The rising sun illuminated the bustling city of Depok, filled with the cacophony of angkot’s (short for angkutan kota (city transport), it is public transport with a predetermined route) horns competing for passengers.

Exhaust fumes from cars and motorcycles swirled in the air, intensifying the already scorching heat of the equatorial region.

Various students who had just left their classes could be seen seeking meals at the affordable warungs lining the streets.

Despite the dust and smoke from the congested roads, they were undeterred in their quest for a meal within their daily budget constraints.

Their tapered shirts bore witness to the sweat drenching their bodies.

As a result, sweetened iced tea was a must-have accompaniment for their midday meals.

However, some with a penchant for sweetness disregarded the adverse effects on their bodies and ordered extra-joss susu, solely focused on quenching their thirst and cooling down their bodies to prevent heatstroke.

However, some seasoned warriors or student veterans opt for hot coffee. Not as a meal companion, but to enhance the flavour of the cigarettes they smoke, tightening the lingering taste of cloves on their tongues.

Rarely did one see a perfectly fit body among them; most displayed either excessive weight or a gaunt appearance, with weak bulges around their midsections.

This was understandable since those with fitter bodies typically didn't frequent roadside warungs like these. If they did, they were social butterflies capable of blending into any group.

Considering the relatively high costs of maintaining a healthy diet and gym membership, it wasn't surprising that such expenses were beyond the monthly budgets of most college students.

After deducting expenses for rent, meals, tuition, books, and contingency funds, what remained was barely enough to fund their monthly recreational activities, which occurred only once a month.

Yet, hanging out with friends over sachet black coffee was far preferable to watching a movie alone at the cinema without a female companion.

However, those who could still afford to eat at the warungs on days like this were considered relatively fortunate.

In stark contrast, other students had to cook rice using small rice cookers in their boarding rooms for lunch.

One such student was Aditya, who currently sat blankly, waiting for the small rice cooker's light to blink to the red light.

His stomach felt uneasy because last night he only had a cup of black coffee, and this morning he skipped breakfast to save money.

However, he didn't complain because his fate seemed better off compared to his friends who had to fill their empty stomachs with antacid tablets.

Not long after, the rice cooker's light blinked, and the long-awaited *ding sound echoed.

Aditya smiled eagerly as he opened the rice cooker lid, feeling a rush of joy as he saw the enticing white steam rising high and slapping his face. But instead of white rice grains, he saw yellow noodles that had slightly swollen from their original size.

Yup, Aditya wasn't cooking rice; he was boiling noodles for his lunch. Plain boiled noodles without eggs or vegetables as accompaniments.

Based on his calculations, buying a liter of rice for 7000 rupiah ($ 0.44) was far less economical than buying 6 packets of noodles.

If it was Indomie noodles, Aditya wouldn't gain much, but if it was Sarimi with double content, then he could split it for two meals.

He felt clever with his economic skills.

If only he had been born into a family of entrepreneurs, he would surely have made his parents' company profitable under his leadership.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he daydreamed about something impossible.

However, Aditya remained cautious. He was someone who planned from A to Z. That's why beside his kapok mattress, there was a box filled with various medications like antacids and pain relievers.

His principle was simple: if an illness healed within less than a week, it didn't require a doctor's visit.

If he felt unwell, adequate sleep and plenty of fluids were his first aid.

If it persisted for more than three days, he would seek help from his neighbors in the boarding house for a Kerok (a traditional Javanese treatment using a blunt object rubbed against the skin till it became red).

If it persisted for more than five days, he would take pain relievers and traditional herbal medicine Jamu Tolak Angin.

Only after more than a week would he consider seeing a doctor for treatment.

For Aditya and many other migrant students, going to the doctor wasn't for treatment but for consulting on which medications to take.

So, if they knew the procedures and the required medication, they wouldn't need to pay for the doctor's consultation. Moreover, with the current 3G internet connection in Depok city, they could still consult google for free.

Aditya started by opening the sachet containing seasoning powder and pepper into the rice cooker easily.

But when it came to the sachet containing kecap (soy sauce) and chili sauce, he paused momentarily, preparing himself to face this challenge once again.

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling, Aditya stared at the plastic sachet in his hand as if it were the biggest enemy in his life.

With a single flick of his hand, Aditya failed to open the sachet containing kecap.

Melancholy started to fill his heart, and his lips pressed tightly together, filled with resentment.

If only this plastic sachet could be opened by hand, then he wouldn't have to feel so despondent. But unfortunately, his greatest enemy couldn't be defeated so easily.

Consequently, he had to resort to another method.

Aditya searched for a sacred weapon in the box filled with miscellaneous tools, but unfortunately, he didn't find any.

"Fuck! Why do I always forget to buy scissors?"

Aditya's sense of despair grew. If he didn't have such strong determination, he might have already begun uttering curses that would likely get him kicked out of this cheap boarding house.

There was only one other way to open the accursed sachet in his hand. However, Aditya was hesitant to use this method.

The last time he did it, it made him feel like he couldn't sleep for several days.