A small town named Metrokarta was bathed in the bright morning sky, its light shining endlessly. The wind blew gently, patting shoulders with a soft touch. Without warning, that gentle breeze was met with the sound of a human skull being slammed against a metal locker.
"Thud!"
Large fingers pressed down on the head of a teenage boy who whimpered weakly, offering no resistance. Every pair of eyes that witnessed the misfortune in that narrow school hallway seemed blind and accustomed to it.
"Hey, Kafka, I've told you over and over. Today's your turn to buy me cigarettes! And you didn't even bring money, you idiot!" he shouted angrily.
"Yeah hahaha, Satrio's been waiting for you to bring those cigarettes like Cinderella waiting for her prince," one of the other bullies chimed in.
His eyes were cast downward, weary. His breathing grew heavy as he saw the camera light recording every form of suffering and oppression he endured.
"Forgive me, Dam. I haven't been paid yet. I don't even have enough money left to pay this month's rent," said the skinny boy as he groaned in pain.
Before he could finish catching his breath, another hand yanked his hair and shouted at him.
"BASTARD! You think I care? If I say bring it, then you bring it!"
"Hey, you little brat, we don't care if you're an orphan, a jungle kid, or a demon's child. You were ordered and given the honor to serve Adam and you refused? That's tough, huh? Right, Ham?" Satrio mocked.
"Exactly, bro haha. And he's even making excuses," Ilham added.
"HEY! GET YOUR HANDS OFF KAFKA!"
A cute voice shattered the silence. A beautiful girl ran toward them, swinging her arm as if about to strike the bullies.
Satrio: "What's this girl doing?"
Ilham: "Hey, isn't that Kafka's babysitter? Don't you know?" Ilham said while pointing at her.
The petite girl stood fearlessly in front of Satrio, who stood 185 cm tall.
"Let Kafka go! If you want to fight, fight me!" she said firmly.
Adam's forehead creased. Without hesitation, he swung his hand toward the girl.
Kafka: "Watch out, Elara!"
The students crowding around held their breath. But just before his hand reached the brave little girl's face, the sound of footsteps shot forward like an arrow, breaking into the chaos.
Every gaze turned toward him, momentarily forgetting the bullying Kafka had suffered. His handsomeness and charisma were so overwhelming that it seemed to distort space and time into bowing before him.
"Hey, what are you guys doing this early in the morning?" he said.
That short sentence made the three ill-mannered boys shiver as if their lives were about to be taken.
Satrio: "N-no, we were just joking around, right Ham?"
Ilham: "Hahaha, y-yeah. We were j-just joking. Kafka's fine, right? Right?" he said while pressing Kafka.
Kafka: "Arga, yeah, I'm fine."
Elara pouted.
Elara: "What joke? That bald guy was about to hit me!"
Adam: "You damn girl!" he said while grabbing Elara's collar.
"Bang!"
A loud sound silenced the hallway. Arga slammed Adam's large body onto the floor.
"WOAAAAH! ARGA IS SO COOL!"
Excited cheers erupted from the female students. But Arga's cold glare toward them immediately silenced the applause.
Kafka: "Hey, Adam, are you okay?" Kafka said, trying to help him up.
Elara: "Kafka! He hurt you. Why are you helping him?"
Adam brushed away Kafka's hand.
Arga: "Stand up!"
The three bullies instantly fell silent and stood up like cats fed by their master.
Silence filled the hallway—at least until Arga spoke again.
"You three bullied a student. I'm sure you know the consequences of your actions, don't you? Get out of here. I'll be waiting for you after school. Come to the counseling room."
Without protest, Satrio and Ilham carried the limping Adam away from the hallway. The students cheered again.
"Arga! Arga! Arga!"
"Wow, our student council president is so cool!" a student shouted.
Arga: "Quiet. Are you all standing here just to cheer for me? Where were you when a student was being bullied and needed help? Disperse!"
Frightened, the students immediately scattered. Elara's eyes were filled with worry as she saw Kafka staggering.
"Kafka, are you okay?" she asked while checking on him.
"I'm fine. Thank you, Elara… Arga. I'm sorry I've always been a burden to you."
Elara: "No way. We've never felt burdened by you. You're like our little brother!"
Arga: "Elara's right. But at least you should learn to defend yourself, Kafka. I'm sure Elara agrees with me."
"I-I'm sorry, Arga."
Elara: "It's okay. What can we do? Kafka's always this gentle, hahaha."
Kafka, Elara, and Arga had been friends since elementary school. Yet behind that friendship lay an unresolved love triangle. Arga was seen secretly watching Elara as she fixed Kafka's messy state.
(I have to ask her this time,) Arga thought.
"Hey, Elara, after school would you like to go—"
"TRIIIIING!" The school bell rang, cutting him off.
"What? I couldn't hear you, the bell was so loud," Elara said.
"N-no, it's nothing. It's class time. Let's go," Arga replied, slightly disappointed.
"Oh, okay. Come on, Kafka, let's go to class!" Elara said while holding Kafka's hand.
Kafka, flushed with embarrassment, silently nodded.
"Oh yeah, at lunch you're eating with me, okay? And I'll walk you home so they won't bother you again! Arga, want to join?"
"Sure."
They entered the classroom. It was clear Arga was dissatisfied hearing Elara wanting to stay by Kafka's side. "Shouldn't I be the one in that position?" he thought. Class began without incident.
A while after school.
"Kafka, did you understand question number 9?" Elara asked.
"Yes. You just match the variables, then add the constants."
"As usual, Kafka's great at math. But wouldn't it be better to add the constants first?" Arga countered.
Arga and Kafka: "Bla bla bla (Math discussion)."
Elara simply stared and smiled.
(Thank goodness I have the two of them. I'm so confused about math. But honestly, I can't understand their conversation at all,) Elara muttered inwardly.
Meanwhile, elsewhere not long after—
"BAM! SMACK! THUD!"
"Boss, mercy!" Satrio groaned while clutching his stomach.
"Forgive us, Boss," Adam pleaded.
The bullies were clearly being beaten mercilessly by their leader.
"I swear, Boss, we did exactly what you told us," Ilham cried.
"Yes, Boss, we tortured that kid just like you ordered," Adam added.
Adam's bruised eyes widened as he saw their leader gripping a baseball bat, preparing to swing it at them.
"Silence. You can't even handle a simple task like this."
The sound of metal scraping across the floor filled the room. In an instant, it became a sonata of tortured screams and agonized cries from the bullies.
"PLEASE, NOOOOO!"
~TO BE CONTINUED ~