Red Threads

The Hidden

The hour hand has not even shown at six in the morning. School is still very quiet at this hour. What's more, the weather this morning was cloudy, complete with a skin-piercing chill. There was only one two students walking in the main corridor. Usually, students who come in blind mornings like this are students on duty for pickets or students who are looking for PR cheats.

In the still quiet corridor of the school, Mika's footsteps echoed. Bouncing off the walls of the classroom, breaking the silence. With wide strides, he walked down the twelve grade corridor. His breathing was hunting along with his teeth clashing against each other. Beside him, Anggita and Raya were a little overwhelmed to follow his steps too quickly.

"No dogs chasing us. Why are you walking so fast, anyway?" anggita's comments are upset. Just now he arrived at school—haven't even had time to put a bag on his stool—Mika has invited him to go see someone.

"There's no time. Mump is still quiet." Mika had absolutely no intention of lowering her step speed.

Mika halted the steps beside the classroom door of Raga, followed by Raya and Anggita behind her. His eyes went down every corner of the classroom, and stopped at a guy sitting in the middle. He looked back for a moment. Asking for support to Raya and Anggita that what he will do after this is indeed something that is right.

After getting approval and encouragement from her two best friends, Mika enters Raga's classroom. The room is still quiet. There was only Raga sitting on the chair with her head bowed on the table. The man was unaware of his presence. Only when he touched the man's arm slowly did Raga raise her head.

Raga forced a smile. Trying to act ordinary, despite the surprised look in his pair of eyes. “Eh, Ka. What's up?”

Mika. Trying to act as calm as possible, even though the embers in his chest had turned red again. “Neither is. Just want nanyain, where are you two days?”

“Not anywhere." Raga kept her face calm. "Why indeed?"

Mika sighed. Pretending to put on a disappointed expression, which he had trained all night. “Why not call me?”

Raga took a breath. Not showing any expression. His face remained as flat as the classroom walls. However, there was a different look in his eyes. Highlights that Mika can't translate. Then, the guy lowered his head. Busy yourself by looking for something in the bag. “What do you need? I want to study. There is a repeat in the first hour.”

Mika rolled her eyeballs silently. Piqued. Raga always had a reason to dodge whenever she was in a situation unfavorable to the guy, like now.

“Then I ask now, yes." Mika threw herself onto the chair, right in front of Raga. "Why didn't you ever tell me that Alana was your sister? Why are you hiding that?"

Raga raises her head. His pair of eyes widened. Astounded. Mika silently smiled seeing that. This time, he would not let Raga get away with it once more.

A few seconds later, Raga lowered her head again. The guy had not said a single sentence to respond to Mika's question. Unknowingly, Raga clenched her hands under the table. His jaw clenched tightly, grinding the teeth inside his mouth. "Where do you know about that?"

Mika laughed snorting. "It doesn't matter where I know. What I'm asking is, why haven't you ever been honest with me about Alana?"

Without looking at Mika, Raga again asked. This time, with a much colder tone than before. "Why should I tell you?”

Mika was not offended by the question. He just feels like winning. Cornered people will usually reply to questions with questions as well. “You knew a long time ago that I was looking for Alana. But, why do you always say you don't know, every time I ask about Alana? You're even pretending you don't know him."

Raga. His hand slammed against the table in front of him, making Mika screech. “You can stop asking, anyway, Ka? I'm dizzy now.”

Mika snorted back. "If so, the last question. Where's Alana now?”

Raga. His pair of eyes looked at Mika with great sharpness. All this time, Raga had never looked at Mika with such a gaze. However, Mika had already thickened the wall in her heart. He would not be daunted, even if Raga's gaze could turn into a knife ready to slash him.

“Where.Alana.now?” Mika repeated her question, with great emphasis. He stared at Raga's pair of eyes no less sharply.

“No point nor do you know where he is now.”

"There was. I need to know, who's pregnant with her child?” Mika's voice tone was rising. Both of his hands were tightly clenched. Refrain from hitting the table in front of him.

Raga's eyelids are back round. The look on his face that was originally tense, was now much stiffer. Not a single word came out of his lips, after that. Raga just stared at Mika with an incredulous look.

“I already know everything, Ga. You don't have to cover anything up anymore. Apparently, you are very sneaky. I was wrong to believe in you!” Mika's efforts suppressed the anger, but the impulse eventually made her lose. She had tears on her cheeks. The tears that represented all the disappointment in his heart.

Raga is still silent. It stays in its place. Not showing any movement. Only his eyes spoke. It's something that no one else can understand, except himself.

A few seconds passed. After making sure Mika would not say anything more that could harm her, Raga finally opened her mouth. “I never told you to believe. But, I'm glad that you can finally trust me. You're too innocent, Ka. Or maybe, all this time you also think that I really love you?” Raga laughed loudly. Then, shake firmly. “At least, I never loved you. But, I'm very grateful. Thanks to you, I can return the heartache to Nagra.”

“Short of you, Ga!” Mika yells. His hand moved to land a slap on Raga's cheek violently. “I have what's wrong with you? Don't you also stick the photo in the school?”

Raga laughed triumphantly, clapping her hands. “Great! Your guess is also accurate. Why didn't you think that way before? Turns out, your brain only works if you've been tight yes.”

Mika was already standing up from her chair. Kalap, he kicked the bench in front of him. His eyes filled with anger. He was ready to hit Raga with all kinds of mockery and physical attacks. However, Anggita and Raya immediately ran to stop him. His two best friends blocked his arm, before giving a second slap to Raga.

Mika rebelled. His breathing is no longer regular. Traces of tears drenched his reddened cheeks, as a result of anger. But the checks of Raya and Anggita are too strong, to make him have to give up.

“You're disgusting, Ga!” mika toilet. Meanwhile, Raga only raised one eyebrow. There was no guilt on his face. The guy smiled demeaningly.

Raga took one step forward. Her thumb rubbed a trace of tears on Mika's cheek. Mika threw away face. Refrain from spitting on that guy's face.

“You can be mad at me, Ka. But you should have been more angry at Nagra. I wouldn't be like this, if he didn't start first.” Raga reviewed the smile that made Mika really sick. How could he trust that guy all this time? How could he think that Raga was really sincere in helping him? Apparently, not Kai the wolf in sheep's clothing, but Raga.

Raga took one step back. The smile on his face disappeared. Highlight his flat and sharp eyes directed at Mika. “If you are smart, you should know that here we are only victims. Victims of Nagra's bastard attitude are reluctant to take responsibility, and instead prefer to die. Imagine, how does a sister feel when she knows her sister is impregnated without accountability?”

“You are desperately defending your bastard brother, without trying to understand that it turns out that he is the antagonist here.”

“Kak Nagra is not a jerk!” Mika.

Raga laughed gruntingly. “I didn't ask you to rate Nagra. I just want to know, if the people you defend so far are nothing more than trash!”

“Damn it! Keep your talk yes, Ga!” Not only Mika, Anggita also felt unacceptable with Raga's statement. However, Nagra is someone who still fills his heart.

A humbling laugh was heard. This time harder than before. “So now, I'm facing off against two girls who defend Nagra? It's great.” Then, Nagra's index finger pointed and fixed on Anggita. “Should you know, Git. If Nagra really loves you, he won't go with Alana. But, what proof? He threw you, right? So, why do you still blame someone who has clearly not considered lo exist?”

Anggita's check on Mika's hardened arm. His teeth chattered, holding back the anger that had arrived at the crown. In her eyes, Raga looks like a demon incarnating angel. If this was the end, he would never let Mika get into that circle of guys.

The feud was only over, when Raya informed them that there were already some students around them. The residents of the Raga class watched the incident with a look of wonder. I don't want to be the center of attention any longer. Raya pulls two of her friends to leave Raga's class. The condition of the corridor that has begun to crowded, making Raya and Anggita have to hard-earned to hide Mika who is still crying.

♥

"Hue henger, iha adi ghelabuak aga, huh?" Abi opened the conversation, with his mouth full of meatballs.

"Lo, what the fuck is that? Don't understand me" said Satya.

Abi swallowed his food in a hurry. His eyes were even close to glaring, as he did so with great difficulty.

"Gue Denger, Mika just hit Raga." Abi repeated his question with a statement.

Kai stopped eating for a moment. "Seriously lo?"

"Seriously, I. The kids in class talk to them. I think, anyway, the fight was really bad. Mika was crying that way." Abi explained fieryly.

"The opposite is also a household affair" said Satya, who was later approved by Abi.

Kai suddenly lost his appetite. His mind was guessing, what had happened to Raga and Mika. This morning, he heard the news occasionally. However, he chose not to bother. Because he thought, it was just a casual dispute. But then he realized. Mika just found out that Alana is Raga's younger sister.

Just as Kai was about to meet Mika in class, his eyes caught Samuel walking towards her. The guy's look was on him. Kai frowned. Samuel's eyes could not be translated.

"Lo's fine?" samuel asked as soon as he arrived in front of Kai. Kai simply nodded to respond to the question.

"I'm sorry. I remember that day. I don't think long. I thought you were already—" Samuel's words were immediately cut by Kai.

"Not to be discussed. I have healed. If you talk about it again, I don't even want to say sorry."

Samuel covered a wry smile. His hand patted Kai on the shoulder a few times. Then, his gaze turned to Abi. "Temen lo again to tuh. Don't you entertain him?"

Abi nyengir's. "Here in class. I just met him mulu. Let Ronald entertain. Anyway, that's the kid who used to fight everything. As far as I know, they've been all right."

♥

Mika slammed her knuckles against the wall repeatedly. Screams and swearing still occasionally sounded from his lips. He pointed it at his own stupidity. He was really disappointed this time.

Not only Mika, Anggita and Raya also still looked shocked. The three of them deliberately ditched the lesson to calm themselves on the roof. Their minds are very tangled to process the material conveyed by the teacher.

The wind, the sobbing, and the swearing of Mika became the breaker of silence between them. Raya and Anggita just kept quiet, watching Mika who was slowly getting exhausted. The girl finally shed her body on the floor, after barely fifteen minutes of smashing a fist at the innocent wall.

Unable to bear the suffocating silence, Anggita finally decides to tell her plans to her two best friends. And, incidentally, today is Thursday. “Today, we follow Raga. We have to know, where did that guy go every Thursday.”

Mika raised her head from the gap of her two knees. “Lo sure? If he knows how?”

Anggita. “He won't realize we're following. I'll tell my driver to bring a car. Coincidentally, today bokap me on leave.”

“If it turns out he really helped his bokapnya in the office, how?” Mika felt not too sure about the idea of Anggita.

“At least, we know what he's working on. If it turns out he's right, we'll have to find another plan. Goddamnit! I'm with him!” Anggita smacked his right hand that clenched on his left palm.

“At least now we know, if Raga is not as good as we think,” said Raya, ending their short chat.

I really did carry out his plan. Right after Raga left school, the girl asked her driver to follow Raga's motorcycle. The streets are not too crowded, making them easy to observe every movement of the Raga motorbike.

Twenty minutes later, the whole curiosity about Raga's departure every Thursday was finally over. The curiosity was finally answered by a line of writing in a large and sturdy building, in front of them.

The Mental Hospital.