“Apasal? Haa…saya dah agak dah! Awak memang nak something dari saya. Awak perompak kan?? Macam yang Mak, Babah dan Abang Mi selalu pesan masa dulu-dulu.. Becareful with strangers who come to you out of nowhere… They might up to something that they already plan in mind!” In terus berlari pergi walau langkah tak laju macam selalu sebab ada bebanan di bahu.

Im cekak pinggang seraya menggeleng-gelengkan kepala. Keluhan berat dilepaskan ke lantai. Dia lari lagi…..

“Assalamualaikum.”

In yang sedang tengah seronok gelak baca komik Cheapshot serta merta berhenti ketawa lantas angkat muka. In jawab salam dalam hati. Tak jawab dosa! Dia yang ingin bangun untuk lari menemui kegagalan apabila lelaki itu tekan kedua belah bahunya, membuatkan dia kembali terduduk.

“Nah.” Im dah duduk di kerusi menunggu di sebelah selepas unjuk Slurpee. Backpackdi bahu diletak atas kerusi bersebelahan.

“Apa ni?” In renung gelas plastic berisi ice blendedwarna biru.

“Don’t tell meawak tak tahu Slurpee.”

“Well I know, it’sSlurpee tapi awak letak apa dalam ni??”

“Laillahaillallah.”

“Dude, you are still strangers.. Ofcourse you can do anything to me..”

“So tell me what should I dountuk remove title ‘stranger’tu?”

“Why should you?”

“Because I love to..”

“Why?”

Im mengeluh kecil. “Just drink yourSlurpee laa, budak.. Sumpah saya tak letak apa-apa dalam tu…!” Im angkat tangan kanan.

In turunkan tangan Im sejurus selepas itu. “Jangan main sumpah.”

“Nanti…kena makan sumpah? Girl,sumpah takkan nak makan saya punya….”

In tarik semula senyuman yang hendak terbit. “What’s up with ‘budak’ thing…?”

“Budak?”

“Awak panggil saya budak just now,kan?”

“Yeah, so?”

“I’m notbudak.”

“Ya ke?”

“Dude, I’m 25. Ofcourse I am no longer‘budak’.”

“Really? I’m 27 and as far as I remember, I didn’t read comics when I was 25.”

In ketap bibir. So, inilah isunya sekarang… Tak puas hati tengok aku baca komik rupanya…“Awak nak tahu sebab apa awak tak baca komik when you were 25?”

“Tell me.”

“Because you’re such a boring person!” tegas In. Lantaklah nak jawab reason apa sekalipun… Janji hati aku puas! “Awak memang tak suka gelak kan? Don’t you know that laughter is the best medicine? Never heard of that?”

“Well I’ve heard that quote but believe me, quotetu tipu..” Im bersandar santai sambil hirup Slurpee.

“Yourhujah?”

“Well, allow me to explain,Yang Arif.”

In tahan tawa yang hendak keluar dari mulut. “Hurry then...”