They all finally sat together.
The student who had just woken up looked at them one by one before introducing himself.
"My name is Liam Turma. First year, Class C." His voice was soft, but clear.
There was still fear left in his expression. Liam was used to being bullied, not only by Naraya students. Even students from other schools made him a target. He always fought back, but his body was never fast enough to match his courage.
"Liam, do you want to join the Newspaper Club?" Riko asked, his smile like someone who had just found a long-lost brother.
"We'll be friends."
The word friends sounded like something bright hanging in the air. Liam repeated it softly.
"Friends? If I join… I'll have friends?"
Rio nodded firmly. "Of course. All of us."
Kris only glanced at them slightly and stayed focused on his laptop, busy spreading hot topics on the school's online platform — a terrifying talent.
Naraya had its own platform where students talked, gossiped, and started drama. Kris was the uncrowned ruler there.
"He's crazy," Rio and Riko muttered almost at the same time. Kris only looked at them briefly before diving back into his screen, like his soul had become part of the laptop.
"So, President? Will you accept him?" Rio asked Arya.
Arya stayed silent for quite a while until the atmosphere became tense. The air felt heavy, as if something unpleasant was about to be announced.
"No," he said flatly.
Riko immediately slumped like a plant lacking water. "So… he's not joining?" His voice cracked.
Rio leaned forward. "Can the president give the reason?"
Arya looked at them for a long moment, then… smiled. The smile was a little too wide to be healthy.
"Not rejecting him… hahaha! I'm joking."
Riko let out a long breath and Rio held his forehead.
Kris sighed tiredly while typing. "Even the president is crazy. Looks like I'm the only normal one in this club."
Liam slowly raised his head. "Do you really… want to be my friends?" The doubt in his voice was very real, like he was still waiting for another trap to close around him.
Rio frowned. "Is there something wrong?"
Liam bit his lip, then said everything.
"My parents are rich. I'm the Kencana City Taekwondo champion. But every time I'm caught fighting, my parents cry because they're disappointed in me."
His voice lowered.
"People who want to be my friends only use my family's wealth. If I fight back, they report me to my parents. Because of that… I can't fight them."
The room immediately went quiet. Riko, who had been noisy earlier, lowered his head. Kris stopped typing. Even Arya didn't joke. Silence hung lightly in the air.
Rio stood up. He walked toward Liam and held out his hand.
"Then you don't need to believe. You just need to try."
Rio's smile wasn't a hero's smile, nor a comforting one, but the smile of someone who truly intended to stay by another person's side.
For the first time, Liam's doubt loosened a little, like an old door finally moving even though it creaked.
"Alright… I'll try."
The dismissal bell rang and the school atmosphere relaxed. Riko and Rio walked home together as usual, now with all the club members' phone numbers saved. Halfway, they separated, and Rio looked at the sky while taking a breath.
"So I finally have some friends," he muttered softly. The sentence felt light but important.
While walking, Rio spoke to his parents in his heart.
"Mom, Dad… I have friends now."
The memory still hurt, but it no longer broke his steps.
"I really miss them."
He still missed them, that hadn't changed, but at least now there was something small that made his day feel fuller.
When he opened the house door, Rio saw Rani eating very quickly.
"She's eating fast… she must be really hungry," Rio thought while closing the door. But that small happiness was followed by another thought. The money their parents left was running out. He didn't know what he would do later.
After changing clothes, Rio sat down to eat with his sister. But something felt unusual.
Rani looked quieter, like she was hiding something.
"What's wrong, Rani?" Rio asked gently, just curious and a little worried.
"I'm fine, big brother," Rani replied with a smile.
The smile looked convincing, and Rio chose to believe her for now. The dinner atmosphere stayed warm, but a small sense of discomfort remained in his mind.
"Hmm, alright." Rio finally decided to trust her. Rani nodded and returned to her room, her steps light… but too neat to be normal. There was something behind that door, something unspoken.
Now I'm even more suspicious.
Rio sat back and felt his thoughts racing. Something was strange. The first question that came to his mind was:
Is she being bullied?
But Rio's odd logic immediately denied it.
No way… she's pretty.
"…I'm handsome too, but I still got bullied." He laughed to himself like someone who had just escaped a psychological observation room.
But that laugh only covered a worry he couldn't say out loud. Rio finished his meal, cleaned the table, then went to his room. The light went off, and silence stretched like a blank page waiting for ink.
As his body touched the bed, his last thought spun around:
If someone hurts Rani… tomorrow I'll know who to visit.
And with that, Rio fell asleep.