"My relationship with him? Why do you ask?"

Nikee finds it odd.

"I'm just curious. You see us a lot together, right?"

Wei stood up, and removed his grip on Nikee's wrist.

"Uh, yeah."

"When did you guys become friends?"

Nikee was shocked to hear the question which made her immediately stand up.

"Huh? We're not friends. " She retracted.

"It's just that he wants you to be his study partner so bad, so I think you guys might have become friends."

Nikee was surprised to know that Wei knew about this. She remained composed and denied his accusation.

"No! No way we're friends. I don't even want to get associated with him. I'm a little shocked that you're friends with someone like him. "

"It's normal to have that first impression about him. But as his friend, he's not a bad guy as you make him seem to be. "

Nikee frowned on that statement and was reminded by what Jetroharu told him when they confronted each other.

"You still don't know yet? You looked down on me, remember?" but her thoughts immediately drifted to another.

"So this is where lonely nerds study?"

Even if Wei thinks of him differently, it would still not erase the fact that Jetroharu approached him rudely when he saw her studying alone in this place.

Wei brought out his phone and checked the time, he realized he only had a few minutes left to go to his work.

"Ah, I will be late!"

"Huh?"

Wei mentioned his last words to her before leaving.

"Nikee, what I want to ask of you is, can you be his study partner as preparation just for this upcoming exam?

Nikee didn't like that question.

"What? N-"

"I promise you he's not a bad guy. I told you, didn't I? that I was always honest with you. "

Nike wasn't able to say anything now that he mentioned the topic of his honesty again. She can only stare at him with endeared eyes like what he did the same.

"See you at class tomorrow. Bye. "

He rushed out running while Nikee's eyes continued to follow him until he disappeared. She's alone in the garden again. She walked onto the tree and sat beside it, laying down her head on top of her folded knees.

"How can I disagree when you say it to me like that?" Wei's charming eyes continue to linger in her thoughts.

-

Jetroharu is in the hallway of the 3rd floor of a different building where their classroom is located. He is talking with Chi as what they have talked about earlier.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you, I thought if I did, you'd get frustrated for not studying with me, and you'll decide to study with me to compensate." Chi becomes apologetic all of a sudden. She took a pause to see Jetroharu's reaction and continued when she saw that he wasn't satisfied.

"It wasn't what I intended to do initially. it was suggested by my friends."

"Do your friends think I'm dumb?"

"Uh, no, it's nothing like that. It's simply because of a girl's instinct. They may have done it with other guys and it might have worked on them-"

"So they think that guys are dumb in general?" He snickered.

"They shouldn't rely on that too much. They may end up looking like the dumb ones." He told her in an assertive manner, he didn't like that she has friends who would make her do something that will make her seem desperate for his attention.

"I hope you can forgive me. I'm well aware that you did nothing wrong."

He listened to her words intently. There was a few seconds of silence as he let out a sigh. Jetroharu thought it was something complicated, but it was just all for an act which he doesn't mind much.

"It's fine. As long as you understand what I meant from what I said, we're good. "

Chi felt relieved.

"So are we okay now?"

"Yeah."

Chi received his answer, knowing Jetroharu, this would mean that this was the end of their conversation.

"Okay, then, I'll take my leave-"

"Wait."

Chi got wide-eyed.

"If you have any misunderstanding of my action, you should talk to me about it and not your friends. I always give time to people who want to clarify things with me."

She realized again how much she likes this person and why her feelings never faltered when he rejected to be his study partner. She smiles at the thought that she likes him because he's him and not the other way around.

"Okay, will do." She smiled and walked away, her other two friends who were waiting for her came close and they all walked together as they left.

Jetroharu looked at them and thought about what Chi had mentioned a while ago.

"A girl's instinct, huh?" He turned to his side to look at the campus ground. As his eyes wandered the surroundings below, he noticed a familiar face.

"That's... "

He immediately rushed downstairs opposite to where Chi and her friends were going. He felt the need to catch up to that person. As soon as he reached the ground, he shouted.

"Oi, Nerd!" He dashed.

It was Nikee who was about to go somewhere. She made an irritated expression when he saw his face again.

"Why does he always appear during the times that I don't wanna see him?" She feels infuriated just by the sight of him.

"Oi. Was he able to talk to you?" Jetroharu questions as he catches his breath.

"Yeah. "

"What did you reply?"

"I wasn't able to make a reply to him because he was hurrying to his work and all. But yeah, sure, let's do it."

Jetroharu became thrilled all of a sudden.

"Huh? Really? Damn, Wei must have said something nice to you huh?"

"Right? You sure love to use people for your own advantage." She smirked and left as soon as she mentioned that she agreed with the deal.

"What!? Where are you going? I thought you agreed to study together."

Nikee realized she forgot something.

"Ah, right. There's something that I'm supposed to be giving to you." She opened her bag and got a bunch of papers in her hand and lent it to him.

"What the heck is this?"

"Those are my extra notes for the exam. Go study it with yourself. "

Jetroharu made a puzzled expression.

"Huh? The deal is studying together. What self-study are you talking about!?"

"You're studying together with my notes. That is enough."

"The f***?"

"Don't underestimate my notes. It's much more helpful than what you're thinking. I'm leaving."

She started making her way to the building leaving Jetroharu dumbfounded on what just happened. He looks at the notes he received.

"The f*** should I do with this?"

--

If the guys haven't gone home after class, aside from staying at school or staying at someone's house for a group activity, the most probable place would be the internet cafe where Kazu usually goes. Luckily this time, no one interrupted him, and successfully finished his games.

"Yo, nice game, nice game." He spoke to the mic on his headphones, then removed it after and placed it on the top of the keyboard.

"Let's play again tomorrow. " The guy beside him said.

"Yeah, see you. " Kazu stood up from his chair, pushed it off and placed it back right away.

He walks through the exit feeling good.

"Three winning streaks sure felt amazing. Is my hard work paying off? I may be chickless but can they win three games in a row in a ranked match full of masters?" He chuckled as he stretched both of his arms. Nothing matters more to him other than games.

When he made his exit from the cafe, he heard his stomach growl.

"Right. I haven't eaten lunch yet."

He walked straight to the convenience store nearby, when he passed by, he saw Jetroharu inside eating alone by himself, looking pissed. Kazu knocked the glass in front of him to get his attention, but he never responded when he could clearly see him.

"What happened to him?" Kazu finds it strange. He went ahead inside to order some food and sat beside him after.

"Dude what's with you? You didn't notice me knocking literally in front of your face in this glass in front of us?"

"Why would I when you'll end up going here anyway? You think we can hear each other there if I replied? Should we talk in sign languages then?"

Kazu thought there's no point in arguing so he started eating his food.

"You seem pissed off, what gives?"

"That Mickey nerd."

"Mickey nerd? Who's that?"

"Our class rep, who else?"

"I told you she's nikee not mick-"

"I don't give a sh** about her name, that mickey is getting on my nerves." He munched on his food, looked irked.

"Didn't you badly want to study with her? And now you're mad at her?"

"That's right, I want to study together with her because I'm mad at her. I badly want the teachers to be disappointed in her."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kazu stops eating for a second.

"I want to put her in her place. I want her to feel that just because she's in the top of the class doesn't mean she can just call us stupid for having low grades in comparison to hers."

Kazu took a bite again as he listened.

"And by that to be felt by her, I want the teachers to be disappointed after"

"By what?"

"By failing the exams after helping me."

Kazu tried to process his words as he swallowed his food.

"You mean you intend to be her study partner just to fail?"

Jetroharu nodded.

"And by that, it will give an impression that she's not that smart at all because she can't even help someone like you to improve your grades ?"

"Exactly."

Kazu found it weird. His goals seemed unclear to him.

"If that's the case, there's no way the teacher will think like that dude."

Kazu had finished his food and drank from his water bottle.

"Huh?"

"It will make matters worse for you, trust me." He closed the lid of the bottle.

"The heck are you saying?"

Kazu looked at him straight and prepared his detailed explanation.

"Basically, the teachers will be on her side and they will think that you're more stupid than they thought since even a top student can't even help you in improving your grades."

Jetroharu got disoriented all of a sudden getting a grasp of what Kazu meant.

"In other words, you are the problem and not her. Stop the childish act bro it's not like you."

Jetroharu realized that his actions lately have become immature but he laughed it off as he slapped his forehead.

"Do you even know how it feels to be looked down on? It's the first time that someone had the guts to make me feel that way, that sh**'s got me on hold."

Kazu had finally got where his anger was coming from.

"You have no idea how much I wanna make her feel what I'm feeling now." Jetroharu looked at the transparent wall in front of them and saw the rage in his eyes.

"Instead of thinking that way, why not just prove to her that you are nothing like what she thinks of you ?"

Jetroharu looked at him for a brief moment.

"She'll definitely regret her first impression of you and that will ease your hurt ego."

He realized that Kazu made a huge point just now, for some weird reason, those words made him calm down.

"Dude. I didn't know you could speak like that?"

"The what? I thought that was what people would normally do?"

"So you think I ain't normal?"

"Huh? I didn't even mention that."

The two had finished cleaning their table, and threw away their trash. As soon as they came out of the store, Jetroharu's expression had gotten more obvious that he's deeply pondering on Kazu's suggestion.

-

"Thank you so much for your hard work miss Nikee" Nikee lent the papers the teacher asked her to deliver.

"No problem ma'am I'll be going now"

"Okay, take care on your way home."

Nikee bowed and left the teacher's room.

"Another tiring day has finished" She lets out a sigh as she walks in the hallway.

"But remembering those moments.." She is reminded of the conversation she had with Wei.

"I do think you're pretty" She continues to get lost in her thoughts and proceeds talking to herself.

"Makes the tiring feeling go away." She smiles while that specific look of Wei flashed in her mind.

"Does he really mean that?" Another memory reappeared.

"When did I ever say something to you that I never meant? I was always honest with you." Those words always leave her discomposed.

"Seriously!" She covered herself with both of her hands in embarrassment.

Shortly after she put it down, she saw three girls in front of her who seemed to be blocking her way.

"We need to talk." It was Chi together with her two other friends.

Nikee showed a puzzled expression.

"About what?"

"About you and Jetroharu."

Her supposed pleasant thoughts were immediately replaced again by displeasure.

"Now what did that jerk say this time!?" She ended up returning to her old irritable state the moment she heard his name.