When Potatoes Fall in Love

7

Nadin took a few breaths while looking at the school gate. On the left side of the gate was the identity of his school called SMA Negeri 1 J. Previously, he felt unsure about entering a school that contained smart and rich children. However, his mother always encouraged and believed in him that he could definitely enter there as long as he tried diligently to learn. Apparently true, now he can smile with relief because he can study at a favorite school with his own efforts.

Just a step he stepped foot, a shadow of his SD and Junior High friends immediately invaded his memory, making him take a few steps back with his bike.

Will they prank me like my previous friends? Will they also mock my face like this ? How is this ? Did I go back and not go to school ? I don't want the previous to happen again. Those thoughts filled Nadin's head to make his legs feel stifled to move forward.

He thought that way because he felt deterred and scared after what he had experienced before. His mind drifted to his past again.

A few days after parting ways with Aidan, the day he started school as a fifth grader in Elementary School finally arrived. The first day of school was a bad memory for him. How not, Nadin had come early in the morning so he could choose the seat he wanted. As soon as he could, Joko instead came and scolded him for assuming he had taken his seat. The insistent Nadin did not want to move got a punch from Joko right on his back to make him vomit his stomach contents and finally fainted. Joko also gets a strong reprimand from his teacher because he is often caught disturbing Nadin.

Sixth grade was the same, he was often shunned by his female friends because of trivial things, such as during the class chairman election. Nadin was shunned because only he chose boys as class leaders, even though Ami had ordered that all girls choose one of his genes that had been determined to be the class leader.

The reason, when SMP Nadin was in class with Ami. Because Ami's actions spread that his call when SD was a potato, almost all students who knew him also called him a potato. Luckily Nadin did not forget that he had a real name.

The third grade was the most difficult time for Nadin to go through. His weight suddenly soared to 60 kg. Acne stones also grow as if to add to the suffering of Nadin, his skin which was originally yellow langsat slowly turned brown and looks dull.

“Pas once do not look like potatoes ?” ami asked her new genk which she formed after the third grade of Junior High. Nadin just silently heard Ami's words. He swallowed his anger along with Ami's ridicule because he did realize that it was his worst performance.

Long before, Ami had been explained by his mother that he quarreled with Nadin's mother just because of misunderstanding. So, she asks Ami to stop bothering Nadin. However, even though it has been explained. Ami continued to bully Nadin because it had become a pleasant habit and he could not leave.

Nadin also did not want to go to school because of Ami's treatment with his genk. The boy in his previously indifferent class even bullied himself. As a result, Nadin became a loner and did not want to play with anyone. He smiled only when the report card was distributed because he felt a little happy to have been able to maintain his achievements and always got the first champion.

Until one afternoon right on the day of their graduation announcement, Ami and her genk pretended to be happy because Nadin still got the first champion until the end of Junior High School. Nadin was invited home with his genk. However, this time Nadin immediately rejected Ami's invitation. Ami and his genk force Nadin to join in a way to both embrace Nadin and take him to a lonely alley that is rarely passed by people. There they took out flour, eggs, oil, and mud from their respective bags and pelted and watered Nadin.

“Now it really looks like French fries, right?” ami asked while laughing with her friends.

“Why are you doing this to me ?! I never bothered you guys !” shouted Nadin whose emotions had reached the crown.

“We did this to make it a final memento. Let's take a photo first,” Ami replied casually without guilt.

Nadin took the hand of Ami who wanted to take a picture until his phone fell and cracked. Out of anger, Ami immediately grabbed Nadin's hair. Do not accept to be treated like that, Nadin joined Ami. His friends who want to help were hit by Nadin's punch.

“You want to make the last memento right ?” ask Nadin who is now sitting on Ami who is lying on the ground, “sini, let me also make the last memento of your strand,” said Nadin then clawed Ami's right cheek with his long nails.

Ami screamed when she felt Nadin's fingernails scratch his face. Sure enough, Ami's friends look scared when they see blood coming out of Ami's cheeks that have been scratched by Nadin. Without a second thought, they immediately ran away from Ami.

“May your wounds be impaled so that you may remember that I made your face like this. Or do I need to make a cut on your lips too ?” nadin asked as he pressed his nails on Ami's lips.

“No, please don't do that. I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore, ” said Ami who showed fear in her eyes.

After Damara saw Nadin come home in a state of dirty body due to pelted flour, eggs, oil, and mud. Damara eventually decides to move to the capital so that Nadin is not disturbed by his friends anymore. He was so sad because only now Nadin told me that he was often bullied. They moved to a house near the university. There Damara again opened a place to eat by utilizing his spacious backyard and face to face with the back of the faculty of FKIP (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education).

“Dek, why stay here ?” the voice of a man who is a member of the OSIS suddenly resuscitated Nadin from his bad memory. He immediately turned to the source of the voice and found a student in the same uniform looking at him.

“I-iya, I will enter,” said Nadin after turning to the upperclassman who had a handsome face.

“Use the full attributes yes, now there will be a complete check,” the OSIS sister's message again.

“It.... I want to go to the toilet first, can I use it later after returning ?” asked Nadin who suddenly peed after being greeted.

“Bby, but fast yes."

OSIS' sister named Saka continued to look at Nadin who was running towards the bike parking lot and immediately headed to the toilet after his bike was parked.

“Hair is very long,” lirih Saka looks amazed to see the figure of Nadin.

Nadin looked to and fro to find the toilet, he realized that he did not know where the place he wanted to go. he squeezed his skirt and bit his lower lip because it was not able to stand it, luckily his eyes caught the writing 'toilet' so he immediately rushed towards there.

"Gosh, is that a male or female toilet anyway ?" lirih Nadin accelerated his pace.

"Here you go, it's still early in the morning. Nobody's coming yet." Nadin pushed the door of one of the three-lined toilets firmly.

Brakkkk

The door was wide open, Nadin stood in front of the door and…

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” Nadin and a student who was inside the toilet both shouted in surprise.

Nadin's eyes were wide open when he shouted to see that the student was peeing. Meanwhile, the student immediately leaned against the wall while hiding his precious possession. Without a second thought, Nadin took a thousand steps to leave the shocked student behind.

How is this ? Am I going to be bullied and called a pervert girl because of this incident ?

Wait, is he in school here ? Nadin's eyes immediately widened as the question popped into his head.

“Ayoook, the new adek-adek are all gathered here to check the completeness of your attributes and defaults !” himbau Saka who had greeted Nadin in front of the gate, as well as the person who had been kind enough to take him to the women's toilet.

Hearing the appeal, Nadin immediately took his large red plastic bag, then wore a red cone hat, not forgetting he wore his tag name and nickname only. Once complete, he ran towards the OSIS brothers who were already standing at the school gate.

“One hair length, Dek,” said Dena, one of the members of OSIS at the school.

“Iya, Brother,” said Nadin with a heart that continues to beat fast. He began to worry when Dena checked the completeness of the items that had been asked to be brought. He was afraid that something would be forgotten. Finally, Dena allowed Nadin to go to the field where the welcoming ceremony was held after he finished inspecting the goods and counting Nadin's braid which must amount to fifteen.

The welcoming ceremony conducted on the ceremonial field made Nadin feel hot because the sunlight began to feel hot when it touched his skin. Upon completion, all MOS (Student Orientation Period) participants are instructed to immediately enter the designated class.

Nadin finally felt comfortable after sitting in a class that felt cool thanks to the AC. Currently he is in English class 1 which is a gathering place for red group MOS participants. He didn't care who was sitting next to him. He only smiled faintly to say yes when his MOS colleague asked permission to sit next to him.

Gosh, why is he in the red group too ? nadin shrieked in his heart while closing his mouth when he saw the student he met in the toilet was walking to find a seat. He immediately averted his gaze as the 'toilet student' who looked like an idol randomly threw a glance at him.

He didn't see me, did he ? nadin kept on looking down.

“Why ?” the question of the student sitting next to her made her surprised.

“A-I'm fine,” said Nadin while shaking his head.

“Oh. Introduce, my name is Dira Wibowo, just call me Dira,” the beautiful girl introduced herself while smiling warmly to Nadin.

“My name is Nadin," said Nadin smiling stiffly welcoming Dira's hand post.

“Come we are friends,” invite Dira to develop his smile more.

I don't want to be friends, Nadin's mind let go of his hand without returning Dira's invitation.

Nadin was quite surprised by Dira who seemed not to bother even though he did not give an answer. He even suddenly invited him to talk about the names of boy bands that Nadin never knew.

Shortly after, three members of OSIS entered the class to tell what activities they would do. Afterwards, Nadin began an introductory event that he did not want to stand in front of the class facing so many of his new friends.

Nadin's heart seemed to want to penetrate his chest when he got a turn to introduce himself. With heavy steps, he headed to the front of the class. He did not dare to raise his head in fear of his new friend's view of him. He began to feel uncomfortable when he heard whispers slowly reaching his ears.

“Let's introduce yourself, Dek,” Aldo's word which is the only male OSIS in that class.

Nadin raised his head, he felt like he wanted to run away from class when he saw 'toilet’ student was staring at him. He swallowed his saliva and hurriedly looked away.

“For a while, try the new adek that sits at the very back in the left corner also advanced to the front,” Pinta Dena who since the beginning has been interested in the student in question.

The dug dug dug dug

Nadin felt like he was going to faint because his heart was beating so fast. He felt very nervous when the ‘toilet’ student walked towards him and now stands beside him. Nadin shifted his body to the right in order to have a considerable distance with him.

“My name is Aidan Rederick, call Aidan." 'The 'toilet student' who had just introduced himself managed to make Nadin turn towards him with his eyes wide open.

Aidan ? Are you really Aidan ? muttered Nadin as he continued to stare at Aidan who was much taller than him.

But I don't know if he's the Aidan I know or not. In the past I did not have time to ask his full name, the inner Nadin who still did not believe in the coincidence that confused him.

Nadin ignored the admiration of the students who were fascinated with Aidan because he only focused on his mind.

"Hey !" Aidan slightly touched Nadin's arm which was currently only lowered.

"Eh ?" Nadin was surprised and looked up at Aidan who did not believe that he was daydreaming.

"Include yourself" whispered Aidan.

Nadin then glanced at the members of OSIS who were signaling so he could introduce himself. He took a deep breath to speak.

"My name is Nadin Naraya, I can be called Nadin" Nadin said in a single breath.

Now the same thing happened to Aidan, he immediately turned to Nadin who had introduced himself.

Inadvertently Nadin turned his head again towards Aidan who was now staring at him as well without blinking. He was eager to ask if Aidan who was currently beside him was the spicy-mouthed boy who had once given him precious memories during his childhood. However, that desire was instantly erased as Aidan's shadow while inside the toilet flashed within his recollections of being unwilling to forget the incident.