Chandanas

Section 5

*ting ting ting broot*

Speakers installed in each class simultaneously issued a loud sound sign that the teaching and learning hours were over. In droves students left their respective classes, some walking towards the school parking lot to pick up vehicles, most others heading for the main gate to go straight home, while the rest settle in school to enforce both extracurricular interests and personal needs. And of course, Kiran is one of them.

Accompanied by Roka who also did not come home because he had to practice basketball, Kiran sipped the ice candles they got from the rest of the canteen sales some time ago. The truant event that they initially did only because they were late in class apparently continued until the last lesson was over. Having moved here and there for fear of being discovered, they both now end up in the cafeteria when Ms. Romla calls them to give ice candles the rest of the day's sale.

"I don't think I'm going to taste like a durian candle" Kiran said with a frowning forehead holding back the cold iced wax that came into contact with her teeth and tongue.

Hearing Kiran's words made Roka raise an eyebrow, what kind of ridiculous sentence was that. "Continue to say, what would it feel like to be rich? Boiled cassava?"

"Udah is quite reduced tuh children who are noisily mulu dariitadi in the corridor. Go back to class, hunt the Chandana home." continued Roka while nudging Kiran's shoulders sitting on his left.

After going through quite a heated debate some time ago, Kiran finally decided to go to Chandana in her class when the school was already quieter. Kiran initially felt that she did not need to go that far, but the insistence and incitement that Roka spoke of practically made Kiran affected. Although it cannot be guaranteed that the girl is still there, at least Kiran has tried, even if it turns out Chandana does not exist, then he will return the next day.

I don't know when Kiran started this bigotry against a woman. If you recall, the change is too drastic for a child who has bad events in the past. A few days ago he was still Kiran who treated women coldly, responding to their greetings with a short glance, welcoming the short message of women with 'Yes' and 'No', silence a thousand languages every time around any woman with the aim of not wanting to be liked and misunderstood as she had once experienced.

But look at him now, his attitude turned almost 180 degrees, he sent a message first, agitated because the message was not reciprocated, and even blocked first by a woman. Very advanced progress, right? Moreover, the cause of the change was someone he never even knew, he had never met in person.

I why the hell?

Along the way to class, Kiran kept thinking about what had really happened to her. At that time, he still did not realize, that the change he managed to realize was a form of persistence that he had never done so far. For years he was caught in his own mind, reluctant to move and looking for a definitive answer. Now, a foreign girl he has not known managed to motivate and make it out of the hole he never wanted to leave. If only he had woken up sooner, he might not have suffered all this time, that excessive guilt wrapped him up long enough because he himself never wanted to escape from it.

After tidying up the stationery and putting it in the bag, Kiran rushed towards the 11th class of Language 1. As expected, the school is not too crowded because most students have returned to their homes. But he hopes Chandana is not one of the students who have gone home, although he does not know what to do if he meets later, at least Kiran wanted to see and talk to the girl once to resolve her curiosity.

After climbing a few steps and arriving on the second floor, Kiran accidentally met Naya who was already wearing a basketball costume. With hesitation, Kiran scolds Naya, hoping to get a hint of Chandana. "Ma.. Want practice?" he said, this is the first time he has spoken to Naya without Roka beside him.

"Yes, tumben lo up, what do you want?" Naya, who was unaware of Kiran's presence, is shocked to recall that this is the first time she has seen Kiran climb to the second floor since they ascended to the 11th grade half a year ago.

"That's it, oh anu Chandana is still in class?" said, broken.

Naya who had been startled from the beginning by Kiran's presence on the second floor was now even more shocked to hear what the man said. He grinned while raising his eyebrows. "So the elo that Roka meant yesterday? Guys who said as cold as ice cubes because never nanggepin fitting called the same girl? Who said he was arrogant because he refused to train and almost never bales chatnya women? Ohhh." the smile on Naya's lips grew even more revealing when she saw Kiran's timid response, really interesting because for the first time she saw Kiran like that. 

"She hasn't come home yet, just picked up a pr book in the teacher's room. Just wait in class, wait again behind the most. Today he also has a class picket if not wrong." continued Naya while tying her hair with a rubber pigtail that was previously coiled on her left wrist.

"Thank you." Kiran tried to hide her embarrassment by throwing her face away. Naya, who realizes Kiran's strange behavior, decides to rush to the field after saying goodbye to Kiran.

After confirming that Naya had actually left, Kiran walked up the few remaining steps. He looked up into 11th grade in 1st Language, there was no one there. Not wanting to enter without permission, Kiran decided to wait in front of the class while looking towards the field. From where he stood, Kiran could see his class clearly. Not only that, Kiran could also see the basketball court and the trees growing around her very clearly. On the second floor it was also much windier than in its class on the ground floor.

After waiting for quite a while, Kiran faintly heard a rowdy sound from the direction of the stairs. He tried to find out by walking up to the stairs, he saw a man and woman fighting each other. He squinted, trying to figure out who the two people who were fighting were down there. After repeatedly moving places to clarify his view, Kiran managed to recognize who the man was.

"Replace?" mumbling slowly. Kiran tries to make sure once again and it is true that the man is Rendi, Ratih's ex-boyfriend who is also the captain of the school basketball team.

"I said don't touch me. Please, please don't bother me, I beg you." the girl who was the interlocutor of Rendi looked frightened, she continued to walk backwards, keeping her distance with Rendi while climbing one by one stairs.

"No, please, I beg you to leave me alone." for some reason, the girl looked very frightened even though Rendi seemed to have done nothing to her.

Without thinking for a long time, Kiran shouted calling Rendi's name. The two people were shocked and looked up. "Lo what's going on? Don't you see him scared like this?" Kiran quickly walked down one of the stairs to approach the two people.

Rendi was very surprised by Kiran's presence. He showed a shocked expression as well as annoyed that again Kiran interrupted his affairs with women. After he was dumped by Ratih, Rendi and Kiran's relationship became very bad, even Rendi had a hard time on Kiran and Roka some time ago.

"It's none of your business. Go there!" Rendi tried to grab the frightened girl's hand, but the girl managed to dodge until her back hit the wall.

"It's my business. He's my friend, if you're macem-macem with him, I don't hesitate to fight the same you here." Kiran walked forward, she stood right in front of the girl, becoming a fortress so that Rendi could not approach her before successfully subverting Kiran.

Rendi who was upset decided to walk backwards. He wanted to fight but his guts suddenly slack after Kiran finished her sentence. Still vividly remembered in Rendi's memory how Kiran and Roka had finished him off along with his other friends when they intended to do a braking. Kiran's martial skills are so amazing that she has no courage to just look for more with Kiran after the incident. "Lo's just a look at you." Said Rendi with a sharp look while walking away leaving Kiran and the girl.

After making sure Rendi was completely gone, Kiran twisted her body, staring at the girl standing behind her with her body shaking in fear. Kiran was shocked when she saw cold sweat flooding into the girl's face and uniform. Not without reason, Kiran's shock occurred due to a feeling of wonder, according to him Rendi did not do anything excessive. From what he heard, Rendi only invited this girl to get acquainted, in general, other students will definitely feel excited when invited to talk by popular students such as Rendi, but this girl is exactly the opposite.

"Are you okay?" Kiran tried to look down to see the girl's face. Apparently Kiran's sudden movements made the girl startled so she reflexively walked backwards while raising her face.

At that moment, Kiran clearly saw the face of the girl. Although it looks chaotic because his face is full of sweat, but Kiran admitted that the girl in front of him is very beautiful. His skin is very white and clean, his eyes are cute, his hair is black and long. Kiran shook her head slowly, she realized that this was not the right time to admire beauty. "I'm sorry if I surprised you. You okay?" Kiran repeated her question. He was trying to make sure that nothing bad happened to this girl before him.

The girl looked at Kiran right in both eyes. For a while they locked eyes on each other before the girl cut off their gazes by sitting on one of the stairs. Without answering Kiran's question, the girl just sat down while breathing her still hunting because of the events just now. As if understanding, Kiran was just silent while looking down while playing her finger, occasionally glancing at the girl who was also both looking down.

"Thank you." the girl said softly as she got up from her position, walking up the stairs without even looking at Kiran who was still staring after hearing her soft voice.

"Why?" Kiran touched his chest. He felt his heart beating so fast. Strange, very strange. For the first time in his life, Kiran was pounding not because he saw traffic police conducting a motorcycle raid, not because he forgot to do schoolwork, it was because of a woman he had never even met before.

Not long after, the girl emerged from behind a curve and then walked down the stairs. Ignoring Kiran who had not yet moved from his original position.

At that moment, everything felt very confusing for Kiran. He thumped as he waited for Chandana to reply to his message, he also thumped at the thanks of the mysterious girl he met. All of this was sudden and confusing. Kiran did not know what to do, nor did she understand how to react.

That night, Kiran did not read any books at all. He stayed up until midnight but not to continue reading, he just stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling of his room while listening to a song about love.

I know this is crazy. But perhaps I can find the answer to this strange feeling by listening to a song about love.

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