Red Threads

Him and a Secret

Mika wants to hit her head against the wall again. Long threads formed in his brain. Then, it creates a tangled network that is difficult to decompose. He thought, after finding the suspected killer, Nagra's death would find a bright spot. Apparently, no. There were still many things he had to investigate. Including, about the test pack with two red lines that are currently in his hands.

The noisy sounds in the classroom could not make Mika's attention diverted from the object at all. Although viewed from any side, the object will still not change. And two red lines on the surface, won't turn into one or three. It was only when his phone shook inside the desk drawer that his attention was diverted.

A message from Kai. Mika snorts. He ignored the message. However, there was something within him that forced him to open up. Finally, Mika chose to lower the ego after weighing the decision for a few seconds. There were dozens of messages Kai had sent since last night. Not that he didn't know about the message, he just refused to open.

Kai_naka Assgf

Ka, please tell me where my fault is?

Kai_naka Assgf

I'm sorry if there's something wrong with you.

But until now, I don't know what my fault is?

Kai_naka Assgf

Holy hooch! It's hard to read my message.

Ck! Why am I a PMS gini girl, anyway?

Kai_naka Assgf

Ka, are you all right?

Kai_naka Assgf

Oi. Lo is still Mika, right?

Lo where? With who?

Do you miss me today?

And there are many more similar messages. Reading the message, made Mika unable to hide the smile on her lips. I don't know, behind all the pain and disappointment that filled his heart, there was still room in his chest that warmed up when reading those messages. But soon, he dismissed that feeling.

No. gabe. He won't let Kai back into his life. What's more, touching his heart for once more. He must solve Nagra's case and bring Kai to the police station to take responsibility. Then, he could heal his heart little by little.

“It's got lo, Ka?” Mika nodded when she heard the question. Anggita stood next to his desk, followed by Raga. Mika immediately takes the test pack that she put on the table just like that because it is too focused on Kai's message. He hid it in a bag before anyone else could see it.

“Not!" Mika resolutely. “Gue nemu this in Brother Nagra's room this morning.”

Angita. He seemed interested in the test pack. However, it cannot be investigated further because of the presence of Raga near them. However, no one else in this school—other than Mika, Samuel, and Abi—who knew that he had dated Nagra. Eventually, Anggita chooses to shut up, and plops herself into the chair next to Mika. He pretended to focus on his phone, while occasionally glancing at Raga.

“You found that thing in Nagra's room? Why didn't I see it there yesterday?” ask Raga. Suppose we sharpen our hearing. Still pretending to focus on the phone.

“It seems, Brother Nagra hid this in his diary. But, I'm not sure if this has anything to do with Nagra. He never fucked. What's more until—” Mika sigh. He was unable to continue his sentence. It was too difficult for him to imagine the possibility that had occurred behind the tiny thing with those two lines.

“If it has nothing to do with Nagra, why is it the same thing?” Raga frowned. His eyes looked in full search at Mika.

“Perhaps not anyway, if there is any intention to trap Kak Nagra?” Mika states another possibility, which she herself is not sure of. Unfortunately, it was the only conjecture that appeared in his head. Allegedly that did not worsen Nagra's good name. “Perhaps, this is just the killer's wits?”

Raga was silent for a moment. His gaze glared and fixed on Mika's bag. “If this is just the killer's wits, why would he put it in Nagra's diary? Isn't Nagra's diary in the drawer? I'm not sure if the killer knows where the drawer lock is.”

Raga's right. He did not know the location of the drawer lock at first. Nagra hid the thing in a place that did not even cross the minds of others. If the killer knows where the key is, it means the guy's really close to Nagra. Closer than he was to that guy.

“Why so gini ribet, anyway?” Mika scratches her own hair. Started to get frustrated with everything about Nagra that he met. This case is not solved, it makes his head almost broken.

“Don't it have lo, Ka?” chirp Anggita, which Mika immediately responded with a sharp shot.

“Anyway by the way! I am still this innocent child,” said Mika, do not accept. Meanwhile, Anggita is just a whimper.

Feeling unable to find an answer to the existence of the test pack, Raga decided to move on from Mika's class.

♥

“So, you accused Kai of killing Nagra's sister?” Aggita was surprised to hear Mika's story about the results of the investigation.

Mika hissed, telling Anggita to turn down the volume of the sound. Although now they are on the roof, it does not rule out the possibility of someone stealing hear. “Gue didn't accuse him. But all the evidence I found, it led to him. Starting from the CCTV footage in Nagra's room that day—gue sure, he deliberately matainin CCTV cameras because after that the footage was cut off, the same bracelet, their photo with Alana, and the other two, and last CCTV footage of Kai mukulin Kak Nagra. One more thing, he accidentally erased the video footage in Kak Nagra's apartment, just when I was the same Raga wanted to investigate it. What else do you think he erased the CCTV footage if not to remove the tracks?"

"What about, anyway, Git? I draw conclusions from what I see. Raga had the same thought as me." Mika did not accept because Anggita actually called his assumption inconsequential.

"Lo draw conclusions from only one side. You haven't asked Kai directly, have you?"

This time, Mika did not argue. He just shook his head slowly.

“Continue, now what lo plan?” ask Anggita.

“But I'm absolutely sure Kai did it. I'll take him to the police. If it wasn't for the murder, I'd have told him on the charge of molestation" Mika said. However, doubts suddenly doubled. “But, test pack it—”

“Forget about test pack.” Anggita cut Mika's words, instantly. “Lo sure you want to send this case to the police? Do you know why Kai mukulin Kak Nagra?”

Mika fell silent to look for a possible reason. However, not a single possible answer flashed through his head. Until the end, he could only return to his head slowly in response to Anggita's question.

“If you don't know the reason, you can't report to Kai so. Ask Kai first. Maybe, he had another reason.”

Right after Anggita said that, the door connecting the stairs and the roof opened. Kai stood there with an unread face. Highlight his eyes looked at Mika and Anggita, alternately. Sharp and deep.

Mika bit her lower lip as the boy approached towards them. Did Kai hear their conversation? Since when was Kai behind that door? As if understanding the question in Mika's head, Kai uttered a sentence.

“Gue was there five minutes ago. I heard everything. Including, when you accuse me of murder.” Kai's eyes were fixed on Mika. The boy's lips smiled, but not his eyes. There were sharp rays, nanars, and something unreadable in his pair of dark irises.

Mika who had been stunned for a while, finally managed to control herself. He laughed snortingly. Then, get up from his position. He walked over to Kai. Slashing the distance that lay between them, leaving only two steps.

“So, that's the reason you kept me away from yesterday?” ask Kai.

Mika did not want to answer Kai's question. He threw another question that had plagued his mind since yesterday. “What is your relationship with Nagra?”

No sound is heard. Kai still looked at Mika with nanar. He doesn't like to hear Mika use lo-gue calls on him. Hearing Mika use the call, it seemed to further clarify the distance that lay between them.

“Gue can't answer now.” Kai said shrewdly. Making Mika let out a bland and cynical laugh.

“See, right, Git? He just doesn't want to say it. Wh why? Because you killed Nagra, didn't you? You're afraid of being discovered, right? Late, Kai!”

Kai swallowed with difficulty. He wants to evade. However, Mika's gaze made her unable to wince.

“Not that, Ka. I just—”

“Gue doesn't want to hear anything from you anymore!" Mika cut Kai's words in a high tone. Then, he took one step forward. Leave an increasingly narrow distance between himself and Kai. “Gue nyesel already believe in lo. I've fallen in love with a guy like you. In fact, you've been enemies in blankets. You're a wolf in sheep's clothing, Kai! You pretended to sympathize with me, trying to get close to me, just to get rid of the trail, right? You hope, that way, I will never know your involvement in the case of Kak Nagra's death. That's great, yeah, lo!"

Unknowingly, tears were shed on Mika's cheeks. “Gue did not expect, lo this setega yes. I'm sure, you must also be the one who masang my photo in the mading that day.” Mika started sobbing. Kai clenched both his hands. Holding back with all my heart the urge to hug the girl. “Gue got wrong what's the same lo? Brother Nagra got wrong what is the same lo?”

“Lo has nothing wrong. I was wrong. I can't tell you the truth from the beginning.” Kai wished he could say that. But what happened, his lips remained silent. Locked tight with a big secret that he keeps to himself.

Mika again narrowed the distance between them. Until, he was right in front of Kai's body. “Basic killer! Goddamnit! That bastard! I'll report you to the police.” Mika hits Kai in the chest, repeatedly. Without the slightest reply or prevent movement from Kai.

"Please stop, Ka. Don't cry in front of me. Don't make me feel more guilty.” Again, Kai could only say that inwardly.   

“Gue don't want to see you again! I know you!” Mika yells. Then, running away leaving Kai and Anggita who are still sculpting.

“Do not go. I beg. Back.” Kai whimpering. However, he did not try to restrain Mika's departure at all. As hard as he was, he held his feet to stay in place. He remained in his position, until Mika's footsteps were no longer heard.

"Gue's disappointed with you." He even remained uncommitted, when Anggita said that. Before the end, the girl left him.

“I'm sorry, Ka.” He said to the wind. “Sorry.”

Mika's reddened face was filled with tears just a moment ago, completely making her chest tight. The cry and look of the frustrated face of the girl who was filled with regret, made her heart like it was hit by a giant hammer. Crushed to pieces.

Kai swallowed with difficulty. Both of his hands were tightly clenched. He laughed softly, as the tightness squeezed his chest even more.

The murderer! The words were ringing in Kai's ears. Stamp him. Destroyed it. Bring back the bad memories he had been trying to forget. Probably, right. It was he who killed Nagra. A murderer who pretended to be assisting in the investigation of the man's death.

A transparent layer loomed over his pair of eyeballs. It implies unspeakable destruction. The destruction that led him to a dark and bottomless abyss. A form of regret for his actions on Nagra, and for the passing of Mika, made him completely destroyed.

Kai fell to his knees on the cement floor. Letting his body be watered by the sunlight. His view was empty and hollow. This feeling is the same as it was years ago. When one by one he had left, without caring for him who was crying and hurt. He returned alone. He fell back. This time, for his own fault.