The second day of MPLS was really testing the Trio Sengklek's patience.
How could it not? The current schedule was an outdoor activity in the school field, which was as hot as a grill.
"I swear to God, whoever made these MPLS rules, I hope their legs cramp for 7 days and 7 nights," Xavier cursed while fanning his face with his OSIS cap.
"Bro, take it easy. It's just an orientation," Luca tried to calm him down, even though he himself was sweating bullets and his hair was hanging limp.
"Oh God, please make it rain. My brain is already too tired to bother looking for pretty seniors," Luca continued, praying dramatically.
Xavier flicked the boy's forehead gently.
"Girls, girls, girls... is that all you think about! Focus on school for once!!"
Luca rubbed his forehead slowly.
"What do you want me to do? I was born into a rich family. Hey, want to start an ant farm?"
"Huh? An ant farm? What for?" Xavier frowned, confused.
"To send them to the battlefield! You know the story about the ants that beat the elephant? If ants can beat an elephant, imagine ants against humans! Wow, I bet they'd win."
Xavier rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed at how obsessed this human in front of him was with money.
"You should be grateful, Dead Weight. You're living a different life now, aren't you? You've got plenty of cash, right?"
"It's not that I'm ungrateful, man. I'm just sick of this system where honest people are always the ones who lose," Luca replied while dropping himself onto the grass.
"This guy is finally starting to speak up."
"Do you know why many people look like villains? Because being a 'good person' in this 'money-oriented' world usually just makes you a target. It doesn't mean you have to be evil, but you have to be a 'good person with fangs.' Kindness without firmness just makes you a doormat for people who have no conscience."
"Dead weight, have you been watching too many political debates?"
"People say 'hustle until you make it,' but all people get is mental breakdown. If hard work made you rich, construction workers would be the richest people in the world, right? A mindset is important, but privilege and a fair system are far more important."
"Luca—",
"I'm amazed at kids who quit chasing their dreams just because of an obstacle. They should stop comparing their chapter of life to others. Someone else might be at the climax scene, while they're still at the tutorial phase. It's okay to walk slowly, as long as you aren't getting stuck."
"Your brain actually works better when it's hot, huh, bro?"
"My brain works fast when it's hot, unlike you, you're stiff," Raffa snapped at Xavier, leaving the boy confused.
'Wait, what did I do? I didn't even say anything, damn, this brocon!!' Xavier thought irritably, while sitting next to Luca with a sour expression.
While they were resting, Hiro suddenly arrived carrying three bottles of mineral water.
"Brother Luca, Brother Raffa, Brother Xavier... here's some water. I bought them at the canteen."
Xavier, who had just been lying down, immediately stood up and grabbed the bottle, examining it with sharp eyes before looking at Hiro flatly.
"Warning. This is 'Aqua-Gelas' brand mineral water, but it's filled with boiled tap water. I suggest you do not drink it if you want to maintain your kidney function."
Luca choked on his own spit.
"Huh? Where did you buy this, Ro?" he asked, joining them.
Hiro blinked innocently.
"E-eh? I took it from the dispenser in the teacher's lounge, brother. I thought it was free..."
Raffa rubbed his temples.
"That's a teacher's dispenser, you idiot! And the water wasn't even boiled properly!"
"I'm sorry, Brother... I really didn't know. I just wanted to help you guys," Hiro bowed his head, his shoulders shaking, looking like he was about to cry.
Luca, who couldn't bear the guilt, sighed and put his arm around Hiro's shoulder.
"It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry, Ro. Your intentions were good. Besides, the tap water here is filtered, it might still be safe."
Xavier stared at them with the expression of someone observing two prehistoric creatures about to go extinct from their own stupidity.
And surprisingly, suddenly, the school loudspeaker blared loudly.
"Next, group representatives will go up to the stage to show off their talents!"
"Who's going up?" asked Luca.
Raffa pointed at Xavier. "Just Xavier. You can beatbox or something."
"Notice. I don't have talent in the arts. My talent is calculating someone's probability of death within 10 seconds," replied Xavier, still annoyed.
Hiro raised his hand enthusiastically.
"Me! I can do magic, Brother!"
"Magic?" Luca felt curious.
"Okay, go ahead!"
Hiro nodded and stepped onto the stage. He brought out an empty box.
"Ta-da! Now, I will turn the handsome Brother Luca into... a chicken!"
"A chicken?" Raffa's aura changed drastically; he stared at Hiro with a sharp gaze.
"Calm down, kid, it's just a magic trick. I won't actually turn into a chicken," Luca tried to calm his brother down.
"Alright, I'll start."
The field went silent. Everyone waited. Hiro closed the box, chanted something nonsensical, then opened it.
Empty.
"Huh?" Hiro scratched his head.
"I guess the chicken is shy."
".....",
The field that was once quiet turned into a tense and awkward silence. The only sound heard was the sound of imaginary crickets and hot wind hitting Luca's resigned face.
"Where's the chicken, Ro?" asked Luca from under the stage, forcing a smile even though his eye was twitching uncontrollably.
Hiro frantically flipped the empty box over. "E-eh? Why isn't it here? I swear, I managed to put the neighbor's chicken in here last night, Brother!" Xavier straightened up, observing the stage with analytical eyes.
"Notice. Based on the structure of the box and the laws of physics, I only have one conclusion: the chicken escaped through a hole in the bottom, or you accidentally committed livestock theft."
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, BROTHER XAVIER!" Hiro screamed softly, his face turning red with shame.
"Wait, let me try a backup spell!" Hiro squeezed his eyes shut. He pointed his trembling hand towards Luca and screamed into the stage microphone,
"ABRACADABRA! BECOME A CHICKEN!".
KRETEKKK! BRRRZZZT!
Right after the spell was cast, the school sound system experienced a massive feedback. A high-pitched screeching sound echoed, making everyone on the field go deaf.
At the same time, a flock of pigeons perched on the school roof was startled and flew away. Unfortunately, one pigeon—which seemed to be having digestive issues—managed to drop a "white bomb" right on top of Luca's head.
Splat.
The field that had been quiet was suddenly filled with laughter from hundreds of students and OSIS seniors.
"Damn! Luca really turned into a chicken! But the version that comes with a bird poop bonus!" shouted a student from the back row.
The aura around Raffa turned pitch black. His eyes glowed red, ready to hurt anyone.
"Hiro... what did you do to my brother, huh?!" hissed Raffa, stepping forward with his neck veins bulging.
"Forgive me, Brother Raffa! I didn't mean to curse him with bird poop!" Hiro tiptoed onto the stage, hiding behind his useless magic box.
Meanwhile, Luca just stood there, frozen. He touched the top of his head, looked at the liquid on his fingers, then stared at the sky with a blank expression. The life philosophy he had talked about earlier just evaporated.
"Xav..." Luca called out weakly, his voice trembling.
"Yes, Dead Weight?" replied Xavier flatly.
"I said good people have to have fangs, right?"
"That's right."
"But why in this money-oriented world do good people get bird poop on their second day of school?"
Xavier patted Luca's shoulder with a flat face, then out of nowhere handed him a handkerchief.
"Notice. Kindness without firmness does make you a doormat. But kindness combined with Hiro's failed magic trick scientifically proves that you can turn into a public toilet for poultry. Be patient, at least your brain isn't too hot from the cold liquid anymore."
"XAVIER, YOU BASTARD!" Luca finally collapsed, while in front of the stage, Raffa was busy chasing Hiro who was running zig-zag while crying hysterically, carrying his magic box. The second day of MPLS really became the day where the Trio Sengklek's dignity was destroyed beyond repair.
After the long drama, Luca, Raffa, Xavier, and Hiro were now in the counseling room. If you're wondering what they were doing, they were relaxing while lying on the office sofa.
"You guys have only been here for two days and you've already caused trouble," said Ms. Hasna, who was sitting on a mat, eating Padang rice and fried snacks she bought near the school this morning.
"An unexpected incident occurred, Ms. Hasna, please understand," replied Luca while grabbing a piece of fried food—
PLAK!!!!
"Argh!!!"
The clumsy counselor slapped Luca's hand—the hand that dared to touch the food she had obtained with great difficulty (or rather, doing the dishes).
"Don't commit so many sins in your life, look what happened to you? I suggest you study harder so your future isn't bleak," she continued while eating.
"Come on, Ms. Hasna, you know how it is. Studying hard is important, but now a bright future depends on who you know, not just what you know. We are always told to improve our skills every second, but when we graduate, companies want entry-level employees with 5 years of experience. Is the goal to recruit employees or find sacrifices for the sake of hard work?" Luca replied cynically.
'My God, did I create him with a grudge against the government? Damn, this kid is too good at arguing,' Ms. Hasna thought with frustration.
"That means you need experience, experience is the best teacher—",
"Anyway, I know experience is a teacher, Ms. Hasna, but sometimes the teacher is too toxic. We are forced to be exhausted, forced to work overtime without pay, and told 'it's all part of the process to strengthen your mentality.' If you want mental strength, go to the gym, don't let your energy be drained for 'experience' that only ends in trauma,"
"Be patient, God's way is—",
"God's way is mysterious, but the path for the 'rich' in our justice system is quite clear. Direct route, no traffic jams, VIP access."
'Monkey, this kid is scary when he argues,' the young woman shouted in her heart.
"And you know, we—",
"Enough, shut your mouth, I want to keep eating, my appetite is gone because you keep talking,"
"Your appetite is decreasing? You've already eaten 20 thousand worth of fried snacks and two packs of Padang rice, and you say your appetite is decreasing?—",
Ms. Hasna immediately shoved the last piece of fried bakwan into Luca's mouth.
"There, now it's quiet."
"Geez, Ms. Hasna, why did you feed someone as handsome as me so roughly? Wait... this fried food is delicious, where did you buy it, Ms. Hasna?"
Luca ate the snack.
"Oh yeah, I just remembered!!!" he continued after finishing, immediately taking the counselor's water glass from the table and drinking it dry.
"What an annoying, bratty kid," the weird teacher cursed in her heart.
"I heard from the kids in the next class, there's the ghost of a first-batch student who failed to graduate because she was caught cheating on the national exam," whispered Luca in a mysterious tone.
Xavier, who was calmly drinking a carton of milk he had bought at the canteen earlier, stared at Luca flatly.
"Statistically, 95% of urban ghost stories in Indonesian schools are dominated by long-haired female figures, banyan trees, and academic problems. This shows a lack of creativity in creating urban fiction."
"But Brother! Yesterday, when I was walking near there, I found this!" Hiro suddenly slipped a tattered, yellowing piece of paper onto the table.
Raffa picked it up. There was messy red handwriting:
"Whoever dares to knock on this door three times at 12 PM, will lose their most valuable item within 10 seconds."
Luca's eyes lit up. His spirit of adventure (or rather, his boredom) immediately flared up.
"Crazy, this is a conspiracy! How about we investigate after MPLS finishes today?"
"No way. Just a waste of calories," snapped Xavier.
"Come on, Xav! If we can solve this mystery, we can become famous in front of the OSIS! We won't be considered the school clowns anymore!" begged Luca excitedly.
Raffa glanced at Luca, then stared at Hiro sharply.
"I'm in, just to make sure my brother doesn't accidentally burn the school down if we leave him alone."
Ms. Hasna, who had been listening the whole time, rolled her eyes lazily.
"If you find a 'tuyul', tell me, I want to ask for his date of death,"
"Why, Ms. Hasna?",
"I want to take him to a shaman so he can work for me. That would be great, I would order him to steal from rich people's houses, so I wouldn't have to work hard,"
"Why not just become a 'babi ngepet', Ms. Hasna? I want to join, I'll be the candle guard, you can be the pig and roam around the village. If the residents catch us, I'll blow out the candle so I'm safe," said Luca with his weird business grin.
"You can't be a coworker, honestly,"
"Why not?",
"Because your partner, the pig, would be beaten to death by the mob, and Luca would be fast asleep after tricking the candle. I refuse," answered Ms. Hasna as she stood up and walked toward the school kitchen.
Exactly at 12 PM during the second break, the school was somewhat empty because most of the students were in the canteen or the mosque. The Trio Sengklek and Hiro stood in front of the wooden door of the old multipurpose room, which was dusty and locked tight.
"Okay, who's going to knock three times?" asked Luca while swallowing his saliva. The atmosphere under the banyan tree suddenly felt very cold and spooky.
"Notice. Since Hiro found the clue, based on operational karma, Hiro is the one who should be responsible," said Xavier flatly, while pushing Hiro's back forward.
"E-eh? But Brother..." Hiro trembled. His hand holding the broom was shaking violently. However, because he couldn't refuse, he stepped forward.
Knock... Knock... Knock...
Hiro knocked three times. Everyone held their breath. One second... two seconds... three seconds... nothing happened.
"Geez, this is a scam. That writing is a lie—" before Luca finished his sentence, suddenly...
SRAAAKKK!