Laswi Saputra—as far as I know—acts like a full-fledged delinquent. He's rough, often speaks harshly, and can easily come off as intimidating. In the future, during the tournament, I always tried to keep conversations with him short. I learned quickly that he's easily angered depending on what's said, and he won't hesitate to resort to violence when he loses his temper.
However, after spending some time with him, I realized something: he struggles with an overwhelming fear of being seen as weak. To compensate, he constantly tells himself he must be strong—until that need to prove his strength consumes him, turning into quick-tempered behavior and easy provocation.
In our last encounter, he confided in me that he wanted to become a better person. He talked about wanting to take over his family's woodworking business—a profession focused on creating rather than destroying. That alone showed how serious he was about change.
Knowing this, I grew nervous seeing him approach now with a scowl on his face. I glanced at Suci and saw her expression shift into something clearly displeased. Honestly, these two were the last people I'd ever want to see in the same place at the same time. I could only hope this wouldn't end in violence.
"Yo, Sahabi," he greeted, his tone annoyed.
"Yo," I replied shortly.
He stopped and turned his gaze toward Suci, studying her carefully. I could feel the tension when their eyes met—something dark hanging in the air. After a moment, he turned his attention back to me.
"You know, seeing you right now really pisses me off," he said with a sharp tone.
"Um, sorry, but I don't understand why you're mad at me, Laswi," I replied, genuinely confused.
"When someone important to you is hurting and sad, and you're out here in the middle of the night with another girl? Seems like someone needs a wake-up call," he growled, cracking his knuckles.
"W-wait, Laswi! I think you're misunderstanding the situation!" I stammered as I stood up from my seat.
But Laswi wasn't interested in explanations—he started walking toward me. Before he got too close, Suci stepped forward and positioned herself between us, standing her ground.
"What's your problem?" Laswi snapped.
"I should be asking you that. You show up out of nowhere, threatening people like it's your turf," Suci shot back, clearly angry.
"This has nothing to do with you. So get lost!" he barked, getting more agitated.
"Of course, this has to do with me! Do you think I'll just stand by and watch someone I'm talking to get beaten up right in front of me? Just because you're big and buff doesn't give you the right to bully someone smaller—savage!" she shouted.
"Watch your mouth, you wench! You think I'll let you talk to me like that?" he growled, his fists tightening.
"Oh, so now you're not just bullying the weak—you're threatening women too? What are you, a coward?" Suci taunted.
"That's it. You're done," Laswi muttered, his face now boiling with rage.
I had to act. If Laswi hit her, things would get really bad for me.
"Stop!!!" I shouted.
Both Laswi and Suci froze and looked at me.
"Suci, I'm sorry—but Laswi is my friend. Please don't provoke or insult him. I really appreciate your kindness, but let me handle this," I said, almost pleading.
"But…" she responded, clearly worried.
"It's okay. I'll be fine," I assured her with a smile.
Suci looked at me, still concerned, but after a moment, she sighed and began to walk away.
"Hmph, fine then. I'll head back first," she said, her expression still tense.
"Yup. See you later," I replied, waving.
She walked off, leaving just me and Laswi. As she passed him, they exchanged sharp glances. Once she was far enough away, Laswi turned to me again, his gaze sharp.
I braced myself for whatever was coming. If it came to a fight, I was ready to accept it.
But then… he walked past me and sat down on the bench where I had been sitting earlier.
"Sit," he said flatly.
I quietly took a seat beside him.
"…I'm sorry. Looks like I failed to control my temper again," he said, genuinely remorseful.
"It's okay," I replied simply.
We sat in silence for a while, letting the stillness of the park wash over us. I glanced at Laswi—he looked like he was calming himself down. Once I felt the tension had eased, I finally spoke.
"Suci and I ran into each other here while I was outside calling my sister. She's our upperclassman, and since I met her yesterday, I figured it was normal to talk," I explained.
"Yeah… when I think about it now, I jumped to conclusions way too fast," he admitted, sounding regretful.
"Okay, but earlier you said something about an important girl…"
"Oops—forget I said that," he cut in abruptly.
"Huh?!" I blinked.
"Just drop it. I got carried away. I shouldn't have gotten involved. Let's just pretend tonight never happened, Sahabi," he said with a laugh.
"That's not fair. You nearly gave me a heart attack," I said, half-joking, half-serious.
"Yeah, sorry again. Honestly, if you hadn't spoken up, I would've punched you instead of our upperclassman. But because you stepped in—that alone was enough to stop me," he said seriously.
We sat in silence again, soaking in the calm of the park. I figured that even if I pressed for more answers, he wouldn't give them. So instead, I used the quiet to try and relax enough to get sleepy.
Eventually, Laswi stood up.
"Alright, I think I'll head back to the dorm too. See you, Sahabi," he said casually, waving without looking back.
"Yeah, see you," I replied with a friendly wave.
Once he was gone, I let out a long sigh.
"I think I'm done coming to the park at night," I muttered, exhausted.
I got up from the bench and began walking back to the dorm. But just a short way from where I'd been sitting, I saw a very familiar figure standing in the distance.
That blue scarf—there was no mistaking it.
It was Betania.
"…I thought tonight's drama was over. Looks like there's still an encore," I muttered with a weary smile.