"Mister, stop in front of the campus gate as usual," I called out to the motorcycle taxi driver.
"Got it, kid," he replied, speeding toward the campus entrance.
The journey from the base to the campus isn't far, especially when Mr Budi, as he is known, rides quickly. If he's behind the wheel, we usually arrive in about 20 minutes or less.
Mr Budi, who has been my regular driver for a while, is a strong, healthy man in his 50s. What I admire most is his driving skill. Even in heavy traffic, he maneuvers his old motorcycle expertly, weaving through cars like a pro. He rides like a racer. Truly, Mr Budi is the best.
Before I knew it, we arrived at the grand campus gate.
"Here's the usual fare," I handed him the money.
"Wow, you've given me extra, kid," he said, a bit surprised.
"Just keep the change, Mister. No worries."
"Thank you so much, Kid. May your blessings multiply," he replied with a warm smile.
I turned away and walked toward the vast campus grounds, where the building for my major was just a short ten-minute walk away. Sometimes, I stop by the canteen for a cold drink, but today I had brought a bottle of water from home, so I decided to save some money.
Suddenly, someone called out from behind, catching me off guard.
"Hey Aldir!" It was Maya, a friend from my class.
"Geez, Maya, can't you greet me in face to face next time? You really scared me!" I responded, slightly annoyed.
Maya puffed her cheeks, clearly amused.
To me, Maya is more than just a classmate—she's my best friend here. A lot of people mistake us for a couple because of how close we are, but Maya will always be my friend. She often teases me in class, which sometimes earns me some heavy glares from those around us. Maya is smart, talented, and beautiful, with shoulder-length brown hair that gives her an innocent look. A lot of guys confess their love to her, but she always turns them down.
Maya smiled brightly at my complaint. "Hehe, sorry, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you're still the same old you."
"Am I not always the same?" I asked, confused.
"Hmph! You're so clueless! Sometimes you can be so indifferent to me. It's annoying!" she said, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.
"Isn't that how things have always been?" I replied.
"ALDIR!" Maya glared at me, furious.
"Huh?" I murmured, unsure of what had just happened as she walked away.
"What's up with her? She wasn't like this yesterday..."
After finishing up in the canteen, I headed to my class, which was not far from there.
Once I entered the classroom, I quickly hung my bag on the hook next to my desk and took a seat. I pulled out my binder and pen.
I glanced to my right. Maya sat there, sulking and turning her gaze away from me. It was clear that she was still upset. Carefully, I tried to talk to her.
"Maya, what's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood today," I said gently.
"You're so oblivious!" she retorted.
"Why's that?"
"You've been so indifferent to me today. It's really frustrating."
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry."
"Hmph!" Maya turned her head the other way, refusing to speak further.
I paused for a moment, trying to think of how to make her feel better. Then an idea popped into my head.
"I'm sorry, okay? I'll buy you your favorite ice cream later," I said.
"Really? Promise you'll buy it? Oh, and don't forget, I want chocolate and vanilla!" she replied, her face lighting up with excitement.
I nodded, agreeing.
Just two minutes later, the classroom was noisy as usual. But then, I heard a firm set of footsteps approaching. Someone peeked through the window.
"Mr Rizal is here, guys!"
The whole class fell silent immediately, scrambling to tidy up their desks and pull out their books and stationery. The room became still, only the sound of breathing and pens scratching paper could be heard.
Mr Rizal walked in confidently, his piercing gaze sweeping across the room. The atmosphere turned tense, as if he could see through our very souls.
After placing his bag on the desk with determination, he turned to face us and spoke in a deep, commanding voice, "Open to page 264, now."
My heart raced, and I quickly opened my textbook to the required page. Everyone else followed suit, and soon we were all staring at the page, waiting for him to continue.
The page showed an image of stars and galaxies. Below it, it read: "Stars and Light Are Not Eternal."
Pak Rizal then asked, "Does anyone here know about the stars in our galaxy?"
The entire room held its breath. Everyone knew how strict Pak Rizal was. One wrong answer and he'd unleash his wrath. But astronomy was my favorite subject, so I raised my hand.
Mr Rizal noticed and gestured for me to speak. "Aldir, explain this to us," he demanded.
"The Milky Way is our galaxy. It contains billions of stars. Our Sun is just a small star in it. The nearest star to our solar system is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.367 light-years away. The largest star we know is UY Scuti," I explained confidently.
"Good," Mr Rizal said with a rare smile. "You mentioned light-years. Can you explain what that is?"
"Light-year is a unit of distance used to measure astronomical distances, like between stars or planets," I answered.
Mr Rizal nodded and smiled slightly. "Correct. Well done, Aldir."
I gave a small nod and returned the smile. At least I had impressed him. Astronomy was fascinating, and I was confident I knew more about it than most of my peers.
"Alright, everyone, look up here," Mr Rizal said as the projector turned on, displaying the presentation.
He continued, explaining how our universe started from a single point before the Big Bang, and how stars, galaxies, and planets like Earth formed over billions of years.
After the video ended, Mr Rizal asked, "Any questions?"
"Does anyone have anything they don't understand?" he asked, looking around.
I shook my head. "No, sir."
Mr Rizal sighed, then added, "I'll assign you homework. Be sure to hand it in at my desk tomorrow. Those who don't submit it won't be able to attend my class anymore. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the whole class replied.
I sighed, thinking how lucky I was that this was my favorite subject. But I couldn't help feeling sorry for my classmates, especially Maya.
"Oh, Aldir, it looks like you're now the teacher's favourite," Maya teased with a pout.
"I just got lucky," I replied nonchalantly.
"Such a show-off!" she muttered.
"Isn't that just because I'm actually smart?" I grinned.
"Hmph!" Maya turned away, still pouting, but then looked back at me.
"Oh, don't forget your promise," she reminded me.
"I won't. Let's go home together," I suggested.
"Sure."
Before I knew it, the day was over. With only two classes, I quickly packed up and invited Maya to go buy the ice cream. As a man of my word, I had to keep my promise.