Red Threads

Match

Kai had just finished replacing his uniform with a sports jersey, when one of the members of OSIS entered the already deserted classroom 12 IPA 3. Only Kai was in the room. All the students had gathered by the field, waiting for the surprise prepared by the board of OSIS—, of course, at Kai's suggestion and with a little coercion.

“The match will start in five minutes, sis,” said a teary-eyed man standing in the doorway of the class.

Kai just nodded. Then, put the uniform in the desk drawer. Before leaving the classroom, he checked his phone. There is a photo of a smiling woman who accidentally put it as wallpaper. Kai reviewed a small smile looking at the photo. “Doain I won yes,” he said. Then, put the phone in the bag.

The atmosphere at the edge of the field was already very crowded. The entire student seemed enthusiastic to watch the long-awaited match. The hot weather did not dampen the spirit, although there were only two teams competing. Amidst the crowd, Kai could still find Mika's figure. The girl sits under a mango tree, flanked by Raya and Anggita.

Kai wanted to greet the girl, but as quickly as lightning he swallowed back that desire. Mika looked not at him, but at someone who was now on the other side of the field.

He sighed in annoyance, when he saw Mika smiling broadly at Raga. The girl said something that Kai could not catch clearly. Even so, he knew that Mika was encouraging Raga. Seen from the reaction of Raga who immediately gave a wide smile, nodding.

Kai looked at his watch. There are still three minutes before the game starts. He immediately ran to the edge of the field. Approaching Mika who still hasn't looked at her.

“Mika,” call Kai. Mika looked up as soon as she heard her voice. “Before the match starts, please remember my words. I do this for you. So, I beg you. If I win, you'll be my girlfriend huh?”

Mika did not react. He just looked at Kai blankly, flatly, and confusedly. Mouth's open. Then, it closed back. Open-ended. Then, closed. It went on up to a few times. Mika was at a loss for words. From the look in Kai's eyes, he tries to find out if the guy is joking. However, until a few seconds passed, Kai still looked at her seriously. There is no grim and annoying look on the face. The expression is stiff. Highlight the eyes were flat, sharp, and deep.

Not yet Mika answered Kai's words, the sound of a whistle from the middle of the field blew his surprise. He did not even realize, since when Kai had passed from before him.

Mika's forehead wrinkled, when she saw that there was only Kai and Raga in the middle of the field. He spread his eyes across the field. However, none of the students were also wearing sportswear.

“They just play together?” ask Mika.

“It seems so,” Anggita replied. He is also still guessing, what kind of competition will be held.

The astonishment of the spectators was finally answered, as Abi and Samuel walked into the field. One of the members of OSIS— who some time ago approached Kai in the class— made an announcement if this match was a one-on-one match.

The announcement did not discourage students from watching the game. They are more enthusiastic. Not a few directly determine who will be the winner. On the edge of the field, the audience seemed to be divided into two camps. Kai's supporters are not inferior to Raga's supporters. In fact, not a few guess if Kai will win this match. Although, they had never seen Kai play futsal.

Kai, Raga, Abi, Samuel, and a member of OSIS— who served as referee— discussed for a moment. After getting a decision, they split up and prepared in their respective positions. A referee puts the ball in the middle of the field. Raga and Kai threw fierce gazes at each other. They immediately ran for the ball right after the referee blew the whistle, as a sign of the start of the match.

The thunderous applause and the crowd's exclamations colored the two boys' fierce match. Kai got the ball first. He tried to run away from the Raga that kept looming over him. Raga is no less agile. The guy keeps blocking Kai's movements. Trying to break Kai's concentration. Until just when Kai was about to kick the ball into the goal guarded Abi, Raga managed to snatch the ball.

Several times Kai almost broke into the Raga goal, but Abi swiftly caught the ball. Several times Raga almost produced a goal, but Kai first grabbed the ball every time he approached the goal. For nearly ten minutes, none of them had managed to get the ball in. The ball just moves from Kai to Raga, and vice versa. Several times the audience was made to hold their breath. However, several times I had to be disappointed.

The crowd's disappointment turns into a hopeful hiss, as Kai manages to snatch the ball from Raga's feet. He dribbled quickly the ball was approaching the Raga goal. Just a few seconds before Raga managed to grab the ball and control the situation, Kai had already fired a kick towards the goal.

Nobody takes their eyes off the direction of the ball. A whole lot passed, without a single sound. A split that made the audience hold their breath. A split second that made Kai's heart rumble. And, that tense split second finally paid off when the ball that Kai kicked flashed and landed in Abi's arms.

Kai sighed in annoyance. The audience complained of disappointment. There are also those who exhale full of relief.

Abi threw the ball in his hand at Raga. Without waiting for a long time, Raga dribbled the ball closer to Kai's goal. The audience's breath was restrained, as Kai failed to snatch the ball from Raga's feet. Raga is getting closer. Kai was still left behind. Raga prepares to kick. Kai tried to grab the ball, but failed. The ball has already crossed into the goal.

Kai threw a hopeful look at Samuel. Inwardly, he continued to shout out requests for Raga's kick this time around to miss. Or at least, Samuel could catch the ball.

A split second passed, Kai's plea was finally answered. Samuel failed to hold off Raga's kick. The ball darted smoothly, and broke into Kai's goal. The silence that had occurred, changed the sound of screaming and clapping from the audience.

Raga cast a triumphant gaze. Kai felt his legs tighten up for a moment. He even felt, if all his joints suddenly paralyzed. The demeaning gaze from Raga, made it seem as if it had lost most of its hope.

“Sorry, brother. But like, you are not my match,” said Raga. He patted Kai on the shoulder a few times, smiling humbly. Then, he passed from that place with Mika.

Kai could only watch the two pass by. Her chest feels very tight. He ignored Samuel who invited him to leave the field immediately. The audience had also returned to their respective classes, and were preparing to go home. However, Kai still stood upright in his place. His gaze was still fixed on Mika and Raga who were getting smaller, then disappeared behind Mika's class.

Kai laughed softly. That laugh sounds sad. He was saddening his current state of heart. Not only about Mika who failed to get, but also about the hope that must return he buried deeply. And once again, Kai could only laugh at his failure.

Kai dropped his body on the cement floor of the field. He did not care about the dozens of pairs of eyes that were pointing at him. He ignored the heat in his skin, as he laid his body on the field.

Eyes closed. Letting the sunlight from the crevices of the leaves hit his face. For a while, he allowed himself in such a position. No matter what happens around him. In that darkness, he could still clearly see the shadow of Mika who approached Raga with a big smile. He could still remember, how the girl looked at Raga. And in that darkness, he suddenly felt the sunlight no longer hitting his face.

Kai blinked his eyes a few times. Trying to clarify his gaze at someone who was now standing beside him. Obstructing the blinding sunlight. Kai immediately jumped in surprise, when he realized that the girl was Mika.

“Sister Kai must be thirsty, right?” Mika hands a bottle of mineral water to Kai.

Kai just looked at the water bottle and Mika alternately. Mika pushed the bottle of mineral water closer, because Kai was still unmoved.

“While neither did Brother win. Even though Mika is not a sister's boyfriend. But, we can still find kok.” Mika reviews the big smile, which makes Kai's heart stop beating for a while. “So as a good friend, Mika buyin this for Sister.”

Kai dropped a glance at the bottle of mineral water. Then, accept it with a hesitant gesture. He turned his eyes back to Mika, after drinking a few sips of water.

Kai looked at Mika deeply. It was as if he wanted to say his heart to the girl, through the gaze of his eyes. As if he wanted the girl to know, there were many things he wanted to say. However, it cannot.

Kai reviewed a thin smile. Then, to represent all the feelings that keep trying to squeeze out of his chest, he just said a line, “Thank you.”

Mika nodded. Ask permission to return to class.

Not for a second, Kai took his eyes off Mika. Until the girl disappears behind the classroom walls, Kai still drops his eyes on the point Mika disappears.

This time, his feelings were much better. Much lighter than before. He never expected, if the girl's smile for him had a considerable influence. At least tonight he can sleep well.

♥

Mika did not know, what happened to her heart. Supposedly, he was happy because Raga won that game. Supposedly, he was happy because there was no need to obey Kai's strange request. However, there was one side of his heart that felt extremely heavy. There was one side of his heart that seemed to not accept with Raga's victory. So, when almost all of his friends in class— as well as Raya and Anggita— hailed Raga's victory, he just fell silent. Responding to the potluck, when his friends tell him that Raga is very cool, amazing, and other words of praise.

Mika sighed softly. After Raga dropped out of her class, Mika's mind didn't budge from Kai in the least. From the disappointed expression of that guy a moment ago. From the look of Kai's eyes that he had caught, before passing with Raga. That look was not just a look of disappointment. There was also a fairly severe wounded spot. There is a question that arises in Mika. If only to express love, why did Kai bother to ask the OSIS to hold the match? Couldn't that guy say directly in front of him? Or if necessary, in the middle of the field when you go home from school?

Regardless of the excitement of her friends who were still discussing about Raga, Mika left the classroom. His eyes immediately fell on Kai who was lying in the middle of the field, as soon as he stepped on the doorstep of the classroom. Without waiting for a long time, he immediately ran to the cafeteria. Buy a bottle of mineral water. And, running up to Kai in the field.

Once he argued with himself, should he give the drink to Kai? He wanted to turn around, and undo his intentions. However, there was something deep that seemed to hold his feet to remain standing on the edge of the field. Watching Kai who seemed resigned to defeat. Finally—after a long enough debate with yourself—Mika approached Kai.

“While neither did Brother win. Even though Mika is not a sister's boyfriend. But, we can still find kok.” Mika didn't know, why did she say that? He could not even cover up the shock, as the series of sentences just slid from his mouth.

However, his shock vanished upon seeing Kai smiling at him. For some reason, his heart was pounding quickly to see that smile. He was glued for a while. His gaze was locked on the guy in front of him. He almost lost control of himself when Kai threw a deep gaze at him.

Before he got stuck further and further. The more the heart in her chest was beating uncharacteristically, Mika decided to leave the place immediately.

There was one thing he could not explain. After leaving in front of Kai, he felt warm. From the look of Kai's eyes, he seemed to find sunlight in the middle of his life that was pitch black. It was as if he found life in those eyes. And, he seemed to find himself from behind the guy's gaze.