December 19th, Monday. The class atmosphere is very tense as if this was a life and death situation, even though it was only the end of the Mid-Terms exams.

The exam supervisor is looking at his watch and then said.

"...Okay, exam time is over, bring your answer papers now".

I breathed a sigh of relief, take my paper, got up from my seat then walked toward the front of the class. While stepping foot, I remembered the night when I met a girl named Hana Binatha.

"It's been a month since that day huh...".

I give the answer paper to the supervising teacher, return to my desk and get ready to go home. And at that time I get greeted by a classmate.

"Yo, how was the test?" A familiar voice called out to me from the side.

A tall-looking guy with a rather handsome face, though his character is a bit annoying. This guy's name is Tomi. I and him have met since middle school, he is my only friend in this school.

With a question like that, I just answer, "It's normal... I guess".

Tomi a bit pessimistic said, "Hoho? You seem really sure you won't have a second time".

"How about you?" I asked back.

"Well, nothing is impossible for me" He replied with a bit of arrogance.

"Heee... even though yesterday during the school entrance exam you almost didn't get in" I replied in a mocking tone.

"Yes, yes, let the past be the past".

"Are you serious?".

"By the way, do you have a plan for later on your semester break?" He changed the subject, such a sneaky tactic. If he asked like that there must be something.

I said, "Nothing, why?".

"It's nothing, just asking and reminding myself how Reza Arkan spends his free time alone".

Well, it turns out just to be a mock.

This is annoying... revenge it is then." Though, I don't really remember you have one, too".

Comeback.

Tomi's brow furrowed slightly indicating I was right on target.

"Bullseye, huh?".

"shushh".

Tomi sometimes became very sensitive if a conversation turns into a topic like this. Even though he's the one that started it.

"Haha, anyways, you know what I'm like. I'd rather chill at that place than have to go anywhere".

"That's like the words of someone who has no friends" he replied.

"I have a friend".

"I'm your best friend, not your friend".

"It's really different, isn't it?".

"it's different".

How? Maybe the difference between the words friend and best friend depends on people's perspectives. The word best friend does have a deeper meaning than a friend, but it is also not much different.

I change the topic to get out of this pointless chatter. "We also don't have holidays after the midterms anyway, no time to relax".

Tomi turned to me with a rather serious face.

"Midterms? What are you talking about? This is the finals".

"Finals? Final semester?" I ask confused.

"Yes, smartass. How the hell did you even think this was a Midterms?" He counters with an insulting tone.

"O-oh... Well, I don't have plans anyway".

"You can't give me the slip. It's amazing how you thought this was a mid-terms. Though, yes, you sound like you don't care".

"Yeah, maybe I'm a bit happy about having some time off. It's not like I'm going to be doing much on holiday either".

"That's true. If you have some vacation or some sort, rather than going anywhere foreign, you just relax at your private place, right?".

That's my friend. He knew me well.

"Yes".

"You... don't think about having someone to spend your time with? A girlfriend for example".

My forehead furrowed slightly when I heard the question.

"Why?".

"Why the hell..." He replied in a condescending tone. He continues "We are in high school, it's only natural to have a special relationship with someone! Yes, Youth! It's our time to shine!" with a rather pride and high tone.

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"Is that so? Then our is-".

"That joke is getting old, you know?" He replied with a lame tone.

"just kidding, I don't swing that way either".

"I may be your only friend, but I can't always be with you".

I feel my face become sour then I answered in a slightly irritated tone, "I can survive without you, duh. Besides, I'm also not the type to open up to people and that would make it hard for me to find someone who wants to be with me". I continue, "I don't really think much about it either".

"If there is someone who can break through that tight door of your heart, what are you gonna do?".

"Hmmm... maybe I'll take her to my place".

"Ohhh, go straight to your house huh? It turns out you have guts too".

"No, no, not my house. But, my place" I gave a long tone at the end.

...

It takes a while for Tomi to realize what I meant.

"...You..." He looked at me with disgust, "If you invite a girl to a place like that, you will immediately be left behind and screamed 'Pervert', you know?".

"Well, it's her fault that she didn't believe me. I won't do something I can't take responsibility for. I'll just show her the scenery over there. You know that too, right?".

"Indeed the scenery there is extraordinary, but the route is right through the forest. Anyone will be suspicious if someone invites them, a girl too...".

"Anyway I'm not interested in that right now. There's no one I'm interested in either".

"You mean when the time comes?".

"I never said I would not. Never mind, I want to go home and start reading my recently bought novel" I stop this useless chatter and go home.

"I'll be on my way then". I said while preparing my stationary and books into my bag. Standing up.

"Okay, be careful on the way".

"You're not going home?" I asked.

"I still have a club".

"Even though it's an exam week?".

"Just a short meeting, the seniors will give us homework during the holidays later".

"Is that so? Cheers" I replied short.

After giving goodbye to each other, I went home first because Tomi still has his club. If I'm not mistaken, it's Handicrafts. It might be a little odd that guys like to do things that gravitate toward girls' activities, but I think there's something really extraordinary about it. It just means that he has confidence in his creativity.

I come to my bicycle at the bicycle parking, unlocked it, and cycle back home. The distance between school and my house is quite far, but I prefer to use my bicycle because I think it's more relaxing. As usual, I use my preferred route like in the morning.

Since today and the previous days were exam days. So we came home rather early. Usually, we go home around 4 PM, but this time we came home early, at 12 PM.

The sun is scorching hot, and I started to regret not taking public transportation.

Hold on, me!

I encourage myself in my heart. Because if I take public transportation, I have to leave my bicycle at school.

This hot weather may be due to the fact that my country has a tropical climate. And it's summer. Our country only has two seasons, summer and rain.

Because it's too hot and my uniform is getting wet with sweat, I choose to take shelter at the local's shop across the street and intended to buy a cold drink to cool off.

I park my bicycle beside a local store and suddenly. "Oh, Arkan?".

A familiar voice entered my ear.

"Ah, Tio".

This guy's name is Tio, a guy around the same height as me with black, slightly brown hair. He's my friend in middle school and he lives around here. But, our high school is different. His failing to get into my school is the reason if I'm not mistaken.

Tio and I often see each other even though we are in different schools. Because his family, especially his uncle, is one of the people who is good at making fireworks. And of course, Tio also loves making fireworks. They often ask me how their new variant of fireworks is. I don't know why they asked me that, but Tio once said that fireworks seen from where I am can show the best potential of a firework. I have no other choice but to agree.

"What a coincidence, are you taking a shelter?" Tio asked.

"Yeah, it's scorching hot" I answer briefly.

"Haha, it really is. Just got home from school?".

"Yeah, come home a bit early because of exams".

"Same stuff, I came home a little early, at eleven".

Strange, shouldn't our total subjects be the same even though we are in different schools? "How come you're home early? I'm home at twelve. Didn't we have the same subject?".

"Probably because my school only does two subjects a day for the exams".

I see, makes sense. Because my school does three subjects per day for a total of twelve subjects, except for Friday and last week Monday's which had us two subjects a day.

"Oh, I see..." I briefly understood it. Actually, I'm not. I decided to just brush it off rather than talk about exams, it's rather annoying.

"By the way, how were last week's fireworks? Was it enough to compare them to my uncle's creation?" Tio ask me in all of a sudden.

Sudden question. I hope I can still remember it.

"Ah, Oh... sorry I was daydreaming... Hmmm... how about that...".

I bide my time while digging through my memories. But my memory at that time was hazy. For a very well-known reason.

Ah, I remember it...

"...In my opinion, your fireworks are lacking in the variation of color and lack a wide range of explosions", I continued, "Compared to your uncle's, yours is like a pebble thrown into the water and creates a normal splash of water. While your uncle's, like a stone the size of a fist thrown into the water as fast as possible. The impact feels very different".

He was silent when I explained it. What the hell... why is everyone after I explained just go silent.

"Oi, wake up".

"Ah, huh? Oh sorry, I got lost in your words".

"What's up?".

"Your analogy is very simple but it took me a while to process it".

"Is it that strange?".

"...You, always saying things that are hard to understand without realizing it".

Was it really that strange? Am I some kind of weird philosopher? Nah...

"Okay, I want to buy a drink first, I'm getting dehydrated".

"Want me to buy one?" Tio said to me while pointing his finger to a vending machine.

"Uh, you good with it?".

A tempting offer considering I want to save my money to buy a new novel.

"Relax, this is your compensation for the information about the fireworks earlier".

"But I never once praised your creation".

"That's exactly what I appreciate. You are always honest with what you say. It hurts a bit... but it also gives me the motivation to fix that mistake". Whoa, amazing. Even though I've been a friend of Tio since 7th grade, I am still amazed at how diligent and a perfectionist Tio is. He always chased something perfect so that he could stand alongside his uncle's creations. I respect him.

"Is that so... Please just buy me an iced juice" I accept his kind offer.

"That's it? Don't hold back, I got some pocket money from my hard work at the festival yesterday".

"If that's the case, it's better to just keep it, it's your hard work money. This is fine, thank you".

"I see, thank you".

"What are you talking about, I should be the one thanking you for buying me a drink".

I'm really grateful I can be friends with these people. Tio and Tomi are someone that can accept me despite me not really being a social one.

After chilling for about thirty minutes. "I'll go home early then, it's a bit cloudy" I said to Tio because it is already a bit cloudy.

"Then me too".

"See you" A goodbye from me.

"See you later".

We then walk in opposite directions.