Rain fell the moment classes ended, drumming on rooftops and bouncing off the courtyard tiles.
Lestari froze in the hallway, clutching her backpack. Heart thumping for reasons she didn't quite understand. She looked around.
Ubi was already dashing across the wet courtyard, hair plastered to her face, water dripping from her sleeves. "Come on! Hurry!"
Lestari hesitated. Her legs moved, slow, awkward, but she followed. Every step brought the unmistakable warmth of Ubi's presence closer, and Lestari's stomach twisted in a way that felt both thrilling and terrifying.
They found shelter under a small tin roof outside the art room. Water splashed in puddles around their shoes.
"You're soaked," Ubi said casually, brushing a leaf from Lestari's shoulder.
"I-I… I'm fine," Lestari whispered, eyes glued to the ground. Her ears burned.
Ubi hummed a soft, playful tune, tilting her head to watch the raindrops fall. The melody was familiar to Lestari, like one of the songs she had always wanted to sing but never dared.
Before she realized, Lestari joined in softly. Their voices mingled, uneven and hesitant, yet somehow fitting together.
Ubi's hand brushed Lestari's as they reached toward the same imaginary chord. Lestari stiffened, then couldn't stop the small tremor in her chest.
"Hey… you're… better than last time," Ubi teased lightly.
"I… I… uh…" Lestari's words tumbled out in a whisper. She ducked her head, hiding the heat in her cheeks.
Somewhere else, across the courtyard, Arka and Bayu had taken shelter under a larger tree near the sports field.
Arka shook his hair, letting droplets fall down his face. "I swear, these storms are ridiculous. How do they even form like this? We need a proper roof next time."
Bayu rolled his eyes, pulling his hood tighter over his head. "You'd complain about any roof, Arka. Don't act like the weather's the problem."
"Pfft, you just like complaining too," Arka said, smirking. "That's literally your superpower. Grumpy guy with an opinion."
"I have valid points," Bayu muttered, staring at the wet grass. "Unlike someone who jumps in puddles like an idiot five seconds after being told to avoid them."
Arka grinned, crouching down and flicking a small splash of water at Bayu's shoes. "You're soaked now. Revenge is mine."
Bayu jumped back, swiping at his socks. "You're lucky I can't catch you. If I did, this jacket would be ruined. Your face would be ruined as well."
Arka laughed, tilting his head back as the rain plastered his hair to his forehead. "Come on, admit it, you like that I mess with you. I can see it in your glare."
"You are impossible."
Arka leaned closer, voice teasing. "Am I? Or are you just secretly enjoying the chaos?"
"I am not enjoying anything," Bayu said, glaring, but not looking away.
"You totally are," Arka whispered, shaking his head with a grin. "It's written all over your face. The rain, the mud, me, everything's perfect, isn't it?"
Bayu groaned. "You're insufferable."
Arka laughed so hard that a drop of rain slid down his nose. "And that, my dear muffin, is why you secretly like me."
"I do not."
"You totally do."
Bayu shook his head, kicking at the puddles, sending tiny splashes toward Arka. "I hate you."
"Liar."
Meanwhile, under their tiny tin roof, Lestari and Ubi were quieter now. Lestari's heart raced with every laugh, every brush of fingers, every small playful glance from Ubi. She tried to calm herself. Tried to focus on the sound of the rain and the song. But the warmth, the closeness, the way Ubi's presence made her chest tight… she knew.
She didn't just like being around Ubi.
She wanted to be closer.
The rain fell, drumming a steady rhythm on the roof above, masking their small, shared melody. Lestari hummed, tiny and uncertain, yet the sound felt like it belonged, here, now, with Ubi.
And in that rain, in that small shared space, she realized how impossible it would ever be to hide her feelings again.