The Winter Promise

Chapter 10: How Troubles It Once! It Shouldn't Be Like This.

After yesterday's events made me think of one thing. There's someone at this school who wants to try to destroy a system I've created. At first I thought that Kirana was the mastermind behind all this, but since the evidence I had was not much, I couldn't possibly just accuse her of it.

As usual, I was following the learning activities in the classroom, but this time I got something treatment “kus” once from my friends.

I am currently sitting alone in the back of the class. I don't know what happened to my friend, but all of a sudden he moved to another friend.

Besides, I felt that there were a lot of students in this school who were watching me when I was in school. Of course it makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't think I've been doing anything too much lately. It's impossible if thwarting yesterday's love story plans made me this way.

That's not possible, is it?

But at least, Maul and Riki's attitude was still as usual. We still gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.

“I feel today a lot of people are watching me.”

“That's of course, after an obscure rumor about you spread all over the school. There's no way people are on ignoring you.”

I was surprised when I heard that from Maul, I did not think that there were any rumors about me spreading in this school.

“Rumors? Rumors about what? Looks like I haven't done anything lately.”

“About you don't know Kak Amar?”

Kirana asked me innocently, it almost made me doubt that she was the person I had suspected all along. Maybe I'll be nice to him until I figure out who's behind all this.

“No, I just found out that there are rumors about me spreading right now. Indeed what they say in the rumor?”

“Yesterday I just heard this from my friend if you are considered a bad person.”

“Good?”

I don't understand why I'm considered evil? I've never played a good person here, but I've never shown my bad attitude to anyone I don't know.

“Iya, said you have ignored her feelings Kak Rina.”

Ignoring her feelings, Rina? What have I neglected of him? I don't understand that at all. It's getting complicated.

“Objected him? What did I just do to her?”

“I can't show you that here because I don't currently have a phone with me. But my friend sent me a photo of you and a woman sitting in a cafe.”

“I also get it.”

“I also.”

The vindication of Maul and Riki made me curious about the photos that were being shared with them.

“Then what does this rumor have to do with?”

“Did you not know how Kak Rina feels about you Kak Amar?”

“Freely you asked her that Kirana, she is a person who is insensitive to the feelings of others.”

“You teased me Rik, but what you just said is true. Indeed many people say that I am an insensitive person.”

“Alright, I'll tell you. Actually Kak Rina has feelings for you Kak Amar.”

A feeling? No way, a woman as beautiful as herself has feelings for me.

“Because you were originally famous for being anti-love, so it's only natural that his friends forgive your attitude that ignores the feelings of Rina.”.

I just found out that's what people think of me all along.

“...But because there is one of them who met you while being with a beautiful woman, and they assume that the woman is your boyfriend because you are very familiar when talking.”.

I know which photo was being shared to be a rumor at this school. It must have been that photo when I was meeting Miyuki. But which meeting was in the photo?

I only met Miyuki three times, and one meeting there was Rina there. It's getting more complicated, I didn't know that meeting Miyuki would be something troublesome like this, even though we're not a school right now, but she's already made something troublesome like this.

“...Then they concluded that your anti-dating attitude was just an excuse to avoid feeling Rina towards you.”

“Thank you for the explanation Kirana, it seems I already know the outline.”

Now what am I going to do to clear up this misunderstanding.

Anyway I was surprised by them, if it was a truth that I used my anti-love attitude to avoid Rina, it was my right, I was free to decide what I wanted, she said, Why should they arrange me about it? Thats odd.

In addition, using anti-love reasons to protect Lina's feelings so as not to get hurt is not better than rejecting her directly. Is it because I look like I'm still giving her hope?

But I still can't believe that Rina really likes me, I think that makes the rumors just fabricate.

It just so happened that Rina arrived at the cafeteria and I planned to ask her about this, but it was with her friends that made me so reluctant to ask her at this time.

But I don't want this misunderstanding to continue any longer. So I better ask now.

“Hei Rina!”

I called him from a distance and approached him. But when I approached her, her friends invited Lina to leave the cafeteria which made me not ask her.

It's troublesome.

“How? Looks like his friends are trying to get away from you.”

“You're right Mul, of course this is very troublesome. If it goes on like this I can't straighten out this misunderstanding before finding the person who spread this rumor.”

“Just relax, Amar, I will help you find the culprit.”

Hearing that, Maul and I exchanged lyrics, because we both suspected that Kirana was behind all this.

***

“I'm sure the one who spread the rumor is Kirana.”

“We don't take decisions too soon, it's still our guess.”

Although I suspected Kirana, what she just said in the cafeteria when she wanted to help me was not seen as a pretender. I don't know if he's acting so well, but I see that he says it sincerely.

“What will we do after this Mar? You can't let this go on, can you?”

“The plan is to make sure of this to Rina first. But you know for yourself, his friends won't let him get close to me.”

“But I can't believe that rumors about you can be this severe.”

Maul's right, it should be that an unknown person like me wouldn't be this bad. Is this because it has something to do with Rina?

Actually what I'm currently thinking about is how she feels about me. It is impossible if there is a woman who has been a grabber of the crowd and always rejects it suddenly likes me.

To this day, I am still confused by that word. All the logic I have right now I use to think about the possibilities. But the result is still empty. I could not find the right thing until I came to the conclusion that Rina really liked me.

After all, is it possible for someone as beautiful as Rina to like me? That doesn't make any sense. Didn't he ever say that he liked someone when he was in elementary school.

Is it all just a lie? But for what he lied, there was no point in lying to me.

I don't understand any more of this. It looks like I will put this matter aside before hearing directly from Rina.

“What did you think of Mar?”

“I'm just thinking about the next plan.”

“But out of all this I just realized one thing.”

Maul looked at the ceiling of the hallway and paused for a moment. I looked at Maul with astonishment.

“Perhaps what they are after is not actually Rina, but you are their target.”

“Actually that's the most reasonable conclusion for now. If if Rina had been their target, then the rumors about me would not have had an impact this far.”

But why are they after me? Did I ever upset anyone?

The first person in my mind at that time was just Takeshi, because only with Takeshi was my business not finished.

That's not possible, is it? An arrogant person like himself had friends all the way to this school.

“But I'm still curious about what they're after you.”

“I'm also confused about it Mul. Looks like I don't have anything worth aiming for.”

We continued our journey to class.

“Have you ever made someone into a grudge with you?”

Yeah, I'm not gonna count Takeshi on this. As long as I don't get into Miyuki's neighborhood, I won't be involved in Takeshi anymore.

“For now we collect as much information as we used to uncover who is behind all this. You have to be patient with those rumors first, I will help you as much as I can.”

“Thank you for the help, I was very helped.”

“I only ordered one thing to you.”

“What's up?”

“Do not ever make Riki your enemy, I think the effect of the rumors does not have much impact on you because Riki is still your friend. But if Riki had been our enemy, surely bad treatment would have befallen us sooner or later.”

“I've been thinking about it, and I have a plan of my own for it.”

“If you've said that, then I don't have to worry anymore.”

“Quiet down, leave the rest to me. I just need you to gather information.”

“Do not act rashly yes.”

Maul clenched her hands and told me.

“Siap.”

I also punched slowly with Maul's fist.

***

OK. Right now I was in the classroom and now the whole class is still watching me with a cynical look, only Rina looks at me with pity. I actually didn't see that look.

But how to talk to Rina. The only way I can do that is to send her a message when I get home.

Due to strict school regulations on the prohibition of bringing cell phones to school. Making my movements right now is very limited.

I still see the gazes of my friends who seem to be upset about it.

The question that is still on my mind at the moment.

Why could they be so sorry? What do they have to do with Rina?

Why are so many people interfering in the personal affairs of others unfavorable to themselves. Had I been in their current position, I might not have been annoyed by the person who had looked up to Rina.

Anyway if according to my observation, if if this rumor is the truth and I was dating Miyuki and then showed the feelings of Rina. It wasn't my fault, though,

Is it because I am insensitive to Lina's feelings that I am wrong here?

Of course the answer is no. If he knew from the beginning that I was a desensitized man, why didn't he tell me straight away. That way I can consider it before dating Miyuki.

Why should a person be punished with something that even that person does not know? Isn't that weird?

Sometimes someone once said ‘It is not ethical if a woman expresses her feelings first than a man.’

Yeah, well, don't blame the guy. Why is it only to express a feeling that there must be a code of ethics? This doesn't make any sense at all.

Besides, why are the people in my school so easy to believe in so-called rumors? Are they stupid?

Rumor is something that the truth has not been proven. Why did they believe this.

Is that what they care about Rina? Don't stupid.

I know what they're really doing here.

They're not much different from Miyuki's friends I think. If the female only wants to raise her popularity in front of the men in this school so that the men see them ‘It turns out they are good also against Rina, I might like her’.

That's something stupid.

So did the men, they did like that in order to get close to Rina right, in order to make Rina think that they were men who cared about her.

That's how I think about them. Maybe if Lina heard this, she would scold me and tell me to think positively of them.

I don't want to look good in front of people, make me look good but there is another purpose behind it, I better show myself as I am.

“Because tomorrow week we have entered the practice exam, so you are now completing the task for the Indonesian practice exam.”

Thank you ma'am, you've made my quiet life a battlefield now.

As you know, I'm in a group with Rina and now I'm having a problem related to her. I'm sure everyone in this class's gaze is getting sharper on me.

I began to step from my chair towards the tiger enclosure which contained five tigers ready to pounce on me at any moment.

I had already gotten a disfigured look at my first move, I was sure my second move would end my life in this school. I'm kidding, actually not that scary. But still I'm not comfortable with that view.

I also sat in a chair that was reserved for me. The seats are a bit separated from them and of course, although not visible, I felt that there was a wall blocking us.

I don't think I'm needed here. Good then, after all, this is a favorable condition for me.

I just saw them discussing about the novel that Rina typed yesterday regardless of me being there. It may sound sad, but I prefer this kind of situation.

“What do you think Ar about the novel I just fixed?”

“Try here, where let me see!”

Her friend took the paper and did not let Lina talk to me. I could see the sneaky smiles on their faces.

So like this it feels like being seen by your friends, it's not bad either. L like it.

Then Rina stood up from her chair and immediately approached me who was enjoying the peace of being isolated.

“What do you think Ar?”

Well, their views look even more disgusted towards me.

“Hmmm... Can I doodle this paper?”

“Please.”

I picked up the pen in my pocket and started scratching the paper.

“That I have given the appropriate advice to make withdraw the conflict.”

I gave the paper to Rina, and she saw the correction from me.

“Great once you get an interesting idea like this. I guess you don't really like anything related to love.”

“Thanks to the novel you recommended to me, somehow my brain was immediately filled with some ideas about love.”

I showed her the novel she recommended to me.

“...So you read it Ar?”

“Sure... because I bought it, it's a pity not to read.”

Lina smiled at me. Finally today I can see his usual nature. But behind that, I felt a growing malice in the whole class.

“Will I fix.”

Rina returned to her seat and concentrated on her novel.

I saw the non-wearing faces of the friends who were in a group with me. I was satisfied when I saw that, in my heart it was like saying ‘Taste that, you fool’.

But I think this is the last time I can do something like this to them. Because tomorrow, I will begin the plan I have laid out.

***

“What did Mar call me to the back of school? If you can not be long, because soon I want to date Kirana.”

“Someone I want to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“Actually... I suspect Kirana.”.

The wind blew quite hard at that moment, and tension began to envelop our surroundings. It's time to uncover who's behind the spread of this issue.

the End Chapter 10