"Can you do it?"
There was a few seconds of silence after Jetroharu asked Wei the question. Wei was staring at him puzzled about what to answer, but knowing Jetroharu…
"Yeah, sure. I can talk to her about it tomorrow." He could not reject him.
"Nice! I'm counting on you Wei!" He knew Wei wouldn't disappoint him.
"But why her? Aren't you supposed to study with Chi?"
"It's distracting to study with a pretty girl."
"You mean our class rep is not? That's mean Jetro~" Kazu poke fun at him.
"She agreed that she isn't pretty though." He made clear that Nikee herself has not denied it.
"Oh, but is that really the only reason why you want to study with her?"
"She had the highest grade among us, of course you would too?"
"That is quite obvious, but I'm talking about the personal reasons. When were you guys able to talk to each other anyway? I've never seen you talking with her the whole semester?"
This was the thought-provoking question of the topic, one answer from Jetro would leave more shady questions from Kazu who is known to stick his nose into other people's personal lives, which Wei immediately noticed.
"Kazu, it's not our business to know about their unresolved issues, let's just keep it at that."
Jetroharu heaved a sigh of relief as he stood up from his chair.
"Well then, see you tomorrow. I'll be waiting for her response to you."
Jetroharu pierced him with his assertive eyes as a sign that he trusts him and his words.
He started walking into the exit door and called Kazu.
"Isn't it weird? Him getting involved with Nikee I mean?" Kazu whispered to Wei who's beside him while he looks at Jetroharu who's walking out the restaurant first.
"Yeah."
"Well then, I'm also going, see you tomorrow." He waved goodbye and ran after Jetroharu.
Wei watches them until they completely disappear from his sight.
"That was unexpected…"
—
Nikee's bedroom is what people would not expect to be, because behind her quiet and imposing character as the class representative, the vibe of her room is the opposite of it. Every corner of the walls in her room, posters can be seen, and it's not a poster where an inspirational quotation is printed on it, but faces of beautiful men. Just by the appearance of her room, it tells a lot about how different she is in school and when she's in her own room.
She was sitting on her chair close to her desk while looking at her notes. It was unrelated to the lesson they have tackled in school.
"I've written down all the available study spots I could go outside the school…but I have to spend money to be able to stay there for an hour…"
She got out of her chair in distress and threw herself on her bed. She looked up at the ceiling and realized her thoughts kept coming back to it.
"How do I decide what to do with that deal anyways?"
That moment suddenly flashed in her mind again.
"Unless you agree to help me pass, then why shouldn't that be a reason to make that secret spot of yours a secret?"
Looking back at it, it only made her get irritated. She ruffles her hair infuriatingly.
"I don't know anymore!"
She got up from her bed thinking she cannot deal with this problem alone. She goes downstairs and called someone.
"Big sis!"
Nikee's older sister, Sunny, is the only person living with her in the city. She's in the kitchen preparing their dinner but when she heard her younger sister's voice calling her, she took a pause.
"What is it? Don't disturb me with your fangirling again, I'm cooking."
"No, it's not about that!"
"Then what?"
"It's…"
Sunny became suspicious, so she turned off the stove for a while to listen to what Nikee is gonna say. They both took their seats surrounding the dining table and Sunny started the conversation excitingly.
"Oh…I think I know where this is going."
"Huh?"
"Is it about someone you like?"
Nikee got embarrassed all of a sudden.
"Ha!? No! It's not!"
"Explain your cheeks turning red then?" Sunny pointed.
"No it's just that…someone I like is the reason I go there…"
"Huh? Go where!?"
"Big sis, I just wanna ask if I should go help a delinquent man with his studies in exchange for me being able to continue to study in that special place alone…"
Sunny heared something she doesn't like.
"Wait, what!? Why would you help a dangerous guy like that? You mean you like that guy!?"
"No! I'm referring to a different guy!"
"If you ask me, I wouldn't." Sunny would never be convinced.
"Even if it's an exchange that is something special to you?"
"That's right. It's a big no to me, why would I add another responsibility by helping a guy like him?"
She looked at her sister for a few seconds and realized she's making a point.
"Okay. That's what I was thinking too." She agreed.
"Who's the guy that you like anyway? Is that the same guy you told me last time? Do you still like him? That's a first then." Sunny immediately switched the topic and teased her.
"N- Nevermind that! I'm going back to my room!"
Nikee got embarrassed again and hurriedly went upstairs.
"I'm reminding you again, Nikee! It's okay to like someone but don't get distracted because of him!" She always reminds her of this every time she talks about the guy she likes, not that Nikee always talks about him. Her sister just felt the need to keep reminding her of this.
Sunny turned on the stove again, and continued cooking their dinner. On another note, she thought of the times that whenever Nikee opens up about it, she can't help but think of something.
"My lil sis is growing up." She sarcastically cried of joy.
Nikee got back in her room, she realized that she had slipped a word talking about the guy she likes and she finds it annoying that her sister was close to cornering her about it again.
"This is all that idiot's fault! How did he end up finding that place!? He had seriously gotten on my nerves since that happened! Argh!"
Her loud voice escaped the whole room, echoed onto outside the house, which the wind carried until through the starry sky.
—
The next morning had arrived, Jetroharu is seen walking on the street leading to the entrance of the school.
"Oi! Jetroharu!" Kazu called him as he walks closer to him.
"Oi! Where's Wei?"
"I haven't seen him yet."
"Guess he's coming to class late today." Jetroharu pondered.
"I don't think so, it's still too early, there's plenty of time left."
Jetroharu didn't realize as he was always almost late when he went to class.
"Right, right."
While the two continued having their conversation as they walk to the entrance gate, three girls passed by them.
"Oh! Hi Kazu!" Chi greeted him.
"Oh! Chi Good morning!"
Since Jetroharu is just beside Chi, he was just about to greet her too.
"Hey Good-"
But Chi ignored him and Kazu found this strange.
"Huh? Did she just ignore you?"
Jetroharu also found it unusual.
Chi proceeded to walk without greeting him while the other girls followed her.
"Haha! Did you see his face? He's shookt!" Jana was pleased about it.
"He was expecting you to greet him Chi!" Rain added.
Chi closed her eyes in satisfaction.
She remembered what they talked about in the bathroom yesterday.
"Even though I still like him, that doesn't mean I'm not angry about what he did." Chi clarified.
"If you wanna pay back, the best thing to do is ignore for now." Jana gives her a tip.
"Ha! I cant do that! I dont want him to hate me!"
"Chi, he's not gonna hate you, we just want him to realize that he made a mistake by rejecting you. By doing that he'll surely get back and say that he wants to study with you." Rain thinks this is the best way to do it if Chi wants to meet her goal.
"Is that proven to be effective?"
"Yes!" Her two other friends collectively agree.
Chi reminds herself of the conversation they had yesterday.
She looked at her back to glance at Jetroharu, and surprisingly, he was also looking at her. Without realizing, she had made her cheeks blushing.
"Its actually working??" she initially thought it wouldn't.
—
Seeing the classroom with no students yet, Jetroharu realized that it had been the first time he went this early in school as soon as he entered the room together with Kazu.
"Wait a minute, is that Wei sleeping there!?" Kazu points out to the direction where Wei is seated.
"What!? So he's already here before us?"
Jetroharu checked the whole room, he seemed to be finding someone.
"She's not here yet." His mind was looking for Nikee.
Seeing Wei alone in the classroom, they got curious about the reason why he's here too early so they went closer to him to ask about it.
"Oi Wei, what time did you get here? You seem to come earlier here than the rest of us." Kazu finds it odd.
Wei moved his head out from both of his arms lying on the desk.
"Oh it's you guys. I went early to talk to Nikee, but she's still not here which is unusual." He answered with his hoarse voice which slowly went back to normal.
"Huh? Why'd you have to come early? There's no need for that! You can always talk to her anytime during class."
"No, I can't. You forgot that she's the class rep. She has many duties with that role. She's a busy student."
"You're just gonna ask her that simple question though? It will not take long."
"Don't worry. I'll try to find the right timing." Wei reassured him.
As soon as Wei had mentioned it, a sound coming from the door was heard.
"Ah! She's here!" Kazu mumbled.
Nike had entered the class wearing her earphones, she never looked at them and was only minding her own business.
"Oi Wei! She's finally here! Now's the right timing!" Jetroharuu muttered.
Wei was about to stand up when he noticed that Nikee went to her seat to only place her bag and she went outside the room afterwards.
"Huh? where did she go!?" Jetroharu was dumbfounded.
"I told you, class rep duties." Wei replied.
"Let's just wait again once she got back" Kazu gave them his positive energy.
A few minutes later, the room had become noisier as the students were coming one after another every minute that passed by until they had finally noticed that NIkee had arrived.
"Ah! She's back!" Kazu told them excitingly.
"Now's the chance Wei! Ah-"
Jetroharu saw their teacher following Nikee on her back.
"Everyone go back to your seats." Nikee signaled.
"I guess later after class." Jetroharu lost his enthusiasm
—
An hour had passed, the whole class suddenly became lively.
"Okay class that's all for it today, keep reviewing the lessons so you'll not fail in the upcoming test next week. Class dismissed." Their professor announces before she slowly steps out of the room.
Jetroharu had regained his zest. He looked at Wei and made a signal.
"Also, I forgot. Ms. Nikee, there's a class reps meeting today in a few minutes, would you be able to go? I have your excuse letter for the next subject."
"Yes ma'am, I'll go."
She came closer to their teacher and politely took the letter.
"She's this hard to approach!?"
Just when Jetroharu thought everything will go the way he wants to happen now.
"Just trust the process dude. Maybe it's still not the right time to ask it to her" Kazu whispered back to him.
"Hey Kazu! Are you going to the canteen today? You wanna go with us?" Chi suddenly appeared between them.
"Ha!? Me!? Ah,well…" He awkwardly switched his gaze to Jetroharu. "Hey Jetro do you wanna go with us-"
"Ah ! That's a no? It's okay." Chi smiled weirdly at Kazu.
"Huh!?"
Chi and her friends leaves and walks out the classroom.
Kazu thought Chi's been acting strange so he was curious to know the answer, he asked Jetroharu.
"Hey what happened to you two? Why is she ignoring you?"
"I don't know about her." He was also muddled by it.
Before Chi reached the door, she checks at Jetroharu's reaction and caught him staring at her again. She immediately told what she had seen to her other two friends.
"Guys he looked back at me again! I think it's really working." Chi got more earnest in doing it.
"We're getting there." Jana winked at her.
"Yes! Yes! Just a few more ignorings and we'll finally make him notice you and change his mind!" Rain added to Chi's excitement.
Kazu noticed that the three girls seemed like they're looking in their direction.
"You think they're talking about us?"
Jetroharu looked at them then looked away afterwards.
"They're probably only talking about me."
Kazu was distracted by the three girls.
"Huh? What? I didn't hear you, say it again."
"I said girls would never talk about you."
"Ha?? Excuse you??"
He was just being honest.
—
Jetroharu and Kazu had already gotten back to the classroom from eating at the canteen, even until after arriving at the classroom, there's still no Nikee in sight.
"It's been so long, is she not coming back!?" Jetroharu is slowly losing his patience.
"You deaf, the teacher just said they have a class rep meeting. So she's excused in the next class. Her bag isn't there too." Kazu pointed to her seat.
"Tsk. Must be nice to get excused from attending the class. "
He shifted his gaze to Wei.
"What's with Wei anyway? He's been sleeping every free time?"
"He said he had to work overtime yesterday, I mean all of them there."
"Damn, that sucks."
While looking at Wei, he looked back on his decision of making him ask her about it.
"Man I'm kinda feeling bad now that I had to request him for it" He contemplated whether he should have asked for it or not.
–
The next class came, every one had lost their energy again.
"Ok turn your page to ** and answer the given questions there. I'll give you 30 minutes, so use your time well."
Jetroharu is getting tired of waiting.
"Ah. When will this end?" He immediately laid his head down to his desk and realized he had no paper to write on. He turned his head to Chi's desk and noticed the amount of paper she has.
"Hey, ah Chi, can I have an extra paper? I don't have any."
Chi tried to ignore him as planned.
"Ah, Chi?"
She's still not replying nor doing anything.
"If the reason you're ignoring me is because I was just being honest, then I guess I would just have to ignore you too-"
Chi immediately tore a paper from her thick pad and lent it to him.
"Ah?"
"I'm sorry. Can we talk about this after class?"
"Huh? Ah, yea sure."
"Okay." The moment Jetroharu made that gaze, she knew she couldn't stick to the plan any longer.
"That.. was fast." He thought, making a baffled look.
—
Jetroharu and Kazu immediately went to Wei's seat as soon as the class had finished.
During the whole class, Jetroharu was reflecting about the whole situation with Wei, and had considered his circumstances and thought he had to change his decision.
"Ah Wei, I've been thinking I guess I'll just be the one to ask her again-"
"It's fine. I'll be the one to ask her like what we have agreed yesterday."
"Man, your way too nice." Kazu patted Wei's shoulder.
Jetroharu was relieved. He knew he could always trust Wei.
"Thanks Wei! I have to talk with someone today too!"
"Huh? Who?" Kazu asked.
"Chi, she says she wants to talk to me, I guess to clarify stuff."
"K. I'm going." Kazu sounded bitter. He is the only one who's leaving early because he has no business with a girl.
"Oi, wait!" Jetroharu wants to walk with him until they reach outside the classroom.
As the two leave the classroom with Wei left alone fixing his bag on the desk, he was curious about something.
"She's busier than I thought."
—
The students coming from the mini stadium from a different building are also leaving. These are the class representatives of each section.
As Nikee walks out together with the other students, she felt her stomach growling.
"Guess I have to eat first before I leave the school." She looked at the bag she's holding carrying the lunchbox her sister prepared.
Without realizing, she's headed to the secret spot when just yesterday, she told herself that it would be the last time she'll go. She had only realized about it just when she's already near the entrance.
"Ah. How did I got here? Wasn't yesterday the last time I'll visit? Guess it became a habit."
Nikee was just about to leave, when her instincts betrayed her and decides to take a short look.
"I'll just check if that idiot is here. Then I'll leave."
Upon making her way to the entrance, she saw a silhouette. Her eyes become bigger as she slowly makes a step to take a closer look, the more she comes near the person, the more her eyes shine brighter. She wasn't supposed to go here, but the person behind the silhouette was the sole reason she had been studying here every now and then. Without realizing herself making larger steps, she's already inside the mini garden, in front of the person she had been waiting to come here all this time.
"Ah finally you're here! I knew I'll see you here!"
She sees him everyday in the class, but it just hits different when she sees him alone with her. It's because it's only here that they were able to talk, free from judgment, free from the unnecessary noise, only the trace of his voice engulfs along the wind in this secret place.
"W..Wei?"