The afternoon sun slipped through the ventilation gaps of Class XII Science 1, creating rays of light dancing amidst dust and the pungent smell of cheese. D-1 before the Study Tour departure. Supposedly, this was a quiet time. Time to pack at home, check document completeness, or just sleep early.
However, for Dani Hermawan, "quiet" was a vocabulary word that didn't exist in his dictionary.
"PIZZA'S HERE! MAKE WAY, PEASANTS!"
Dani kicked the classroom door wide open, carrying a stack of pizza boxes as high as the Tower of Pisa in both hands. Behind him, two other students helped carry large plastic bags filled with cold, condensation-covered soda bottles.
"Wuhuuu! Sultan Dani has no cure!" the whole class cheered. The atmosphere, previously tense due to departure preparations, instantly melted into an impromptu feast.
Desks were pushed together in the center of the room, forming a long banquet table. Pizza boxes were opened, revealing melted mozzarella and pepperoni that tempted one's faith. Music from Dani's Bluetooth speaker pumped the room with the latest pop hits.
Salim sat on top of his desk in the back corner, legs swinging casually. He chewed on a piece of Garlic Bread while observing the scene before him. This was Dani's initiative. He called it "The Last Supper" before they marched to the battlefield—although Dani said it jokingly, Salim felt the term was too accurate for this situation.
"Lim! Get down! Why are you being a paid spectator over there?" Dani shouted with a mouth full of cheese. "Eat, oy! While it's free!"
Salim smiled thinly, then hopped down. He walked toward the crowd. Amidst the party, he saw the group dynamics that had already formed.
Rinto sat at the head of the table as if he were the tribal chief. His face looked satisfied, far different from his anger yesterday in front of the videotron.
Nadia, sitting not far away, rolled her eyes lazily. She looked annoyed at being thrown into Group 37, a group she considered full of "mediocre" people.
Salim listened to their conversations while grabbing a glass of cola. He glanced at Maya. The girl sat next to Rinto, but her body language leaned away. Maya smiled politely responding to Rinto's chatter, but her eyes... her eyes were empty. She looked anxious. Occasionally her hand squeezed her uniform skirt, as if holding something back.
"Lim."
Rizki appeared beside Salim, carrying two slices of Meat Lovers pizza. He offered one to Salim.
"Eat up. I heard the food in the military barracks—I mean, at the 'resort' later—won't be this good," Rizki said.
Salim took the pizza. "Are you ready to be in a group with Toto?"
Rizki sighed deeply, staring at the classroom ceiling. "Ready or not. I've formulated a strategy. I'll be the 'Good Cop', Toto the 'Bad Cop'. As long as he doesn't beat people up randomly, I'm safe. How about you? Group 27?"
"Low budget version of the Avengers," Salim answered. "Salma already made a WhatsApp group. It's full of instructions and a 10-page packing list PDF. I think she wants us to fit a platoon tent inside our suitcases."
They both chuckled. A laughter that felt light, yet hid the same worry. Rizki patted Salim's shoulder.
"Whatever happens there, Lim... we're still best buds. If your group needs help, or you need... I don't know, a hiding place? Find Group 17."
"Same here, Ki. Thanks."
The party continued. The sun dipped lower, changing the sky color from blue to reddish-orange. The light inside the classroom dimmed, giving a melancholic nuance to the laughing faces. They didn't know. They truly didn't know that this might be the last time they sat together in this room with a complete formation.
Salim retreated slowly from the crowd, feeling the need for fresh air. He walked to the balcony outside the class, his favorite spot to daydream. The afternoon breeze hit his face, carrying the scent of impending rain.
"Can I join?"
That soft voice made Salim turn. Maya stood in the balcony doorway. She didn't bring food. Her hands were hidden behind her back.
"Sure. But the entrance ticket is expensive," Salim joked, trying to mask his heartbeat which got a bit messy every time Maya was near.
Maya chuckled softly, then walked closer. She stood beside Salim, leaning on the balcony railing, staring at the empty assembly field down below.
"It's really lively inside," Maya said.
"Yeah. Dani never does anything halfway when throwing an event," Salim answered.
Silence for a moment. Only the sound of the wind and faint music from inside the class.
"Lim," Maya called. Her voice turned serious.
"Hm?"
Maya turned, leaning her back against the railing, so now she faced Salim directly. She looked into Salim's eyes intently. There was fear, worry, and... genuine affection there.
"You're in a group with Salma, Udin, Rehan, and Alya," Maya said. "That's a really strong group, Lim. People say it's the dream team."
"Or the nightmare team," Salim corrected. "Too many alphas in one pond."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Maya bit her lower lip. "You're smart, Lim. A genius, even. But you... you often forget your own safety for the sake of your logic. You often take unnecessary risks just because your calculations say it's 'efficient'."
Salim fell silent. Maya knew him better than he thought.
"I'm glad Rinto is in my group," Maya continued, surprising Salim. "Not because I like him. But because Rinto, Sucipto, and Amir... they are physically strong. They can be shields."
"That's good. You're safe," Salim said, feeling a slight pang in his chest hearing Rinto's name.
"But who protects you, Lim?" Maya asked softly. "Udin? He'll be busy on the front lines. Salma? She's busy managing strategy. Rehan and Alya have their own tasks."
Slowly, Maya brought her hands out from behind her back. She held a small object. A black prusik rope bracelet with a single small silver bead shaped like a compass.
"This is for you," Maya said, offering it.
Salim looked at the bracelet. Simple, but looked sturdy.
"A bracelet?"
"This isn't an ordinary bracelet. The rope is real paracord. If unraveled, it can reach 3 meters long and hold 150 kilos of load. And that silver bead... it's a real compass, albeit small," Maya explained. "I made it myself last night."
Salim was stunned. The daughter of a luxury hotel owner, making a survival bracelet for him with her own hands?
"May... this..."
"Wear it, Lim," Maya requested. She took Salim's right hand, then tied the bracelet around his wrist. Their skin touched. Warm.
Once secured, Maya didn't let go of Salim's hand immediately. She gripped it tightly.
"Listen to me, Salim," Maya whispered, her eyes starting to glisten. "Over there later... whatever happens... Promise me you have to take care of yourself. Don't be a late hero. Don't sacrifice yourself for the sake of number crunching."
Salim swallowed hard. "That's easy. Don't worry."
Maya shook her head. She leaned her face closer, staring at Salim with an intensity that made Salim's breath hitch.
"You have to guard yourself, Lim," Maya stated firmly, as if reciting a sacred vow. "I want you to remain you, even when you aren't sure of yourself."
Those words hung in the air, heavy and full of meaning. Remain yourself. As if Maya knew that Salim's biggest enemy wasn't other people, but the coldness of his own logic that could one day kill his conscience.
"Oy! Soap opera couple! We were looking for you and here you are cornering yourselves!"
Dani's shrill voice ruined the sacred moment. Dani appeared in the balcony doorway with a face red from too much laughing and soda.
Maya reflexively let go of Salim's hand and stepped back, wiping the corner of her eyes quickly. Salim cleared his throat, hiding the bracelet under his uniform sleeve.
"What the hell, Dan. Disturbing people discussing quantum physics," Salim dodged.
"Quantum physics my foot!" Dani laughed, draping his arms around both their shoulders. "Come inside! We're taking a cohort photo! The Homeroom Teacher is here with a DSLR camera!"
Dani dragged them back into the classroom. Back to the noise, camera flashes, and silly poses.
Salim stood in the back row when the group photo was taken. He smiled, but his mind drifted to the bracelet on his wrist. The object felt heavy. It wasn't just an accessory. It was the weight of a promise.
In the front row, Rinto, deliberately, stood very close beside Maya and placed his hand on the back of Maya's chair, creating the illusion of an embrace. Maya held her breath, unable to move due to the crowd. She glanced at Salim... Her eyes pleading for forgiveness.
Click.
The flash whitened the vision for a second. That moment was immortalized in digital data. Cheerful faces not yet stained with blood.
The party ended when the Maghrib prayer call echoed. One by one students went home. The classroom lights were turned off.
Salim walked out the school gate with Dani.
"I'm so satisfied today, Lim," Dani said while playing with his car keys. "Tomorrow we leave! Bus 3 with Group 27, right?"
"Yeah, Dan. Drive safe," Salim said.
Salim mounted his Supra bike. He started it. Sputter... Vroom.
Before he pulled the throttle, he looked toward the school building now pitch black, its silhouette slicing the gray night sky.
That feeling came again. The hunch Udin spoke of. Rehan's hidden message. The fear in Maya's eyes.
Salim touched the prusik bracelet on his hand. The tiny compass pointed north. But Salim felt, starting tomorrow, their moral compass would spin without direction.
"Remain myself..." Salim muttered.
He shifted into first gear, then sped off into the night. Behind him, Rajawali High stood silent like a sleeping giant, waiting for the time to spew its children into the belly of the real monster.
Tomorrow, there would be no more pizza. Tomorrow, there was only the menu of survival.