The first break of Dinda's first day at school felt like a scene from the wrong movie. Dinda sat alone in the corner of the cafeteria, staring at the fried rice she'd ordered, still untouched. The cafeteria was crowded, filled with laughter and playful chatter, the clinking of spoons and forks, and conversations drifting in every direction.
Not a single student sat near her. Even the chair beside her seemed to have been pulled away, as if her presence were a nuisance. A small wound scratched at the wall of her heart. It wasn't a physical wound, but one that scarred her pride. She didn't complain or protest. Yet Dinda knew all too well that she preferred to stay quiet and unnoticed.
“Dinda, right?” a soft voice said from beside her.
A girl with glasses sat across from her. They hadn't had a chance to introduce themselves yet. She had a sweet, plain face, and her smile was slightly stiff but sincere.
Dinda nodded slowly. “Yeah ….”
“I'm Rani. I sit in the middle row, second from the right,” the girl said quickly before lowering her head. “If you don't mind, can I sit here?”
“Yeah, go ahead.” Dinda answered, secretly relieved. At least one person was willing to talk to her today.
But that small moment was soon shattered by a wave of voices erupting from the other side of the cafeteria.
“Leo's here!” several girls from the front row whispered.
Leo had just walked in, moving with relaxed confidence as if the cafeteria belonged to him. His gaze swept across the room, his hair perfectly styled like he'd just left a salon, and his sweet smile intoxicated the girls. Arman and Daren followed beside him like bodyguards.
Dinda watched him quietly. Leo stood in stark contrast to the other students. An aura of power radiated from his every gesture.
“So there's a little king at this school …,” Dinda muttered inwardly, annoyed.
It was completely different from her old school in the village, where achievement mattered more than appearance. There, every student had the same rights and status. Here, everything felt like a stage play about social class.
Not long afterward, Cindy appeared.
The tall girl with wavy brown hair walked as if she were floating. Indri and Liza followed behind her like loyal shadows. Their skirts rode above their knees, and the top buttons of their shirts were undone, giving them a style that looked more like teenage models than high school students.
“She must be the queen bee of this school,” Dinda thought quietly.
“They're the popular girls' clique, and Cindy's their queen. They're in Science Track 1,” Rani whispered.
“Leo, you're eating here too?” Cindy asked in a voice made as sweet as possible.
Leo only glanced at her before answering flatly, “I don't think so.”
Without paying her any more attention, Leo sat on a long bench near the window. Arman and Daren quickly joined him.
Cindy looked awkward for a moment, her cheeks flushing, but she quickly regained control of herself. Then she sat not far from Leo, trying to make it look like a coincidence. Indri and Liza shifted into strategic positions as well, flanking Cindy.
“Look at them. They're like something out of a Korean drama,” Rani remarked with a small smile.
Dinda smiled faintly too. But the smile vanished when she noticed Leo shoot her a sharp glance. His cold, judgmental stare seemed to be assessing the value of some cheap item in a display window.
“Is there something wrong with my face?” Dinda whispered, her body tense.
“He's always like that,” Rani whispered carefully. “Arrogant and full of himself, but the girls at this school still chase after him. He's rich, handsome, athletic … you know how it is,” she continued, flicking her small hand. “Cindy even told everyone that she and Leo were going to be the school's power couple.”
Dinda swallowed. Clearly, she had no place in a world like that.
“Dinda! Get a grip! They're from a different world! Don't even dream about it!” Her inner voice jolted her. She drew a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts.
“I have no intention of entering their world either. I'm just going to study and make use of the facilities available to me!” she protested silently.
The rest of the day dragged by, slow and heavy. In class, Leo made several sarcastic comments aimed at her. About her appearance, the way she spoke, or nothing more than some snide remark. Laughter exploded from her classmates, almost completely devoid of empathy. Dinda only lowered her head, trying to focus on her notes.
What hurt most wasn't Leo's words, but their laughter. The laughter of people who didn't know her yet felt entitled to mock her simply because she was different. Or maybe because she was a country girl.
When the dismissal bell rang, Dinda quickly packed up her books. But her steps stopped at the classroom door.
Cindy was already standing there.
Her face wore a smile, but her eyes were cold. Indri and Liza stood behind her, like they were in full bodyguard mode. Cindy looked Dinda up and down with open contempt.
“You're Dinda, right?” she said, as if greeting some exotic creature from the jungle.
“Yes.” Dinda's voice was barely audible.
“I'm Cindy. Leo and I are close friends. So don't get any ideas, okay?” she said, spreading a fake smile that sounded almost like a threat.
“Yeah, don't get ahead of yourself. Leo likes girls on his level. Know your place,” Liza chimed in with a sneer.
Dinda only stared at them for a moment without saying a word. She walked away, holding back the roar in her chest and the burning heat stinging her eyes. But she knew perfectly well that not one of them knew her. All they saw was her appearance.
With light steps that seemed almost rushed, she left through the school gate. But one thing remained firmly planted in her mind:
‘They don't know who I am yet. But one day, they will.’