It was an extra lesson in the afternoon. As usual, Ratna sat tucked away in the canteen corner, eating her favorite packed lunch: rice with soy sauce egg and warm fried onions, made by her mother. The canteen was quiet, with only a few students eating at their tables. The warm aroma of the fried onions seemed to be her only companion in her solitude.
In the distance, Helen, Julia, Tim, Aryo, and Rey were gathered, eating together.
"Look, there's Ratna eating in the corner," Julia muttered, as if whispering, her eyes directed towards Ratna.
"Well, that girl is so weird, she has absolutely no fashion sense," Tim chimed in with a dismissive tone.
Helen, Ratna's deskmate, paused a spoonful of food halfway to her mouth and looked up.
"Actually, I pity her. I always see her alone, without any friends. When we first shared a desk, I used to invite her to the canteen, but she always refused. She seems like a bookworm; she always goes to the library during break," Helen said, crossing her arms as if defending herself.
"She's always like that? Eating alone in the corner?" asked Rey, who had been silent until then, his eyebrows raised in inquiry.
"Yeah, maybe she's embarrassed because she doesn't eat like the other kids," Aryo replied, chuckling and snapping his fingers.
"Ratna is actually pretty—fair-skinned and tall—but… I don't understand why she dresses like that," Julia added.
Rey stared toward the corner. For some reason, his chest felt warm.
"Maybe it's because her glasses are too big," Rey wondered aloud. Unbeknownst to him, his feelings for Ratna were slowly starting to change, a mix of pity and a strange reluctance to hear others talk badly about her.
"Hmm, maybe so…" Julia replied uncertainly.
"I sometimes give her day-old bread from the shop," Helen continued, "I feel bad, I see she never eats until after school's over."
Suddenly, Rey stood up. "Just a moment," he whispered briefly. Rey was seen buying something, then he walked towards Ratna.
"What is he doing?" Julia whispered in surprise. She and her friends exchanged glances. From afar, they saw Rey engaging in a conversation with Ratna.
Ratna was eating with her head bowed, feeling embarrassed. While other kids had money to buy tasty food in the canteen, she didn't. Her money was only enough for public transportation, though sometimes she could afford to eat in the canteen, but she chose to save it.
Ratna felt a presence approaching. She looked up. Rey stood before her, smiling and offering something.
"Alone?" Rey asked warmly. Ratna was startled, almost jumping; her heart suddenly pounded, and a jolt ran through her body. Her cheeks flushed.
"Here, take this," Rey said softly, smiling and sitting down next to Ratna.
Ratna looked confused, unsure whether to accept or not. Finally…
"Ah, no, thank you, Rey. I brought my own lunch," she said with a hint of hesitation.
"Take it. It's siomay, it's good, really good," Rey insisted, "Think of it as my treat."
Hesistantly, while chewing the food in her mouth, Ratna used one hand to adjust her glasses and the other reached out to accept Rey's offering.
That day felt like a dream. Like winning a lottery prize. Ratna felt like she was floating. She truly didn't understand why someone as handsome as Rey would sit next to her, even though it was something she had always hoped for.
"Thank you," Ratna whispered softly.
"Why are you always alone?" Rey asked again, a sweet smile gracing his face. Ratna's mind seemed to freeze. The rapid beating of her heart refused to subside. Ratna stayed silent, confused about what to say, feeling utterly frozen.
"Why aren't you hanging out with Helen?" Rey asked again, sounding amused.
In the distance, many eyes were watching. They whispered to each other. How could Rey, the school's heartthrob, give food to and sit next to the 'weird' girl?
"Hmm, you don't want to answer," Rey complained, looking into the distance. He knew all eyes were fixed on them in astonishment, but Rey didn't care.
"Ehm," Ratna mumbled hesitantly. She wanted to speak but couldn't figure out what to say. Ratna looked at Rey with doubt; she felt confused, hesitant, and completely flustered. Ratna felt truly helpless.
"Alright, I'll go now," Rey said, smiling as he stood up and walked away.
Ratna watched Rey, feeling terribly embarrassed. She wished she could have talked with Rey, but her brain was completely frozen, and her heart was racing. Ratna was totally awkward. Her eyes gazed helplessly at Rey's retreating back. Ratna truly regretted not being able to talk to Rey longer; she wished she could open her mouth, which refused to cooperate and form words.
Rey walked back to his group and sat among them. They were seen chatting in the distance.
"Rey, what were you doing?" Julia asked, her eyes darting towards Ratna, a hint of jealousy there—why was that ugly girl getting Rey's attention?
"Yeah, that was strange, Rey," Tim complained, shaking his head.
"I feel bad for Ratna," Rey replied, smiling as if he'd done nothing wrong.
"Love? Got a crush?" Aryo teased, scrutinizing him.
"No way! I just feel pity. Hearing Helen's story, I felt sorry for her," Rey denied, laughing. Yet, deep inside, something was starting to grow, something Rey himself wasn't yet aware of…
"But… you could become the trending topic in this school—the hottie meets the homely girl!" Tim exclaimed.
"Ah, let them talk," Rey replied, laughing, his eyes still watching Ratna from a distance.
In the distance, Ratna was slowly eating the siomay Rey gave her, her head bowed, occasionally looking towards Rey with a slight smile. Today was a beautiful day, whether it was a dream or reality, but the siomay was real.
The next day, the gossip—Rey and Ratna in the canteen yesterday—spread like wildfire. In every hallway, at every table, Ratna and Rey's names were mentioned, sometimes with curiosity, sometimes with mockery.
The bell rang softly. The teacher hadn't arrived yet.
The classroom was noisy—not with learning, but with gossip.
Ratna's name circulated from one mouth to the next, like wind carrying dust.
"Hey, they say Rey sat with Ratna in the canteen, is it true?"
"Yeah, I saw it myself! Rey even gave her food!"
"Oh my god, seriously? Rey?! With Ratna?!"
"I feel so bad for Ratna, she's the talk of the town."
"Well, it's her own fault, who told her to sit with Rey."
Ratna walked to class with her head down. Her steps were slow; her ears seemed to catch every whisper; every laugh around her felt like it was directed at her. Ratna felt intensely embarrassed. She wished she could disappear.
As soon as she entered the classroom, Helen immediately turned around. There was something on her face, a mix of awkwardness and curiosity.
"Ratna…" she called softly.
"Yes?"
"Uh, yesterday… Rey was so nice, wasn't he? He rarely acts like that."
Ratna was silent, unsure how to respond.
She just nodded slowly.
"Yeah… maybe it was just a coincidence," she answered faintly.
But deep down, she knew—there was nothing coincidental about the way Rey had looked at her.
Ratna bit her lip, pretending to write. But the writing in her book became increasingly messy.
Helen looked at her worriedly.
"Ratna, just let it go. They're just jealous," she said quietly.
Ratna offered a weak smile.
"I'm fine," she replied, although her voice trembled as if she wanted to cry.
Rani giggled.
"Heh, look at Ratna," she said, glancing at Ratna.
Vera chimed in,
"She's probably hoping Rey really likes her. But the guy just felt sorry for her."
They burst into stifled laughter.
Suddenly, a loud voice joined the conversation.
"Rey seriously has no taste. How can someone of Rey's quality like a weird girl?"
All eyes turned.
Harold was sitting casually in his chair. A slight smile played on his face.
"Just eating together is causing a stir," he said again. "It's clearly just pity."
Ratna bowed her head even lower.
Helen sighed softly.
"Harold, that's enough," she said in a cold tone.
Harold raised an eyebrow.
"Just kidding," he said lightly. But for a moment, his eyes met Ratna's—and something there changed, though it was fleeting.
On the school's back court, Rey was playing basketball.
Every time the ball left his hand, his mind drifted to Ratna—the way the girl looked down in shyness, her flushed cheeks, and her voice that almost trembled when she said thank you.
Every time the ball hit the ground, his heart sank with it.
"Rey!" Aryo called from the sideline.
"You're still thinking about Ratna, aren't you?" he teased, laughing.
Rey offered a faint smile.
"You're crazy."
"Crazy? You've been smiling to yourself all this time. Be careful not to actually fall in love, Bro."
Rey just gave a small laugh.
But behind the laughter, there was something he himself couldn't explain.
There was curiosity. There was a desire to protect, and for some reason, Ratna's image kept appearing every time he closed his eyes.
That afternoon, Ratna walked home quickly.
Her bag hung on her back, her eyes tear-stained.
She had just heard Vera laugh loudly and say,
"Maybe Rey was just being kind. There's no way a guy like him would crush on a girl with thick glasses."
It felt like a thorn piercing her chest.
Ratna wasn't angry—she was just sad.
Sad because the world seemed to offer no space for her, for being different.
Upon reaching home, Ratna immediately went to her room.
She opened her worn diary, its edges frayed, and wrote slowly:
"Today, I became a school gossip.
They say Rey pitied me.
But somehow… I don't care.
When he sat next to me, I felt the world stop spinning.
Maybe that was the most beautiful thing that has ever happened in my life."
Ratna closed the book gently and stared out the window.
The afternoon sun streamed into her room. A name seemed to be etched in the sky.
Rey.
On the other side of the city, Rey was looking at the same sky from his balcony.
He smiled slightly, thinking about one thing he hadn't anticipated at all.
"Ratna…" he whispered softly.
And between those two hearts from different worlds, something began to grow.
Slowly.
Silently.
But surely. 🌙
📝 Author's Note:
Sometimes, the world can feel cruel to those who are different.
But amidst all the whispers and laughter, there is always one gaze that can make the world pause for a moment.
Thank you for reading 💛
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