Nesia-chan Celebrate Indonesia's Birthday

Nesia-chan's Side Story No. 4: Merdeka! Today was finally August seventeenth. My birthday! ...And apparently, Indonesia’s birthday too. Karta took me outside to celebrate, and the neighborhood looked completely different. Red and white flags were everywhere, cheerful music filled the street, and people had gathered for something called lomba tujuhbelasan. Competitions? My interest immediately rose. Maybe people here tested their strength with sword fighting? Archery? Horse racing? Then Karta brought me to my first challenge. A cracker was hanging from a string. I stared at it in disbelief. ...That’s it? Apparently, I had to eat the whole thing without using my hands. That sounded easy! I confidently put my hands behind my back and leaned forward. Nom! ...The cracker swung away. I tried again. Nom! It escaped again?! Why is this thing so difficult?! People around me started laughing and cheering while I chased the swinging cracker with my mouth. My cheeks grew hot. No. I refused to surrender! I survived monsters, hunger, and transmigration to this another world. There is no way I am losing to a cracker! After a fierce battle, I finally managed to bite it. Victory! ...Although Karta told me afterward that I had definitely not won the competition. Hmph. Who cares. I still defeated my cracker! Later, while everyone was resting, I kept hearing people happily shout one word. “Merdeka!” I asked Karta what it meant. She told me it meant freedom and independence, and that today celebrated the day Indonesia became an independent country. I see, I see. I don't understand anything at all! But I understood one thing. So basically, that's how people in this world celebrate their birthday! I raised my little red-and-white flag as high as I could and shouted excitedly. “Merdeka!” Hehe. Happy birthday to both of us, Indonesia!