KopiMatcha Chapter 1 - DIFFERENT

Table of Contents

If there’s one thing you’ll find most easily when it comes to Raga Arvin Mahesa, or Raga as everyone usually calls him, it’s probably how busy he always is.

Somehow, almost every time someone looks for him, Raga always has something going on.

An organization meeting.

A campus event.

A discussion.

An activity.

Or just hanging out with his friends, whose numbers somehow never seem to go down.

Raga is simply the kind of person who can’t sit still for too long.

He enjoys being around people. He likes talking, joking around, exchanging opinions, and getting involved in all kinds of things. He’s pretty well-known around campus, not just because he’s active in organizations, but also because Raga is naturally easy to get along with.

And on top of that, he’s smart.

Being smart, active, well-connected, and good at handling himself makes Raga the kind of person people naturally notice.

Not that Raga is always trying to be the center of attention.

He’s just... used to being there.

Whenever his friends get together, his name is almost always part of the group.

Whenever there’s an organization event, he’s usually involved.

And whenever someone needs help, Raga is one of those people they can count on.

His life is pretty busy.

Including his love life.

Raga already has a girlfriend.

So if anyone were to ask whether Raga was looking for someone, the answer would obviously be no.

He already has someone.

And at the time, his life was just fine.

At least, that’s what Raga thought.

 

Meanwhile, there’s Hana Keira Anindya, or Hana, as everyone usually calls her.

If Raga is known for his organizational activities and wide circle of friends, Hana is known in her own way.

Hana is easy to get along with.

She’s kind, cheerful, and has a simple way of making people around her feel comfortable. No wonder she has quite a lot of friends, and her name is often the first one people call when they need help with something.

“Han, can you help me?”

“Sure.”

“Han, can you check this later?”

“Okay.”

“Han, come with us.”

“Alright.”

Somehow, Hana often ends up being the person everyone relies on.

Not because she always has the time.

Sometimes, she’s actually busy herself.

It’s just that Hana has one habit she can never seem to get rid of:

she hates saying no.

If she can still help, she’ll help.

If she can still get something done, she’ll do it.

Even when deep down, she really wants to say no.

But beneath her easygoing personality, Hana still has a world of her own.

She can be incredibly cheerful one day, then suddenly become quieter the next because she’s not in the mood.

Sometimes she can be the one laughing the loudest.

Other times, she just wants to sit by herself and enjoy her coffee.

There’s no real pattern to her moods.

Hana probably doesn’t think much about it either.

That’s just who she is.

When it comes to love, Hana isn’t looking for anyone.

When this story begins, she’s single.

Most of her attention is focused on her career and her future. There are still so many things she wants to achieve, and as far as she’s concerned, life is already busy enough without having to worry about a relationship that might not even lead anywhere.

At least, that’s what she thought before getting to know Raga better.

Because the truth is, Raga and Hana aren’t all that different.

They’re both easy to get along with.

Both reliable.

Both busy.

Both surrounded by plenty of people.

The difference is in the way they handle it all.

Raga enjoys the kind of busyness that comes from the world around him.

Hana knows when to stop and retreat back into her own little world.

Raga can spend hours talking about something.

Hana is sometimes perfectly satisfied with just one sentence.

Raga is more spontaneous.

Hana tends to follow her feelings.

And, of course, there’s one difference that becomes pretty obvious from the start.

Their choice of drinks.

Hana with her coffee.

Raga with his matcha.

Hana believes coffee has a place in almost every mood.

Raga thinks matcha is the much more sensible choice.

They could argue about it.

They could tease each other.

They could both be convinced that their choice was obviously the better one.

Funny enough, they had no idea that this little difference between coffee and matcha was only the beginning.

Because after that, there would be so many other things that would make them wonder:

Just how different are they, really?

And if they really are that different...

why do they keep finding more and more reasons to get closer?

If they ever ended up arguing about it someday, chances were neither of them would be willing to back down.

Luckily, they weren’t close enough to argue about it yet.

They didn’t even really know each other.

Even if they had happened to be in the same place before, they were simply two people who happened to exist in the same environment.

Nothing more.

There was no reason for Hana to notice Raga.

And there was no reason for Raga to notice Hana.

Besides, their lives were already moving in completely different directions.

Raga was busy with organizations, friends, college, and the relationship he was already in.

Hana was busy with herself, her plans for the future, and the things she wanted to achieve.

They didn’t have much in common.

If anything, they probably had too many differences.

And if someone had told them back then that one day Raga and Hana would become an important part of each other’s lives, they probably would have laughed.

Hana might have answered,

“No way.”

While Raga might have simply shrugged and said,

“Why not?”

Because at that point, there really was nothing between them.

Not yet.

Raga still had his world.

Hana still had hers.

Two people with different habits.

Two people with different principles.

Two people who made different choices.

They couldn’t even agree on something as simple as a drink.

Coffee and matcha.

Both have their own flavor.

Both have their own fans.

But they’re definitely not the same.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly where their story begins.