Chapter 35 - The Fact

"I..."

"You are what?"

"I mean, I want to apologize, Ardilo."

"Sorry, why do you apologize to me, honey?"

"It's all because of me, you got into trouble."

"Not because of you, honey. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything. This is my problem with Yola."

"But still, Stefa is also in trouble because of me."

"You already know everything?"

"Alright, I already know everything."

"You don't have to worry, okay. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll take care of it. Stefa will also be fine. You just focus on your exams. Okay."

"Ardilo..."

"Yes?"

"It's okay." Then a small laugh was heard.

"Why? Don't make me curious, please."

"Nope, it's okay. Thank you for forgiving me. I love you, Ardilo."

A smile appeared on Ardilo's face. He was relieved that Taera wasn't angry anymore. And this is a rare moment. Taera rarely said about her feelings.

"I love you too. The important thing is that we have to be strong and persevere. We don't want to solve the problem we have with a cool head. Don't rush to conclusions and ask for a break-up, okay."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, okay?"

"It's okay, honey."

"Well, I want to study first. You are also excited about the exam. Hopefully, Saturday's hearing will be fine."

"Amen."

"Bye."

"Bye, honey."

Taera hangs up the phone. Ardilo now breathes a sigh of relief. He then returned to the cafe and continued his chat with his friends.

***

Yola is celebrating her victory in her boarding room with her friends. Even though Yola has to accept a reprimand and go to a hearing with SRC this Saturday, she doesn't care. What is clear, she is happy because her plan worked, and Taera and Ardilo's relationship fell apart.

"I'm sure they will break up soon," said one of Yola's friends.

"I don't care about reprimands and hearings with SRC. For me, Taera being away is a happy thing," said Yola, then laughed.

"Btw, why don't you like her, Yol? Wasn't it when they first started dating, were you okay?" asked another of Yola's friends.

"I'm fine. It's just that sometimes I don't like that Ardilo's attention to me decreases. You know, apart from being close to Serry, Ardilo is the closest to me. I've tried my best to keep myself close to Ardilo. But since he became friends with Taera, over time his attention has decreased. And I don't like that," Yola explained.

"You thirst for attention. You already have Hendo," said another of Yola's friends.

"Hendo is different from Ardi. Hendo is kind and understanding. But he doesn't have the aura that Ardi has. I don't know why Ardi is so different. His charismatic side, which has grown since he became the Chairman of SEB, makes me want to get closer to him again. "explained Yola.

"Yeah, he's different now. I also feel that he's getting more attractive. But yeah, if you're a rival, I'll back off. I'm not pretty," said Yola's friend.

Yola just smiled shyly. Yola is indeed beautiful. And she's an interesting and smart person. Many guys like Yola, but Yola is a picky type of person. She just wants to be close to certain people. Unfortunately, this trait is invisible because Yola seems to get along with everyone. It's all fake though. She doesn't show her true self.

"Btw, we just want to tell Airin," said Yola's friend.

"Yes. You are very clever at taking advantage of Airin. How do you know if Airin is being bullied by her friends?" asked Yola.

"One of Airin's enemies is the same age as me. I overheard her talking about Airin with her friends via video call. Yes, I just thought about it. So she reported it," explained Yola's friend.

"Surely the SEB members will be hostile to Airin if they know that Airin reported it. Especially Stefa," said Yola, then laughed. The other friends laughed too.

"It's a double kill," said one of them.

"The real killer is when Ardilo and Taera break up. I won't give up until then," said Yola, full of ambition.

***

"Have you called your boyfriend?" Sonia asked Taera.

They were sitting in the living room. Sella and Taera were studying. While Sonia was finishing up her thesis draft, Hyona was cooking.

"That's it. He said everything will be fine. He will take care of Stefa's problem too," Taera replied.

"Yola, why is it so annoying? Just hug a guy," said Sella annoyed.

"Yeah, what's wrong with her?" asked Sonia.

"She said, that she was sad after her boyfriend broke up with her. She needed support. Because Ardilo is one of her close friends. Yes, that's how it is," Taera explained.

"It's a bit strange. It's sad. But yes, I don't play hugging other guys either time," Sella commented.

"Yes, I don't know. I was so focused on seeing them. Yuna and Putra were also stunned. They didn't say anything because they were shocked," said Taera.

"I'm curious, who reports to SRC?" Sella asked.

"I don't know either. I feel sorry for Stefa if she gets removed from her position later as secretary 2 SEB Faculty of Economics. I still remember how happy Stefa was when she was accepted as DEB of SEB Faculty of Economics. I can't imagine what it would be like if she had to lose her position," Taera said.

"In my opinion, if it was in the vicinity of the third-level Management examination room, it means that those people were the only ones there. There couldn't be another student from another major, except for Stefa, who was deliberately waiting for Yola," said Sonia. Try to analyze.

"Yes, there is some truth to that. It must have been the management's students who reported it," said Sella.

"Who do you think?" Taera muttered.

"Does anyone know who Yola's friends are?" asked Sonia.

"I don't know, Sis. I don't know anyone from Management other than SEB members," Taera answered.

"I'll try to ask my friends later. Maybe someone knows," said Sella.

"Okay, thank you," said Taera.

At that time, Hyona came with fruit salad and some other food. They then stopped for a moment to eat food made by Hyona. Without knowing who the real culprit is.

***

Airin cried silently. She couldn't let her boarding house children hear the sound of her crying, which she felt like she wanted to let go of freely. She was tired of all this. Why should she be the victim of bullying from her friends? Is her position as Treasurer 2 at the SEB of the Faculty of Economics still not enough to make her a strong and respected person? Why do they still underestimate Airin? Airin is also tired of being bullied. Especially when she had to report the incident to the SRC. Now, she can only pray for the best. She hopes Stefa and Ardilo are doing well.