thought that now we would be set up on a blind date."

Arnold fell silent for a moment. Marsha’s words echoed in his mind. He felt his heart growing warm.

"If you feel uncomfortable with all this, Marsha, I completely understand. I mean, being set up isn’t something easy to handle."

Marsha looked into his eyes and smiled gently. "I don’t mind at all, Arnold. In fact, I’m really grateful that we could meet again in this kind of situation. I feel like maybe this is the right time."

Arnold smiled. "I feel exactly the same way. I’m really happy we can talk again. And you know, when you first walked in just now, I thought to myself, she looks so familiar, but I wasn't sure."

"You’ve changed too, Arnold. Back then you were really shy, and now you’re leading a whole company. That’s really cool."

Arnold held back a smile while rubbing the back of his neck. "Public speaking takes years of practice, Marsha. But you’re also amazing. The way you speak is polite and calm. I really like how you express yourself."

Marsha blushed. "You sure know how to make people feel appreciated."

The two then continued their conversation, talking about their childhood memories, recalling their strict kindergarten teacher, the favourite toys they used to fight over, and the old photos taken during school performances.

While laughing and reminiscing about the past, Arnold looked at Marsha and thought to himself. Maybe this isn’t just a blind date setup. But the beginning of something much more beautiful.

A short while later, a waiter came over bringing the dishes they had ordered. The two enjoyed their meal while continuing to exchange stories and laughter. A sense of comfort was growing slowly between them, just like two long-lost best friends who had finally reunited at the right time.

When they finished eating, Arnold asked, "Marsha, would it be okay if I take you for a little walk around the mall? Chatting while looking around?"

Marsha smiled sweetly. "Of course, I’d love to."

The two then stood up and walked side by side out of the restaurant. Meanwhile, from a distance, their two mothers, who were having manicures, watched them from behind the salon glass with satisfied smiles on their faces.

"They really look perfect together, don't they?" Mrs. Bertha whispered while sipping her detox juice.

"I told you a long time ago, Arnold is the ideal son in law I’ve always wanted," Mrs. Dina replied proudly.

Meanwhile, while walking leisurely around the mall, Arnold and Marsha kept talking as if the world was giving them a second chance to get to know each other better, to fall in love, and perhaps to build a future together.

Arnold and Marsha walked side by side past rows of boutiques and coffee shops in Central Park Mall. Warm lights decorated the ceiling of the mall, creating a comfortable atmosphere that afternoon. Every now and then, they stopped in front of shop windows, chatting casually about their lifestyles, interests, and hobbies.

"Do you still like reading comics?" Marsha suddenly asked while pointing towards a bookstore.

Arnold laughed. "Ha-ha-ha. Oh Dear, you got me! Yes, sometimes I still do. But now I prefer detective manga, no longer superhero comics."

"When we were little, you were a huge fan of Ultraman," Marsha teased.

"Ha-ha-ha!"

Arnold laughed even louder. "Oh come on, don't bring that up again. You really remember everything, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I also remember that you once wore an Ultraman costume to my birthday party when we were in kindergarten," Marsha replied while covering her mouth, trying to hold back laughter.

Arnold shook his head shyly. "Seriously? You still remember that?"

"How could I forget?" Marsha replied softly. Her eyes looked deep into Arnold’s eyes, this time without any joking. "You were one of the sweetest parts of my childhood."

Arnold suddenly fell silent. His heart beat slowly but steadily. A warm feeling began to grow in his chest.

"I’m really happy to hear you say that. I also feel really comfortable today. I don’t know why, but it feels like we’ve always been connected somehow."

Marsha smiled gently. "Maybe it’s because we actually share the same roots."

They then continued walking towards the Tribeca Park area located outside the mall. The afternoon breeze blew softly, and the sound of flowing water from the artificial pond created a peaceful atmosphere.

"I always thought blind date setups were rigid and full of pressure," Arnold said after sitting on a park bench for a while. "But with you, it feels just like chatting with a long-lost best friend I’ve been searching for all this time."

Marsha turned her head, looking at the face of the young man beside her, which now felt increasingly familiar. "At first I also couldn't believe it when Mom told me that our families wanted to set us up. I was worried it would feel awkward. But it turns out, I actually feel really comfortable."

Arnold smiled and looked down for a moment, then said softly, "You know, when we were little, I once told Mom that I wanted to marry the prettiest girl in my kindergarten class."

Marsha looked at him with an amused smile. "Really? Who was that girl?"

Arnold looked deep into Marsha’s eyes and replied quietly, "Her name is Marsha Livia."

Marsha’s face immediately turned bright red. She looked down, trying to hide her happy smile.

"Arnold …"

"Yes?"

"I also once wrote in my diary when I was in junior high school," Marsha said softly. "That if someday in the future, I wanted to meet again the smart and kind boy I had liked since childhood.”