Footsteps pounded along the sidewalk. A girl was running toward the school gate, which was about to close.
"Sir, wait for me!" the girl shouted from not too far away—about five meters.
The security guard, who was about to close the gate, stuck half his body out to find the source of the voice.
The girl tried to catch her breath before stepping inside.
"Thanks, Sir!"
I'm so screwed, Di. I'm late, and everyone's already gathered! she thought.
She had only taken a few steps when she nearly fell after stepping on her shoelace.
"Ugh ... what a pain, these shoes! The laces came undone again," she grumbled, hurrying to tie them.
THUD!!!
Suddenly, just as she finished tying her shoelaces and hurried to run inside, she accidentally clipped the shoulder of someone passing by.
"Ow, my shoulder hurts so bad!" she complained, wincing as she gently rubbed it before continuing on her way without a second thought.
"STOP!!!"
A deep voice came from someone standing behind her.
Huff ... Irritated, she blew her bangs out of her face and turned around to see who had ordered her to stop.
"Holy crap, that face is scary!" she muttered, rubbing her chest.
She was startled when she saw the face of a guy glaring at her without a hint of a smile. He looked incredibly stern. He was taller than her and, yes, extremely handsome—but he also looked downright intimidating.
"Didn't you learn any manners? You just walked away without even apologizing!" he snapped, now standing in front of the girl.
His sharp gaze flicked to the girl's name tag.
"Sorry, I was in a hurry!"
"Then don't oversleep, so you won't be late!" he snapped.
The girl simply lowered her head in silence. She didn't want to start trouble on the first day of New Student Orientation.
"Diandra Adelia Khairunissa. That's your name, right?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
Diandra nodded.
"Don't you have a mouth?"
"I do, Senior!"
"Then why didn't you answer?"
Diandra let out an exasperated sigh. "Senior, I'm already late and need to hurry inside. If you want to yell at me, do it later, okay? After break."
Diandra turned away and headed toward the assembly field. The senior boy could only fume as he watched the girl's back disappear into the distance.
"Wow, she's the first new student brave enough to stand up to you. Good for her!" said his friend Kevin. He didn't respond and immediately walked away.
"Ugh, it's already packed," Diandra muttered, searching for an empty spot.
Her gaze stopped when she saw a girl waving at her, signaling that there was an empty space beside her. Delighted, Diandra headed over.
"Hey, thanks!"
"Sure, no problem. I'm Vita!" she greeted her, holding out a hand.
"I'm Diandra!"
The presentation was underway, interspersed with an introduction to the school buildings.
"Attention, everyone! Before break, the Student Council President has something to say."
A boy walked onto the assembly field with one hand tucked into his pants pocket.
"Wow, the Student Council President is so handsome!" a girl from the row of female students seated in front screamed hysterically. He only smiled briefly, revealing his stern features.
Silence ... The students who had been making noise fell quiet at once.
"My name is Rafasya Dimas Bastian. Just call me Senior Rafa!"
"Wow, Senior Rafa is so handsome, but he seems kind of cold!"
"His face is so cute. I want to pinch his cheeks."
"Who cares if he's cold? He's still handsome."
They're so over-the-top, Diandra thought, feeling uncomfortable.
"But Senior Rafa really is handsome, Dian!" Vita whispered.
Diandra rolled her eyes in annoyance. She hadn't been paying attention to him; she'd been busy playing a worm game on her phone.
Curious, Diandra finally looked up—and her eyes immediately widened when she realized that the guy whose shoulder she had accidentally clipped earlier was the Student Council President.
"So that chatty guy is the Student Council President?" she asked Vita.
"Chatty guy?" Vita asked, frowning in confusion.
"Earlier, when I was hurrying over here, I accidentally clipped his shoulder while I was standing up after bending down to tie my shoelace," she explained.
"Then why did you call him chatty?"
"Ugh ... He even insulted me and said I don't know any manners," Diandra grumbled.
Vita giggled. "You're something else, Dian."
"You girls over there!" Rafa called in a slightly raised voice.
The new students looked around, trying to figure out which ones Senior Rafa meant. Diandra didn't care who he was talking about. She went back to her game.
"You, the one with your head down—Diandra Adelia Khairunissa!" he emphasized.
Diandra looked up in surprise. Every eye searched for the person with that name.
Diandra swallowed hard when she saw Rafa's sharp gaze fixed on her.
Vita poked Diandra's arm and whispered, "He's calling you, Dian!"
"What are you waiting for? Come up front!" he ordered.
With a sour expression, Diandra hurried to her feet, every eye turning toward her. Of course, some people started whispering. She ignored their stares and walked to the front.
Rafa glared at her. A slight shiver ran down her spine as she felt the piercing gaze of the senior standing behind Rafa.
"What's up, Senior?" Diandra asked, trying to act casual. She wasn't even scared—in fact, she looked completely unfazed.
"You. Repeat the material that was presented earlier!"
"Huh?!" Diandra gaped in shock.