At school that day, Ando and Dina seemed just as they always did.
They talked when necessary. Bickered over trivial things. Exchanged brief comments during class. There was no sudden widening distance between them.
Normal.
That was the conclusion Ando used to reassure himself.
When the final bell rang, Ando had already stepped out of the classroom when he remembered something. He stopped abruptly, nearly causing Bram, who was walking behind him, to bump into him.
"Why'd you stop?" Bram asked.
Ando muttered, "I forgot to bring the flash drive for Dina."
"What's on it?"
"Photos of Mount Gede Pangrango for the presentation, and the paper materials," Ando replied.
"Just give it to her tomorrow," Bram said casually.
Ando shook his head. "She'll need it before then."
He didn't explain any further. He didn't say that he had already organized all the data on the flash drive neatly the day before. And he didn't say that his mind had been so occupied that he had somehow forgotten something this important.
He hurried home to get the flash drive. Without even changing clothes, he went straight back out, riding his motorcycle toward Dina's house.
I could use some fresh air anyway, he thought.
That afternoon, Dina's house looked as lively as usual. The sound of the television could be heard from inside, mixed with the faint sound of conversation.
Ando parked his motorcycle in front of the gate, walked into the yard, then pressed the doorbell. He stood casually, one hand in his jacket pocket.
The door opened.
"Do?" Dina looked slightly surprised. "What brings you here?"
Ando held up the flash drive in his hand with a grin. "I just remembered I haven't given you this."
"Oh." Dina nodded. "Come in."
Ando stepped inside. There were voices coming from the living room. Two male voices.
"Alfa's here. You still remember him, right? The one you met at the hospital," Dina explained.
Ando simply nodded, but his expression gradually turned blank.
"Sit down first. What do you want to drink?" Dina offered politely.
"No need. I'm just here to drop that off," Ando replied, his voice equally flat.
"It's fine. I was going to make something for Alfa too."
The sentence Dina thought would make Ando feel less hesitant only made his mood worse. As if that weren't enough, Alfa came over to join them in the living room.
"Oh, hi," Alfa greeted Ando politely.
"H-hi," Ando replied, a little too late.
His hand clenched inside his jacket pocket.
Alfa turned toward Dina. "Din, I'll just get my own drink. You go ahead and talk to your friend."
"No, don't," Dina immediately refused. "I'm getting one for Ando too."
"It's fine. I'll get his too," Alfa insisted.
"No. I'll look like such a rude host."
"Come on. You don't have to. I'm practically a regular here." Without waiting for Dina to respond, Alfa immediately headed toward the kitchen, leaving Dina mid-sentence.
I'm practically a regular here.
Those words bothered Ando more than they should have. Without another word, he decided to leave.
"I'm heading home. I just came to give you the flash drive."
By the time he said it, Ando was already walking out of the house.
"But—" Dina hadn't even managed to stop him before he had put on his shoes and walked out through the gate.
Again, Dina was left before she could finish speaking.
Whatever. Maybe Ando's just tired, she thought.
In the living room, Alfa stood there looking confused. Two glasses of juice were in his hands.
"Where's Ando?" he asked, puzzled.
"He already left," Dina replied, equally confused.
---
Change doesn't always happen dramatically. No arguments. No sarcastic remarks. No obvious coldness. But that was exactly what made Dina confused.
Ando still sat in the same seat. Still responded to Dina. Still participated in group discussions. But somehow, something felt… missing.
There were no random remarks. No mischievous antics. No smug expressions that usually made Dina want to throw an eraser at him.
Dina stared at Ando's back for a moment, then turned toward Icha beside her.
"Do you feel like there's something weird about Ando?" she whispered.
Icha shrugged. "Seems normal to me."
The next day, the change became even more noticeable.
Dina realized that Ando hadn't initiated a single conversation with her all day. Every word he said to her was purely a response to something Dina had said first. Short, to the point, leaving no room for a longer conversation.
This wasn't like Ando at all, and Dina wasn't comfortable with this version of him.
Dina stared at Ando as he chatted with the other boys in front of the classroom.
Icha noticed and immediately grinned. "Missing him?"
"What are you talking about?" Dina quickly protested. "I'm just curious."
"Curious because your world isn't being disturbed by Ando anymore?" Icha casually chewed on a fish ball. "That's new."
Dina fell silent.
And her silence felt empty.
The following day, during math class, Ando surprisingly didn't borrow any of her stationery. Usually, there was always something he needed to borrow. A compass, a protractor, or a ruler. The only stationery he normally carried was a pen and a pencil.
Now?
Nothing.
How's he going to draw a circle? Dina wondered.
"Cha," she whispered, leaning toward her friend. "Do you realize Ando only answers me when he has to now?"
Icha turned toward her. "Really?"
"Yeah. Or am I just being too sensitive?"
"In my opinion," Icha said carefully, "maybe Ando's jealous."
Dina let out a small laugh. Too quickly. "Jealous of what?"
"Because lately, you keep talking about Alfa," Icha replied flatly.
Dina fell silent.
"And now he's basically taken over your world," Icha continued. "It's always Alfa this, Alfa that."
"That's not true," Dina protested, but her voice wasn't as convincing as usual.
Icha stared at Dina for a long moment. "Din, do you know the difference between a guy who cares and a guy who's possessive?"
Dina slowly shook her head.
"A possessive guy makes a fuss," Icha continued. "A guy who cares… steps back."
"But there's nothing between me and Ando, Cha. I'm free to be close to whoever I want," Dina whispered. "And don't forget, he has Clara."
Icha simply shrugged, leaving Dina's words hanging in the air.
When the final bell rang, Dina took longer than usual to pack her books. For some reason, she hoped Ando would go back to being annoying. She'd even be okay with him flicking her forehead. Or at the very least, she wanted Ando to flash that smug grin of his like he always did.
But he didn't.
Ando stood up, put his books into his bag, then left without even looking around.
Dina sighed.
"Cha, if he cares," Dina said quietly, "why is he pulling away?"
Icha sighed along with her. "Because, like you said, you two are nothing, and he already has a girlfriend. Maybe he realized he doesn't have the right to be jealous."
Dina didn't respond.
There was a strange feeling in her chest. Not anger. Not sadness. But something that felt like loss… even though she had never truly had it.