"Thank goodness there's free food provided today," Ratna murmured as she unwrapped her boxed lunch.
Her hands trembled slightly, holding back the hunger after a long day of classes.
Ratna was a student who had been accepted into the school on a scholarship.
She was deeply grateful that she could still attend such an expensive institution.
At Imperial Jakarta High School.
A highly prestigious private school populated by the descendants of conglomerates and the most influential people in the country.
And she had gotten in purely through her intelligence and talent, securing a scholarship directly from the school itself.
How difficult that had been.
Speaking of her life at school….
Inside these walls, Ratna heard a hot rumor from her friend about a wealthy girl famous for her delinquency.
Her friend leaned in, whispering, "They say it's been a month now. Every morning, someone drops off money to pay for the free meals at the canteen."
"Insane, right? Who could be that kind?"
Ratna offered a thin smile, though doubt flickered in her eyes.
"I'm just afraid there are strings attached… or they just want to make us feel indebted."
"Feel indebted? You think I'd fall for something like that? I heard it myself—they say the one paying is Lady Sherly."
"Huh…? Who?"
Her friend lowered her voice even further, as if uttering the name of a ghost.
"Sherly Theodora Suryajaya."
Or so the other students knew her: the daughter of the Suryajaya conglomerate, which held many massive companies under its wing.
Ratna almost choked. "You're joking?"
"She's the girl who used to ask for my notes every exam, the one who scribbled and drew weird things on the blackboard before class?"
"Oh, it was Sherly who did that?" One of her friends was shocked by this latest info.
"Goodness, you seriously don't believe it? The canteen lady told me herself."
"She said every morning a driver from the Suryajaya family comes by, pays the food bills for underprivileged students, and provides dozens of free lunch boxes."
"She never asked for her name to be mentioned. It's just..."
"The gossip eventually spread."
Ratna stared at her boxed lunch for a long time, silent.
The image of the old Sherly, who always looked at her with a mocking smile, was slowly being replaced by a faint figure who turned out to be quite kind-hearted.
"Strange," she whispered.
"Why doesn't she ever show herself? If it's really her, why hide?"
Her friend smirked. "Maybe… it's not for show? Perhaps she just wants to feel good, not make us feel indebted."
It wasn't just a topic between Ratna and her friends.
Sherly had now become the subject of intense discussion due to her drastically different behavior.
The girl who loved to play around even during lessons, who bullied high-achieving but poor students without backgrounds to demand their notes.
The girl who frequently skipped class was now a girl so diligent, generous, and compassionate toward other students.
What was going on?
Was the world coming to an end?
People wondered about it.
Until.....
Another rumor suggested that the change in Sherly's nature occurred a month ago after one of the companies under her family went bankrupt.
It was said her personality shifted following the betrayal that happened within her company's internal ranks.
Those who were, indirectly, people she considered her uncles and family.
As a result, she was striving to change for the better to avoid repeating her family's mistakes and to maintain her image in the eyes of the public.
Well… it wasn't a bad thing.
Ratna also knew that sometimes a significant change in a person can occur because of trauma and the fear of the mistakes they've experienced.
Regardless, the change was a good thing.
"I hope she and her family are doing well, and that blessings are poured upon them, Amen."
Ratna said a brief prayer before eating the meal, wishing good things for Sherly and her family.
......
....
....
As she was about to head home from the library after finishing her assignments late in the afternoon.
Ratna, walking lightly through the garden, saw Sherly sitting on a garden swing while writing something in a ledger she was carrying.
To be honest, she wanted to greet her.
But she shook her head, deciding to continue walking home.
Only to then hear a murmur from the beautiful girl who was calculating the figures in the ledger.
"Hi, Ratna. What a coincidence."
She turned awkwardly upon hearing her name called.
"Yes….?"
"I heard that after graduation, you plan to continue your studies majoring in business, is that true?"
Ratna didn't answer, merely nodding casually.
"If it's true, I have an offer for you."
"An offer…?"
"Yes, an offer," Sherly confirmed.
"As it happens, one of the foundations under my family's umbrella will be opening a scholarship program for quite a few students in Jakarta who want to pursue studies in economics and law."
"The reason is that you are known to be quite smart and often represent the school."
"With a suitable choice of field, I want to offer a scholarship to you."
"Scholarship…." A short word that felt refreshing to hear.
However, she knew that usually, scholarships like this expected a corresponding return.
Looking at Sherly with a slightly suspicious expression, she asked about it.
"And what are the requirements requested by the foundation?"
With a gentle smile, Sherly explained, "It's not too strict."
"As long as you can get into a top campus that we suggest with a major in the designated field, stay active in organizations on campus, and maintain good grades, you can get a full scholarship from the foundation."
"Then after graduating, you get a placement recommendation in our company with a suitable salary and position."
"You could say our company is actually looking for promising new employee candidates to regenerate the workforce within our firm." Sherly continued while scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
Ahhh…. Employee regeneration, then…
It wouldn't be strange if they were indeed regenerating.
On the contrary, this was a great opportunity for her future.
Thinking for a moment and glancing at Sherly, who was watching her while holding the ledger, Ratna nodded firmly.
"Alright, I will try to apply for that scholarship."
"Ufufu, that's good."
"After all, it would be a waste if talent as good as yours couldn't develop properly just because of a lack of funds."
Sherly exhaled casually.
"Good talent?"
"By the way, are you only offering this scholarship to me? I've never heard of a scholarship from the Suryajaya conglomerate."
Shaking her head gently, she responded softly, "Not just you; this is a merit scholarship from our foundation for students in Jakarta. It's just that we haven't announced it to the public yet."
"Then…."
"The scholarship information I'm telling you is actually information that only our family knows. I'm telling you early so you can prepare for it. Although, well…."
".... Actually, you could pass with just a short recommendation from me. How about it? Isn't that a beneficial kind of nepotism?" Sherly teased Ratna slightly at the end of her sentence.
Despite her guarded facade, Ratna was actually quite happy to hear the information.
"From your own perspective…. What do you expect by telling me and recommending me for this scholarship?"
"What do I expect, huh….?" she murmured while tapping her cheek and staring at the bright evening sky at the school.
As if finding a random answer that crossed her mind, Sherly immediately stood up and said, "I want to have loyal subordinates to help me develop and defend my family's company."
"Subordinates…?"
"Yes, subordinates. Ever since seeing what happened at Bank Summa, I realized that the most important thing if you want to develop a company based on public service and community trust is capable and loyal subordinates."
"Which is something difficult to cultivate if you don't nurture superior and loyal employee seeds from the very beginning of their struggle."
"Also, just consider this information as a symbol of my apology to you. Fueehh, it feels like only yesterday I was stealing your notebooks. You know? I didn't have any notes at all for the beginning-of-semester tests~"
Seeing Sherly say it so honestly and openly, Ratna couldn't help but giggle. "Hehehe, so that was your intention?"
"Of course. After all, if I am able to develop my own people, they will be helpful enough when it's time for me to lead my family's business empire."
'Why is she being so open about her plans?' No, rather, Sherly seemed truly serious about it.
It was possible that all the actions she had taken recently were also part of her plan to attract children to the idea of scholarships from her foundation.
Nodding in positive response to all those statements, Ratna declared confidently, "Alright. I will invite some other underprivileged high-achieving children to apply for the scholarship once the time comes. Don't worry, they are smart and talented kids, too."
"Thank you, then."