My brother and I sat at the dining table. We have finished our breakfast and now he waited for my answer while crossing his arms.
"Y-you better not work for Nova without my permission!" My brother patted her right index finger.
"Why did you suddenly say that?!"
"I made you become a teacher to make you not mess up with that mad old lady!!" He raises his volume.
"Huh? .....Why did you suddenly not allow me to do that?! Wasn't it you who make my life like that back then, do you remember it?!"
I tried to not raise my volume. Holding back emotions is something I usually do.
"Geh...!" My brother was silent and can't object anymore.
The sound of cars passing in front of our home could be heard clearly from inside the house. Silence came over us. Neither I nor my brother tells the truth. I can feel his lie while talking like that.
"Why are you so pretentious....?" My brother's voice was low.
"I accidentally care about you because that time... you looked suffering..."
"The day your friend died..."
"You destroyed all things in your room..."
"You're so depressed..."
"But the tears didn't come out of from your face."
My brother reminded me of the incident a week before I became a teacher at my current school. That day, my friend...no...but my best friend from school died of illness.
I don't understand, I saw my classmate crying during the funeral procession. It's just, why can't I? Shouldn't I be the one to suffer the most? He's my only friend who tried to stop me from going to that place. If only I had followed his words that thing might not have happened.
After coming home from mourning, I could only lie down. Asking myself, am I crazy? I worked for her(Nova) for about 5 years. And I've lost my humanity that far?
I looked at the books neatly arranged in the glass cabinet. I want to express anger.
I got out of bed, and walked over to the glass cabinet, I slammed the cupboard, and the glass and the books inside it were scattered.
"Why?!... Why?!... WHY?!"
I can only slowly back away and lean my body against the wall. How far have I gone?
A few moments later, I lost consciousness and put myself to sleep. I felt someone coming to me.
"Sorry...All this time, I could only watch you suffer..."
A low voice was heard before my sleep.
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Back at the dining table, I left my brother who was still in bloom on the chair to prepare to go to school. There are still things I should do on my day off.
Will this be okay? Of course not. That's what I thought, I hated him from the start. He suddenly spoke to me after a long time. He asked me to be a teacher like we were very close brothers from a long ago.
He forced me to use his power as vice mayor. But from his eyes, he had a purpose. He wanted to keep me away from Nova and her dirty work.
I was silent thinking about those things on the bus.
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I walked to the fighting arena as Bahar said. There are a lot of people coming here. They are important people. I recognized their faces.
The volunteer from each class gathered in a room for a meeting. Bahar leads the meeting from in front of us.
Someone sat beside him. From the wrinkled old face and the mole under his left eye. He is the governor who sent 3 tappers last night, Halim Perdana Kusuma.
When I see people who sit next to me, he couldn't help but bite his own lips when he knew I had to sit beside him, poor Vicky.
The meeting ended in about 4 hours. The content of the meeting is not very important. Halim took a lot of time when giving a speech. about 1 and a half hours he spent just for that.
I left the meeting room with a regretful expression. I should have chosen to see Hakam's condition in the workplace than here. But I just remembered that I'm the only one free right now.
I tried to walk home, but someone touch my right shoulder. I turned my face away, and a familiar face I saw. I immediately touched the screen of my cellphone which was in my pocket just in case.
"Rasyid is your name, right?" Halim asked me with his fake smile, typical of a politician.
"Hmm(nods)..."
"Can talk for a minute...in private."
Halim took me to an empty classroom. Our place is far from the arena and the meeting place. No one can meet us here, they would rather walk outside than go too deep into this school.
"No one seems to be following us." Halim watched the surroundings through the classroom window.
I lowered my body and put my right hand on my chest. Signaling it to hurry.
"Introduce me, Halim. Governor of East Dawa Province." He introduced himself.
(I didn't ask your name, old man. Everyone knows who the hell you are.)
"Rasyid Londerik." I nodded my head.
"...hahahahaha," he laughed softly.
"You know why I called you? You certainly know, right? There's no way you can pretend you don't remember who you worked with before. Am I wrong, Rasyid Londerik...." He smiled as he leaned against the wall.
I'm silent. He clearly got the point.
"I see...I'll take your silence as a yes." (Halim)
"Calm down, boy. I just came here to bet on you." (Halim)
"You heard it too, right Nova?" (Halim)
He realized Nova was listening through my cell phone.
I called her earlier just in case.
"Yes...I heard it... very clearly. Rasyid put your cell phone on the table!"
I put my phone on the table in class. Now, Nova seemed to be between the two of us.
"It is rare to you bet," Nova said she was surprised when she found out.
"Because this will be my time and your last time. I will fight till my last blood!" Halim clenched his fist and placed it in front of his chest with the pride of a warrior.
"Okay...What do you want?"
"During the final of teacher test battle. If your subordinate, Rasyid can win the final against the 3rd-year magic class. Then I will give you this." Halim took out a rolled-up blueprint from his pocket.
Halim is the leader and inventor of Pageblug technology. Components of Pageblug are very difficult to copy. No one has yet succeeded in copying this technology.
"Oh..."
Even though just by a sound I can see Nova's amazed face there. A bet with a big prize, then the items placed by Nova must also be expensive.
"So what do you want from me? Blueprint from Anitya?" (Nova)
"No... I don't need trash. I just ask one thing..." Halim gives her an evil smile.
"What's that?" (Nova)
"I want you to cancel your new project!" (Halim)
"That project? So that's what you're after, heh?!" Nova's laughter was heard.
"Alright! It's going to be a bet that goes to the winner and costs the loser. I really like this." Nova is excited about this bet.
It's rare for me to hear Nova's excited voice.
"I accept this bet…. You hear that Mr. President?!" (Nova)
Nova mentioned someone who wasn't in this conversation. Halim just curled his mouth.
"Even on the phone, you're still very sensitive as before." Halim took out a cell phone that was in a state of calling someone.
"Both of you are suck." I mocked him.
The president opens his voice.
"I have heard your wishes. An agreement has been made. The loser must do as promised in this meeting." (Mr. President)
PAK PAK PAK!
The voice of the president hitting the hammer from Halim's cell phone was heard. This will be an absolute bet. Winners and losers cannot appeal. Something that is bet cannot be more or less.
I got involved even more...