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After Putri and Bayu walked in first, Rangga glanced at Putra with a mocking grin.
"Damn, bro. No wonder you never respond to those pretty girls chasing after you. Turns out, this is your type?"
His words trailed off when he noticed Cristian snickering too. Then, bursting out in laughter, Rangga added,
"A fake girl! Hahaha!"
The two of them cracked up loudly.
Putra's gaze turned icy. His voice was flat, but carried a sharp edge of threat.
"Still joking? I could break both your arms."
For Rangga and Cristian, such threats were nothing new. They knew Putra wasn't someone who hesitated to speak harshly—or act on it. Without pushing further, the three of them entered the campus together.
Meanwhile, Putri strode quickly ahead, her face dark with annoyance. She dropped into her seat with a huff, mumbling curses under her breath. Bayu, sitting beside her, offered her a cup of iced chocolate in an attempt to calm her down.
"Here, drink this. Your face already looks like a grumpy old man," Bayu teased.
"What the hell?! I'm a girl! Since when do I look like an old man?" Putri snapped, glaring at him.
Bayu chuckled. "Well, you don't act much like a girl either."
Putri's face flushed red with irritation.
"Hey, hey! Relax, I was just kidding!" Bayu raised his hands in surrender. "Come on, try being ladylike for once. Maybe then you'll look like a real girl."
Putri rolled her eyes, refusing to argue further. But Bayu leaned closer, this time more serious.
"By the way, what happened back there? How come you ended up hugging Putra at the gate?"
Putri groaned. "I told you already—I was running from a dog. End of story. Don't bring it up again."
Before Bayu could pry any deeper, a female lecturer entered the room, followed by three young men.
Putri's steps froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
No way…
It was Putra. Along with Rangga and Cristian.
"Class," the lecturer announced loudly, "these are transfer students who'll be joining us from now on. Please help them adjust."
Putri exhaled sharply, her chest tightening.
"And Putri," the lecturer continued, "you're the model student of this class, even the faculty. I'm assigning you to guide them whenever they face difficulties. You can handle that, right?"
Putri blinked in shock. "Why me, Ma'am?" she asked hesitantly.
The lecturer arched a brow. "Why? Do you have a problem with them?"
Bayu was about to jump in, but Putri quickly stopped him. She drew in a breath, her voice weak.
"…Yes, Ma'am. I'll do it."
The class went on, but Putri couldn't concentrate at all. Not even once. Bayu had to nudge her hand three times because the lecturer kept calling her name.
"Sorry, Ma'am. I'm just a little tired," Putri said at last, forcing a polite smile.
The lecturer nodded and carried on, but inside, Putri's heart was in chaos.
Why did they have to be here…?
When class ended, Putri tried to slip away. But Rangga suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Hey, classmate. The lecturer said if we don't understand something, we should ask you, right? Well, I don't understand. Explain it to me."
Putri yanked her arm free with a scowl.
"If you don't get it, just Google it. Don't bother me."
Cristian smirked.
"Really? Want me to tell the lecturer you're refusing her orders?"
Putri was about to snap back, but Bayu appeared and shoved Rangga away.
"Back off! If you want a fight, don't pick it with a girl. Try me instead!"
Rangga chuckled mockingly.
"And who are you supposed to be? The lecturer didn't mention your name. Trying to play hero for this fake girl? Hahaha!"
Bayu clenched his fists, anger boiling over. He swung a hard punch straight at Rangga—
BAM!
But everyone froze in shock.
The punch never landed. It was stopped midair, caught effortlessly in one hand.
Putra's hand.
Expressionless, he released Bayu's fist as if it weighed nothing. His cold voice echoed,
"Enough. Don't start trouble here… especially not with them."
Bayu stared at his own hand in disbelief.
How… how could his full-force punch be stopped so easily?
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