Soon enough, the three of them were sitting at a roadside meatball stall. Pak Herman enthusiastically ordered three jumbo bowls of Bakso.
"This is what we call balance in life. You can study, but don't forget to enjoy a good meal," he said while sipping the Bakso broth.
Marlon laughed. "Wow, Pak Herman sounds like a motivational speaker."
Pak Herman smiled wisely. "Marlon, everything flashes before you when death comes knocking, it's called life."
Marlon and Riri both froze, putting down their spoons.
"Pak, why suddenly talk about death? I'm eating Bakso here!" Riri protested while taking another bite of meatball.
"That's exactly it. Life should be enjoyed, kid. You can't just stress over your thesis all the time, but you also can't be lazy. It has to be balanced."
Marlon nodded, beginning to catch his drift.
Pak Herman then looked at both of them with a meaningful gaze. "But remember, you still have to work hard. Remember the words of the Boston Celtics: 'What hurts more? The pain of hard work or the pain of regret?'"
Riri and Marlon fell silent for a moment, then looked at each other.
Then they laughed.
"Pak, your words are really cool, but why do we feel like we're going to regret something?" Riri said while reaching for another meatball.
"Of course! Instead of regretting not finishing anything later, it's better to work hard now, but still eat Bakso so you don't get stressed!" Pak Herman patted their shoulders.
Marlon sighed. "Alright, Pak. After this, I'll get back to working on my thesis. But after adding one more bowl of meatballs."
Pak Herman laughed. "Agreed! Thesis may be tough, but your stomach must always be full!"
The three of them continued eating meatballs with laughter, enjoying the simple moment full of meaning. Sometimes, life's wisdom comes from a bowl of meatballs and a casual chat with friends and mentors.
It was late when Marlon and Riri arrived home. The sky outside was dark, illuminated only by the faint light of the moon. The house was quiet; only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard in the living room. They entered Marlon's room, still carrying the long conversation with Pak Herman throughout the day.
Marlon sat on the floor, leaning against his bed, while Riri chose to sit in the study chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared blankly at the wall.
"I still can't stop thinking," Marlon said, breaking the silence. "Everything Pak Herman said about greed and simplicity... it's making me question again, can we really live with just one of them?"
Riri sighed. "Me too. I used to think simplicity was definitely good, and greed was definitely bad. But when I think about it again, if everyone was too simple and had no ambition, the economy could die. On the other hand, if everyone were greedy, the world would fall into chaos. I feel like there's a balance that needs to be maintained, but I still don't know how."
Marlon nodded. "Just like Pak Herman himself. When he was greedy, he was successful but hated. When he tried to be simple, he failed. It's as if the world doesn't give space for someone who's too inclined to one side."
"Yeah, and it's similar to what we read at the library," Riri continued. "The Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues are made to seem like black and white, but in reality, they're interrelated. There's no virtue that's purely virtuous without a bit of sin, and no sin that's purely sinful without a bit of virtue."
Marlon stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. "So, the point is, humans can't escape sin or virtue?"
Riri shrugged. "Maybe it's not about escaping or not. Maybe it's more about how we balance both."
Marlon smiled faintly. "So, if we're too comfortable with the status quo—too comfortable with what we think is good or bad—we can get stuck in narrow thinking?"
Riri paused for a moment before answering, "It seems that way. If we only see the world from one side, we might get stuck there, not growing. But if we keep questioning everything, we could lose our way. The status quo is safe, but it can also be a trap if we're not aware of it."
Marlon sighed deeply. "And this status quo isn't just in our everyday lives, but also in bigger systems. Education, for example. Our education system only gives opportunities to those with money or better access. Those who are less fortunate often get trapped in a circle that's hard to break."
Riri looked at him seriously. "Yeah, education should be a tool to free people from injustice, but what happens instead is the opposite. The education system ends up preserving the status quo. Rich people stay rich, poor people struggle to move up socially. It's as if the world is designed for some to be at the top and others to be at the bottom."
Marlon nodded. "It's not just education. The government plays a big role in maintaining the status quo too. The policies that are made often only benefit certain groups, while the weak are left oppressed. The law is sometimes sharp on the poor and dull on the rich."
Riri took a deep breath. "The world is built like black and white. There are those who hold power and those who are controlled. There are the rich and the poor. But if we just accept it without questioning, we're part of this unjust system."
Marlon smiled slightly. "So, maybe the question isn't whether the status quo is good or bad, but whether we're aware of our position in it. Do we want to stay stuck in it, or do we want to step out and see a broader perspective?"
Riri smiled faintly. "And we're in the process of that now, aren't we? Trying to see things from a broader perspective."
Marlon laughed softly. "Yeah, and it seems like this journey is still long."
Outside, the night breeze blew gently. They both fell silent, reflecting on everything they had learned today. The status quo is not just about staying in a comfortable place or daring to step out, but about awareness of the choice itself. The night grew deeper, but their thoughts kept wandering, searching for new answers.
"Do you know, Ri, there's a good saying: 'No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.' It's a metaphor about how small individual actions—seemingly insignificant—can come together to create something big and possibly destructive. In a social context, it often describes how people tend to avoid responsibility when they're in a large group or collective situation, even though their contributions are part of the problem. Like in an avalanche, each snowflake is part of the great force that causes destruction."
Riri: "So, the point is, we're all just snowflakes in a big avalanche? And no one feels guilty? Wow, being human sounds really easy like that."