[~~~] Arabic dialogue
"~~~" Indonesian dialogue
KHADIJAH'S POV
"Is Halim here?"
I had just touched my seat when I saw four unfamiliar students standing at the classroom door.
I didn't recognize any of them. But from their faces and the way they carried themselves, like they didn't care about anyone else, it was clear they were our seniors.
The seniors looked around the classroom, scanning every corner as if searching for someone. Judging by how their eyes moved, they were here for Halim.
The whole class suddenly went silent. Nobody dared to speak.
Every eye turned toward Halim.
"I'm here…"
Halim said it calmly. His eyes didn't even glance at the seniors.
The four seniors heard that and immediately walked in, heading straight toward Halim. One of them roughly grabbed Halim by the collar.
"You…!"
"Hey! Stop it!"
"What are you seniors even doing in our class?!"
The seniors ignored Alya and the others. Their hateful stares were all locked on Halim.
"Are your ears not working, Halim? I told you not to get close to Khadijah again."
"We've warned you so many times, and yet here you are, still hanging around her—"
"You four always bother Halim! Don't you ever get tired of it?!"
"That's funny, because that's exactly what I was about to ask. We've warned you, even threatened you countless times. Don't you ever get tired, Halim?"
So… these four were the ones who had been threatening Halim all this time?
My eyes shifted toward Halim.
Halim still hadn't said a word. He didn't even look scared, but he looked calm… completely calm.
Then, I heard something that made my heart skip a beat.
"Halim, you wanna fight?"
"What?!"
"What did you just say?!"
"Yeah, I like that idea. How about we fight right here. In this classroom?"
"Hey! What the heck are you guys thinking?!"
"This isn't fair! There are four of you and only one Halim!"
"Are you the referee or something?"
One of them turned to Latifah with a smug grin, throwing a question that shut her up completely.
But in the middle of that tense atmosphere, Halim finally spoke.
Calm, soft, and steady.
"Listen. I don't want to make a scene here, so I'm not going to fight."
The seniors burst out laughing.
"Ha!"
"Coward!"
"Look at him, shaking in fear. Is this what you call a man?"
"Pathetic fits him better."
"The real cowards here are you four!"
"Yeah! If you really want to fight, do it one-on-one! Not four against one!"
"Please. We don't need fairness against a kid like Halim."
"Oh, really? A kid, huh…?"
The seniors suddenly stopped laughing.
The four pairs of eyes that once looked down on Halim now turned sharp, serious, and filled with something else. Something like unease.
It was as if Halim's calm words had flipped the entire situation. Turning the hunters… into the hunted.
"It really makes me wonder. Why do these people who call themselves adults keep calling me a kid? And did these four so-called adults actually come all the way to this classroom just to fight a kid?"
There wasn't a hint of fear on Halim's face.
Halim's still calm and still smiling, even though one of the seniors had him by the collar.
"…Four grown-ups coming here just to pick a fight with a kid, huh? Even elementary school kids could tell who the real cowards are here."
Halim had just said something that made the seniors even angrier. I don't know why he said all that to them. What exactly was Halim planning?
"Scared, huh…?"
"You know, not a single person in this world has ever called me dangerous. Not even I think of myself that way. And yet, the four of you… want to fight someone you call a kid? Seriously?"
"You'd better watch your mouth, Halim. Say that again and you'll regret it."
"What are you waiting for then? Planning to punch me right when the school bell rings like it's a boxing match?"
I am completely confused and worried. Confused because Halim looked way too calm standing in front of those seniors. And worried… because I wasn't sure Halim could handle all four of them.
Some students from other classes were peeking through the windows and the door. The place looked crowded, but the classroom itself felt deathly quiet.
That senior still had a tight grip on Halim's collar. The rest were glaring at him, eyes burning with rage, ready to explode any second.
The senior holding Halim's collar suddenly shoved him hard, pushing Halim's body backward a bit.
Then, without pause, the same senior swung his fist straight toward Halim's face.
"—HALIM!"
*SMAAACK!*
That punch would've landed right on Halim's face… if Halim hadn't blocked it.
Calmly, Halim raised his palm and deflected the attack. His movement was quick and precise.
Seeing how close that punch came made Latifah panic.
The classroom fell silent after that reaction. But this fight… was only just beginning.
"Surround him!"
"Got it, boss!"
"Hey! Don't fight in here!"
"Halim!"
All four seniors spread out, closing in on Halim from every direction. Halim's surrounded!
I swallowed nervously…
"Oh great. Guess I'll have to handle this alone. Again."
"Get him!"
"HALIM!"
All four of them rushed in at once, attacking from every side.
And Halim… He didn't fight back. Instead, he dodged, blocked, and redirected their moves.
It was like Halim was dancing, his steps and body movements were fast and light. He leaped backward, tilted his head, lifted his elbow, spun around, and pushed his opponents aside to avoid every single strike.
It was like Halim could read their moves before they even made them.
I am stunned.
One punch almost grazed Halim's cheek, but Halim tilted his head to the right and shoved the senior back.
A kick aimed at Halim's stomach, Halim caught the leg and pushed the attacker away. And then—
*THUD!*
"—OUCH!"
"…Oops."
One of the seniors had tried to punch Halim, but missed and accidentally hit his own friend right in the nose.
The one who got punched held his nose in pain.
"Sorry! Wrong target!"
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"I didn't mean to!"
"HEY! BOTH OF YOU!"
The two of them nearly started fighting each other. Seeing that, the leader quickly yelled to stop them, trying to pull his group back together before they completely fell apart.
Then they all went at Halim again. But this time, their attacks were faster, wilder, more dangerous.
Halim stayed calm, dodging every single one with incredible precision. Even now, he still hadn't thrown a single punch back.
I noticed sweat starting to form on Halim's forehead. His breathing changed. Just a little, but I could tell… Halim couldn't keep dodging forever.
Even with his sharp reflexes and strong will… one small mistake could ruin everything.
And right at that moment—
*THUD!!!*
"—!!!"
Someone appeared out of nowhere. Moving fast and silent, like a shadow. That person landed a solid, heavy punch right on one of the seniors' chest.
The senior dropped to the floor, clutching his chest in pain.
None of us saw that coming. No one expected anyone to show up—let alone hit a senior. And now, every eye in the room turned toward that figure.
It's the quiet kid. The one who rarely spoke, but never absent.
One of Halim's closest friends.
A student skilled in karate.
The silent one with an icy aura that always made people uneasy.
"Dzaky!"
It was Dzaky.
Everyone in the room froze, staring at Dzaky.
No one… not even Halim had expected Dzaky to show up.
With a cold, sharp gaze, Dzaky looked straight at the senior he'd just punched.
Meanwhile, that senior…
"Ugh… My chest."
"You okay…?"
The senior that Dzaky just hit looked like he was in serious pain, clutching his chest.
The leader of the seniors glared at Dzaky. His voice was sharp and harsh.
"HEY! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!"
Dzaky didn't respond.
Dzaky just stared coldly at the senior, then started walking toward him slowly and steady.
"My problem is… fighting without inviting me."
Right after saying that, Dzaky pulled a pen out of his pocket and threw it at the senior leader.
The pen flew through the air, missing the senior's face completely.
But Dzaky never meant to hit him. It was just a distraction.
The moment that senior's eyes followed the flying pen, Dzaky moved—fast. Way too fast!
In a blink, he was right in front of the senior.
Then, using both hands, Dzaky grabbed the guy's head and—
*BANG!*
The impact echoed through the classroom.
Dzaky had just slammed the senior's head onto someone's desk, like he was dunking a basketball.
The senior collapsed to the floor, barely conscious.
But Dzaky wasn't done. The fight had just begun.
Two other seniors charged at him together, but fighting Dzaky wasn't the same as fighting Halim.
If Halim was like flowing water, calm, and evasive… then Dzaky was a storm.
Fierce, unstoppable, and destructive.
*THUMP!*
Dzaky landed a solid punch straight into one senior's stomach.
The senior stumbled back, bending over and clutching his belly in pain.
The other senior tried to swing at Dzaky, but missed.
Dzaky caught his arm, twisted it, and with one swift move—
*SLAM!!!*
The sound of the body hitting the tiled floor made everyone freeze.
Dzaky had taken down two seniors in just seconds.
"My stomach…"
"Ugh… It hurts so bad."
Those seniors are lying on the floor, groaning in pain.
Dzaky's cold, sharp gaze locked onto the three seniors he'd already wrecked in just moments.
Then Dzaky's eyes shifted to the last one standing. The first senior he had punched earlier.
Dzaky started walking toward him slowly.
"Now it's your turn."
"What?! Me again?!"
"Time for closure."
"Hey! You already hit me earlier! Do I have to go through that again?!"
"It's not a punch this time… it's closure."
Dzaky grabbed a chair from one of the desks and… lifted it with one hand.
"Hey! Dzaky! That's my chair!"
"...…"
Dzaky froze mid-action, not saying a word. His icy stare still locked on the terrified senior.
Then Dzaky slowly put the chair back down. But that didn't mean he was done.
"Dzaky… I'm sorry—"
"Unaccepted."
"I swear I'm sorry! I'll never come here again! I promise—"
"You made a fatal mistake. You should've thought before walking into this place."
Dzaky's voice was flat, but it carried enough menace to make the senior shake in terror.
"If I can't use the chair… then I'll use my leg instead. Brace your head."
Dzaky now stood right in front of him.
The senior swallowed hard, trembling.
Dzaky started lifting his leg—
"—That's enough, Dzaky!"
I nearly screamed.
Before Dzaky's kick could reach the senior's head, Halim quickly stopped him.
And now, those cold and sharp eyes turned toward Halim.
"This victory is already yours, Dzaky. You don't need to take someone's life here."
Dzaky went silent. Not a word came out.
Dzaky stopped, obeying Halim's words.
Dzaky looked back at the senior in front of him. Then without hesitation, Dzaky grabbed his collar roughly, just like that senior leader had done to Halim earlier.
Then Dzaky spoke—voice calm, but threatening.
"You're lucky this time. I could've left you helpless… and dragged you straight to the cemetery."
After that, Dzaky let go and tossed the senior back to the floor without an ounce of mercy.
Honestly, I could feel fear crawl up my spine when he said that. If Dzaky ever treated me like that one day… I think it'd be one of the worst traumas of my life.
"Dude, calm yourself. Don't let anger take over."
"…You just ruined my moment, Halim."
"Those four have already learned their lesson. And that's more than enough."
Halim said that while walking closer to Dzaky, trying to calm him down.
Things could've gotten really ugly if Halim hadn't been here.
I'm thankful… that this fight is finally over—
*Clap*
The whole classroom was completely silent… until I heard a single clap.
*Clap*
Another one.
*Clap*
And another.
*Clapping…*
Then it turned into continuous clapping. The sound wasn't loud, but enough to shatter the stillness in the room.
Every pair of eyes turned toward the person who was clapping while slowly walking into the room.
He stared at Halim and the rest of the students.
Then he smiled, still clapping, as if he had just watched a very entertaining show.
I don't know him, but he's wearing the same school uniform as us. That means… he's one of the seniors in this school.
But the thing that caught my attention the most is… the small dried-up scar right below the senior's left eye.
"Oh, no…"
"He's here."
The moment he appeared, the tension in the room instantly returned.
Some students whispered among themselves, their voices barely audible. Others said nothing, only staring at the senior who had just entered our class.
A few seconds later, that senior finally stopped clapping. His eyes were fixed on Halim and Dzaky…
That senior is still smiling. But this time, he started talking.
"Finally. A worthy opponent… has been found."
No one dared to respond.
Halim and Dzaky just stared at him in silence. Even the four seniors who had fought Dzaky earlier looked tense now, clearly shaken by this new arrival.
I could feel my heartbeat speeding up.
Dzaky spoke first, his voice calm and flat, eyes still locked on the senior.
"Halim, I'll handle this one."
"What? Are you sure? You know who he is, don't you?"
Halim no longer sounded calm.
Both Halim and Dzaky recognized this senior. And from the way they spoke… it was obvious. This senior wasn't like the others.
This senior wasn't someone Dzaky could easily defeat.
"He's mine, Halim. So don't interfere."
"...…"
Mine? I don't understand. What did Dzaky mean? Why did he talk like this was personal? And why didn't Halim look okay with it?
Halim, who was usually composed no matter what… looked tense.
I looked back at the senior who had just arrived. His smile hadn't faded. He looked calm and almost excited, as if he was enjoying a fight that hadn't even started.
As if that senior already knew Dzaky wouldn't win easily.
Who was this guy? Did he come here just to fight?
Dzaky and the senior continued staring each other down. And then…
*BAGH!*
The fight resumed. But this one… felt different.
Their speed, their techniques, their precision—Dzaky and the senior looked evenly matched.
This wasn't just an ordinary fight anymore. It had everyone's full attention.
I glanced at Halim… He's worried. At Latifah… She's covering her mouth. At Hafizah… She's being held tightly by Latifah.
And then—
*BUGH!!!*
"—!"
A heavy punch slammed into Dzaky's chest.
Dzaky clutched his chest and nearly fell to the floor.
But… Dzaky refused to give up. Gasping for air and wincing from the pain, Dzaky forced himself to stand and continue fighting.
All we could do was stand here… frozen. Watching the fight unfold.
Dzaky pushed through the pain in his chest. His balance was slipping, and—
*BUGH!!!*
"—!!!"
The senior punched his head.
With his head and chest both injured, Dzaky finally collapsed onto the floor. His breathing was uneven, his body shaking from the pain.
The senior walked toward him… slowly.
"Pathetic. Is that really all you can do…?"
Dzaky couldn't answer a single word.
The senior stood right in front of him… and it looked like the senior was about to kick Dzaky's head.
With a cold glare, that senior lifted his foot.
We all held our breath.
I wanted to scream… run forward and stop everything.
But my fear froze me in place. I couldn't even move a finger.
Dzaky's body wouldn't move, and the senior swung his foot down—
"—?!!"
*BRAK!!!*
It happened so fast… so suddenly.
That kick would've hit Dzaky's head… if someone hadn't shoved the senior away.
The senior's body flew back and crashed into the teacher's desk. And that just made everyone's eyes widened.
"Halim!"
Halim!
Halim was the one who pushed the senior away and stopped that kick.
Now Halim stood in front of Dzaky, staring straight at the senior.
Of course Halim wouldn't let his best friend fall alone. And everyone knew that.
"…Halim, what are you doing?"
Dzaky was still on the floor, his voice trembling between anger and disbelief.
"What do you think I'm doing? Just standing there like a coward while you get torn apart?"
Halim spoke without even looking at Dzaky. His eyes were locked on the senior.
"If Mr. Satrio finds out, he's gonna be furious."
"Enough, Dzaky. Lemme finish this."
Dzaky stared at him for a moment, then lowered his head. He didn't argue anymore.
At the same time, the senior slowly stood up, glaring at Halim.
"You've got some nerve pushing me like that."
Halim didn't answer. He just stood there, staring sharply.
I could feel myself shaking. I could even hear Latifah's unstable breathing beside me, while Febriana glared at the senior as if she wanted to stop him with her eyes alone.
The senior didn't wait. That senior charged at Halim—faster and more brutal. Like Halim was the opponent he'd been craving.
Halim blocked, dodged, and countered with incredible precision. He stayed calm, even though the blows got heavier. Then—
*BUGH!!!*
The senior staggered when Halim kicked his knee hard.
Some of us gasped and covered our mouths. Some were scared, some amazed, some horrified at the sound of that hit.
But the surprising part was… the senior didn't look hurt at all. That senior smiled.
"Yeah… it's been a long time since I've felt pain like that…"
Halim said nothing.
"…Show me everything you've got, Halim. And I won't hold back either."
Then suddenly… that senior reached into his pocket.
Everyone froze when the senior pulled out something sharp.
I'd never seen it before. It was curved, gleaming… like a tiger's claw.
"Is that a karambit?!"
"Hey! You're not supposed to have that in school!"
The senior slowly turned toward us.
"Rules don't matter in a fight like this. Understand?"
None of us dared to answer that.
The senior turned back to Halim.
"You better not make a mistake, Halim. Or everyone here will see the floor covered… by all of your organs."
I… I could barely breathe.
Those words… that sentence… was terrifying.
The senior would… Halim might…
My tears started falling. And I couldn't imagine Halim getting hurt in front of me.
Please… don't do this, Halim.
[Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.]
Halim whispered it… in a moment like this.
It meant Halim was ready to fight someone holding a karambit.
Halim's eyes locked onto the blade and the senior. His breath is steady and his hands are ready.
The senior looked ready too. Then… without warning, that senior attacked.
This fight… one of them could leave this room severely injured.
We were all just spectators, forced to watch. Many students had come to see the dangerous fight. But… Karim, Rizky, Ali, and Arif weren't here.
Dzaky still lay on the floor, holding his injured chest. And the four seniors who fought him earlier stayed silent, watching Halim dodge slash after slash.
One swing… dodged.
The next… I covered my mouth because the kerambit nearly sliced Halim's face.
Another… Aiming straight for Halim's neck—
"—Gotcha!"
So fast! Halim grabbed the senior's arm before the blade reached his throat!
With one swift turn, Halim threw the senior to the floor and ripped the kerambit out of his hand.
"SOMEONE! SECURE THAT KARAMBIT!"
Halim tossed the karambit toward us.
"O-Okay!"
Zahra rushed forward, grabbed the kerambit from the floor, and backed away quickly. But—
"HEY!!! GIVE THAT BACK!!!"
"—!!!"
The senior roared like a wild beast whose claw had been stolen. That senior stood up and charged toward Zahra.
But right before that senior reached Zahra—
*BRAK!!!*
"—AAAAH!!!"
That senior fell. Halim had kicked the senior's leg.
Latifah and Hafizah screamed and stumbled back. Zahra clutched the kerambit tightly, hiding behind Alya and Febriana, both of whom were shaking.
"LET ME GO…!!!"
That senior was on the floor, face-down, trying to stand—but Halim pinned him down by the back.
Then—
*DUGH!!!*
A heavy blow struck the senior's neck.
That senior suddenly stopped moving.
Slowly… the senior's eyes closed and he began to lose consciousness.
The classroom turned terrifyingly silent.
"Ssshhh…"
Everyone stared at Halim, who still hadn't moved away from the unconscious senior.
Time felt like it stopped after that strike.
I could even hear my own heartbeat… loud and uneven.
And I probably wasn't the only one.
Dzaky, who once looked so strong, could only stare.
The four seniors were speechless, unable to believe what they'd seen.
And the other students… They were exactly like me, speechless.
Not a single word could escape our mouths after Halim landed that final blow.
"…What just happened?"
"Halim knocked that senior out with just one punch."
"One punch, and that senior instantly blacked out."
"Amazing."
Whispers… soft, scared ones that didn't dare become actual voices… suddenly filled the silence inside the classroom.
Eyes full of shock, awe, worry, and confusion appeared on the faces of several students around us.
And at the same time, I felt relieved because Halim somehow managed to end the fight without getting hurt at all.
Halim slowly stepped away from the senior who was now lying unconscious on the floor.
Then Halim glanced around at the students whispering about him. Every now and then, his eyes stopped on mine.
Halim was silent, looking confused, like he was still trying to process what had just happened.
Then suddenly…
"What happened here?!"
The principal's appearance at the doorway instantly shattered the heavy silence hanging over the classroom.
Everyone looked toward him and… the unfamiliar man standing beside the principal.
A stranger with a sharp gaze and a strong, intimidating presence. Even though that man wasn't saying anything, he somehow radiated authority… and danger.
I had never seen a man like him before.
But when my eyes shifted to Halim, I saw something I had never seen in him… fear.
Latifah might know something about that man.
"Latifah, who's that man standing next to the principal?"
"That's… Mr. Satrio. After Halim lost his parents, that man was the one who took over the role of Halim's father. And Mr. Satrio's also the one who taught Halim how to fight like that."
Oh… so he's someone who was close to Halim's father? But then, why doesn't Halim look happy to see him? Shouldn't Halim be glad that the man who raised and trained him came back?
"Mr. Satrio? What are you doing here?"
Even Halim's tone sounded… full of pressure.
"Are you the one who caused all this, Halim?"
"Shouldn't you still be in Jakarta, Mr. Satrio?"
"Oh, is that so? So the moment I leave, you take the chance to break my rules?!"
With a threatening glare, Mr. Satrio raised his voice and stepped closer to Halim.
Halim stepped back, fear in his eyes fixed on Mr. Satrio. One small step after another… until his back bumped into someone's desk.
And when that happened… oh no. Mr. Satrio grabbed Halim by the neck.
"Did you just use that technique, Halim?"
"I…"
Halim's voice was barely audible from where I stood.
Halim tried his best to free himself, but he couldn't do anything except clutch at the hand squeezing his neck.
"You know that technique can put someone's life at risk, don't you?! If someone hurts because of you… ARE YOU READY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?!"
Mr. Satrio suddenly shouted, and everyone in the classroom flinched at the terrifying sound of his voice.
"…Can't—"
"I've told you countless times to follow my rules! And now you've made another mistake… one you should never have made! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE SACRIFICED FOR YOU, HALIM?!"
I could clearly see the rage burning in Mr. Satrio's expression.
It made sense now… why Halim looked so terrified when he saw that man.
Mr. Satrio… he—
"Breath…"
The longer it went on… the tighter the grip became, and Halim's face slowly started to turn pale.
Watching Halim being treated like that… made my chest tighten.
Tears began to form in my eyes.
I could feel what Halim felt. And I couldn't stand seeing him being hurt like that.
Please… let Halim go.
"Can't… breathe—"
"Mr. Satrio, please let Halim go. Let's talk in the teachers' office instead."
Mr. Satrio froze, still glaring at Halim, but he obeyed the principal.
Finally, he let go—and Halim fell to the floor.
The principal then looked at all of us.
"The students who caused this disturbance… meet me in the teachers' office! We need to talk!"
The principal's tone left no room for argument.
"The rest of you, go back to your classes. Now!"
One by one, the other students quietly returned to their classrooms.
The four seniors who fought Dzaky earlier lifted the unconscious senior and carried him out.
Dzaky walked out while clutching his chest. His breathing was still shaky, showing clearly that the pain was still hitting him hard—both in his head and his chest.
Meanwhile, Halim… he still hadn't stood up.
"You better start fixing yourself from now on, Halim. Don't you dare think you can live in a Islamic boarding school with behavior like that. Stand up."
A Islamic boarding school? Wait… Halim is going to a Islamic boarding school?
"...…"
"Don't look weak in front of me, Halim! STAND UP!"
Halim slowly stood and walked out of the classroom without saying a word, not even looking at Mr. Satrio.
I stayed where I stood, replaying Mr. Satrio's words in my head.
Halim… he will leave?
TO BE CONTINUED…