Aiden shrugged, signaling that he didn't know much. "They say she's cute, but super naïve. She always ends up getting lost and wandering into other classrooms, doesn't know her way around." Aiden continued casually. "But, I don't really know her either. We've never had a class together or met in person."
Hearing this, Navarro fell silent. He tried not to show any emotion, though inside, he felt a sense of discomfort.
From the description Aiden gave, Navarro knew exactly who they were talking about. It had to be Julia, the main character.
***
Julia, the Main Character
The scene where Julia always ends up in the wrong classroom is the beginning of everything. In the novel, this is the moment when the male protagonist starts to suspect that Julia is intentionally seeking attention, even though in reality, Julia is depicted as a naive girl who often forgets where her classrooms are. Navarro's mind raced, realizing that everything happening around him seemed to follow a storyline he already knew.
With a long sigh, Navarro finished his milk carton and stood up from the sofa. "Let's go to the economics class," he said, gathering his things.
Aiden nodded and followed Navarro as they left the recreation area and headed toward their class, though Navarro couldn't shake the image of Julia and the uneasy feeling about the changes to come.
Navarro and Aiden casually walked toward the building where their economics class was held. To get there, they had to pass by one of the school's outdoor sports areas, often used for badminton. From the edge of the court, they could see a few students playing.
Navarro kept walking straight ahead, not paying much attention. He had one goal—to get to the economics class and claim his favorite seat in the back.
"Hey, look at Raka, he's playing so badly," Aiden called out, pointing to one of the students on the court. "The shuttlecock flew way off. Does he even know how to play badminton, or is he just showing off?"
Navarro merely shrugged, uninterested in responding.
However, their steps suddenly stopped when something whizzed past them. Navarro glanced briefly but decided to ignore it. Aiden, on the other hand, bent down to pick up the object that had almost hit them. "Oh, it's the shuttlecock," Aiden said, holding it up.
A student from the court approached, seemingly to retrieve the shuttlecock. Aiden casually smiled and handed it to him. "Here, just be more careful next time," he said.
The student quickly nodded. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," he said before running back to the court.
Aiden quickly caught up with Navarro, who had already started walking ahead. "See? I'm the hero of the day," Aiden said with a teasing tone. Navarro only let out a soft huff, completely unfazed by his friend's joke.
What they didn't realize was that, as they walked away from the court, a pair of eyes from the group of badminton players continued to watch Navarro. The gaze was sharp, as though observing every movement, but Navarro was too lost in his thoughts to notice.
Navarro and Aiden entered the eleventh-grade economics classroom. Navarro immediately made his way to the back row, as he had planned. The room was decorated with various posters related to economics—market diagrams, quotes from renowned economists, and global trade charts. The desks were arranged in neat rows, creating a formal yet comfortable atmosphere.
Navarro chose a seat in the corner near the window, his favorite spot that offered a little space for solitude. Aiden, as usual, sat in front of Navarro, maintaining their proximity.
When they arrived, the class was still empty. However, it didn't take long for other students to start filling the room. Several of them waved at Navarro as a greeting, and he responded with a friendly nod. This was in stark contrast to Aiden, who immediately engaged in lively conversations with anyone who came close.
Shortly after, a woman entered the room with a confident stride. It was Mrs. Lusi, the notorious and respected economics teacher. The nickname "killer" that had been attached to her was not without reason. As soon as she appeared in the doorway, the class atmosphere shifted dramatically—from light chatter to complete silence. The students immediately adjusted their seating, and no one dared to speak out of turn.
The class president, Bintang Prasetya, stood at the front to lead the opening greeting. Bintang who also served as the representative for the eleventh grade, stood confidently as usual.
"Good morning, Mrs. Lusi!" Bintang called out loudly, followed by the rest of the students.
"Good morning," Mrs. Lusi replied coldly. She stood rigidly at the front of the class, scanning the students one by one with a sharp gaze. Once the greeting was finished, she wasted no time in delivering her message.
"This is your first week as eleventh graders, and I want you to understand one thing," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Don't expect to slack off in my class. I don't care if it's the first week or the last, you will work hard. Understood?"
"Yes, Mrs. Lusi!" the students responded in unison, some appearing slightly tense.
The economics lesson proceeded smoothly. On the large LCD screen at the front of the class, Mrs. Lusi explained the concept of microeconomics, presenting graphs and data that made the topic more visual. Nearly all the students appeared focused, taking notes either on their tablets or in traditional notebooks. The classroom was so quiet, only interrupted by Mrs. Lusi's explanations and the tapping of fingers on tablet screens.
However, the atmosphere was suddenly broken by a knock at the door. All heads in the class instinctively turned toward the sound. Mrs. Lusi stopped speaking, staring at the door with an impatient expression before walking over to open it.
From his seat in the back corner, Navarro couldn't clearly see who was standing at the door. However, he could make out a female student wearing the same uniform as them, with the addition of a red arm band that marked her as a member of the student union.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the girl said politely. "Sorry to interrupt, I'm here to bring a student. Apparently, she entered the wrong classroom earlier, but she's supposed to be in the economics class here."
Navarro heard the polite tone of the girl's apology, but his gaze remained fixed on Mrs. Lusi. The teacher's already stern expression grew even more serious, her sharp eyes focusing on the student standing at the door.
The student union member stepped aside, and another girl appeared from behind her. However, from his seat, Navarro still couldn't clearly make out who the new student was. A murmur from the row in front of him caught his attention.
"Oh, it's her again," someone whispered with annoyance. "Seriously, what's up with this girl?"
The muttering was accompanied by a small sigh, full of disbelief and a hint of mockery. Navarro leaned slightly forward, now curious to see who the new student at the center of attention was.
The knocking stopped as Mrs. Lusi gave a stiff nod toward the student with the red armband. Without another word, the girl stepped away gracefully, leaving the so-called "lost" student standing alone in front of the class.
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense, as if the air had thickened. All eyes were on the girl, who walked in with small, hesitant steps. Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of her shoes touching the floor echoed in the silent room.
The girl's uniform was neat, perfectly pressed, and her hair hung softly to her shoulders, decorated with a simple white headband. Yet, it wasn't her face that caught Navarro's attention—though she was cute, she wasn't strikingly beautiful. What was truly odd was the items she was carrying.
Instead of books or a bag like the other students, the girl was holding a set of painting supplies—a large canvas that nearly obscured her body, several brushes, and tubes of paint in various colors. All of it was crammed into her arms, making her appear as though she were a painter lost in the middle of an economics class.
"What's all that?" Aiden muttered quietly, tilting his body slightly to get a better look.
Navarro didn't respond, only observing. The girl walked in with her head lowered, looking embarrassed and nervous. Her gaze never once lifted to meet the eyes of the other students.
With a stern expression that only heightened the tension in the room, Mrs. Lusi crossed her arms over her chest and fixed the girl with a sharp gaze. "Who are you? Why are you late?" Her voice was cutting, almost like a knife, demanding an immediate answer.
The girl seemed startled but quickly tried to respond. Her voice was soft and trembling. "I-I'm... Julia. Julia Farnesa."
"Julia Farnesa?" Mrs. Lusi repeated, her expression shifting to one of irritation. "And what's your excuse for being late?"
Julia lowered her head even further. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I... I entered the wrong classroom earlier. It was really an accident..."
From the corner of the room, Navarro felt his body tense. That name. Julia Farnesa. It was her! Julia! The female protagonist from the novel he knew so well. The one who would be the center of attention, the plot, and all sorts of drama at this high school.
He looked at the girl more intently, noticing the nervous expression and her careful steps. Julia, the main character, had finally arrived.
The atmosphere in the classroom grew even tenser as Mrs. Lusi stared at Julia with a sharp glare that could make anyone shrink. She exhaled deeply and then, with a voice that echoed across the room, said, "So, Julia Farnesa, care to explain how you're late? It's already the second week of school. And what's with the painting supplies? This is an economics class, not an art exhibition!"
Julia seemed to falter. Her hands gripped the canvas strap tightly, as if the object was the only thing holding her up. Her eyes started to well up, her lips trembling as she tried to answer. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. It's... my mistake. I'm... new this school year... so I'm still learning where the rooms are. And... and my next class is art. I love painting... so I thought I could bring my supplies..."
The class fell silent, except for the quiet whispers of a few students in the front row trying to stifle their laughter. Navarro observed Julia from the corner of the room with a flat expression, but inside, he couldn't shake the growing sympathy he felt for her.
Mrs. Lusi scoffed and folded her arms. "You don't know the rooms? Where's the school map we gave to the new students? Or the signs in every corner? Did you forget those too?"
Julia appeared more on the verge of tears. "I... I lost the map, ma'am. And... and I also lost my class schedule..."
"Lost?" Mrs. Lusi's voice rose. "You lost the map, you lost your schedule, but you know where the art class is?!"
Julia lowered her head, her body shaking, mumbling apologies over and over again. "I'm sorry, ma'am... I'm sorry... I really didn't mean to..."
In the front row, a student whispered quietly to their friend, "Wow, this morning's drama is free of charge. This is more interesting than the economics lesson."
"She should be in acting class, not art," the other replied, giggling.
Aiden, sitting in front of Navarro, turned slightly to face him, whispering, "Poor girl. But... doesn't it seem like she's trying to get attention? Bringing all those painting supplies? Seriously?"
Navarro remained silent, watching Julia as she continued to bow and apologize. He couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that rose within him, a mix of empathy and curiosity.
Mrs. Lusi, who seemed to be losing her patience, shook her head sharply. "Listen, Julia. I don't want to hear excuses like this again. This is an economics class. If you can't follow the rules, you'd better leave now."
Julia lifted her face, her eyes red. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I promise I won't do it again."
Mrs. Lusi stared at Julia with a stern expression. "Sit in that empty chair, but remember, don't cause any more trouble." Her voice was sharp, full of sarcasm, causing the students in the class to fall silent for a moment. "And please, next time bring a bag, not art supplies. This is an economics class, not a painting gallery."
Julia, feeling incredibly awkward, nodded quickly and nervously walked to the empty seat next to Navarro. Every step she took was accompanied by the sound of her footsteps vibrating, making her even more uncomfortable. The painting supplies still tightly gripped in her hands seemed heavier with each movement. As she passed by the occupied desks, the curious glances from her classmates only made her heart race faster.
Suddenly, a loud noise from the front of the class startled Julia. Mrs. Lusi raised her voice again, "And you'd better watch your step, don't disrupt the class again!"
The loud noise caused Julia to lose her balance slightly. In the midst of her nervousness, she stumbled, and in an instant, her body fell forward.
"CRASH!"
The sound of her painting supplies hitting the floor, along with her body, filled the room. The canvas and brushes scattered across the floor, some of the supplies rolling off in different directions.
"Oh my God, Julia!" one of her classmates shouted from their desk, while the others could only hold back their laughter, though they tried not to laugh too loudly.
Julia, now on the floor, quickly tried to get up, her face bright red with embarrassment. Her hands were busy gathering the scattered painting supplies, trying to rearrange them despite her trembling fingers. Her face was a picture of nervousness, her eyes, which had been on the verge of tears, now holding back the flood of humiliation.
The atmosphere in the class became suddenly chaotic after Julia fell. Soft laughter from several students filled the room. Aiden, sitting not far from the incident, couldn't hold back his chuckle. "Oh man... this is such a mess," he said, laughing lightly. But even though he was still smiling, he got up from his seat and began helping to pick up some of the brushes and paint bottles scattered across the floor. Two other students joined in, lifting the art supplies that had fallen all over the place.
On the other side, Navarro, sitting next to the empty desk where Julia had fallen, could only watch the scene with bewilderment. His eyes were slightly wide, unsure of how to react. What just happened? he thought to himself.
At the front of the class, Mrs. Lusi was starting to lose her patience. Her voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. "What now, Julia?!"
Julia, still seated on the floor, looked completely panicked and embarrassed. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears. Her hands trembled as she slowly stood up. "I-I think someone tripped me..." she stammered, her voice hoarse.
Mrs. Lusi glared at her with a sharp look. "Don't even try to make excuses, Julia. Don't cause any more trouble for the class!"
Julia could only bow her head, her eyes wet as she tried to hold back her tears. The room fell silent, except for the hurried footsteps of her classmates returning the fallen painting supplies.
However, what was even more surprising was when Julia, her eyes slightly glassy, lifted her face and locked her gaze with Navarro, her look incredibly sorrowful. "I think... someone made me fall on purpose," she whispered softly, her eyes never leaving Navarro.
Everyone in the class, who had been watching the whole incident, now turned their attention to Julia's gaze.
A few students whispered to each other, trying to make sense of what Julia had just said and the way she looked at Navarro.
***