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Class 10-A was still noisy, but Putriyana Theresia's mind was far away. She kept staring at the coffee stain still lingering on the tip of her finger. To her, self-respect meant everything—she refused to be seen as "an overstepping scholarship kid."
When the break bell rang, instead of heading to the cafeteria to eat her mother's homemade fried rice, Putri ran straight to the Student Council room. She had to find Alacrix.
"Excuse me... Is Alacrix here?" Putri asked a student standing outside the door.
"Ooh, the new girl looking for Alacrix again? Was the cafeteria scene not enough?" the student teased with a laugh.
Putri ignored the jibe. Soon, the door opened, and Alacrix stepped out in a crisp, neatly pressed new shirt. He was slightly surprised to see the petite girl standing before him with a serious expression.
"You again?" Alacrix crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the door frame. "I already told you to forget about the shirt, Putri."
"I can't, Kak [older brother]. My mother says if we make a mistake, we have to fix it. Please let me take the stained shirt," Putri insisted.
Alacrix sighed. "The shirt's in a plastic bag inside my locker. But I'm not giving it to you—it's too much trouble for someone who takes public transport to be carrying other people's clothes around."
"I don't mind! Are you looking down on me because I'm a scholarship student?"
Putri's blunt question left Alacrix silent for a moment. He saw the pure stubbornness shining in her eyes. Finally, he pulled a key from his pocket. "Locker number 017 in the main hallway of SMA Garuda (Garuda Senior High School). Get it yourself if you're really that brave."
Putri snatched the key and ran toward the hallway. But when she reached the row of lockers, her steps halted.
Three girls were standing there, blocking her path. In the middle stood Zea—elegant, but with eyes as cold as ice.
"So this is the 'genius' with no manners?" Zea stepped forward, looking down at Putri. "First day and you already had the nerve to touch Alacrix in the cafeteria. Now you want to raid his locker?"
"I just want to take Alacrix's shirt to wash it," Putri replied calmly, even as her heart raced.
Zea slammed her hand against the locker next to Putri's head, the metal echoing loudly. "Listen—Alacrix is too nice to turn someone like you away. But I'm not as kind as he is. Stay away from Alacrix, or your days at SMA Garuda will be hell."
Zea then snatched the key from Putri's hand and threw it to the floor. "Pick that up, and never show your face in front of Alacrix again."
Zea and her friends walked away with mocking laughs. Putri stood still, her hands clenched into fists. She picked up the key, opened locker 017, and took out the plastic bag containing the coffee-stained shirt.
She was not afraid. The word "give up" did not exist in her vocabulary.
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The next morning, Putri arrived early. She waited by the school gate, and when Alacrix's luxury car pulled up, she walked straight up to it. She held out a neatly folded paper bag that smelled fresh and clean.
"Here, Kak. It's clean now—I ironed it smooth too. Thank you for the key," Putri said with a triumphant smile.
Alacrix took the bag, but his eyes fixed on a red scratch on her arm.
"What happened to your arm?" Alacrix asked, his voice suddenly cold and serious.
Putri quickly pulled her arm away. "Just a fall. Wear the shirt, okay? I'll head to class now!"
Alacrix watched her small figure walk away. He knew she was lying. And he knew exactly who was responsible.