Chapter 007: Before the Practice Exams
The recess bell had just rung.
The school corridors immediately filled with the noise of thousands of students pouring out of their classrooms. Most rushed toward the cafeteria, some lined up outside the restrooms, while others gathered with their friends, making the most of the short break.
Amid the bustling crowd, one student sat quietly in the counseling room.
Her name was Aruna Hashifa.
"What are you thinking, Aruna? The exams are almost here, yet your attendance record is extremely concerning!"
A female teacher fixed her with a stern gaze. She was Arin, students call her Miss
Arin, the school counselor who had been handling Aruna's case for the past several months.
"Aruna Hashifa, Class IX-B. Are you listening to what I'm saying?"
"Yes, Miss."
The reply was brief.
Short.
Expressionless.
"If you're listening, then why have you been sitting there in silence? Have all your teachers been wrong about your abilities all this time?"
Arin let out a long breath before continuing.
"Classes A and B are reserved for selected students. You were placed there because of your academic performance in previous years. But look at you now."
Her expression grew even more serious.
"How does a student who used to rank in the top three end up like this just before graduation?"
Aruna remained silent.
She was only fifteen years old. She had once been known as a diligent, active, and outstanding student. But over the past few months, everything had changed.
Her grades had plummeted.
She skipped school frequently.
The school had already sent three warning letters to her parents.
Unfortunately, none of them ever reached Aisyah.
Aruna intercepted and hid every single one.
"Aruna!"
Arin raised her voice slightly.
"Staying silent won't solve anything. I want to help you."
"Yes, Miss."
"Then why are you like this?"
Arin studied the girl sitting across from her for a moment.
"Before calling you in today, I spoke with the teachers who taught you before."
She paused briefly.
"They all said the same thing."
"You're intelligent."
"Hardworking."
"Polite."
"You always asked questions during class."
"But all of that only lasted until eighth grade."
Arin sighed softly.
"The moment you entered ninth grade, you changed completely."
"You started skipping school."
"Even in class, you barely speak anymore."
"What exactly happened?"
The room fell silent again.
Aruna gave no answer.
She simply lowered her gaze.
Arin was beginning to struggle to understand her.
As a school counselor, she had dealt with every kind of student.
Some cried easily.
Some became angry.
Some denied everything.
But Aruna was different.
It was as though the girl had built a wall that no one could break through.
What's really going on with this child? Arin wondered.
She doesn't look remorseful.
But she doesn't look indifferent either.
Those eyes...
Why do they look like they're hiding anger instead?
Arin exhaled quietly.
She didn't really want to ask her next question.
But the rumor had already spread.
She needed to hear the truth herself.
"Aruna..."
Her voice became much gentler.
"Is the rumor about you... true?"
For the first time since entering the counseling room, Aruna lifted her head.
Her eyes met Arin's.
Cold.
Sharp.
Fearless.
Arin found herself momentarily speechless.
"Aruna..."
"I don't know what you were like before. But over the past few days, I've asked around about you."
"Every teacher regrets seeing how much you've changed."
"Your grades have fallen apart."
"Your attendance is in the danger zone."
"If something's wrong..."
"Tell me."
"Maybe your burden will become a little lighter."
Aruna lowered her head again.
She chose silence once more.
"Aruna Hashifa."
"You used to get along with everyone."
"You were close to your teachers."
"You even offered to help without anyone asking."
"So what changed you?"
Arin hesitated before saying her next words.
"Don't you feel sorry for your mother?"
Those words made Aruna slowly raise her head.
The look in her eyes changed.
No longer blank.
Something stirred within them.
It sent a chill through Arin.
"I'm sorry..."
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"But the exams are only a month away."
"Think about your mother."
"I also know she's a single parent."
"If your grades stay like this, there's a good chance you won't get into a public high school."
"Have you thought about how she must feel?"
Aruna drew a deep breath.
The tension in her face gradually eased.
But her lips remained tightly sealed.
She didn't defend herself.
Didn't deny anything.
Didn't admit anything either.
At last, Arin gave up.
That day, she realized that forcing Aruna to talk would only make the girl retreat even further into herself.
As the school counselor, she decided to step back—for now.
Not because she had given up.
But because she was convinced there was a wound far deeper than simply skipping school.
From that day on, Arin never truly stopped trying.
Whenever she had the chance, she sought Aruna out.
But the result was always the same.
Aruna continued skipping school. Some weeks she attended only two or three days. Even then, she would sometimes disappear halfway through the school day. Somehow, while class was in session, she always managed to slip away unnoticed.
Each time they met, Arin tried a different approach.
Sometimes she spoke as a teacher.
Sometimes as an older adult.
Sometimes she simply tried making casual conversation.
But every attempt ended at the same wall.
Aruna remained silent.
The more time passed, the more convinced Arin became.
It wasn't that the girl refused to change.
She was carrying something she simply couldn't bring herself to tell anyone.
One afternoon, just before recess ended, Arin was walking down the back corridor of the school.
It was much quieter than the main hallway.
Teachers rarely passed through there.
Suddenly, she heard shouting.
"Hey! Let go!"
"Watch out! A teacher!"
The sound of running footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"Aruna!"
Arin quickened her pace.
As soon as she reached the end of the hallway, several students scattered in different directions.
Some sprinted toward the stairs.
Others casually pretended to walk away.
Within seconds, the corridor was empty again.
Only Aruna remained.
She stood there, straightening her school uniform.
Her breathing was slightly uneven.
"Aruna!"
Arin hurried over.
"Come with me to the infirmary."
Aruna shook her head.
"No need, Miss."
"I'm fine."
"I'm used to it."
Those words stopped Arin cold.
Only then did she truly notice Aruna's condition.
The side of her skirt was torn.
Bruises darkened the back of her left hand.
There was a small scrape on her elbow.
Even her hijab looked disheveled, as though someone had yanked it.
"Aruna..."
Arin's voice softened.
"Look at your hand."
"It's bruised."
"Your skirt is torn too."
"And you're telling me you're fine?"
Aruna quickly pulled down her sleeve, covering the bruise.
"It doesn't hurt, Miss."
"I should get back to class."
"Aruna."
Arin stopped her once again.
"What did they do to you just now?"
Aruna was silent for a few moments.
Then she simply shook her head.
"Nothing."
"They're your classmates?"
No answer.
"Do they do this to you often?"
Aruna shook her head again.
"I'm fine, Miss."
Arin looked at her carefully.
She knew.
Aruna was lying.
Not because of the expression on her face.
But because of the way she was protecting other people.
There wasn't even the slightest attempt to blame anyone.
Even though it was obvious something had just happened to her.
"Aruna."
"If someone's bothering you, you have to tell someone."
"You don't have to go through everything alone."
Several seconds passed.
Finally, Aruna gave a small nod.
"Yes, Miss."
But Arin knew.
That nod was only meant to end the conversation.
Aruna had no intention of opening up.
The girl turned around.
Then walked away down the corridor.
Her back remained straight as always.
Neither hurried nor hesitant.
As though what had just happened was simply part of a routine she'd grown accustomed to.
Arin could only watch her leave.
Her chest felt heavy.
As a counselor, she'd worked with many troubled students.
But never before had she met a child so determined to bear her pain alone.
She looked toward the corridor where those students had been moments earlier.
Now it was completely empty.
Not a single witness remained.
Arin slowly clenched her fist.
If she's really being bullied...
Why isn't anyone willing to speak up?
And for the first time, a suspicion took shape in her mind.
Maybe...
Aruna's problems ran much deeper than simply skipping school.
Over the following days, Arin paid even closer attention to Aruna.
Not only during counseling sessions, but whenever they crossed paths in the hallways, on the school grounds, or between classes.
The more she watched, the more unsettling details she noticed.
Some days Aruna arrived looking pale.
Sometimes she kept her sleeves pulled down to cover her wrists.
Occasionally her uniform looked rumpled, as though someone had grabbed and tugged at it.
But every time she asked, the answer was always the same.
"I'm fine, Miss."
Never more.
Never less.
Arin began to realize something.
Aruna wasn't the kind of child who complained.
Quite the opposite.
She seemed determined to shoulder everything alone.
One afternoon, after the final bell rang, the teachers' lounge gradually emptied.
Most of the teachers had already gone home.
Arin remained seated at her desk.
Her gaze rested blankly on a stack of files she hadn't yet organized.
But her thoughts were nowhere in the room.
The only face she could picture was Aruna's.
What are you hiding?
She opened Aruna's counseling file once again.
Page after page, she read through it.
Attendance records.
Grades.
Warning letters.
Reports from the homeroom teacher.
None of them truly explained why the girl had changed.
They only documented the consequences.
Not the cause.
Arin rubbed her temples.
In all her years as a school counselor, this was the first time she felt completely at a loss.
Her instincts told her that Aruna was crying out for help.
Yet the girl's actions rejected every helping hand.
She wanted to help.
But she had no idea where to begin.
Slowly, she closed the file.
Then let out a long sigh.
"What really happened to you, Aruna...?"
The words escaped her in a whisper before she realized it.
The room remained silent.
No one answered.
Outside, the voices of students heading home gradually faded away.
Leaving the school quiet once more.
Meanwhile...
Elsewhere...
Aruna walked home alone.
Her face remained expressionless.
As though nothing had happened that day.
But deep inside...
She knew.
Sooner or later...
Everything she had worked so hard to hide...
Would finally come to light.