Every class lasted about an hour and a half, and since school started at 08:00, by the time the second one ended, it was already crawling past 11 AM.
Lunch break.
For most students, this was the golden hour, time to stretch, laugh, scroll through their phones, hunt for snacks, or huddle in noisy groups that made the classroom buzz like a hive.
For a transfer student?
It's not a break. It's a battlefield.
And sure enough, the moment the teacher stepped out, not even a full breath had passed before it happened.
They swarmed.
My desk, a lone island moments ago, was now the eye of a social storm. Desks scraped against the floor. Shoes scuffed. Voices rose.
I could feel their presence before I even looked up, curious, eager, loud. Like vultures circling fresh meat.
Girls, boys, all types? Curious stares, fake laughs, real interest. Some faces wore genuine smiles, friendly, open, maybe even kind.
But others… They had that gleam. The vibe-chasers. The gossips. The bored kids hunting for the day's next headline.
"Hi, Rey? My name's-"
"What school did you transfer from?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"What's your type?"
"Why'd you move here?"
Questions flew like arrows, fast, sharp, endless.
I barely moved. Gave short answers where I could. Dodged the ones I didn't want to touch. Kept my tone flat, neutral. Face unreadable.
This wasn't a friendly chat.
This was an interrogation.
Survival Rule #10: Don't reveal too much. The more they know, the more they can use.
This wasn't lunch.
This was war.
Then came the voice.
A male student. Leaned against the desk next to mine like he owned the space.
I remembered his name from roll call, Leo.
Tallish, with styled hair, carefully messy. He smirked as he spoke, but the words were just a little too sharp to be casual.
"…What? You don't have a girlfriend? With that look, you probably have one or two already, right?"
The way he said it, mocking tone, raised brow, got a few snickers from around the circle.
But I saw it.
His eyes.
Not obvious. Not to the average onlooker.
But I noticed the way his gaze flicked, brief, involuntary, toward the girl sitting behind me. Raisa.
Still laughing, still talking with Tiara like nothing was happening.
But she knew. Girls like her always know.
I followed his glance.
Raisa was effortlessly radiant. The kind of pretty that didn't need makeup or effort. She wasn't loud, didn't seek attention, but somehow, it always came to her. Graceful posture, eyes that sparkled just enough, and that smile, subtle but sharp.
She was still smiling, but I'd bet anything she was listening.
'Ahh… One of her admirers, huh?'
And now, here he was, Leo. Acting casual. Joking, maybe. But the truth was in the tension of his jaw, in the flicker behind his eyes.
Jealousy.
Insecurity.
And just a flicker of hope…
Hope that I'd say something stupid.
That I'd fumble, stumble, fall. Anything to knock me down a peg.
'Hmm… So, how should I play this?'
Option A: Laugh it off. Keep it friendly. Non-threatening.
Option B: Fire back. Sarcasm. Establish dominance.
Option C: Play dumb. Be forgettably polite.
I leaned forward a little. Not too much, just enough that our eyes met properly. Held his gaze for a second longer than necessary.
Then shrugged.
"…Hmm? Nah, never had one. I guess I just don't give off that 'boyfriend material' vibe"
Said it casually. Calm voice. Easy tone. A shrug that could mean anything or nothing.
Humble enough to lower the temperature. Vague enough to keep him guessing.
It wasn't a win.
It wasn't a loss.
It was a neutral play.
And in high school?
That's often the best move.
"Really? Well-"
"Hi..."
Here it comes, my savior.
Akia.
Her voice cut through the chatter like a cold wind, flat as a concrete wall but carrying the weight of someone who didn't play games.
"...Can you do this somewhere else? Someone tried to get a peach here"
That monotone delivery? Classic. No emotion, no sugar-coating. Just pure, raw presence. Not loud. Not angry. But heavy. The kind of pressure that didn't need volume to be felt.
Is she a bad girl?
No. Not quite. Maybe it's a persona. A self-defense mechanism wrapped in denim and disinterest. Like she built her whole personality on the idea that if you don't care, nothing can hurt you.
Still, the effect was immediate.
The crowd thinned. A few kids chuckled awkwardly and backed off.
Leo was halfway through a smug reply, "Ahh~ I'm sorr-" but the moment had shifted.
Then another voice broke in.
Brighter. Louder. Too smooth.
"Then, Rey, come... I'll show you around the school"
Raisa.
She appeared beside me without warning and took my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Like we were childhood friends reunited after years apart.
Warm skin. Firm grip.
A weaponized smile.
Dangerous. Very dangerous.
"W-Wai-"
"Come on. Don't waste our time," She said, already pulling me along like I was luggage and she was late for a train.
Just like that, I was being dragged across the classroom.
My mind raced, but my eyes flicked toward Akia one last time, half a second, just a glance to offer a silent "Thanks"
But her lips were already moving.
A whisper. Barely audible. Just enough for herself.
"Fake"
I saw it.
Not heard. Seen.
Her mouth formed the word with precision. Like a judgment cast in lowercase.
Fake.
Interesting.
Raisa walked ahead, still holding my hand, talking about the cafeteria or something.
But my thoughts were behind me, with Akia's expressionless face, Raisa's too-perfect timing, and the pressure that still clung to the air like static.
High school was supposed to be a fresh start.
But now?
Now it felt like I'd just stepped into a game that started long before I got here.
And the rules?
Still being written.
--------
Survival Rule #2: If you're forced to be carried away by the current, don't fight it. Just follow and observe.
That's me right now. Being swept along, no paddle, no map, wedged between two girls who I'm pretty sure are school idols.
On my right: Tiara. The ace of the silat club. Muscular build, confident posture, arms that could probably snap a bat in half, but she moves like a dancer. Cool-beauty type. Reserved, sharp-eyed. That kind of girl who could knock you out and still look elegant doing it.
On my left: Raisa. Student council vice president. Sweet voice, killer smile, eyes that see too much. She gives off the perfect-girl vibe, the one everyone assumes is kind, graceful, approachable… Until you realize she's steering the whole ship.
Oh~ and they're childhood friends. Of course.
From that fact alone, I can already speculate: Tiara and silat? It's not just self-defense. There's a story there. Maybe it's about protection. Specifically… Of Raisa. The beautiful, bubbly, effortlessly magnetic Raisa.
Yeah. Makes sense.
And somehow, I, transfer student, social outsider, professional observer... Got swept into their current.
We're in the cafeteria now. No idea how we got here. Raisa dragged, Tiara followed, and I just floated in the middle like a confused rubber duck in a whirlpool of popularity.
Also here?
Leo.
Sitting at another table. Not eating. Just staring. The kind of stare that says: "If you breathe near Raisa again, you're a dead man"
Funny guy.
"...So, what club will you attend, Rey? Sports club?"
That was Raisa, casually sipping her drink like we've known each other for years. Her tone was light, but I could feel it, an edge behind the question. Like she was setting up something. A test?
Tiara glanced sideways, clearly interested too.
Three pairs of eyes on me, Raisa's curious, Tiara's neutral, Leo's murderous.
Survival Rule #11: When under fire, answer with fog. Never let them pin you down.
I gave a half-smile and leaned back slightly.
"Hmm… haven't decided yet. I thought I'd check out a few first. You know, feel the vibes"
Safe. Vague. Uncommitted. Perfect.
Raisa tilted her head, clearly wanting more.
But I wasn't giving her more. Not yet.
Let them guess. Let them wonder.
This wasn't just lunch.
This was reconnaissance.
"…From your body shape, did you join any sports clubs at your previous school?"
Oh?
Tiara decided to start a conversation instead of just chiming in?
Interesting.
I turned slightly to meet her gaze. Calm, measured, but there was curiosity behind those eyes. The kind of curiosity that wasn't idle. She'd been observing me. Maybe even analyzing me since earlier.
"You can tell?"
"Yeah. Your posture's different. Not the academic type. You probably do martial arts too, right?"
I chuckled, letting a bit of warmth into my voice.
"You can tell that, too? Wow~ As expected from an expert, nothing escapes your eyes, huh?"
Genuine smile.
Polite tone.
Just a hint of spice in the delivery.
And just like I thought, there it was.
A small but unmistakable smile on Tiara's lips.
Progress.
"So, which martial arts do you practice?"
"I'm not attached to one teaching. My father taught me whatever he knew about self-defense. Silat's one of them"
Tiara's eyes lit up a bit more.
"Wow~ Really? That-"
"*Ukhum* "
A soft cough. Sharp timing.
I turned my head, only to see Raisa leaning forward, elbows on the table, chin resting on her hand. Her smile was still there, but it had shifted slightly, cooler now, more pointed.
"Aren't you guys forgetting something here?" She said, tone light but unmistakably cutting. "We were supposed to be showing the new guy around, remember? Not having a martial arts fan club session"
Oof. Sharp. Possessive?
Survival Rule #5: Watch how they interrupt. Timing says more than words ever could.
Tiara blinked. Not flustered, but definitely caught off guard. She leaned back, casual again.
Raisa, on the other hand, just kept smiling.
Like a queen reclaiming her throne.
I leaned back as well, letting the silence stretch just a little longer.
Then I smiled.
"…Am I being kidnapped by competing tour guides right now?"
Tiara gave a small laugh.
Raisa? She tilted her head and gave me a knowing look.
"No," she said smoothly, "You're just lucky we're both generous"
Sure.
Let's go with that.
....
...
..
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