Owen had recalls back as a first-year student. He feels excited, happy, and with no pressure, but now his lecturer gave him more assessment and made him think like hell until his time switched between morning and evening.
In his second year, Owen promised to manage his time correctly because of his experience in the past. His target was not to pass quickly but to pass slowly with maximum results. Owen doesn't want to be stuck in the same situation.
After all, that's the purpose of his life now, and Owen has no plans to return to Indonesia shortly. This morning's class was Architecture C2, his favourite subject. While in his first year, Owen got very satisfactory marks in the C1 Architecture course.
Owen has had a hobby of drawing. His talent for drawing and interest in buildings has been inherited from his mother, who worked in architecture.
Whenever Owen has free time, he has always been eager to evaluate information from reading and analysing images. Not only summarising design examples but also reading books about architecture.
Owen was enthusiastically listening to his lecturer's explanation of anthropometry while Alex seemed to be dozing off in the morning. He also ignored the teacher's teaching. Alex passed him a small folded piece of paper. Of course, Owen realised it was another silly message.
Owen showed a sour face that had disturbed his concentration in studying, directly giving Alex a sharp look sitting beside him. The students in this department generally have a good attitude when studying. But that kind gesture didn't mean Alex in it.
Alex was an active person. It was challenging for him to sit and listen to the lecturer's explanation for two or three hours in one course.
Even though he doesn't seem to listen to the lecturer's teaching, Alex has had been the student with the highest marks. A fact that was difficult for other students to accept.
Alex was very popular in the faculty, among students, lecturers, and the administration department. Lecturers in the faculty tolerate his attitude in the class.
Owen opened the slip of paper he had received from Alex. Alex wrote the silly message; "I'm hungry, it's raining. I want to eat Indomie."
When he read the stupid message, he felt irritated. He crushed the paper tightly then tossed it over his best friend's shoulder.
Alex just yawned, ignoring Owen's annoyance. After the class was over, the lecturer gave a new assignment. Owen doesn't want to procrastinate on the task given by his lecturer, preferring to start working on it today. At least he can repay every day.
Owen invites Alex, who was still asleep in class, to the JMS building together, he wakes him up. He put his heavy bag on the head of Alex, who was sleeping.
"You're too relaxed!" said Owen.
"Even when I fall asleep, there's no such thing as a C in my life."
Alex's smug and confident answer irritated Owen even more. How can God be unfair when offering a brain to a human? Owen thought, grumbling in his heart.
"You! why did God give you a much better brain?"
Owen snapped, annoyed and left the class. Owen grumbled that he was just intelligent bastards.
Students from various faculties will be crowded either at the library or JMS building when entering the exam season.
James McCune Smith building was a great place to work on assignments, tranquil. It was one of Owen's favourite places to sit for a long.
A comfortable seat will become the target of students. Since it's the beginning of the semester, not many students visit this building.
Of course, not having many visitors was one of the happiest things in Owen's life as Owen and Alex walked into the third floor of the building. They met with a member of the PPI.
PPI was an organisation consisting of Indonesian students who were studying abroad. It was named the Indonesian Student Association. Every region of the country around the world will have this PPI organisation.
Owen was not part of the core management, but whenever PPI holds a monthly event, he will occasionally come to attend the event.
Owen has been offered several times to become the committee of PPI. However, he always refuses because of the piled-up tasks and part-time jobs that Owen has taken up quite a lot of time.
In addition, Alex occasionally helps as a media team, such as helping to create event posters. He also helps document events every month.
For this period, Mr Rizal was the deputy chairman of the PPI. He was a doctoral student at the business and management faculty.
Alex, who had been dozing throughout the class, was forced to the James McCune Smith building with Owen; for a moment, he was excited again when he met Mr Rizal.
Owen and Alex greeted the deputy chairman, whom Owen and Alex welcomed equally friendly and wise.
He is a lecturer at the Bandung Institute of Technology, the School of Business and Management faculty.
"Sir"
"Sir Rizal ?"
Greet Owen and Alex at the same time. Alex was pleased to meet Mr Rizal, whom he met in the lift.
"Owen and Alex, do you want to do your assignment?" Mr Rizal replied with a friendly smile.
"Yes, sir, still early semester, but our lecture already gave an assignment," Alex replied casually.
Owen, who had been annoyed by Alex's behaviour for a moment, turned his emotions into joy when he saw a woman who caught his attention standing next to Mr Rizal.
The sixth sense of Alex quickly read the situation understanding Owen's frequent mood swings. Alex tried to make small talk about digging up information about the woman with Mr Rizal.
Owen and Alex were significantly closer with Mr Rizal, apart from being a friendly person. Sometimes in their free time, Mr Rizal likes to invite the two of them to eat at his house. He also treated the two of them as his children.
Mr Rizal, who was currently completing his doctorate at the University of Glasgow, brought his wife and daughter to live with him.
"Ah, Mr Rizal, who is the beautiful lady standing next to you? I haven't seen yet before?"
Without hesitation and shamelessness, Alex immediately asked the woman beside Mr Rizal. Mr Rizal and the woman who just got out of the lift started talking with Owen and Alex.
Of course, it was the woman who bumped into Owen five days ago when Owen and Alex were working at Peter's Bar.
Unexpectedly Owen and Alex meet again in this building. Alex intelligently concludes that the woman was a student at the University of Glasgow.
"Oh, yeah! She is Nadila. She's studying doctoral."
"Hi, nice to meet you; I am Nadila." Nadila gave a friendly smile introducing herself.
Mr Rizal was quite familiar with Indonesian students, apart from being the deputy core administrator of the PPI.
He was also active in helping other students; on average, he helps undergraduates, masters and doctoral students. Nadila was one of Mr Rizal's acquaintances in Indonesia.
After Owen met Nadila, Alex was excited every day. The funny thing was a woman who could catch Owen's attention for the first time in his life.
At first, Owen thought Nadila might be from Thailand because she had a petite body with white skin and slightly slanted eyes like the Thai girls he often met.
"Nadila, I introduce these two handsome young men, Owen and Alex; they are undergraduate students here." Mr Rizal's friendly smile gently introduced the two of them to each other.
Alex, who didn't mince words, immediately extended his right hand to shake hands with Nadila. Owen knows Alex's cunning action. He just let it go with resignation.
Of course, Alex's attitude, full of enthusiasm and to get to know Nadila, will become one of Alex's new mockery for his friend.
"Nice to meet you, Nadila. I'm Alex and a very handsome young man next to me; his name is Owen."
Alex, who had been smiling meaningfully since the beginning, had been itching to tease Owen. He was emphasising the word handsome. He deliberately made Owen even more awkward.
Mr Rizal, who didn't know Alex's rotten heart, just laughed innocently at Alex's positive behaviour.
"Alex's cheerfulness always entertains me as usual. Play at my place often. Alina will also be happy if her brothers come to visit." Mr Rizal said politely.
Mr Rizal and his wife were like substitutes for their parents in Glasgow for Owen and Alex.
Alex nudged Owen's arm coded for a handshake with Nadila immediately. Owen quickly grabbed the tiny hand that was waiting for him to shake.
"Owen"
He said briefly. Alex just smiled, amused to see his best friend answer very briefly. Still, his gaze was directed straight and meaningfully towards Nadila. The acquaintance ended shortly.
Mr Rizal and Nadia left Owen and Alex after exchanging greetings that lasted no more than five minutes. Although their chat was short, it left an impression on Owen's heart.
When Owen shook hands with Nadila, his heart tingled. His bare hands touched Nadila's tiny hands directly, giving an electric shock effect.
However, Owen was not aware of his feelings. He was confused with his amused heart after touching Nadila's hand. He was silent for a moment watching his right hand intently.
While Alex, who was very sensitive to Owen's changes, only chuckled at the confused look on his face. Alex also really enjoyed this exciting spectacle for a while until Owen realised his feelings.
Of course, Alex enjoyed the new experiences that his best friend had. Since the first, Alex has tried several times to introduce girls he thinks are beautiful and popular. But Owen was never once interested in getting to know them.
To the extent that Owen was rumoured to be a gay couple with Alex at school. Alex was in the third year of high school, and he was a student council president. In contrast, Owen, who was in the first year, ignored the rumours until the rumours reached the ears of the school teachers.
They were both summoned by the principal. However, the longer it was allowed to let the false stories become the truth among students.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding ended well, and the teachers did not call the parents. When you reach your parents, you can't imagine the faces of Alex's parents who will laugh at him every time. Alex's parents constantly teased him because he never dated even though many girls were around him.
Alex's parents were doctors at the same hospital as Owen's father and brother, Oscar. Since he was little, Alex loved sticking with Owen like he couldn't live without him. But once in a while, both of Alex's parents have to go abroad to become volunteer medical personnel like in Palestine, Africa, or Vietnam.
In addition, they had been busy conducting seminars abroad. As a result, Alex's parents were rarely home. Little Alex never complained and understood the work of his parents. At first, Alex felt lonely, but after his parents introduced the children from the Bakker family. Alex had never felt lonely like before.
Alex has begun an obsession with money. To the extent that Alex advised his parents always to give him more pocket money since his parent rarely stayed at home.
Alex has had an unusual intelligence compared to other children his age. He was good at understanding financial management at the age of seven.
There were two rooms of his family's private library in Alex house. Owen and Alex first met at that time.
Owen was four years old, while Alex was six. Alex's mother and father like to collect books from various worlds, making Alex fill his time since childhood reading all the books in his home library.
Six-year-old Alex was already fluent in English. He arrogantly spoke to little Owen in English. Owen, who didn't understand a single word Alex was saying, only gave a satisfied smile of victory.
Owen, still very innocent, replied to Alex's terms by using Dutch. Alex was surprised and confused by Owen's words, which he thought was just the words of a baby who can't speak yet.
Ever since Alex found out that Alex's family was unusual, having a father from Holland. However, Alex's parents told him that Owen could only speak Dutch rather than Indonesian.
Alex was shocked and dumbfounded. He felt lost to a child-like Owen. He stubbornly doesn't want to lose.
Alex ends up always visiting Owen's house and bothers him every chance he gets. Alex secretly learns Dutch to surprise Owen.
*** *** *** *** *** ***
It was already 4:30 in the afternoon. Owen and Alex were still doing their homework in the JMS building.
Alex, who was focused on doing his homework in front of his laptop screen, felt bored and hungry.
Alex had lost concentration playing the mechanical pencil and twirling it in the fingers of his right hand. The mechanical pencil slipped from his finger and hit Owen's MacBook Pro with a loud bang.
Owen, who was focused on typing his assignment, was silent for a moment, sighed and shouted a little.
"Heis!"
"Sorry, bro, I didn't mean to." Alex's apology didn't look sincere.
"I can't focus here."
Complained Alex, who couldn't help being sleepy and hungry simultaneously. The calm and quiet atmosphere in the JMS building made Alex feel weak.
When it's a day off, or there was no class in the morning, Alex quickly finishes all his assignments in the evening until morning comes.
Usually, he completes all his tasks while in his bedroom, listening to songs or occasionally calling to annoy Owen. Alex, who was super active, was not suitable for lingering in a too quiet place.
Although Alex already looks uninspired, while doing his job, he was earnest. Owen peeked at Alex's laptop, which was still interrupting him, trying to check all his work.
The report that Alex did was almost half done. He also recorded all the references in his notebook.
"This clever bastard secretly has this much," Owen grumbled.
While working on his report, Owen didn't pay much attention to Alex, occasionally interrupting him with silly questions.
However, Owen suddenly realised that Alex's other unusual skill was that he could do the job while bothering him with all the stupid questions he had.
His hands were typing an assignment, his brain worked for him to think, and his mouth was still talking and very disturbing. That's the figure of Alex.
"Looks like you took for ages."
Alex's sarcasm smiled slyly disdainfully, staring at Owen.
The whole time Owen was starring on the report. He was not focused on his work at all, unlike usual.
Alex realised this little thing without Owen knowing. He occasionally checked his right hand as if it had a problem.
"Bro, if there is a problem, just tell me?" Alex asked as he tidied his books into his backpack.
"What problem do you mean?"
Owen answered quickly, then paused and suddenly continued his speech.
"I'm fine!"
Alex, who didn't want to bother with Owen's refusal, just smiled and nodded in agreement with the answer his friend gave him.