"Hi, my name is Venusa Angelica. You can call me Nusa."
El is now busy drawing abstract sketches on the last page of his notebook, he is not at all interested in Mrs. Victor's announcement about the new student who will enter his class. And yes, the new girl is now introducing herself in a tone that sounds... very sweet?
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask this new student?" asked Mrs. Victor as she adjusted her fallen hair, looking around the room with a stern look.
"May I have Nusa's phone number, ma'am?"
"Is it okay if I ask for her home address, ma'am?"
"Don't give a number, just chat on Instagram, how about it? What's your username, we'll be friends later."
"Would you like to come home with me later? Usually, I don't accept a rejection of any kind,"
Mrs. Victor's stared intently at the whole class, all the strange questions started to sound at each other that was off-topic. "Please ask more serious questions, your questions are like young men in love."
Excitedly, Mario raised his hands in the air. He felt like he was about to ask the most important thing, making Mrs. Victor look lazily at the man.
"Sit next to me, will you?" Mario asked while raising and lowering his eyebrows teasing the girl who was still standing at the front of the class with the woman who looked eleven twelve with a lion.
Mario's words suddenly made Reza widen his eyes, not accepting Mario's words. "So where do I want to move? Sitting next to El? Of course, I don't want to sacrifice comfort just so you can sit with Nusa."
"Once in a while, I want to sit down with a pretty girl, we're together too much, and we'll be called gay," said Mario with a smile.
"Well, you never want to sit with me who is much prettier than Nusa," Priska said while curling her hair with the pen she was holding, she didn't feel what she just said was too confident.
Mario made a nausea-like expression making the students in this class laugh. They all know that Priska's camp and El's camp have friendship problems, ah this is all just because Mario and Reza don't like Priska.
"What do you want? Improve your temper, rough as dry cement, you want me to sit with you, huh envy?"
Just when Priska wanted to reply to Mario's insults, Mrs. Victor immediately hit the blackboard with an eraser in her hand. "You two want me to punish you? All you can do is make a fuss."
The class fell silent again. El was quietly listening to what was going on in this class, but his gaze was still on the notebook.
"Yes, Nusa, you can sit next to Elbara. Looks like it's the only empty seat left," said Mrs. Victor with a sweet smile. "Elbara! Put your hands up."
Reluctantly, El raised his head and began to stare at Mrs. Victor who is now standing with a strange girl beside him. Without wanting to say much, he raised his right hand, after which he lowered it again and focused on the notebook.
"Well you can sit next to Elbara, be careful she is very cold with other people," said Mrs. Victor, lowering her tone at the end of the conversation.
Nusa just nodded her head slowly and then walked towards the chair where El was sitting, ignoring Mrs. Victor's words because she could invite a man named El to talk. "May I move? I'd like to sit in the chair you're sitting in," she said as she saw El occupying both benches as if it were a school facility.
El lifted his head when he heard the girl's words and of course all eyes were on the two of them —except for Mrs. Victor who was looking for material in her package book— as if what Nusa said at this time was very rare because she wanted to sit on the bench —chair belongs to El—, the boy who runs the school.
"Sorry, Bara."
Again and again, they were all waiting for what might happen next. Because El will always curse anyone who calls him Bara. For him, only people who are very close to him are allowed to call him by the name 'Bara'.
"Sit down," said El curtly as he shifted into the empty chair beside him, his face still the same and expressionless.
Everyone was surprised, including Mario and Reza, especially Priska, the girl looked ready to blow a thick smoke from her head because as long as she went to school here and was always in the same class as the boy, El never allowed herself to sit together. They didn't think why Nusa could easily get access from this super cool guy, even though they had just met and had not had the chance to get to know each other in person.
"Thank you, Bara," said Nusa while sitting on the chair that El had occupied a few seconds ago. She let go of her bag and started picking up the equipment she needed for today's study.
The first day at a new school, ah, what Nusa hopes is that she can get a lot of friends and easily mingle with each other.
El is again immersed in a sketch that is now half-finished, indeed a figure who never cares about anything around him.
"Okay, today we will start the lesson. Please focus, especially for Mario and Reza who are troublemakers and noisy."
Mario lifted his head, feeling called out when his name was called. "How come it's me again, Mrs. Victor? I think I'm still wrong in your eyes, even though I'm just silent," he said with eyes made as sad as possible, humiliated.
"Yes, ma'am. This is all wrong like Raisa's song," continued Reza, with the same expression as Mario. Basic theater performers, but sadly they managed to entertain a lot of people with hidden talent.
"Enough, don't make your face look sad, instead of getting more handsome like Elbara, you look like a wooden plank for washing clothes."
One class laughed at Mrs. Victor's words, making Mario and Reza smile at the same time.
Like the others, Nusa also laughed lightly seeing the state of her class like this. For her, entering class 12 IPS 2 is the most fun thing. Because according to rumors circulating two-class residents will always encourage them. Who else if not Mario and Reza? makes anyone who enters this class feel comfortable because here the learning competition is not too tight.
Nusa's laughter stopped when she glanced at El who wasn't laughing at all, his face was still as flat as a straight line. "Bara, are you sick?" She asked, turning to the man beside her.
El was silent, making Nusa raise an eyebrow. Is this guy next to her wearing transparent earphones or something? not to hear what she said.
"Hi, I'm Venusa Angelica," said Nusa, still trying to stir up the atmosphere.
El is still holding on to his position which seems to be more focused on drawing activities at this time, not yet interested in the arrival of a new resident beside him, occupying a chair that has never been occupied by anyone.
"Bara?" Nusa called while placing her hand on El's forehead, making the man immediately slap her hand roughly.
"Keep your hands off me," he said in a loud voice as he got up from his chair, again making all eyes stare at the two of them in astonishment.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Victor, I'm allowed to go to the toilet."
Nusa looked at El's departure with a questioning look. She thought if she checked the man's temperature wrong?
"What about El?"
Nusa's gaze was fixed on the two men sitting right in front of her.
"I just checked his forehead with the back of my hand, he's really weak like he's in pain. Then he just looks like that." Nusa while scratching her cheek that doesn't itch, she feels guilty if this happens.
Reza held back his laughter as well as Mario, feeling funny with Nusa's answer which was too innocent.
"Oh, maybe El means he likes you, the sensitive area is on his face, so it's natural for him to be angry. Just hold El's face a little, tomorrow there will be a pimple if he doesn't wash his face quickly. "
Nusa raised an eyebrow, she felt strange with the explanation of this man in front of her. "Why did the pimple appear? I just touched it,"
"El often says we have a lot of germs on our hands, and her face is very sensitive," said Reza while adjusting the slanted tie.
"How could that be?"
"How do I know, since middle school he's been like that. And when asked, El just sits still like a statue." Mario said giving an explanation he knew while sucking the tip of Reza's pen. He had never carried a writing utensil in his life. With borrowed capital, he came home with 5 pens. Magic, right? Ah, that's not magic, he indirectly took his friends' pens and happened to leave them in his bag until it was time for school.
"If you were a boy, you might have been hit by El, Nusa," Reza said with a chuckle. This was the first time he had seen a girl who valiantly --ah not brave but innocent-- held El's face directly. It seems Nusa is a miracle from God sent for El.
Nusa chuckled. "After all the others laughed, but he still managed to keep that straight face and look calm, as if it wasn't funny."
"Let him be, he is the lord of the coldest school ever. Wherever the name of the ruler who gets caught up in the fight is the most, it is just a leap that he can't afford," said Mario.
"Don't talk anymore about El. Oh yes, I'm Reza Ardian, this is Mario Bros," Reza said introducing himself.
"Don't carelessly say my name, stupid Reza. My name is Mario Sanjaya, the most handsome in the world."
Nusa chuckled at the ridiculous behavior of the two of them. Wouldn't it be crazy if El was in their midst? That is, El is very inversely and more dominant has a cold nature.
"I'm Venusa--"
"MARIO, REZA, DON'T TAKE ANY NEW CHILDREN SO IT'S NOT TRUE LIKE YOU. RUN IN THE FIELD TEN TIMES, NO COMPLAINTS!!"
...
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