Angga nodded in understanding at Rio. Rio lived with his grandmother and helped out as much as he could. His parents worked abroad and didn't provide much support at all.
"What about your aunt?" Rio asked. "I thought she usually helped you when things got tough like this."
Angga looked down, then met Rio's gaze. "She passed away last year, Rio. I told you about that."
Rio's face flushed pale. "Shit, I'm sorry... I don't know how I could..."
Angga shook his head. "Forget it. That's not the issue right now, Rio—it doesn't matter." Rio was very friendly and had far more friends than Angga did. It was no wonder the detail had slipped his mind.
"What about your cousin, Sandy?" Rio smiled sheepishly. "Look, I didn't completely forget about my best friend! I remember your cousin!"
Angga laughed. "You're grasping at straws. He just got out of prison, and he needs to get his life sorted out right now. He won't care about my problems over his own. Besides, I've never asked him for money. I mean Professor Ricardo. If I don't get good grades in his class, I'll lose my scholarship and have to drop out." Though sometimes Angga wondered if dropping out would be better. If he didn't go to college, he could increase his chances of finding a halfway-decent job right away. Except a bachelor's degree would boost his prospects of getting a high-paying job and giving Eva and Cia everything they needed as they grew up.
"Actually," Rio said suddenly. "I've heard some interesting gossip about Ricardo."
"What kind of gossip?"
Rio looked around as if making sure no one could hear them, then leaned forward and whispered in Angga's ear, "Tomy said Professor Ricardo has a weakness for good-looking guys."
Angga blinked. "No way. He's just messing with you!"
"No, he was dead serious. Apparently someone saw Ricardo with a young man in a full-body embrace."
Angga snorted and shook his head. "Even if that were true, what does it have to do with me?"
Rio gave him a sharp look—opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
"You must be joking." Rio immediately frowned. "Tomy said Ricardo likes blonde women."
"Bad luck for you then." Smiling, Rio ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "Pfft... If I wanted to, it wouldn't be a problem. But you could easily go blonde. Come on, this is the perfect solution!" Angga shot him another sharp look.
"But there's a small problem. I'm a straight guy," Angga replied.
His friend didn't seem fazed at all—he actually had the nerve to laugh. "So? I'm not telling you to date him. Though honestly, it'd be pretty sweet if someone found out what he's doing." Rio grinned, and Angga scoffed. Rio was bisexual and had no issues with it—he'd already come out.
"Rio."
"I'm just saying you could be flirty and a little clingy without actually doing anything with him, you know? You've got the looks for it. I mean... you're not my type, but I'm not blind. You're a handsome, hot, and sexy guy. It'd be easy to be the hottest guy in this school, and that's you, Angga."
"You're not bad-looking either." Everyone loved Rio. He might not be classically handsome, but almost everyone found him attractive—hard to look away from. Even though Angga was straight, he sometimes stopped and stared when his friend smiled.
Rio winked. "Obviously not bad-looking, but I'm not as handsome as you, prince."
"Oh, I'll show you, princess!" Angga pinned Rio between the desks, and they both burst out laughing.
"Angga, Rio—are you two done?" A cold voice came from behind them.
Angga froze before letting go of his friend and straightening up. He didn't dare look at Ricardo as the man walked past them toward his desk. The lecture hall fell silent instantly.
"Shit," Rio muttered as Ricardo stopped in front of his desk and stood still.
Angga bit his lip hard and stole a glance at his professor. Ricardo's dark eyes were fixed on Rio—his thick eyebrows furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a displeased line. Even when he was upset with someone, Professor Ricardo's stare could make anyone squirm. When he was truly unhappy, no one wanted to face his sharp gaze. Angga thought he looked like an eagle, ready to dive and seize its prey.
Ricardo's eyes shifted from Rio to Angga. If possible, he looked even more displeased now—his jaw muscle ticking. Angga's stomach tightened into a knot. He licked his dry lips and tried to look as calm as possible, forcing himself to meet the professor's eyes steadily. Angga wasn't a coward. Hell, Ricardo was just a regular guy.
Ricardo's lips slowly thinned. "Angga...," he said quietly.
Angga swallowed hard. There was something about Ricardo's voice that made it all the more intimidating—the quietness of it. "Yes, sir!"
"If you and Rio aren't interested in what I'm teaching here, you're free to leave."
Looking at the man's stern expression, Angga suddenly remembered Rio's advice and almost burst out laughing at how ridiculous it felt.
"No, sir. I... I mean, we're very interested." When not a single muscle moved on Ricardo's face, Angga added, "Actually, I'd like to talk to you after class about my grades."
Ricardo stared at him for a moment before giving a cold response: "I don't have office hours today." He sat down behind his desk and started the lecture.
Angga stared blankly, unsure what Ricardo's answer meant. Was it "I don't have office hours, so you can come anyway" or "I don't have office hours, so you can't meet me"?
So frustrating. Fantastic.
Angga sighed.
The door to Professor Ricardo's office was dark and highly polished.
Angga stared at it, trying to ignore the queasy feeling in his stomach. His palms had started to sweat, so he wiped them on his jeans.
Don't be stupid, Angga told himself. Ricardo's just a regular guy—not a monster. The worst he can do is say no.
He'd just talk to him, explain his situation, and hope Ricardo wasn't the jerk everyone thought he was.
"Do you want something, Angga?" A soft, low voice said.
Angga nearly jumped in surprise. He turned around, then tried to think of something to say.
"Angga…..!" Ricardo frowned, a crease forming between his eyebrows.
"I want to talk to you, sir."
"This isn't office hours," Ricardo said as he unlocked his office door and stepped inside.
He didn't close the door behind him, and Angga hesitated, unsure if he was meant to follow.
Ricardo sat down behind his large desk and turned on his computer. "I don't have all day, Angga," he said without looking at him.
Angga hurried into the room. He closed the door, then walked up to the desk and stopped. He looked around, but there wasn't much to see.
"Are you Well?"
Angga forced himself to look away.
Ricardo watched him with slight impatience.
Angga gripped the back of the chair in front of him. "Like I said earlier, I want to talk about my grades."
Ricardo's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not sure what there is to discuss. I don't give a single ounce of leeway to students who don't deserve it. You barely bothered to attend most of my lectures, the quality of your assignments is extremely poor, and now you want passing grades. The class attendance policy is clearly stated in the syllabus—students are expected to read it carefully and plan to comply. Frankly, I'm surprised you're a scholarship recipient. If you're worried about your scholarship, I'm afraid the only thing you can do is withdraw from the class."