The atmosphere in the corner of the back cafeteria at Pajajaran High School suddenly felt colder than the sweet iced tea slowly melting on the table. The threat Saskia had just made was like a black cloud abruptly blocking the afternoon sun over Bogor. Fanya and Amara could only exchange worried looks, while Jingga remained rooted to the spot, staring at Niskala's broad back as he stood tense in front of her.
Niskala drew a long breath, then slowly exhaled. When he turned to face Jingga again, the expression that had been as cold as ice instantly melted away, replaced by his trademark cocky smile, as if it were saying that he could control everything in the world.
"Don't let it get to you, Jingga. Saskia's just a broken radio stuck on an ancient frequency. She likes making noise all by herself when nobody pays attention to her," Niskala said casually, raking his fingers through the front of his hair, which was beginning to dry.
Jingga stared at Niskala with her round eyes, full of demands for an explanation. "Saskia mentioned a secret about that night. What did she mean, Niskala? And why did she threaten me? I don't even know her!"
Niskala didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for his half-finished glass of sweet iced tea, drank it down to the last drop, then set it back on the table with a soft clink.
"There are some things in this world you're better off not knowing right now, Jingga. Not because I want to lie to you, but because I don't want that smart head of yours getting a headache over things that aren't worth thinking about."
"But this concerns me! She threatened me, Niskala!" Jingga cut in, her voice rising slightly. Fanya hurriedly nudged her friend's arm so she wouldn't attract the attention of the entire cafeteria.
Niskala took one step closer to Jingga's table. He braced both hands on the wooden tabletop and lowered his head until his face was close enough to hers.
"Jingga Maheswari, listen to me, okay? As long as I'm here, not a single person will be able to touch you or hurt you. Saskia doesn't stand a chance—even the fiercest storm in Bogor would have to ask my permission before it could soak you to the bone."
"Ooh, look! The amphibian's busting out his player moves!" Genta shouted from the opposite table, followed by Bara's booming laughter as he immediately strummed his guitar to the rhythm of a romantic song.
Jingga's face instantly flushed bright red again. Damn it, she thought. How could the guy standing in front of her still find the time, in the middle of a situation this serious, to toss out cheesy lines that sent her heart racing out of control?
"You seriously make no sense," Jingga muttered as she grabbed her pink umbrella and rose from her chair. "Come on, Fanya, Amara. Let's get back to class. The bell's going to ring soon."
Niskala didn't stop Jingga. He simply stood straight, slipping both hands into the pockets of his gray pants as he watched her back hurry away from the back cafeteria.
"Don't forget to wait for me at the gate after school, Jingga! I'm taking you out for asinan in SURYAKENCANA!" Niskala shouted shamelessly, making Jingga quicken her pace as she tried to contain her overwhelming embarrassment.
For the rest of the school day, Jingga couldn't calm her thoughts at all. Her teacher's explanation of physics theory at the front of the classroom felt like meaningless background noise. Every time she looked out the window, the thin drizzle beginning to fall again reminded her of Niskala—a reckless delinquent who, for some inexplicable reason, felt so protective of her.
You're truly like Bogor's drizzle, Niskala. You show up without warning, drop by without permission, and leave my heart a complete mess, Jingga thought as she doodled little umbrellas along the edge of her notebook.
When the final bell finally rang at exactly three in the afternoon, Jingga deliberately took her time tidying her books. She hoped that by leaving last, she could avoid Niskala, who had invited her to go to the Surken area earlier. Fanya and Amara had already gone home because of family matters.
Once the classroom was completely empty, Jingga walked down the increasingly deserted school corridor. But just after she passed the corridor near the biology lab, a hand suddenly seized her wrist with considerable force and pulled her into a somewhat dark corner near the emergency stairs. Jingga gasped and nearly screamed before she saw who was standing in front of her.
Reno. The Student Council President stood there with an expression far less friendly than usual. His eyes, visible behind his glasses, were sharp and filled with restrained emotion.
"Big Bro Reno? What the heck? You scared me!" Jingga protested as she pulled Reno's hand off her wrist. Reno didn't apologize. Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them until Jingga's back hit the corridor wall.
"Jingga, I saw you talking to Niskala in the back cafeteria this afternoon. And I also saw Saskia come to you."
"That... that was just a coincidence, Big Bro," Jingga replied defensively, feeling intimidated by Reno's sudden possessiveness.
"You call that a coincidence?" Reno gave a sarcastic laugh, a sound completely unfamiliar to Jingga, who was used to seeing Reno as a wise person. "You don't know who Niskala really is, Jingga. He's dangerous. And the secret Saskia is holding could drag you into serious trouble—trouble that could cost you your scholarship."
Reno took out his phone, then showed Jingga a blurry photo on the screen. It showed Niskala standing in the middle of a nighttime illegal street-racing crowd on an alternate route through Puncak, with big bikes and scattered liquor bottles in the background.
"This is proof that he's nothing but human garbage, Jingga," Reno whispered right in front of her face. "Tonight, the Student Council officers and I are going to report this photo to the principal so Niskala gets expelled from this school immediately. And I want you to come with me now and testify that Niskala often intimidates you at school. That way, you'll be safe."
Jingga stared at the photo on Reno's phone, her heart pounding from the shock. On one hand, she knew Niskala's world was dark, as someone involved with motorcycles. But on the other hand, did she really have to betray the guy who had just promised that afternoon to be her living shield against the storm? Jingga choked back a gasp, her hands trembling at her sides beside her gray skirt as she realized she had to choose a side within the next few seconds.