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– The Mystery Behind His Steps -
After that, Putra walked away, leaving Putri standing in the lecturers' corridor. From the very first step he took, her gaze never left his back. Something kept tugging at her heart. Questions spun endlessly in her mind—what had really happened to Putra? Why had he turned into someone so cold? Was he always like this from the beginning, or was he shaped by the circumstances around him?
Putri was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps slowly approaching from behind. The sharp clicks grew louder and closer until—
BOOM!
"HEY!" Bayu suddenly shouted while slapping both of Putri's shoulders.
Putri nearly jumped out of her skin. Her whole body jolted, her breathing quickened as if she had just run several kilometers. Her heart pounded faster than an athlete who had just won a race.
"AAAHHHH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs before instinctively kicking Bayu's leg.
"Ouch! What the hell?! You trying to kill me with a heart attack?!" Putri glared furiously.
Bayu winced, rubbing his leg. "Hahaha… come on, it's your fault. You were daydreaming so hard you didn't even hear me calling you."
Putri's face was still tight with annoyance, but Bayu's curiosity didn't let up. "So, what's on your mind, huh? Did a lecturer scold you? Got into trouble again?"
"You sound worse than a news reporter," Putri snapped. "Forget it. Do you have class this morning? If not, let's head to the cafeteria. I'm starving—I haven't had breakfast."
Bayu shook his head with a wry smile. "Nah, no class today. I only came just to pick you up, hehe."
Putri gave him a brief look before sighing. "Fine, let's go."
The two of them walked side by side. But as they passed a narrow alley, Putri suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes caught sight of something familiar—Putra, standing with his two close friends, Rangga and Cristian. Rangga's hand was patting Putra's shoulder gently, as if trying to calm him down. Putra's expression was dark, weighed down as though carrying an invisible burden.
Noticing that Putri had stopped, Bayu also turned to look. "What is it? Are those guys messing with you again?"
"No, Bay. Just… forget it. Let's go," Putri quickly urged, not wanting to linger. She knew too well that if Bayu stayed there too long, he might pick a fight with Putra.
But even after they arrived at the cafeteria, Putri's mind was still restless—haunted by the image of Putra.
("Seriously, Putri… why are you still thinking about that guy? Every time you get involved with him, it only brings you trouble. Wake up already. Stop caring about him!") she scolded herself inwardly, tapping her head lightly with her hand.
Bayu raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior. "What's with you? Need help? Here, let me do it for you!" he teased before smacking her head a bit harder.
"Ouch! Idiot! Why'd you hit me?!" Putri yelled, swinging her hand to smack him back. But Bayu dodged quickly.
"Well, you were hitting your own head! I thought you needed assistance, haha," Bayu chuckled, while Putri's expression grew sour.
"Alright, alright, sorry! Don't be mad. As an apology, breakfast's on me. What do you want?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Anything?"
"Yup, anything. As long as they sell it here, you can order all you want."
"Okay! I want special fried rice, fried meatballs, batagor, and hot milk." Putri grinned ear to ear.
Bayu's jaw dropped. "That much? You really think you can finish all of that?"
"Of course. Don't worry, I'll finish it," she replied confidently.
"Geez… no feminine side at all, huh?" Bayu burst out laughing before running off, leaving Putri raising her fist, ready to punch him.
Eventually, she found an empty table and sat down, scrolling aimlessly on her phone. She surfed through random sites until a headline caught her attention. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar name—Putra.
The article revealed bits about his family background. Putra lived only with his father; his mother had died in an accident years ago. But even so, his relationship with his father was far from harmonious. The article mentioned how Putra repeatedly refused to join his father's company—and how he rejected an arranged engagement.
Putri froze. Her eyes immediately locked onto the part about the engagement.
("Wait… that girl they're talking about… isn't she the one who picked a fight with me before?") she muttered in her heart.
She tried to dig deeper, searching for the fiancée's identity in other articles, but there was nothing solid. Only vague gossip and recycled news. After scrolling endlessly, Putri finally gave up and put her phone down.
Still, deep inside, curiosity gnawed at her.
("Just what mystery are you hiding, Putra?")