SULIVANS

Luka

Zalva flattened his hair bangs back forward after being blown away by the gust of wind.

Make sure his face is perfectly covered by his hair and mask.

Although it had been compressed with warm water and stuck to it overnight with a few cotton swabs driped with revanol, the wound had not completely disappeared.

Moreover, the wound on the corner of his lips that screech, looks not completely dry.

"Zal..va?"

He was shocked by Sena who stood sideways for a meter and a half in front of him.

The middle looked at him with a wondering look, while holding a piece of paper.

The paper contained the map he had drawn on the first day Sena entered.

"Morning."

When he saw Zalva walking towards him, Sena felt relieved.

His attempt to ask the direction of the laboratory to anyone passing by always failed because of his concern.

He almost resigned and intended to walk towards the teacher's room, before finally seeing Zalva from a distance.

His tall towering body with bangs covering almost half of the face made his countryman easy to find from the many disciples who also walked towards him.

But as Zalva approached, the black mask he wore covered almost his entire face, bringing up a look of wonder on Sena's face.

"That paper..."

Sena pulled herself back to reality, noticing her facial expression that Zalva might have interpreted negatively.

Despite the fact that such an expression was what Zalva expected from the people around when he stared at his own appearance in the mirror just before leaving.

Well projected by Sena's facial features.

"Because I don't know where the lab is..."

Zalva who had understood the reason for the map's existence then stepped foot without speaking.

Sena followed behind him while folding the map and put it into a room on the side of the bag whose original function was the habitat of drinking.

The room then turned into a place to put the bonds, change, ballpoint pen, and any items that want to be stored but lazy to open the bag.

Sena followed Zalva by staring at his shadow.

Ten steps later, the shadows were almost dim as other shadows were approaching them.

"For Zalva!"

It was Tera who jumped on Zalva and draped an arm around his shoulder.

Sena stared at the two brown plasters attached to Tera's elbow.

The plaster overlaps with the self-taught direction; it does not form the same angular magnitude.

The owner of the elbow turned his head back, looking at Sena who was standing still.

"Hi Sena!"

The elbow waved its hand at Sena with a bright smile.

When Sena raised her hand to return Tera's greeting, the other elbow pulled Tera's head to the right side.

There was a man with almost bald hair, pinning Tera's neck with his elbows.

"Just play around, we have unfinished PR!"

Tera patted hard the elbow that covered his neck, making the elbow complain of pain.

It was Rio, Tera's classmate and Zalva's men, who stroked her heated elbow due to Tera's loud clap.

When he looked to the right, he found a silent girl staring at their morning quarrel.

The girl was of high stature - perhaps as tall as Tera, with a shoulder-length hair that was partly topped in a ponytail, wearing a long skirt, and a decent stripe.

Rio nudged Tera with his elbow, intending to mock.

"New girl, here."

Replied by Tera with a second loud clap until it was sore and hot.

"Hush, haphazardly! He's my savior!"

Tera stretched out her hand, alternately pointing at Sena and Zalva.

"And my dear friend Zalva."

Sena noticed the surprised look of Rio who alternately looked at her and Zalva.

On his forehead was a bluish bruise that was left open without a patch of plaster.

Maybe they have fought.

"Rio, it's Sena."

Sena looked at Rio for a bit and turned her gaze back on Tera.

"Sena-I'm lazy to recognize Sena on a bastard like you-"

"-so you said, Zalva has my best friend now?!"

Tera nodded quickly with sparkling eyes, reciprocated with Rio closing his mouth dramatically.

"Huh, this must be celebrated!"

The restless Zalva stopped the two of them from prancing with excitement with a bogeman on their stomachs and arms.

"Remember your PR!"

Sena watched the two men obey Zalva and left while complaining of pain.

Tera turned around waving her hands at Sena, only then ran after Rio.

Zalva resumed his steps, followed by Sena who looked at Tera and Rio until their bodies disappeared behind the human gathering.

It's good to have their loyal friends.

Sena and Zalva made demands, parting ways with the other students who mostly turned left towards the stairs.

The footsteps they passed and passed by them disappeared, leaving the two of them walking down the two-meter-wide passageway.

Sena saw the shadows of the two of them on the wall from the reflection of the morning sun that had not risen too high.

Make their shadows longer than their original form, bending following the grooves of the floor and walls.

From the shadow, Zalva's hair was blown by the wind, separating each strand to dance in the free air.

Sena then looked at the shadow of the window that formed a regular box pattern.

Making Sena lift back the leg that almost touched the shadow of the wall that was blocked by light, then put it in the shadow of the window full of light that made her watch sparkle.

He ran the leg by following the rules he made himself, until he arrived at a spacious room with long tables and chairs without backrest.

There were already a few people occupying the second bench from the front, staring at their presence at a glance and then back in a tingle with his phone.

Zalva placed her bag in the back left corner near the sink, followed by Sena who sat beside her.

"Sit's free, not with me."

Sena looked at Zalva for a while then nodded slowly.

After all, there were no classmates closer to him than Zalva, even though they rarely talked in class.

The cause is of course because throughout the lesson Sena did one of these options; brooding, doodling, or falling asleep.

Zalva took the class quietly and solemnly.

Sena stared at the class that was starting to get crowded, curious and afraid of the person who was going to sit next to her.

From the front bench that began to fill, he knew this long table had a capacity of four people.

That means there will be two more people filling their tables.

From his observations this morning, they were in groups according to their respective gangs.

The class leader gang contains smart children, secretarial gangs containing the coquettish children, gangs of the rich, gangs bumbling, gang delinquents, and gang julid.

Sena and Zalva were among them as loners.

But until the bell rang and the maple teacher came in, the two benches next to Sena remained empty.

Who somehow relaxes his heart.

He does not have to be awkward to talk and think about what actions are good to do during the lesson by considering their learning style.

For at least the next six hours until lunch break, his body should not be stiff and alert.

Without realizing it, Zalva has been included in the list of people who are in his comfort sphere.

The place can take off the burdensome social mask of the mind.

Zalva sighed seeing Sena start to fall asleep in the fifth hour of their lesson.

Starting from the silent phase staring at the blackboard with eyes closed, head drowsiness, cheeks supported by the palm of the hand, until finally sticking the cheek on the book.

I don't know why the existence of someone beside him feels strange and unusual.

He used to sit alone wherever he studied.

In the classroom, in the language room, lab, art room, to outdoor learning in the back garden through it alone.

Then there came the figure of my countryman who was somewhat similar to Tera, following him wherever he went.

Like this moment; on the free occasion of sitting with anyone, Sena followed her sitting behind.

This unusual incident continued to repeat for a week, making him inevitably accustomed to the presence of Sena.

Get used to the presence of others in their solitude.

Sena frowned uncomfortably in her sleep, then moved her cheeks facing towards Zalva.

Even the sunlight on her cheeks could not wake her up.

Make Zalva take the package book and put it standing, cut off the sun to shine only until the cover of the book.

The barrier was imprinted on Sena's cheek.

The second break bell reverberated, waking Sena from her long sleep.

He covered his evaporating mouth while stretching, feeling refreshed after sleeping for almost an hour to dream of a walk on the beach.

His classmates began to come out one by one when he took out supplies and drinking bottles, then arranged them lined up on the table.

The atmosphere of lunch this time looks different because of the long white table that became the base of the meal.

His friends were busy packing up for the next two hours of lessons that took place in the hall.

They took their luggage out and ate in the cafeteria.

Sena stared at the busyness of her friends while chewing and listening to their conversation.

There are those who discuss about the possible materials that will be discussed in their entrepreneurial class later.

There are also those who complain of being tired of moving around, making their boring classes because they are occupied every day feel special on these kinds of days.

Some talk about it secretly.

In their eyes, he was represented differently.

Some consider him quiet, loner, and do not like to get along.

Some consider him a loner because they do not deserve to hang out with ordinary students. He was friends with other athletes.

Rumors continued to roll around Sena, making her so anxious and difficult to make friends.

Making him decide for a while this being a loner was the best decision.

Then other rumors that were no less painful passed in his ears.

Rumors about Zalva being sniffed and kicked by an upperclassman.

Actually Sena had heard it from earlier this morning, ever since her classmates secretly laughed at Zalva who covered her face with a mask.

This rumor started from Udin, a classmate who most updated the latest news that occurred throughout the school, this morning entered the class with a frenzy.

From the look in his eyes and the intensity of his uproar, it seemed that this news was booming.

Everyone immediately gathered at Udin's table, eagerly waiting for the hot news he brought.

Udin said, per day there are some third-graders who get dis for three days.

During that time they still set off for self-study in a separate room supervised by a picket teacher, were not allowed to bring a cell phone, and were banned from going home before the bell rang.

Plus during the afternoon break they are required to clean the school toilet.

Because the act of sniffing and kicking the class sister until her face was battered and requires her to be taken to the hospital.

The incident happened last Friday, which the teachers learned from the parents' reports.

Coincidentally, Zalva was seen meeting the criteria of the victim with a mask that never separated from his face all day.

Then came the words of ridicule from their foul mouths.

He deserves it.

If I were that upperclassman, I'd want to beat him up as soon as I saw his face.

And the other sentences that made Sena knit her eyebrows, did not accept with their ridicule.

If there is such a situation, Sena believes that Zalvalah killed the upperclassman.

The black mask is meant to close the wound.

Sena noticed it this morning when she found the wounds on Tera and Rio's body.

They both let the wound look public, judging their personalities who did look like delinquents.

Unlike injuries on the body of the exemplary child that will certainly cause a lot of bad speculation.

One by one his classmates went out, leaving Sena who was cleaning her food and Zalva who was focused on reading.

Zalva then closed his book and packed up.

He had intended to wait for Sena to finish her meal and then go to the hall because he believed Sena did not know the location.

Sena quickly put on the bag and followed Zalva's steps waiting for her at the door.

As soon as he stepped out, Zalva collided with Dion who came back to pick up his hat left on the teacher's desk.

"Duh! Don't stand at the door!"

Dion, who belongs to the gang, grabbed his hat while grumbling and came out without apologizing.

Making Zalva grimace holding his cheek that was hit by Dion's head tightly.

Sena pulled Zalva down on a nearby bench and took out a container.

Containers containing plaster and P3K tools, the occupant remains his school bag as a basic stock of an athlete who is accustomed to falling and getting injured.

"Open your mask."

Zalva was silent, pretending to be fine even though his cheeks were throbbing.

"Nobody's here but us."

Zalva was still unmoved, reluctant to look at Sena.

"Don't worry. You can take off the mask in front of me. "

"No papa- uhh.."

Zalva moaned as his wound again throbbed by the mask due to the movement of his mouth.

"No, right!"

Zalva finally relented and opened his mask.

Sena was surprised to notice Zalva's swollen right cheek and appeared larger than the other side, with a scabbing wound still wet at the corner of her lips.

The wound reopened and bled from the violent collision.

Sena took a cotton swab and poured alcohol on it, then attached it to that speck of blood.

Making Zalva groan and distancing his face.

"I'm alone"

"Have a minute!"

Sena re-attached the cotton to Zalva's wound, making sure the blood was fully raised.

Then take another clean cotton and drip alcohol on it.

"Let me help-"

Not yet had Zalva snatch the cotton in Sena's hands to treat his own wound, the cotton was already on the edge of his lips.

"Oh!"

Sena then took another cotton swab to clean a small cut on the other part of her cheek.

Seeing Zalva's eyes that were still worried by continuously watching the situation around him, made Sena open her mouth.

"You don't have to be a model kid around me."

Zalva turned his eyes to Sena who was peeling off the plaster.

"I'm not gonna tell anyone. Just relax."

Zalva's blood rippled at hearing him.

Making his neutrals unconsciously follow all of Sena's movements.

Sena then focused her gaze on the wound that was about to close.

Presumably Zalva's long hair is blocking the treatment process.

"Your hair please..."

Zalva who understood Sena's intention immediately pulled her hair back and held her back.

Making Sena speechless to look at my friend who first showed his face.

"You look..."

"...look what?"

Sena turned her gaze back on the plaster in her hand, resuscitating her enchanted self looking at Zalva.

Makes his heart beat faster.

Forcing his eyes to turn his gaze to any area other than Zalva's eyes.

Trying to focus the plaster on Zalva's wound with trembling hands.

When he finally finished gluing the plaster while holding his breath, Zalva's hand grabbed his head and carried him crouching down.

Two sets of feet were approaching.

Sena closed her mouth, trying to hold her breath a second time. This time for a different reason.

Zalva's hand holding his head forced Sena's face to face with Zalva's shoulder.

Sena tried to hold her head back from touching Zalva's shoulder by holding on to Zalva's uniform and holding the weight with her left hand.

Sena's trembling hands holding the tip of her uniform alerted Zalva to their awkward position.

The two of them bowed under the table with their heads held close together.

Making Zalva can see clearly Sena's eyelashes that move up and down.

His heart was pounding realizing his hand was involuntarily clutching Sena's head.

The two of them turned their eyes away from each other, preventing their faces from moving any closer.

Concerning each other's heartbeat that might sound so tight.

In that awkward atmosphere, a familiar voice entered the ears of the two of them.

Tera Voice.

"Don't tell Zalva, yeah."

Make Zalva out of hiding and look at the speaker who was also surprised by the presence of Zalva.

Tera closed her mouth as it was caught off guard by the most unwanted person hearing this conversation.

" What do you mean?"