The central courtyard of Rajawali High that morning resembled a stock exchange floor in the midst of a crash. Hundreds of students jostled, elbowed, and tiptoed around a giant portable videotron freshly installed by the organizing team in front of the teacher's lounge.
Usually, group divisions—whether for Biology assignments or Scout camping—were done manually with paper pasted on the bulletin board. Cheap, festive, and scribble-able. But this time, the nuance was different. The four-meter-wide LED screen displayed a list of names scrolling automatically against a dark blue background with the golden logo "Grand Study Tour".
There was no cheerful laughter. Only tense murmurs, shouts of protest, and sporadic sighs of relief.
Salim stood at the edge of the crowd, shielding his bag from being crushed. Beside him, Dani hopped around like a kangaroo overdosed on caffeine, trying to see the screen over the heads of taller students.
"The scrolling is so slow! My heart is pounding, Lim!" Dani complained. "I already vowed to do a voluntary fast if I'm in the same group as you, Rizki, and Maya. I swear, if I'm separated, I'm gonna protest to the Principal's office!"
Salim remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning the text movement pattern on the screen. He didn't expect much. Since the meeting with Mr. Adrian yesterday, Salim knew that the word "random" in the organizer's dictionary was nonsense. In the world of statistics, nothing is truly random if the variables are controlled by a central entity.
"Groups 1 to 10 are filled with Social and Language students..." Salim muttered, analyzing. "Groups 11 to 20 are mixed... Wait."
The screen scrolled to the list for Group 17.
* Leader: Rizki Pratama (XII Science 1)
* Members:
* Dani Hermawan (XII Science 1)
* Toto Suharto (XII Social 4)
* Abdul Rohim (XII Science 2)
* Siti Aminah (XII Language)
"YES!" Dani shouted hysterically, half happy half disappointed. "I'm with Rizki! Yes! But... Toto? That market thug? And where are you, Lim? Where's Maya?"
Salim felt a tinge of disappointment. Being separated from Dani and Rizki meant losing his comfort zone. Dani was the comic relief, and Rizki was the diplomatic shield. Without them, Salim was exposed.
The screen kept scrolling. Group 20... 23... 25...
And finally, it stopped at Group 27.
The names were displayed clearly, printed in a bold sans-serif font.
GROUP 27
* Salim Nur Hidayah (XII Science 1)
* Salma Nur Azizah (XII Science 1)
* Saifuddin (XII Science 3)
* Alya Putri (XII Science 2)
* Rehan Saputra (XII Science 3)
Salim was stunned. He read the list three times, ensuring his eyes weren't playing tricks on him due to lack of sleep.
Dani slapped Salim's back hard, his jaw dropped. "Crazy... Lim. Do you see that? That's not a study tour group. That's... that's the Freak All-Star Team!"
"What do you mean?"
"Dissect it," Dani counted on his fingers. "Salma, the super fierce Student Council President. Udin, the Karate Chairman who can break bricks with his teeth. Alya, the PMR Vice President who's cold as a corpse. Rehan, the no-life hacker. And you... the Math Professor who's too lazy to live."
Dani shook his head, amazed. "This is either the most genius group, or the group that will kill each other before reaching the hotel. Good luck, Bro. You need my prayers."
Salim didn't respond to Dani's joke. His brain was working hard. This was no coincidence. The probability of these five people—each a specialist in their field—gathering in one group randomly was one in millions.
* Salma = Leadership & Physics.
* Udin = Physical Strength & Defense.
* Alya = Medicine & Biochemistry.
* Rehan = Technology & Information.
* Salim = Logic & Strategy.
This wasn't a tour group list. This was an RPG Party Composition. Tank, Healer, Mage, Leader, Strategist.
"They're preparing us for war," Salim whispered softly, goosebumps rising on his neck. His suspicion was 100% confirmed. Mr. Adrian's algorithm had selected them based on function, not emotional proximity.
"Lim!"
A voice called out. Salim turned. Rizki walked closer, his face looking concerned.
"I saw the list. We're separated," Rizki said. "I got Toto. It's gonna be a long trip taking care of him. But you... your group is intense."
"I know," Salim answered briefly.
"Take care of yourself, Lim. I heard Rehan is in your group. He's hard to talk to. Salma is also a perfectionist. Don't let yourself become a victim of their intellectual bullying," Rizki chuckled, trying to break the ice, though his eyes implied worry.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the videotron.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"
The voice screeched high. Rinto.
Salim and the others turned. In front of the committee desk guarded by two men in black suits (Mr. Adrian's subordinates), Rinto was raging. His face was beet red, veins bulging in his neck. Beside him, Nadia stood with arms crossed, her face sour as if she had just swallowed a lemon.
"I am Rinto! My father is a permanent donor here! Why was I put with Sucipto? Why does he have to join my group?!" Rinto slammed the group list paper onto the table. "Change it! I don't want to be with him!"
"I also disagree," Nadia chimed in curtly. "I was placed in a group where the average academic score is below the passing grade. I can't work with stupid people. My report grade will drop. Move me to an elite group. Or at least combine me with Rinto."
The man in the black suit didn't blink. He stood tall, his sunglasses reflecting Rinto's hysterical face. He didn't view Rinto as a donor's son. He viewed Rinto as corrupt data.
"Final decision," the man answered. His voice was flat, robotic. "The algorithm has determined the best composition for survival rate and social dynamics. No negotiations. No swaps. No exceptions."
"Don't you know who I am?!" Rinto stepped forward, about to grab the man's suit collar.
Swish.
The man's movement was barely visible. His right hand swatted Rinto's hand away with high-level martial arts efficiency, then pushed Rinto's chest gently but powerfully. Rinto staggered back three steps, nearly falling.
"Watch your attitude, Asset Number 189," the man said coldly. "In this program, your father's status does not apply. What applies is obedience. If you disagree, please sign the resignation form and stay at school for a few days for ethics remedial classes."
The threat silenced Rinto. Staying at school alone while others vacationed on a private island? That was social suicide. Nadia also fell silent, realizing these people didn't care about her parallel ranking.
"Crazy..." Dani whispered beside Salim. "That guy just now... that was a Krav Maga technique, right? His movement was so efficient."
"Yes," Udin chimed in, suddenly appearing behind them, startling Dani. "That's military technique. Rinto is lucky his arm didn't get snapped."
Udin looked at Salim. "We're in the same group, Lim."
"Strange fate, huh?" Salim smiled thinly.
"Not strange. But heavy," Udin sighed. "There's Salma. There's Alya. Two ice queens in one cage. I'd rather fight Raka for ten rounds than be their mediator."
One by one, the members of Group 27 began to gather naturally in the corner of the courtyard, as if pulled by invisible gravity.
Salma arrived holding her clipboard, face serious. Alya came with the small First Aid kit she always carried, face expressionless. And finally, Rehan emerged from behind a pillar, wearing a black hoodie with the hood covering his head, looking extremely bothered by the sunlight and humans.
The five of them stood in a circle. Five opposing personalities.
"Okay," Salma opened the conversation, immediately taking leadership without being asked. "We are Group 27. I don't care if you like this arrangement or not. Our goal is one: Pass this program with perfect grades and zero incidents."
"Perfect grades are subjective," Rehan muttered softly, eyes on his phone screen. "I just want my data safe and not be forced to participate in a sack race."
"Rehan, please cooperate," Salma scolded sharply. "For the next few days, I am the Group Leader. Udin, you handle security and lifting heavy stuff. Alya, you ensure our health, especially... hygiene." Salma glanced at Rehan's slightly dingy hoodie.
"Salim," Salma looked at Salim. Her gaze softened a bit, but remained firm. "You... you help me think. I need your brain for navigation or solving puzzles if there are logic games."
"Aye aye, Madam President," Salim answered casually, raising two fingers. "As long as my food ration is safe, my brain works."
"Good," Salma nodded. "We gather again this afternoon in the Hall for the technical briefing. Don't be late by a single second."
Salma disbanded the brief meeting. Alya immediately went toward the UKS. Rehan dived back into the crowd toward the computer lab. Udin patted Salim's shoulder, then went to the canteen.
Salim was left alone there, staring at the backs of his new teammates.
"Group 27," Salim murmured.
He looked back at the videotron. Total 40 groups. 200 students.
Maya and Rinto's group (Group 4) contained a mix of popular kids and athletes. Nadia's group (Group 37) contained selfish ambitious kids.
The organizers knew exactly what they were doing. They were creating a mini ecosystem. There were predator groups, prey groups, disruptor groups, and... survivalist groups.
Salim realized, Group 27 wasn't designed to win a marble race. They were designed to survive the worst-case scenario. And that made Salim's stomach churn. Not from hunger, but from fear.
"Lim, let's go to the canteen! Fritters await!" Dani called from afar.
Salim forced a smile, turning to follow Dani. He would enjoy this last fritter solemnly. Because he knew, once the bus departed, their normal high school life would end forever.
In the distance, on the second floor of the administration building, Mr. Adrian stood behind a glass window, looking down. His eyes locked on the dispersing crowd of students. He pressed the earpiece in his ear.
"Target validation complete. Group 27 formed according to Beta parameters. Potential anomaly: 98%."
"Monitor continuously," the voice on the other end replied. "Especially that Mathematics Asset."
"Understood."
Mr. Adrian closed the connection. He watched Salim laughing with Dani.
Enjoy your laughter, Boy. Before we take it away.