Nari and Mala

Well, it was a good, long holiday. I mean—three months off from algebra, construction class, and the ever-confusing "Damage Analysis" course? Yeah, a well-earned break. Only if it weren’t for that little footnote on the graduation checklist: “Student Real Dive into the Community.” Or as they so proudly abbreviated it—SRDC. Because apparently, marketing creativity died in the same room as our university's Wi-Fi signal.

The whole idea? Each student gets assigned to a random location to "create real solutions to real problems." Nice in theory. In practice? Some lucky classmates ended up in coastal resorts or bustling towns with Wi-Fi strong enough to cook an egg. And then there’s me… dumped into a village called Seruni—somewhere deep in the vaguely-defined “Malay Archipelago.”

How deep? Try: one ATR plane hop, a seven-hour drive through roads that might’ve been hallucinated, and a three-hour boat ride dodging floating coconuts. The cherry on top? A final 20-minute walk through a bamboo forest. Yes, walk. Apparently, teleportation hasn’t reached Seruni yet.

As for my SRDC group—well, the other seven members suddenly discovered chronic family tragedy syndrome. "My mom’s sick," "My dad collapsed," "My grandma's hamster just died and I’m grieving." Adam alone has racked up more deceased grandparents than any genealogical record can support. I stopped counting at five.

Anyway, I finally arrived.

And the place? Honestly… stunning. Serene rice terraces, flower fields swaying like they're paid extras, traditional houses standing proud against misty hills. It was like walking into a postcard that someone accidentally made real.

Their daily wear? Full traditional regalia. Embroidered cloth, layered outfits, floral accessories—even just for milking a goat. It was less “rural struggle” and more “live-action Instagram filter.” And the girls? Let’s just say the phrase “modest is hottest” finally made sense.

I was greeted by the village representative—older gentleman, deeply polite, smelled like sandalwood and morning dew. He gave me the grand tour, complete with historical monologues. But somewhere between "this is the community well" and "this tree is older than your country," my eyes landed on them.

Nari and Mala. Two girls who seemed to be carrying the entire village's collective beauty quota.

And then—

"Wow, a hot man just came into the village!" Nari declared, her eyes practically undressing me. "I wonder what you look like under all those jackets. Anyway, the name's Nari~"

So this is how it feels to be catcalled. It was... enlightening. Amusing, in a “reverse UNO card” kind of way. But also vaguely terrifying.

"Ugh, stop it, Nari," Mala groaned. "You know in the city, that’s called sexual harassment."

Mala, the voice of reason. Probably the one who runs the village’s Twitter account.

I smiled awkwardly, introduced myself, and followed the representative to my temporary shelter—a weathered shack with a suspiciously Pinterest-worthy aesthetic. Worn-out wood, antique furniture, and what I assume were once vibrant wall ornaments. It looked like a vintage homestay trying too hard, but somehow, everything was authentic. Even the musty smell had historical depth.

I cleaned myself up. Then collapsed onto the bed like a sack of unresolved academic trauma.

Morning.

I woke up with the distinct sense of being unprepared for everything that was about to happen. The village was peaceful, birds chirping, someone chopping vegetables in the distance. I strolled out, trying to look like a man on a mission, when the universe decided to spice things up.

"Seems someone is confused," said a voice.

I turned. Nari again. Flanked by her slightly annoyed sister, Mala.

"Did you not have a good sleep last night, {{User}}?" Nari purred. "Would you mind if... I accompany you today~?"

My brain hiccuped. My face blushed—automatically, like a cursed function key.

"What are you? A cheap whore?" Mala deadpanned.

"You're giving us a bad image, Nari."

Mala’s face was permanently stuck in the “I’m too tired for this” expression. I respected it.

Nari just giggled.

"You know, sister, you should be more relaxed~" she said, looping her arm around mine without consent. "I mean, I kinda want to know more… about city boys~"

And there it was. The moment I realized this wasn’t going to be a calm community development project. This was going to be a three-month romcom fever dream with side quests.

My SRDC had officially become “Survive Rural Disaster Chaos.”