Davin was counting the day's earnings when Lupi approached, his smile wide. They were quite close because Lupi was humble to everyone. He was the son of a renowned rice tycoon in the village, yet he never discriminated in his friendships. It turned out that Lupi wasn't alone. Andi and another friend also joined them for casual banter. They were a group of bachelors who often hung out together. Ahmad was also present, wanting to discuss his upcoming wedding and asking for their help in preparing for his role as a somewhat influential groom.
A wealthy family like his would certainly be embarrassed if the wedding wasn't perfect. With only a month left until Ahmad and Tina's wedding, everything was meticulously planned. Nothing was left to chance. Ahmad was just waiting for the day to marry Tina, the only one of Nana's suitors who could quickly move on and remain indifferent to her attention-seeking behavior, despite rejecting all of their proposals. It was unclear what Nana truly desired, as if she couldn't bear to see her former suitors happy with other women.
"So the rumor's true? You proposed to her again?" Andi asked Davin.
"It's true! Davin is blinded by love," Lupi chimed in.
"When you think about it, Nana's only beauty is skin deep!" Ahmad murmured.
"Wow! No wonder he's saying that after being rejected." Lupi roared with laughter.
"It's not like that. Yesterday, I was at the cafe with Tina, discussing the wedding decor. Nana was at the next table, and she actually came up to us and insulted Tina, calling her ugly," explained Ahmad.
"Seriously, Mad?" Andi was skeptical.
"Why would I lie? I was quite shocked myself!" Ahmad asserted.
"Maybe she's arrogant because she's pretty and has so many suitors," Lupi guessed.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Nana was indeed known for her pride due to her popularity. Holding the title of village beauty since she was seventeen, now at twenty-four, she felt superior to everyone in the village, especially since her suitors were all wealthy. No poor man dared to approach her; she would have likely spat on them, disgusted by their appearance.
"Looks like among us, Davin's the only one still head over heels," Lupi chuckled.
"Honestly, I do love her, but I'm determined to forget her," Davin said wistfully.
"There are plenty of fish in the sea, Vin! Even if they aren't as beautiful as Nana, they'll have a more beautiful heart," Ahmad advised.
As they were engrossed in conversation, Nani rode past on her motorcycle, providing them with fresh gossip material, especially for Lupi, who was particularly eager to discuss Nana's family, even though he claimed to have moved on from her rejection. Perhaps out of resentment, he relished any opportunity to talk about them.
"Nani and Nana are like night and day," whispered Lupi, having just seen her.
"Nani's the sweet type, while Nana's the beautiful one," Andi said, not wanting to put Nani down.
"Sweet? With her dark skin, curly hair, and flat nose? She's like the leftover scraps of creation," Lupi cackled.
"It's not nice to talk about people like that. Have some pity," Davin interjected.
"What is it, Vin? You always get defensive when I badmouth Nana's family," Lupi sneered.
"It's not about her family, it's about Nani. You're being mean," Davin explained.
Lupi ignored him, continuing to mock Nani's appearance. Nani had never pursued him or shown any interest, yet Lupi enjoyed making fun of her.
"Enough, Lupi! We're not discussing this anymore," Ahmad interjected, also disapproving.
"Seriously, Lupi. Have some compassion for Nani," Andi added in her defense.
"You're all probably smitten with her dark skin!" Lupi exclaimed, getting up and leaving with a laugh.
His friends could only shake their heads at his behavior. He and Nana would be a perfect match, both enjoying belittling others. Despite his arrogance, Lupi wasn't even that good-looking himself.
"I think he's still bitter about being rejected," Andi commented.
"Why is Nana so arrogant anyway? What makes her think she's better than us?" Davin wondered aloud.
"I have no idea! What's confusing is that she rejected us but can't stand seeing us with someone else," said Ahmad.
"Means she wants to be chased forever! It's typical for village beauties to act up. No wonder so many of them end up tragically," Andi remarked.
"What do you mean?" Ahmad and Davin asked, confused.
Andi explained how village beauties often met tragic ends due to their vanity. Many were assaulted for rejecting advances, and some even died under mysterious circumstances, believed to be victims of black magic. In the next village, their former village beauty had gone mad and wandered around naked.
"You mean like black magic or curses?" Davin clarified.
"Yeah! Our village is full of shamans. It's a good thing Nana hasn't been driven insane," Andi replied.
"Don't let your heartbreak lead you down a dark path, Vin! You don't need black magic to find someone," Ahmad advised.
"Yeah! If she rejected you, then it's time to move on," Ahmad added.
Davin nodded. As a devout man, he had no intention of resorting to such practices. He would focus on forgetting about Nana. If she was not meant for him, there was no use forcing fate. He would find someone who would love and cherish him for who he was. After all, he was a kind and decent man, and there were plenty of other women out there.
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