Nusantara High School had a new hot topic that never seemed to run out of things to talk about: the relationship between Aru and Claudia.
As the charismatic captain of the basketball team and the most standout girl in the cheerleading club, the two quickly became the dream couple of the entire school. Wherever Aru went, Claudia was almost always by his side. In the cafeteria, along the hallways, and even in the basketball stands whenever the team practiced in the afternoon.
Claire watched it all from a distance.
To outsiders, the sight was perfect, like a scene from a teen romance novel. But to Claire, every one of Claudia's bright laughs and every warm look from Aru constantly reminded her that she had been completely pushed aside. The role of Aru's childhood friend who had once always been at his side was now nothing more than a faint shadow behind the glittering new status he had gained.
"I swear, my eyes feel like they're sinning every time I walk past the second-floor hallway," Nana complained that afternoon as she flopped into the chair in front of Claire's desk in the Student Council office. "Can't Aru and Claudia stop flaunting their relationship in public? Isn't it a little over the top?"
Claire, who was copying inventory data into her laptop, only gave a faint smile without taking her eyes off the screen. "Just let them be, Na. They're newly dating, after all. It's normal for things to still be exciting."
Nana looked at Claire with concern she made no effort to hide. "Are you really okay, Claire? I only see them from a distance, and I already feel like throwing ice water on them. You must feel even worse, since you used to be with Aru all the time."
Claire's fingers paused over the keyboard for a moment, but she quickly regained control of herself. "I'm fine. It's actually a good thing, right? Aru won't keep bothering me when I'm busy with the Student Council."
"Claire," Nana sighed deeply, wrapping an arm around her friend's with pity. "You might be able to lie to everyone else, but not me. That smile of yours looks so forced, you know."
Claire slowly closed her laptop. She looked at Nana, then turned her gaze out the window of the Student Council office. From the second floor, she could see Aru and Claudia walking across the main field. Aru appeared to be carrying Claudia's sports bag, while the girl laughed and occasionally held onto his arm.
"It hurts, Na," Claire admitted honestly, her soft voice nearly drowned out by the afternoon breeze. "But I've already promised myself that I'd bury these feelings. Besides... Aru looks so happy with Claudia. What right do I have to ruin his happiness?"
Nana didn't answer. She knew how stubborn Claire could be once she made up her mind, especially when it came to putting Aru's happiness above her own feelings.
That afternoon, the Student Council blood drive committee held a meeting in the multipurpose room. As the committee chair, Aru led the meeting, while Claire sat beside him as secretary, taking notes on every important point.
Aru was extremely skilled. His charisma when speaking in front of a crowd always managed to draw everyone's attention. But there was one thing different from previous Student Council meetings: Claudia's presence in the corner of the room.
Claudia, who wasn't part of the Student Council administration, sat casually in a chair at the back, busy playing with her phone while occasionally calling Aru's name or waving to get his attention.
"Aru, we're still getting ice cream after the meeting, right?" Claudia suddenly interrupted in the middle of the discussion about Division Two's budget.
The mood in the meeting abruptly turned awkward. Several Student Council members exchanged uncomfortable looks, but no one dared reprimand her because Claudia was the committee chair's girlfriend.
Aru turned toward Claudia and gave her an apologetic smile. "Just a minute, Claud. We're almost done."
"It's taking forever. You've been talking about numbers this whole time. I'm already bored waiting," Claudia complained again, making no effort to hide her displeasure.
Claire clenched her hands beneath the table. Orderliness and professionalism were the things she valued most in the organization. Watching Claudia interrupt an important meeting for a personal matter made her blood simmer—not because she was jealous, but because she respected the team's hard work.
Claire looked up at Aru, her firm gaze visible behind her glasses. "Aru, can we continue with Division Two's discussion? We only have fifteen minutes left before the school gates are locked."
Aru was startled by the sharp, formal tone in Claire's voice. He cleared his throat softly, trying to regain control of the situation. "Ah... yeah. Sorry. Division Two, please continue your explanation."
The meeting resumed, though a faint tension hung in the air. Feeling ignored, Claudia folded her arms across her chest and glared at Claire.
A little after five in the afternoon, the meeting was officially dismissed. The Student Council members began leaving the room one by one after straightening their chairs.
Claire was putting the documents into her folder when Aru approached her desk. Behind him, Claudia was already standing there, waiting with a sour expression.
"Claire, thanks for the notes today. They're neat as always," Aru said, trying to ease the awkwardness that had lingered since the meeting.
"It's my responsibility," Claire replied briefly as she closed her backpack.
Claudia stepped forward and clung tightly to Aru's arm, looking at Claire with a smile that never reached her eyes. "Aru, let's go home now. You said you'd take me to buy new shoes, too, remember?"
"Yeah, Claud. Just a second," Aru replied gently, then turned his attention back to Claire. "Claire, who are you going home with? Want to ride with me and Claudia? My motorcycle still has room if you want to—"
"No need," Claire cut in quickly, before Aru could finish. The thought of having to sit with both of them or watch their affection on the way home was the last thing she wanted to endure that afternoon. "I'm taking a public minibus with Nana. You two go ahead."
Aru focused on Claire's face, sensing the thick wall she had deliberately built between them. "Are you sure you're okay? Usually, you..."
"I'm not a little kid anymore, Aru," Claire said firmly, this time looking straight into her childhood friend's dark brown eyes. "You have a girlfriend now, and your focus should be on Claudia, not on worrying about how I get home. I can take care of myself."
Aru fell silent. Claire's words felt like a gentle yet powerful push telling him to back away. For the first time in their many years of friendship, Aru felt that Claire truly didn't need him anymore.
"Come on, Aru! The café's going to get crowded!" Claudia urged, tugging on Aru's arm and breaking the tense silence between them.
Aru looked at Claire one more time before finally nodding at Claudia. "Yeah, let's go."
"See you, Claire," Aru said goodbye, his voice restrained.
Claire only gave him a small nod in response. She stood frozen in the gradually emptying multipurpose room, watching Aru and Claudia walk away down the hallway. Aru glanced back one more time, but Claire quickly turned her face away, pretending to be busy straightening the buttons on her bag.
When the popular couple's silhouettes finally disappeared around the hallway corner, Claire let out a long sigh. The cold afternoon air pierced her lungs.
Seeing Aru and Claudia together was painful, but having it reaffirmed that she no longer had a special place in Aru's life was even more devastating. Still, Claire knew this was the price she had to pay to bury her misguided feelings. She had to get used to becoming a stranger to the person who had once been her home.
To be continued...