I could only cry when slap after slap landed on my cheek. They call this punishment for a brat like me who usually only complains. Not just a slap, now Lenny even strangled my neck.
Don't ask how it feels, I almost lost my mind if only Lenny didn't take her hand off me. They were angry because I entered the counseling room. Of course, they knew what chat we had in there. The only problem in my life is them, so it's pretty easy to guess.
"What did you say to Mrs. Merry? You told me how much you suffered because of me? This idiot thought the counseling teacher could stop me from hurting her, really stupid!" Lenny shouted, pushing me against the wall until I hit my head.
"Don't waste your time! Do you know this is a private school? And the biggest donors in this school are my parents, instead of getting into trouble with me, those stupid teachers would rather let you be my toy!" exclaimed Lenny while putting her hands on her hips with an annoyed look.
That's right, they are stupid teachers! As a teacher, they should protect me, not cruel bullies like the Aster Gang. They don't deserve to be called teachers.
"Teach her a lesson!" Miranda exclaimed casually.
Lenny looked at me with a sly gaze, she then smiled and took a few steps back from me.
"Hold her!" Lenny ordered Miranda and Febi.
Without saying anything, the two girls held both sides of my hand. Lenny gave her cell phone to Marko and asked the man to record me.
And as soon as the recording started, Lenny approached me, then stripped all the buttons of my uniform. I screamed for help, I struggled to try to break free, but this weak me of course couldn't do anything. Lenny stripped me naked, then Marko filmed every inch of my naked body. I can only cry while they laugh so happily.
Not quite up there, Marko approached me and abused me.
"Don't make me angry, or I will spread this video on the Internet!" threatened Lenny. The girl then smiled sarcastically mocking me.
After feeling satisfied, they slam my body to the floor and leave me with laughter that accompanies their steps.
One more time... If only I was strong enough to kill them, I would. Stupid me, all I could do was cry and accept all their treatment.
They are not humans, they are monsters. They just play with my life for fun. I don't understand what part of my suffering could make them so happy. What gain do they gain by hurting me?
***
I stare at the dilapidated building that hasn't been touched by contractors in years. A tall building with so many stairs. My dead-end thoughts made my feet walk slowly into the building and up to the top floor. I sat on the edge of the roof of the building and swept my eyes over the view of the city of Jakarta which was visible from where I was. Ah, I can even see my school building from up here.
It's tiring! I seem to have reached a dead end. There's nothing I can do to get away from the Aster gang, and I'm not going to let them hurt me anymore. As someone weak, I can only rely on the help of others, but I can't get help from anyone.
The only way was to change schools, and even that was impossible for me to do. I once begged my Dad to move me, but he paid no heed to my pleas.
Then what again? Now I'm completely broken.
My tears started to fall again remembering all the injuries I got at school. I'm tired. Should I end it all?
I stood, looking straight down. I think I'll die right away if I jump from here. That's right, I'll just end it, I'd better catch up with my mother, we've been separated for a long time.
I took off my two shoes, took off my bag, and took a deep breath. It seems that death is the only way out of all this suffering. My frustration overcame my fear, so I closed my eyes and prepared to take a step.
And...
I fell. My body hit pretty hard.
"Are you crazy?!" a sudden sound made my eyes open wide.
Still confused, I turned towards the voice coming from a man I was pressing on top of. After gaining my senses, I immediately jumped up and away from the man who was still lying on the floor.
"Do you think it's good to die?!" jerked the man as he stood up, and dusted off his dirty school uniform.
I still didn't answer and tried to see what was going on. I didn't fall down the building. The man pulled me so that I fell with him on the floor.
The tall man with eyes as sharp as an eagle looked me straight in the eye. A heavy sigh escaped from his mouth.
"I don't know what your problem is, but I can guarantee that death is not the right solution! God hates someone who gives up easily, let alone decides to end her life! Don't get ahead of God's will," said the man while sitting on one of the broken benches located not far from where I stood.
"I don't need a lecture from you!" I snapped.
Jumping from this high place is not an easy choice. And I've been working hard to muster up the will to do it. He has no right to thwart my efforts like this.
The man looked at me from head to toe. He then stood up, stepped toward me, and suddenly hugged me carefully.
After lecturing me, this man hugged me. What does he want?
"Take a deep breath, calm down, I don't know if this will help, but my mom said, someone whose mind is in a mess, really just needs a hug. I know life is hard, but don't give up. There are so many ways towards happiness, so don't think that you're standing at a dead end!"
I was silent listening to every word that came out of the man's mouth.
Maybe he's right, someone like me does need a hug. But... with the wound I have, just a hug won't be enough to keep me strong in living my miserable life.
I pushed him away and looked at him annoyed. It's probably easy for him to say that since he didn't experience what I went through.
"I'm standing at a dead end, and I can't go back the way I've been before," I said in a deep voice.
The man fell silent. He looked at me deeply.
"Is it too painful? Are you being bullied by your friends?" asked the man with a look so deep.
"How do you know?" I asked confused.
The man took a deep breath, then sat back down on the broken chair behind him and looked at me.
"Judging by your appearance, it's obvious that you've just been bullied. It seems pretty bad. To what extent have they tortured you?" asked the man casually.
"It's not your business!" I snapped.
"Kei Innaya Susilo, is that your name?" the man read the name tag on my uniform.
I didn't answer and just stared at him annoyed.
"If you can't find a way out, I'll make it for you!" exclaimed the man in a very serious tone.
"Why? Who are you? Why do you want to help me?!" I said to the man.I've asked for help from everyone close to me, friends, teachers, and relatives, but none of them wants to help me, why does this unknown man want to help me?"Because a woman as beautiful as you is too fond of being bullied," said the mysterious man casually.For some reason, I doubt what that man said. It didn't make sense for him to bother helping me just because I was pretty."Forget it, you won't be able to help me!" I cried desperately."So what? Are you trying to commit suicide again? Don't you have a family at home? Is there someone waiting for you at home? How do you think they would feel if they found out that you died in vain because of a useless bunch of humans ?!" cried the man as he stood up, and came back to me.I was slapped by the man's words. He was right, Daddy worked all day long to provide a good life for me, and he would be very hurt if I died by suicide."And those bullies, they will never chang
"What's this?" I asked confused as soon as Kenan showed me the various photos that I knew belonged to the Aster Gang which were neatly pasted on the blackboard."Take your target's photos!" said Kenan casually.The man was still busy pasting photo after photo on the blackboard.As usual, we always meet in this old building every morning. Kenan regularly invites me to exercise in the morning, trains me in martial arts in the afternoon, and at night we just talk. We've been doing this routine for almost a week."If you want revenge, you have to get to know them deeper. That way, you can find their weak points." Kenan shouted while pointing at the blackboard in front of us."Okay. So, you spied on them? What did you get?" I'm starting to get excited."There are four members of the Aster Gang. Their leader is Lenny, then the two useless maids, Miranda and Feby, and the idiot who can hit women, Marko! You have to know the ins and outs of their family!" Kenan exclaimed while pointing at the
"Wait! "You wanna wear that uniform?" Kenan shouted while glaring at me in disbelief, making the employees in the store also surprised and look at us with strange looks that made me feel uncomfortable.Alright, I don't see anything wrong with the school uniform I'm holding. Well, it's new, clean, and nice; what makes Kenan surprised by those glaring eyes?"Now I understand why they targeted you from the start! You must look nerdy wearing a big-size uniform like that!" Kenan with his hands on his hipsYeah, actually, I never cared about anything like looks or anything; I just wore what made me feel comfortable. Is it wrong? And just because someone wears a dress that makes them look weird, stupid, or whatever doesn't give you the right to bully that person.Kenan shook his head slowly, then left me to get a uniform in another size."Try this," Kenan said as he handed me the uniform."You don't think this is too small? Well, I need a comfortable uniform to move around freely in case I h
Kenan smiled broadly as I came out of the house. Even though I refused, Kenan still insisted on taking me to school. Luckily, Dad had left for work this morning, or he would have interrogated me about Kenan. Where is his home, who are his parents, and so on? Ah, that would be too troublesome."Wow, you look beautiful!" Kenan praised me while giving me a helmet.I just smiled faintly and put on the helmet that Kenan gave me."Are you nervous?" asked Kenan while winking one eye at me.Nervous? Of course. Am I brave enough to fight them? Well, I'm sure I can face Lenny, Feby, and Miranda. But Marco?"What are you worried about?" asked Kenan after starting his motorcycle engine."Marko," I answered quickly."Kei, we already have Marko's ace card; just relax; he won't dare to bother you again," Kenan said casually.Kenan drove his motorcycle through the busy streets of Jakarta. A refreshing woody scent wafted from the jacket Kenan was wearing. It's quite impressive; why would a handsome an
I waited on the terrace of the house while eating my favorite snack. This afternoon, Kenan changed our practice schedule because he wanted to take me somewhere. I don't know what he's planning today; he didn't say anything but sounded rushed."Don't eat too much; you're a girl," said Dad, who had just come home."You're home early?" I said it quickly."Yes, my work is done, so it's better to hurry home and accompany you home," Dad said as he sat beside me."Too bad, I'm going out with my friend. You better get some rest, drink coffee, and read the paper!"Hearing what I said, Dad immediately squinted and looked around."Where do you want to go?" he asked suspiciously."Um, this is young people's business; you don't need to know," I said, then winked mischievously.Dad just shook his head slowly, and he then walked away from me. I put the snack back in my mouth. Kenan said my body was too thin; I could fly just because the strong wind hit me. So, I had to gain weight; I hit less hard b
"Ready to meet Marko today?" Kenan asked, then smiled at me.I just smiled and took a deep breath."Remember to call me whenever you need! I'll come and finish that guy off if needed!" After saying that, Kenan patted my arm lightly.I nodded slowly, then said goodbye to Kenan and entered the school. As I walked down the school corridor, the whispers of other girls kept my ears ringing. They kept gossiping about my transformation, and not only that, they wondered how a nerdy girl like me could know a cool guy like Kenan, who always dropped me off at school and picked me up.This is quite surprising because they know Kenan. Is Kenan so popular that everyone knows him?Whatever the case, the most important thing is that I can be free from Lenny and the gang for a while. I wanted to do a lot of things that I couldn't do at this school because of Lenny. I want to hang out in the canteen, I want to read a lot of books in the library, I want to take part in extracurricular activities like ba
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Alright, I look pretty good in the new clothes Kenan gave me. Today he invited me to go to the game center to play.Last night I didn't sleep because I was looking for Kenan's social media account. Honestly, I'm curious why my friends are so excited to see me with Kenan; they say that Kenan is quite popular. Am I the only one who doesn't know him? Kenan—the mysterious man who suddenly helped meI want to get to know Kenan better. Who is he, what is he like, and what is his motive for helping me now that my problem with Lenny is over? Shouldn't Kenan be honest with me about what he wants?I rushed downstairs when I heard the sound of Kenan's motorcycle engine stopping in front of the house. As usual, the man casually waved at me.Apart from his good looks, what makes him so popular?"Hey, I have a few questions! This is bothering me, so I hope you will answer them!" I said that when Kenan gave me his helmet."Wow, relax! We still have plenty of
I deliberately woke up early and went to school early to avoid Kenan. I wasn't sure he would drop me off at school as usual, but it was better to be careful not to run into him.Angry? Yes, let's say I'm angry. I feel entitled to know why. Shouldn't he just tell me? Why is he making things difficult for him?I got out of the taxi and rushed through the gate. When I passed Lenny's class, I saw her and Miranda looking at me intently from inside the classroom. And of course, I don't care; as long as she doesn't bother me anymore, I won't do anything bad to her.The atmosphere began to change, and some friends began to greet me. After what I've been through so far, I'm not sure if I can be friendly with them. Let's say I'm a vengeful girl. They once left me and ignored me; why are they pretending to be nice to me now?When I passed the indoor court, my steps stopped when a guy who was familiar to me was playing basketball there. My feet moved automatically toward him."Hey!" I shouted, ma
The heat of the city of Jakarta immediately greeted me as soon as I left the airport. I waved at one of the taxis, and immediately got into the taxi while the driver put my luggage in the trunk.It's been more than five months since I left Jakarta to volunteer in one of the remote towns in Kalimantan. A month after the birth of the twins, a very big disaster occurred in Kalimantan. I decided to join an organization from my campus to volunteer there. Because the conditions were so bad, I decided to stay there longer than the other volunteers.I asked the driver to take me to a cafe that I used to frequent with Violet.After arriving there, I sent a message to Violet to meet me at that place.“Kei!” Violet shouted from the entrance, making all the customers there immediately turn to look at the girl. It seems like she's still as noisy as before.Violet ran to hug me tightly.“Oh My God! Are you wearing make-up?" shrieked the girl in disbelief.Oh, yes! While I was in Kalimantan, I liked
Violet and I immediately stood up and looked around when the group of police entered the campus area. Some of them entered the Chancellor's room, and some immediately spread out and arrested several people."What happened?" Violet screamed while hiding behind my back."They came to arrest drug users and dealers," said Vano, who had just come to us with Kenan."Does this have anything to do with Adipati's case?" I asked while looking closely at Kenan.The man just nodded slowly. I breathed a sigh of relief hearing that."Unfortunately, the perpetrator of the murder is still at large, the police are hunting him in Bali, because they fled there." Kenan looked at me with a sad look.I smiled in response to his words.“Sooner or later they will be found. I am sure of it. After all, the drug suspects had been caught, Adipati's struggle was not in vain. Now just wait for them to be found!” I said casually.Kenan smiled faintly, then nodded slowly. Kenan's cell phone rang, the man immediately
"Wisnu?" I shouted, surprised to see who was coming towards us.I turned to Kenan who also looked confused.Wisnu sat down and drank the coffee that we previously ordered for the informant who contacted Kenan."You shopped for necessities for your sister?" Wisnu asked with a smile.I nod quickly."She's seven months pregnant so we bought some things," I said even though I was still confused."Someone keeps following me, so it's safer to meet in a public place like this, as if meeting a friend and having a casual chat," said Wisnu casually.I nodded slowly.“Why don't you message me with your own number? Or if you are being followed, you can say it in a message," Kenan said.Wisnu smiled so widely."I don't know, I'm afraid if my number is tapped or something, it's just my worry. Technology is so scary these days.” Wisnu said, trying to look relaxed.I nod quickly. I don't care what the reason is. I only need the information that Wisnu will convey.“Recently on campus, drugs are spread
"Mafia members who are related to the Marko family," Kenan said slowly.I stared into Kenan's eyes sharply. He said it so confidently.“They did it? So, Marko's family is behind this murder? Why does it have to be Adipati? Why don't they just target me? I mean, Marko is in prison because of me, not because of Adipati. Why are they doing this?”Kenan just shook his head weakly in response to my words."I will investigate, I will bring the culprit before you," Kenan said while stroking my cheek gently."You promise?" I insisted.Kenan nodded slowly without the slightest hesitation.“I doubt if they killed him to get revenge for Marko's capture. I'm sure there are other things that make them target Adipati,” Kenan said slowly.I shook my head slowly. I don't remember if Adipati ever had anything to do with them.“Is there anything I can help you with? How are you going to investigate this?” I urged Kenan.The man just shook his head slowly, he looked at me deeply."Calm down, we have to
I'm still here, I'm still with you, when dusk greets me, I feel your presence. You are a source of warmth, comfort, happiness. Why don't you take me with you? You went and left all these memories with me.It's too fast, I'm not ready, I'm not willing to let you go.What shall I do without you, Adipati?What should I do?"Kei..."Violet's gentle voice greeted my eardrums. The girl came to me and sat beside me. I don't want to see her, the whiny me will cry again if I look at my best friend's face.Violet just accompanied me in silence in front of Adipati's grave."It's almost evening, don't you want to go home?" Violet asked quietly.I looked up at the sky which was starting to get dark, the cold wind continued to blow at us."Can't I just stay here? Adipati will be lonely here," I answered quietly."No, he will be angry and sad if he finds out you spent time in a dark and scary place like this," said Violet.Correct. If he saw me, he would definitely be furious.“Your dad and Selena a
Vano slept curled up on the sofa while Kenan played games on the bed. Violet cleared her throat, making Kenan and Vano open their eyes wide.“Kei?" Kenan shouted as he approached me. He pulled the IV tube closer to me who was still standing in the doorway.“Your face is very pale, are you okay?” I asked slowly.Kenan smiled faintly, then nodded slowly. Violet helped me to sit on the sofa. She then woke up the sleeping Vano and invited him to go to give me space to talk to Kenan.Kenan sat beside me, looked at me from head to toe, and breathed a sigh of relief."It's not your fault, so don't blame yourself," I said matter-of-factly.Kenan immediately averted his eyes, not daring to meet my eyes. He looked nervous. Kenan, who is always full of confidence, suddenly gets nervous when he's with me. That's how much guilt he has.I took Kenan's hand, and then held it gently, making him immediately turn and look at me deeply."This is not your fault. It's just a road I have to walk, we pass.
Marko was still looking at me sharply, occasionally he gripped both sides of my cheeks with one hand.I don't know what was in that man's mind. He could have done whatever he wanted quickly, why was he stalling for time? What does he really want?"What if we do this? I will release you on several conditions!” Marko suddenly shouted."What conditions?""First, you withdraw your report at the police station, second, give Kenan to me!" Marko exclaimed quickly."What?" I screamed in disbelief.“You know, he's not just anyone, I had a hard time injuring him! I've already sent several people to kill him, but it seems like he has nine spare lives. Very hard to kill!”I gaped at Marko's story. Did he ever try to kill Kenan? Why didn't Kenan tell me anything? Oh, I forgot. Kenan never told me anything.“Help me trap Kenan, haven't you two broken up? It should be easy for you to do! Just like you saved Violet by falling into my trap, save yourself by bringing Kenan to me!”My tears just flowed.
"Is this necessary?" asked Selena seeing the presence of a bodyguard among us."Only until this case is over," I said quickly.Selena glanced at Dad, and Dad just nodded slowly."How about you? You might also be in danger, rather than me, you should be guarded by bodyguards!” Selena snapped."Don't worry, I have a handsome bodyguard who will always take care of me!" I wink at Selena mischievously, making her smile knowingly."I'm sorry that I didn't take good care of you, you got into all kinds of trouble like this." Dad came closer to me and looked at me with deep eyes."No, it's not because of you, it's my fault because I used to hide everything from you. If I had just told you everything in the past, things wouldn't have gotten this bad!” I said quickly.Dad hugged me very gently. I don't know when was the last time he hugged me like this, what I know for sure, is it's been a very long time.“I will make sure to punish those naughty kids!” cried Dad with great emphasis.I didn't sa
The sound of the phone ringing kept disturbing my sleep. Hearing Violet's screams from the cell phone made me very annoyed. If I didn't remember that my cell phone is quite expensive, I wouldn't hesitate to slam the thing on the floor right now.And seriously, why does Violet always use her voice as the ringer on my cell phone? Crazy!I straightened my body, stretched my tense muscles, and took a deep breath of air.Good morning world, today… Please don't be so mean to me.I pulled out my cell phone and picked up a call from Violet.“Please, don't fiddle with my phone anymore! Your voice penetrates my dreams, you know that?” I exclaimed annoyed.A low chuckle could be heard from the other side.“My voice is quite melodious, right? By the way, why didn't you go to class today?"Wait! What did she just say? Didn't go to class? I turned to the side, staring blankly at the digital clock lying on my table.Damn it, the clock shows that I woke up not in the morning but during the day."And