Under the shade of the old durian tree that served as their secret base, Boni sat cross-legged on a woven mat, gazing at the afternoon sky turning golden. The rustling of leaves in the breeze filled the silence with the peaceful rhythm of nature.
Soon, Rio arrived first, carrying a box of fried snacks in his left hand and two bottles of mineral water in his right. He plopped down beside Boni with a sigh.
"Any news from Yuni?" he asked, handing over a bottle.
"She's picking someone up." Boni replied as he accepted the drink. "Said it's a potential new member."
Rio straightened up immediately. "Seriously? Reinforcements? Who is it?"
Before Boni could answer, footsteps approached from the trees. Yuni appeared, walking briskly, followed by a girl with short hair, wearing a worn black jacket and faded jeans.
"Excuse me… is this the so-called legendary super-secret base you kept bragging about?" the girl said casually, almost mockingly.
Rio, who was chewing a fritter, widened his eyes. "Lilis?!"
The girl grinned wide. "Long time no see, Rio. Still pick your nose when you're nervous?"
"Hey!" Rio nearly choked. "That was an elementary school secret!"
Boni chuckled. "Welcome to the team, Lilis."
Without hesitation, Lilis sat on an exposed tree root and immediately opened Rio's snack box. "Yuni told me everything. About the village head, the farmland, and this Pengawal Duren team."
"And?" Yuni sat beside her.
"Crazy plan, but that's what makes it interesting."
Rio snorted. "You should've brought your own snacks if you wanted to join."
"I'll join, but on one condition." Lilis said, pointing at the snack box. "I get at least two pieces in every meeting."
Rio sighed heavily. "Just take the whole box already…"
They laughed. Night slowly fell, the sky shifting into shades of orange and purple. The durian leaves swayed gently, creating a calming rhythm.
After the snacks were gone, they began discussing strategy.
"What can you do?" Boni asked, opening his notebook.
"I used to manage the student organization's social media." Lilis replied with a shrug. "I can design, edit videos, and I'm great at making fake accounts to spread information if needed."
Yuni's eyes lit up. "That's amazing!"
Rio squinted suspiciously. "Wait… you're not the one behind that campus gossip account, are you?"
Lilis smirked. "Maybe. But now I'm spreading gossip on a village scale."
The next morning, the village was in uproar. Mysterious flyers appeared everywhere on power poles, house fences, clinic walls, even on the village hall's door. Quotes from recordings and a bold call to action:
"This village belongs to us, the people. Not to greedy, corrupt rulers."
—The Durian Guardians
Villagers whispered. Some were impressed, others suspicious. But most began to ask: Who are the Durian Guardians?
At the village hall, Headman Rasyid slammed his hand on the table.
"Flyers?! Recordings?! Who dares to spread these lies?!"
His assistant bowed his head. "We don't know the source yet, sir. But the people… they're getting restless."
"Silence anyone talking about this! Organize nightly patrols if necessary!"
"Yes, sir."
Rasyid stared at the palm oil project map on the wall. His eyes glinted sharply.
"If they think they can stop my plans… they have no idea who they're dealing with."
That afternoon, the four members of the Durian Guardians gathered again under the tree.
"I didn't expect such a quick response from the villagers." Yuni said, looking up at the sky.
Boni wrote in his notebook:
✓ Today, we are no longer just three.
Now we are four, and we're not just resisting, we're becoming a beacon of hope.
"Tomorrow, we visit Mr. Mahmud's farm." said Lilis. "Yuni said he's still hesitant to stay."
"If we can convince him, that's a big win." Rio added.
Suddenly, a branch snapped in the forest. Everyone fell silent.
Rio stood. "Who's there?!"
No answer. Only hurried footsteps retreating into the darkness.
Boni stared in that direction. "They've started watching us."
Lilis stood up, gripping a flashlight. "Good. That means they're scared."
Yuni took a deep breath. "We have to be more careful."
That Night In her rented room, Lilis stared at her laptop screen. The anonymous account she had created had gained over 500 followers, most of them villagers.
She typed a new post:
Is it true the village head owns three cars but never pays land tax?
Source: still verifying. Stay tuned.
Then she opened a design app and began creating a poster: a clenched fist above a durian tree, with the caption:
Rise and Speak! This Village Is Ours.
On the Outskirts of the Village A man in a gray jacket stood watching the plantation project from a distance. He lit a cigarette, took one drag, then flicked it away.
Two men emerged from the shadows. "They've started stirring things up," said the man. "This Durian Guardians group… they need to be monitored."
"Your orders, sir?"
"Not yet. Let them think they're winning. See who dares step forward. Then we act."
The Next Morning, Boni and Rio visited Mr. Mahmud's farm. The old man greeted them with a weary smile.
"I read your flyer." he said, motioning for them to sit.
"Do you believe it?" Boni asked.
Mr. Mahmud paused. "I know who Rasyid truly is. But opposing him… isn't easy."
Rio leaned forward. "We're not alone. And neither are you."
Mr. Mahmud sighed. "Your flyer gave me something I haven't felt in a long time."
"What's that?" asked Boni.
"Hope."
At the Village Market, Whispers spread among the vendors. Some clutched flyers, others read posts on their phones from the @DurianTruth account.
New facts, quotes, even old recordings surfaced daily.
An old woman nudged her neighbor. "Who are these kids? They're brave."
"It's because they're brave that change might come." replied the other.
At the Durian Tree Base, Near Nightfall
The team gathered again.
"We got over a thousand views on today's poster." said Lilis, scrolling on her phone.
"It's working." Yuni murmured.
"But this is just the beginning." said Boni.
Rio looked around. "What if they come after us?"
"We're not backing down, are we?" Lilis said firmly.
Yuni nodded. "Tomorrow, we meet the farmers by the river. If they join…"
"The first domino falls." Boni finished.
The night sky sparkled with stars. Fireflies danced between the trees. Beneath the old durian tree, four young people sat close with a single goal.
But in the distance, from the shadows, a pair of eyes watched. They knew… the war for this village had begun and there was no turning back.