The school cafeteria was always bustling at lunchtime. The aromas of food, chili sauce, and drinks mingled with the clink of plates and overlapping conversations. At one of the tables near the window, Raka sat relaxed, still wearing his gym clothes—his class had just finished exercise. The ends of his hair were still slightly damp, traces of sweat still lingering.
He ate with gusto, his spoon and fork moving back and forth between his mouth and bowl. Around him, the world moved even faster than he did.
Dimas and Nathan, like Raka's two kidneys, were always there wherever Raka was. Dimas, with his distinctive style and spontaneous comments, while Nathan, the quieter one, unwrapped a bag of bread and looked around.
"Ka, it seems like more and more girls like you," Dimas said as he chewed. "Two tenth-graders passed our table twice earlier. They pretended to buy water, but clearly looking at you." Nathan smiled faintly. Dimas continued without pause, "I swear, if there's a national 'cool face' competition, I'll send you to represent the school. No, I mean the province."
Raka just shrugged. "Maybe they're tired of noisy guys like you."
Dimas snorted. "If it's just quiet, Nathan's even quieter. He's not ugly either, he's just too quiet."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "I'm the one being bullied again."
Dimas pointed with his chin toward the next table. "Look. They're talking about you."
At that table, two female students were whispering, occasionally glancing at Raka. One of them, with long hair and a bracelet on her wrist, said quietly,
"Look, he never seems to get angry, right?"
Her friend nodded. "Yeah, and he speaks really calmly."
"Yeah, very calmy."
Those last words rang in Raka's head. He didn't react, but he clearly heard them. He smiled faintly, not out of flattery, more like someone who feels praised for something untrue.
He placed his spoon and fork in the empty bowl and said quietly, "They like the calm version of me. But sometimes my mind gets noisy."
Dimas stopped eating and looked at him. "Not just in your mind, you're noisy in real life too, but only at the right times. Like when Mrs. Susi scolds you."
The three of them laughed.
"People who only know you from afar must think you're perfect," Nathan said, leaning back. "You're good at basketball, you have good grades, you have cool hobbies, the teachers like you, the girls like you, the boys like you—"
Raka smacked Nathan on the head before he could finish. "Don't be ridiculous."
Nathan laughed briefly. "But seriously. Those who know you well know you can be naughty like a normal person. You're not a jerk, you're just... well, mischievous."
Dimas nodded in agreement. "A prankster. But he's smart, so he doesn't get punished by the teachers. Unlike me."
Raka raised an eyebrow and joked, "If wisdom were a crime, then you'd be forever innocent."
"Yeah... you're asking for a slap, kid!" Dimas threw a cracker at Raka. The three of them laughed again.
From another table, several students were still stealing glances their way. Raka didn't care. Let others create an image of him, but he didn't feel the need to pretend.