Warung kopi sederhana di Bekasi, sore. Kursi plastik, suara motor, hujan semalam masih menyisakan genangan. Lukas duduk menunggu, hoodie sederhana, wajah lelah tapi tetap tersenyum tipis. Aji datang dengan gaya cuek, langsung duduk, menepuk bahu Lukas.

AJI (wajah ceria): “Brooo, look at you! Forest Boy jadi ‘Flood Boy’. Sepatu lu udah bisa dipakai buat pelihara ikan cupang.”

LUKAS (tertawa kecil, tapi nada mellow): “I miss Oma, Ji. Tadi lihat junior nahan lapar. Crew deserves better.”

AJI (gaya santai): “Woi, jangan mellow dulu. Nanti netizen kira lu bikin trailer Tragedi Bekasi. Junior struggle? Semua crew struggle, Bro. Gue juga struggle—nabung tiga bulan cuma cukup buat beli mic karaoke! Tapi ya, hidup tetap go on. Jangan kayak steak well-done: kering.”

Lukas tertawa, meletakkan wajah di tangan sebentar. Ponselnya bergetar. Nama “Mom & Dad” muncul. Ia tarik napas, lalu angkat video call.

Kamera menyorot layar ponsel, orangtuanya di Jerman, Ibunya Pure Amerika, Ayahnya Indonesia - Inggris. Sang ibu masih dengan headset kantor, sang ayah memakai jas kerja. Wajah lelah, tapi mata penuh cinta.

MOM (hangat): “Lukas, darling, we saw your message. Are you eating enough? Please don’t just work, okay?”

DAD (suara tenang): “Son, knives are sharp, but your heart must stay soft. Don’t carry every burden alone. We are proud of you. Oma would be, too.”

Lukas menelan ludah, menahan emosi. Matanya sedikit berkaca. Aji ikut nimbrung, pura-pura melambai ke layar.

AJI (muka tengil): “Hallo Mr. and Mrs. Forest! Your boy is safe here. But… if you wanna send Euro, I can also keep it safe for him. Transfer wise, ya.”

Orangtua tertawa hangat. Lukas ikut tertawa, air matanya pecah jadi senyum. Mereka pamit dengan doa singkat. Call berakhir. Hening sesaat.

LUKAS (lembut): “They’re still so busy… but they love me in every word. That’s enough.”

AJI (menyikut Lukas):“See? Cry a bit, laugh a bit. Balanced seasoning. Like eating sambal—crying and smiling at the same time.”

Kamera vlog dihidupkan. Lukas dan Aji duduk bersebelahan, mangkuk bubur kacang ijo di meja. Motor berlalu-lalang di belakang. Lukas bicara ke kamera, Aji pura-pura jadi sidekick host.

LUKAS (tulus): “Hey everyone. Today wasn’t just about food or tickets. It was about people. A steak came out well-done, but still juicy. Our junior had one warm bowl and a smile again. And I had a call from home—a reminder that even far away, love travels faster than WiFi.”

AJI (interupsi, ngakak): “And WiFi here sucks, bro. So that’s saying something.”

Lukas tertawa, lalu menatap kamera lagi.

“In Here I’ve learned this, food is never just food. It’s rain on your shoes, laughter in the line, a bowl of warmth when money runs short.
Oma used to say, we don’t just plate dishes. We plate each other’s strength, so no one leaves hungry—not even in spirit.—today, I believe her. And here, we get to cook those stories safe.

If you’re watching this after your own shift—whatever your shift is—don’t forget: hard days don’t erase your light. They just test how you share it.”

AJI (mengangkat sendok bubur, gaya lebay): “Subscribe before Lukas cries again. Or before this bubur gets cold. Peace out!”

Lukas menutup vlog dengan tawa lepas. Kamera goyah, capture wajah mereka berdua—capek, ngakak, tapi hangat.

KANTOR — keesokan pagi. Meja bersih. Maya/HR menyiapkan berkas, Rico/FOH di samping, Arman/Head Chef hadir singkat.

MAYA: “Hari ini gajian dan distribusi service charge. Kebijakan baru, BOH ikut pool—line cook, steward, dishwasher. Rinciannya transparan.”

Amplop kecil dibagikan. Ani, Bimo, Pak Darto dan crew lainnya menerima. Lukas menunggu—tidak diberikan amplop.

LUKAS (angkat alis, tetap tenang): “Ibu Maya, mungkin administrasi saya belum masuk list?”

MAYA (cek cepat komputer): “Ya Tuhan, Benar, data start date kamu belum tersinkron. Maaf, ya. Aku proses sekarang.”

ARMAN: “Ambil dari petty cash, input susulan ke sistem. Jangan tunda—orang kerja butuh kepastian.”

MAYA: “Siap.” (ia menelpon bagian Finance, menyiapkan jumlah yang sama, minta tanda tangan.)

BIMO: “Waduh Bu, kalau sampek Lukas ngambek, bahaya kita.haha”

SARI: “Iya, kalau dia balik ke Jerman, posisi cowok terganteng jadi Bimo lagi, produk lokal, kepedean ntar dia”

Seluruh crew diruangan tertawa.

PAK DARTO (melihat amplopnya, berkaca kecil): “Biasanya kebagian sisa gelas… hari ini tumben kebagian sisa terima kasih.”

ARMAN: “Bukan sisa, Bagian. Bagian. Simpan. Lanjut kerja.”

DAPUR — jelang service. Hujan mengetuk atap. Nadia mengangkat papan klip.

NADIA: “HACCP walk-through. Cepat, rapi.”

Walk-in 3°C; label rapi.

NADIA: “Tanggal jelas.”

LUKAS (ringan): “Kalau salah tanggal, nanti HACCP baper.”

Tawa kecil merata.

Di dry storage, satu karung tepung miring.

ARMAN: “Siapa yang lupa seal?”

LUKAS (angkat tangan): “Maaf, Saya, Chef. Segera saya rapikan dan label ulang.”

ARMAN: “Cepat Kerjakan. Yang rapat mencegah yang ribet.”

Ke allergen station, tutup warna, utensil bersih.

ANI: “Fryer allergen—minyak baru.”

NADIA: “Good.”

Lampu berkedip generator berdengung. Lukas memutar badan, terpeleset tipis, ia menahan meja, pergelangan memerah.

SARI: “Hei!”

LUKAS(mengangkat jempol): “Masih utuh.”

NADIA: “Burn kit/first aid di dinding. Es kompres dulu, terus balik line.”

LUKAS: “Ah, sorry.”

Ia kompres singkat, kembali ke pos. Printer di pass belepotan lembap.

NADIA: “Its Okay. Rico, ganti kertas. Lukas, siapkan glove ekstra.”

BIMO: “Kalau printer ngambek, kita pakai telepati.”

Bel ting. Service drill jadi nyata—tamu walk-in mulai berdatangan.

SARI (di pass): “Order: satu steak well-done tanpa drama, pasta no garlic, salad GF!”

LINE: “Siap!”

LUKAS: “Bimo, short rib finish di grill; aku siapkan glaze jus. Pasta—panci baru, tanpa bawang. Salad—talenan hijau.”

NADIA: “Jelas. Mata ke pass.”

Uap menebal. Lukas angkat panci, uap panas mencium pergelangan yang memar—nyeri, tapi ia tahan. Ritme tangan tidak goyah.

BIMO: “Pergelangan lo aman?”

LUKAS: “Aman. Hanya sombong sedikit.”

SARI: “Simpan sombong buat plating.”

Piring pertama naik. Arman cicip cepat, komentar pendek.

ARMAN: “Seimbang. Kirim.”

Server pergi. Hujan mengecil. Di sudut, Ani batuk kecil.

LUKAS (lirih): “Minum hangat dulu.” (Ia tuang air panas, seiris jahe pemberian pedagang.)

ANI: “Dari mana dapat jahe?”

LUKAS: “Dari abang pinggir jalan. Oma selalu bikin teh jahe saat aku sakit.”

ANI (tersenyum): “Daya tahan tubuh saya kuat kog Kak.”

Rico menyelip ke dapur.

RICO: “Info, manajemen setuju crew meal ditambah porsi saat hujan. Berlaku malam ini.”

SARI: “Mantap.”

ARMAN: “Keputusan kecil, berdampak panjang. Lanjut.”

Printer kembali normal, tiket berbaris rapi. Ritme dapur mekar, tawa kecil menyelingi teknis. Bad day masih basah, tapi perlahan menjadi kehangatan.

Vlog — after shift, back door, shoes steaming lightly.

“I won’t share work details—rules are rules. But here’s what I can say, rain tried to fold me in half, a bus gave me a free shower, and a stranger gave me ginger like it was armor.

Some days you’re the recipe, the world stirs you without asking. If you can, laugh, hold the door for someone, share a warm cup. That’s the seasoning you won’t find on a shelf.

Bad day? Sure. Better people? Absolutely. See you tomorrow—same shoes, drier soul.”