The Winter Promise

Chapter 11: The Fights Between Friends.

“What?!”

“I suspect Kirana as the mastermind behind all this.”

I saw Riki who was silent after hearing my words. I know that Riki is a little upset with my words, because I have suspected Kirana who is currently her boyfriend.

“I'm disappointed in you Mar. I thought you would accept Kirana who has become my girlfriend.”

“Sorry, from the beginning I suspected that he had other intentions.”

“From the beginning your nature never changed.”

“You've known me since elementary school, you should have known that.”

Riki took off her jacket and put her bag right next to her.

“You want us to solve this problem like back then?”

Riki clenched his hands and smashed both of his hands.

“Can only. I haven't fought in a long time, it seems like my body feels stiff.”

I also put my bag on my right. I slightly twisted my wrist to flex it.

“Actually at this time, I am not going to fight, but want how else.”

“Majulah Rik, I want to see how far you have progressed.”

Riki began to jump up to approach me at a very fast speed as usual.

As expected of the strongest person in this school.

My stomach was hit so hard that it made me kneel in pain. I almost spit out all my food.

“Why don't you dodge?”

Riki looked at me with great annoyance, as if I was underestimating him.

“Which way I might be able to avoid your quick attack that.”

I was still holding onto my stomach which was still hurting from Riki's attack.

“Don't joke, you should be able to avoid such attacks. Are you underestimating me Mar?”

“Which may I underestimate you, indeed you are the one who is much stronger.”

“I'm sick of your attitude it's Mar.”

Riki picked up his jacket and bag lying on the ground, then he left me.

“Alright, the first step is up. You can get out Mul.”

Maul came out from behind the wall behind me. He was already there before Riki came to see me. I told him to be there.

“While I just said don't look for a fuss with Riki, but you didn't listen to him... Want me to help?”

Maul took a very long breath and helped me to stand up.

“Thank you... A-oh, slow down Mul. My stomach still hurts.”

“Great also you did not faint after being hit like that.”

“Actually I had time to hold his hand by using my right hand, but it did not have much effect to withstand his attack Riki.”

“It is fitting that Riki respects you so much, it turns out that you are not a weak person.”

“I'm not that strong.”

“But I know that you were deliberately giving in, right?”

I just smiled a little after hearing that, it turned out that Maul's vision was sharp enough to see things that quickly.

“That's.”

“Then what are your plans now? I haven't been told by you at all about it.”

“Actually at this time I no longer suspect Kirana.”

“Then why did you say that to Riki?”

“I feel that someone is controlling Kirana from behind. It could be seen during our conversation in the canteen this afternoon... So I guess that person also wants to control Riki through Kirana.”

“OK I already understand.”

“As I expected from Maul.”

“So you want to make this person show themselves because you and Riki have had a fight?”

“That's right, besides I want you to play a sneaky role here?”

I took my bag and then we started walking towards the front of the school.

“Licik mean?”

“I want you to be friends with Riki as usual and start to stay away from me from tomorrow.”

“Don't at a time like this be so bad if you don't have a friend.”

“I don't care, but what I need right now is information you can gather as long as you play as a sneaky person here.”

“I get it now, your plan is not bad either. Alright.. I'll follow your plan.”

“Then I beg your help for the future.”

“Just calm down, leave it to me.”

The next day had arrived, the plan I had put together to dismantle the perpetrator from the case of spreading rumors about me was already underway. Right now, I'm walking towards my class.

Today is Friday, and also today is the last day of the week I have teaching and learning activities as usual, because next week I have had a practice exam.

All right, let me explain my current condition.

Right now I was walking to my class, every time I met a student at this school, I was always stared at by them cynically. I don't know what issues are spreading in their midst anymore, but I'm sure that it's further complicating my situation here.

Finally I ignored it and continued to step into my class. As usual I sat in the back of the class with a chair that was prepared for myself.

It's a pleasure to be able to sit alone without anyone bothering. If no issues are circulating at this time, I'm sure it's a lot of fun.

“Look at the guy... She doesn't know herself anymore.”

“Iya, just because Rina likes it she can be arrogant like that.”

“Even he also accuses Kirana who is not.”

“Bad once.”

Okay, I'm getting used to this. But it seems like when I was in elementary school, I also experienced the same thing. Is that just my feeling?

Can Maul execute his plan well? I don't think I should worry about it.

Suddenly a piece of paper that had been made into a ball the size of a hand was pointing right at my head.

Ow hell!

I looked at the group of men who were looking at me. I know that the paper throws came from them. They looked really happy when the paper hit my head.

The three of them were Rendi, Izul, and Zaki. Indeed the three of them were the ones who disliked me the most if I was close to Rina.

Isn't this a delay? I could have avenged them, but that would have made things worse at this time. I better let them down first and observe the conditions around.

My original intentions were like that, but there was a very kind woman who came straight to me when she saw me being stoned with paper.

“You okay Ar?”

Lina with all the attention she had directly asked me warmly.

At that time I had thought that if Rina expressed her feelings for me at this moment, I might just accept it. Yeah, I can guarantee that.

“I'm fine.”

“They were evil once pelting you like this.”

Lina picked up the paper.

“I threw away this paper Yes Ar.”

“As far as you are.”

Lina left the classroom to throw away the paper. I saw the face of the man who threw me. They looked very upset because their treatment made Lina pay more attention to me. I am so happy to see their faces like that.

Then when Rina wanted to go back to my chair, her friends held her back from meeting me, I just smiled a little at their behavior.

They are children...

***

“He was severe once.”

“Basic guy coward.”

“He is no match for you Rik.”

I am currently in the cafeteria. When I got there, I saw Riki who was sitting together with his new group, of course with Kirana who was beside him.

It seemed like the men who had gathered with Riki were the strongest group of men in this school. Oh, there's Maul there too.

I'll buy two loaves of bread and go to the back yard of the school. I'm not sure I'll be accepted in this cafeteria. I better avoid something that is not needed, because I do not want to bother for now.

I saw Kirana who glanced at me.

Then I started walking through Riki and his horde. I knew for sure that I would be insulted when I passed in front of him.

“See him, like a loser only.”

“True, whereas his face is not so handsome.”

Sorry if my face isn't too handsome.

After buying some bread in the canteen I went straight to the back of the school to be alone.

“It turns out this way it feels like I have no friends, I have to do anything alone.”

I opened one of the breads I had bought and then I ate it.

At that time I saw the clear sky was not cloudy at all, the noise of the students who were resting became the song that accompanied my lunch alone, that is, sometimes there was also the cry of the baker passing by behind my school.

Then a woman came up to me and she was sitting right next to me.

“What are you doing here? Weren't you with Riki.”

“I feel bad about you.”

Kirana also opened the provisions that she brought and ate them together with me.

“Did Riki tell you that?”

“So, he has told me that you suspect me as the mastermind behind this issue.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“Actually I want to tell you something but..”.

I saw Kirana who was very depressed when I wanted to say that.

“You don't have to say more than that, I already know that you're not the mastermind behind all this.”

“Really?”

“Sure, this is also how I am quite an expert in reading someone's gimik.”

“Then why did you say that to Riki?”

“Again from the beginning I do not need your help, I am sure that soon I will find who is the mastermind behind all this.”

“If Kak Amar says it as sure as that, I can only believe it.”

Then I heard footsteps coming from Kirana.

Two? No, it looks like there are three people leading here.

“Kirana, you should leave here immediately.”

“Why Brother!?”

“There are some people who are heading here, you must hurry to get out of here or they will know that you are conspiring with me.”

“What's the reason?”

“It will destroy the plan I have made. You better just leave here.”

“Alright then Brother. Brother beware.”

Kirana also tidied up her provisions and then went from the school backyard through the road that went directly to the school gate.

Let's see who comes here.

It turned out that the one who came to the back of the school was the man who had previously gathered with Riki in the canteen. They were now walking towards me with their eyes fixed. I know what they want to do here.

I stood up to greet them.

“Wah.. Whoa... Loner sir seems to be having lunch here.”

And after saying that, they laughed at me.

“What do you want to do here?”

The greatest man came before me.

“How does it feel to be ignored? Isn't it bad.”

“Not bad, I'm starting to like this.”

“Cih... I'm sick of your calm-ass attitude.”

“Sok quiet? This is my attitude. Why should I panic about this?”

“Don't say much to you, now I'll teach you how losers should behave.”

The man also launched a very strong attack on my stomach to make me.

Do I have to serve them? For now it seems like I'm giving up.

When I was on my knees, the two friends behind me came forward and then they kicked me together until I fell down.

“This is what a loser looks like, lying on the ground and being insulted.”

The big guy kept kicking me. Their kicks felt very strong and hard.

Sfx: Gang... Teng……

“To this day get here only, Come on everyone.”

They finally left me alone.

“Sa-sick once, they have no heart what when doing this.”

I tried to sit and lean against the wall behind me.

Looks like I'm going to the UKS to skip, at least I have a good reason to go to the UKS.  It turns out that beating people is not that bad. Now I can sleep a long time until I get home from school.

But sure enough, they dared to act like that. Means what Maul said is indeed true that Riki's existence is very valuable to me.

At least from this incident I know who hates me.

Honestly, I don't know who they are and I've never had any problems with either of them. But why they hate me so much, I don't know what's really going on. But I'm sure the three of them have something to do with all this.

Maybe I will ask him, of course I will repay their actions to me at this time.

After if I had not felt the pain of their kicks. I started going to the UKS to rest there. Because I couldn't go to class in this mess, I had them laughing at me.

***

“You why Amar?”

The teacher who was guarding in the UKS was surprised to see me coming.

“I just fell off Mom in the field.”

I went straight to one of the beds that was there and sat on it.

“You must have fought, this is not a fall wound at all.”

My teacher brought a box of P3K and alcohol to clean my bruises.

“No Ma'am, I did fall earlier.”

“If there is something bothering you at this school, do not hesitate to tell Mom, surely Mom will help.”

“Let's just relax Mom, I did fall. Besides where might a child like me fight, what else is colonized by someone.”

Even though there are a lot of students who are starting to abuse me.

“Alright if this just falls. But if you were like this again, I would definitely report this to teacher BK.”

I don't want to take this matter to school, I'll solve it before it gets caught.

After cleaning the wound I got, the teacher went back to class because I had to teach and now I am in the UKS room alone without anyone bothering me.

Hopefully there is no troublesome event like that, if it happens again it seems like I have to really act. I can't just be quiet like that.

I lay down on one of the mattresses there and started staring at the UKS ceiling.

What am I doing right now?

Actually, I really wanted to feel what it was like to be an oppressed person.

I always had a lot of friends, even though my attitude was a little blunt in saying something, but they still wanted to be friends with me.

When I was in elementary school, I always saw my friend who was always bullied by my upperclassman and I always asked him after that.

What did you feel then?

But when I asked him that, he got angry with me and he stopped talking to me. Even though after he answered it I will help him escape from the upperclassman who disturbed him. But since he decided not to talk to me, yes. I'm not the one who needs that anyway.

It turns out that the feeling I get is not bad, I think people will quickly develop if they get into a very deep abyss.

I think someone who always gets into trouble in his life will be much wiser in choosing choices in life than people who are just in their daily comfort zone.

Because people who are outside the comfort zone always do something with the risks they carry. They are forced to do try and error without having to think first.

Actually, it was once in my mind that it was the only way to be a useful person. But after meeting with Riki and Maul, it seems like my theory is just a hypothesis.

Stop that... Why do I think about things that have passed, I better take advantage of my time to sleep in the UKS. School time is still two hours away, it seems I still have plenty of time to sleep.

Good evening, may I have a long day ahead.

the End Chapter 11