“Can you do it?”

There was a few seconds of silence after Jetroharu asked Wei the question. Wei was staring at him puzzled about what to answer, but knowing Jetroharu…

“Yeah, sure. I can talk to her about it tomorrow.” He could not reject him.

“Nice! I’m counting on you Wei!” He knew Wei wouldn't disappoint him.

“But why her? Aren’t you supposed to study with Chi?”

“It’s distracting to study with a pretty girl.”

“You mean our class rep is not? That’s mean Jetro~” Kazu poke fun at him.

“She agreed that she isn’t pretty though.” He made clear that Nikee herself has not denied it.

“Oh, but is that really the only reason why you want to study with her?”

“She had the highest grade among us, of course you would too?”

“That is quite obvious, but I'm talking about the personal reasons. When were you guys able to talk to each other anyway? I’ve never seen you talking with her the whole semester?”

This was the thought-provoking question of the topic, one answer from Jetro would leave more shady questions from Kazu who is known to stick his nose into other people's personal lives, which Wei immediately noticed.

“Kazu, it’s not our business to know about their unresolved issues, let's just keep it at that.”

Jetroharu heaved a sigh of relief as he stood up from his chair.

“Well then, see you tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for her response to you.”

Jetroharu pierced him with his assertive eyes as a sign that he trusts him and his words.

He started walking into the exit door and called Kazu.

“Isn’t it weird? Him getting involved with Nikee I mean?” Kazu whispered to Wei who’s beside him while he looks at Jetroharu who’s walking out the restaurant first.

“Yeah.”

“Well then, I’m also going, see you tomorrow.” He waved goodbye and ran after Jetroharu.

Wei watches them until they completely disappear from his sight. 

“That was unexpected…” 

—

Nikee’s bedroom is what people would not expect to be, because behind her quiet and imposing character as the class representative, the vibe of her room is the opposite of it. Every corner of the walls in her room, posters can be seen, and it’s not a poster where an inspirational quotation is printed on it, but faces of beautiful men. Just by the appearance of her room, it tells a lot about how different she is in school and when she’s in her own room.

She was sitting on her chair close to her desk while looking at her notes. It was unrelated to the lesson they have tackled in school.

“I’ve written down all the available study spots I could go outside the school…but I have to spend money to be able to stay there for an hour…”

She got out of her chair in distress and threw herself on her bed. She looked up at the ceiling and realized her thoughts kept coming back to it.

“How do I decide what to do with that deal anyways?” 

That moment suddenly flashed in her mind again.

“Unless you agree to help me pass, then why shouldn’t that be a reason to make that secret spot of yours a secret?”

Looking back at it, it only made her get irritated. She ruffles her hair infuriatingly.

“I don’t know anymore!”

She got up from her bed thinking she cannot deal with this problem alone. She goes downstairs and called someone.

“Big sis!”

Nikee’s older sister, Sunny, is the only person living with her in the city. She’s in the kitchen preparing their dinner but when she heard her younger sister’s voice calling her, she took a pause.

“What is it? Don’t disturb me with your fangirling again, I’m cooking.”

“No, it’s not about that!”

“Then what?”

“It’s…”

Sunny became suspicious, so she turned off the stove for a while to listen to what Nikee is gonna say. They both took their seats surrounding the dining table and Sunny started the conversation excitingly.

“Oh…I think I know where this is going.”

“Huh?”

“Is it about someone you like?”

Nikee got embarrassed all of a sudden.

“Ha!? No! It’s not!”

“Explain your cheeks turning red then?” Sunny pointed.

“No it’s just that…someone I like is the reason I go there…”

“Huh? Go where!?”

“Big sis, I just wanna ask if I should go help a delinquent man with his studies in exchange for me being able to continue to study in that special place alone…”

Sunny heared something she doesn’t like.

“Wait, what!? Why would you help a dangerous guy like that? You mean you like that guy!?”

“No! I’m referring to a different guy!”

“If you ask me, I wouldn’t.” Sunny would never be convinced.

“Even if it’s an exchange that is something special to you?”

“That's right. It’s a big no to me, why would I add another responsibility by helping a guy like him?”

She looked at her sister for a few seconds and realized she’s making a point.

“Okay. That’s what I was thinking too.” She agreed.

“Who’s the guy that you like anyway? Is that the same guy you told me last time? Do you still like him? That’s a first then.” Sunny immediately switched the topic and teased her.

“N- Nevermind that! I’m going back to my room!”

Nikee got embarrassed again and hurriedly went upstairs.

“I’m reminding you again, Nikee! It’s okay to like someone but don’t get distracted because of him!” She always reminds her of this every time she talks about the guy she likes, not that Nikee always talks about him. Her sister just felt the need to keep reminding her of this. 

Sunny turned on the stove again, and continued cooking their dinner. On another note, she thought of the times that whenever Nikee opens up about it, she can’t help but think of something.

“My lil sis is growing up.” She sarcastically cried of joy.

Nikee got back in her room, she realized that she had slipped a word talking about the guy she likes and she finds it annoying that her sister was close to cornering her about it again.

“This is all that idiot’s fault! How did he end up finding that place!? He had seriously gotten on my nerves since that happened! Argh!” 

Her loud voice escaped the whole room, echoed onto outside the house, which the wind carried until through the starry sky. 

—

The next morning had arrived, Jetroharu is seen walking on the street leading to the entrance of the school.

“Oi! Jetroharu!” Kazu called him as he walks closer to him.

“Oi! Where’s Wei?” 

“I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Guess he’s coming to class late today.” Jetroharu pondered.

“I don’t think so, it’s still too early, there’s plenty of time left.”

Jetroharu didn’t realize as he was always almost late when he went to class.

“Right, right."

While the two continued having their conversation as they walk to the entrance gate, three girls passed by them.

“Oh! Hi Kazu!” Chi greeted him.

“Oh! Chi Good morning!”

Since Jetroharu is just beside Chi, he was just about to greet her too.

“Hey Good-”

But Chi ignored him and Kazu found this strange.

“Huh? Did she just ignore you?”

Jetroharu also found it unusual.

Chi proceeded to walk without greeting him while the other girls followed her.

“Haha! Did you see his face? He’s shookt!” Jana was pleased about it.

“He was expecting you to greet him Chi!” Rain added.

Chi closed her eyes in satisfaction. She remembered what they talked about in the bathroom yesterday.

“Even though I still like him, that doesn’t mean I'm not angry about what he did.” Chi clarified.

“If you wanna pay back, the best thing to do is ignore for now.” Jana gives her a tip.

“Ha! I cant do that! I dont want him to hate me!” 

“Chi, he’s not gonna hate you, we just want him to realize that he made a mistake by rejecting you. By doing that he’ll surely get back and say that he wants to study with you.” Rain thinks this is the best way to do it if Chi wants to meet her goal.

“Is that proven to be effective?”

“Yes!” Her two other friends collectively agree.

Chi reminds herself of the conversation they had yesterday.

She looked at her back to glance at Jetroharu, and surprisingly, he was also looking at her. Without realizing, she had made her cheeks blushing.

“Its actually working??” she initially thought it wouldn’t.