The clock struck 5:00 PM. Golden rays of the late afternoon sun slowly seeped through Arya's dorm window, casting warm shadows across his study desk. He sat in his chair, slouched slightly, elbows resting on the table, eyes staring blankly as if lost in a labyrinth of his own thoughts. Every now and then, he let out a long sigh, as if weighing something he couldn't put into words.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the desk, shattering the quiet in the room. With a lazy but curious movement, Arya picked it up. The screen showed a message from Dio: tonight, he wanted to meet and take Arya somewhere.
"T-tonight? Alright… but…" Arya muttered softly, his lips moving without forming clear words, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling. His thoughts immediately wandered to Rika. He hadn't seen her all afternoon, even though she usually caused small chaos in class, shouting at nothing, or waiting outside for him with her usual racket. But today, the silence felt strange. Arya had walked around campus twice before heading back, yet he still hadn't run into her.
He occasionally glanced at the bed directly behind him, scanning the corners where Rika usually got up to mischief.
"Where on earth is she?" he murmured, his voice nearly drowned out by the evening breeze rustling through the trees. Half confused, half worried.
"Aryaa…" a voice called from outside his dorm window. Cheerful, lively, slightly loud, enough to make Arya lift his head from the desk. Lazily but curious, he reached for the curtain and drew it aside. Outside the window, Rika hovered upside down in midair, her copper-red hair waving with her movements, a mischievous smile plastered across her face. Arya just stared blankly, trying to suppress the mix of irritation and relief swelling inside him.
"What exactly are you doing?" Arya asked flatly, exhaling deeply. Frustration lingered in his tone, but it wasn't full-blown anger—more a gentle exasperation tempered by relief that Rika was unharmed.
Without waiting for an answer, Rika slipped through the window with ease, landing lightly on the dorm floor, her grin bright and uncontainable.
"You know, I got lost on my way back," she said, laughing softly, clearly proud of her own clumsiness. Her eyes sparkled, daring Arya's patience.
"Lost? You know, I walked around the campus twice looking for you! You little nuisance of a ghost," Arya replied, tapping the table gently, his expression annoyed but softened by relief that she was back.
Rika lowered her head, her voice shrinking like a scolded child. "Sorry… I didn't mean… sorry," she whispered. Arya exhaled again, resting his hands on his hips, half-resigned patience in his eyes.
"Alright… just don't wander off like that again, got it?" he said, irritation still lingering, but his voice carried a strange calm.
"Okay… but I saw Dinda not far from the intersection while I was lost. I followed her, and ended up back on campus… though she was hanging out with some organization, or something," Rika explained, lowering her head again, regretful but still curious about what had happened.
"Dinda?" Arya furrowed his brows, trying to remember who she meant. His eyes stayed focused yet neutral.
Rika perked up immediately, eyes gleaming with excitement as if she had discovered a new topic. "Yes! The girl who kicked us out of the cafeteria earlier. How could you forget?" she said, grinning mischievously, waiting for Arya's reaction.
"That grumpy girl, huh?" Arya replied flatly, feigning indifference, though his eyes never left her movements. A subtle tension hung in the air, balanced by a quiet familiarity—as if two friends had long learned to coexist in the same space, each in their own way.
"Ah, whatever! Tonight, I'm going out with Dio, and you, stinky ghost, stay here!" Arya said, scolding her like an older brother. His eyes were a mix of annoyance and care. "Stay here and guard the room as your punishment, and don't pull any funny business," he added, emphasizing the last words with a near-warning glare.
Rika shrugged, lips pursed, but her eyes still held a curious sparkle. "When have I ever done anything weird? Besides, why should I stay here alone? I want to come!" she whined, her voice rising slightly, half disappointed, half spoiled. She bounced lightly in place, as if hoping her antics would sway him.
Arya furrowed his brows, raising his voice slightly, frustration mounting.
"When have you acted weird? Just the other night, right? You came here late while I was working on assignments, casually saying you wanted to introduce a new friend. Then, when I peeked outside the window… you brought a ghost along! Because of that, I had to chase it quite a distance!" His words spilled out rapidly, gestures flailing slightly as if to underscore every ounce of his exasperation.
Rika lowered her head briefly, lips still pursed, but answered with a childlike innocence.
"Yeah… but I saw her crying under the mango tree nearby. I was being kind, so I took her to my place. Maybe that cheered her up," she explained, crossing her arms, her face filled with a small sense of pride in her own actions.
Her innocence almost made Arya lose his patience, yet it also warmed him slightly—Rika always had her own logic and sense of morality, even if sometimes absurd.
Their conversation continued like a slow-flowing river, never stopping. Arya half-annoyed, half-attentive; Rika mischievous yet innocent—they exchanged arguments, counterpoints, and gentle rebukes, all underlaid with understanding. They recounted the day's events, each other's quirks, and small campus absurdities.
As the sun dipped further west, long shadows stretched across Arya's dorm. The warm atmosphere, mingled with the scent of books and wooden desk, witnessed a small yet heartfelt debate between Arya and Rika. That evening ended not with a clear victor, but with a flowing exchange of annoyance, care, curiosity, and an unexplainable closeness.