Cantika glanced at me briefly, like she was thinking. "Oh… seven in the morning tomorrow?" She hesitated. "I think that might be a bit hard for me, Kak Mal. My boarding house is kind of far, and I have to take my little sibling to school first." An excuse that sounded clearly made up. "Maybe we can just discuss it briefly during a break later? Or…" She glanced at me again. "Randi is a senior too, right? Maybe we can ask for his opinion as well?"
Yes! I shouted inside my head. Cantika was using me to refuse Akmal's "romantic breakfast"! This was a good sign. Or… maybe she just needed an excuse to turn Akmal down?
Akmal's face changed instantly. His smile turned stiff. "Oh… right. Randi is a senior too. That could work." He grinned, but his eyes did not smile at all. Instead, they were sharp, stabbing right at me. "But Randi is busy with his big assignment. Don't bother him, Tik. Let's just discuss it ourselves." He was trying to shut me out.
"I'm not bothered at all, Mal," I jumped in immediately. "My assignment also needs discussion. Who knows, I might get some insight from you too, and besides, don't you also have a big assignment like me?" I gave Akmal a sweet smile full of meaning. A cold war in the library had begun.
Cantika looked even more uncomfortable. "Oh no, it's already five minutes to five. I have to hurry to my group room. Thank you, Randi, for helping carry the journals. Thank you too, Kak Mal." She quickly took all the journals from my hands and Akmal's. "We'll talk again later about the assignment discussion, okay, Kak Mal. And Randi, thanks again for the journal! Bye!" She darted off immediately, leaving me and Akmal at the foot of the stairs in an atmosphere so tense it could be cut with a knife.
As soon as Cantika disappeared from sight, Akmal started talking fast. "So how is it, Randi?" He emphasized my name. "Such a coincidence, meeting at the library? Going down together? Even carrying journals for her?"
I let out a breath. This was going to be long. "It really was a coincidence, Mal. I didn't expect her to be on the fourth floor of the library. She really was the one who found my journal. And yeah, I offered to carry her journals just because I was grateful and felt bad seeing her carry that many heavy journals. That's all. No other intentions." I tried to stay calm.
"No other intentions?" Akmal sneered. "You looked way too happy talking to her earlier, Rand. And she calls you Randi, not Kak Randi. And anyway, why did she suggest asking for your opinion on her assignment? Are you that close that she thinks you should give input?" His voice started to rise.
"Mal, you're overreacting," I tried to neutralize things. "I'm just her orientation mentor. She probably thinks I can give advice because I'm a senior. Period. Don't be paranoid." But inside, I knew he had a point too. I really was starting to like her, and the chemistry was there. I just couldn't say it now.
Akmal looked at me deeply. "I just want to remind you again, Rand. I'm serious about Cantika. She's special. And you… you're my best friend. Don't let a girl ruin us." There was a pleading tone at the end of his sentence.
I felt slapped. "I know, Mal. I won't do anything." The words came out, but they tasted bitter on my tongue. Because I was lying. I wanted to do something. I wanted to know Cantika better. I wanted to talk longer. I wanted to see her smile again.
But seeing Akmal's expression, genuinely worried and sad, made me feel like the villain.
"Okay. I trust you," Akmal finally said, even though his face still looked unsure. He patted my shoulder. "Alright, I'm heading out first. I still have an appointment." He left without waiting for my reply.
I stood alone in front of the library stairs, my assignment journal still in my hand. I felt torn. On one side, I was really happy I got to talk one-on-one with Cantika earlier. There was a connection. Real. On the other side, my guilt toward Akmal grew heavier. And the threat of our friendship breaking felt very real now.
I walked out of the library, my steps heavy. The gentle afternoon breeze could not clear my tangled thoughts. Cantika said she boarded in Belimbing. An area near the station. I knew that area. It was not far from campus.
Don't, Randi. Don't. But the image of Cantika's smile when she said, "Thank you, Randi!" earlier made that spark in the library feel like a small flame that refused to go out.
I stopped in front of the canteen. The sweet iced tea that was supposed to be drunk together with Cantika, I ended up buying alone. I took a deep gulp. The sweetness could not cover the bitterness of the dilemma.
Between being loyal to a friend I had had since high school… or following a new feeling that made my heart race and made life feel more colorful.
And one thing was certain. The name Cantika Putri Jelita was getting more deeply embedded in my head. Like the title of a rare journal that was hard to find, but once found, impossible to ignore.
Damn it, Tik. You really are giving me a headache. But as I slowly walked home, I took out my phone. Maybe… just maybe… I could try looking up boarding houses in the Belimbing area? Just in case? That sneaky thought appeared. And I, Randi Pranata, who was usually good at dodging things, still could not find a reason to reject it. A new round of inner war had begun.