Lunga Academy

ONE

Freya yawned. Who will not be bored if you sit for hours in the car without any meaningful activity; like sleeping, for example? She had already tossed her favorite novel into her backpack after almost an hour of glaring at page after page with fading enthusiasm. Only God knows why her ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time suddenly decayed. Ugh! It was at times like this that irritation almost frustrates her.

Almost. 

How far does it really need to be to get to that damn boarding school? Maybe a year.

This is really annoying!

Freya glanced sarcastically at the man in his forties sitting behind the wheel. She was sure Mr. Baga's ass was almost blistered. Freya herself had changed poses at least a million times.

“Sir, you're human, aren't you?” asked Freya incredulously. “Don't you feel tired sitting all the time? We can take a break, you know; in a restaurant, for example.”

Mr. Baga smiled and glanced at his mistress. “We'll be there in a few minutes, Miss,” he said amused. “It would be a shame if we stopped now.”

Freya sighed without voicing her stupid thoughts.

Mr. Baga, may I swear? Swear! What shame, anyway? Tch!

Freya leaned her head against the window and pondered. This is the fifth time she has changed schools. It was nothing, but all of that really bore her. She moved not because she was expelled or anything, but because of the demands of her father's job, where her office didn't stay in one place.

Of course, her father had to be always ready if such a shift came; that means Freya too. Even so, she didn't complain even though boredom nearly killed her. It didn't matter how often she and her father had to move, as long as his love and care for her never faded. Just the thought of it was enough to suppress the groan that was already on the tip of her tongue.

A frown suddenly formed on Freya's forehead. She remembered the last conversation she had with her father before she left last night. What her father said was a little confusing, making her curious.

“You know what, Freya? I thought this would be the last time I apologized to you. After this, we don't have to move around anymore,” her father said that night.

“Oh, wow!” she exclaimed. “So you've got a permanent place of work?”

“Yep! Amazing, right?” her father grinned.

“But, how could that be? Aren't you—?”

“Your new school is the biggest reason why my job this time got a permanent place.”

“You mean?”

“One day you will know.”

“I hate it when people say that. Acting mysterious. How annoying!”

“Well, well, that's called a secret! By the way, you're leaving tomorrow alone. My current job is the kind that can't be put off. Later when I'm done, I'll immediately visit you there. Don't worry, even if it's your first time entering a boarding school, it doesn't mean you can think that school is so boring! Who knows if what you get is just the opposite?”

“I'm not worried.”

“Of course you shouldn't. Well, don't be too curious, Freya. If later there is a friend who makes you very curious about him, please immediately forget that curiosity. You know that curiosity isn't always profitable.”

However, little did her father know, those words actually made Freya curious. People will certainly be more curious if advised not to be curious.

Even so, Freya said, “What did you say?”

“It's getting late, you better get some sleep. Tomorrow I can't have breakfast with you. I'm so sorry. Mr. Baga will take you to Lunga. The distance to get there is quite far, so you better not get tired prematurely. Well, anyway, good night! Sleep well! Don't let fatigue make your eye circles darker!”

After that, her father kissed Freya's forehead and left the room, leaving her dumbfounded at his words, because never once had he changed the subject so shrewdly. Freya sighed. 

No problem, she thought giving up, no problem at all, and no need to really think about it.

She looked out with more focus. The trees that flashed along the edge of the Freeway grew more and more tenuous. Freya squirmed disinterestedly, even though she knew she would soon enter Lunga. She opened the car window and let the wind blow her long black hair. Her head was tilted up and her dark brown eyes looked up at the clear sky far above. 

Suddenly, for some reason, she really missed her mother. Mother who now only consists of a mound of earth without a life. It was the plane crash that killed the woman. Until now, even if a little, Freya still blamed herself because that time she didn't prevent her mother from continuing the flight, even though she had a bad feeling. Her father, however, always said that was what was called destiny. There's no point in blaming yourself if what happened wasn't our fault at all.

Once again, Freya sighed. Daydreaming is terrible.

Geez.

The “Welcome to Lunga City” gate welcomes Freya and Mr. Baga. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily Lunga is not a big city, so getting to the school located in the middle of the city doesn't take long. 

A few minutes later, their car pulled into a specially paved road that seemed to lead to Lunga Boarding School; or commonly called LBS. It's May, the new school year. No wonder there are many vehicles passing by to and or returning from LBS.

When Mr. Baga arrived at the large front yard of the school and parked his car, Freya saw many people who looked arrogant, but seemed to say, “I'm a new student, you know! Want to make friends?”

The schoolyard was filled with many sounds which Freya found confusing. Greetings, parting words, conversations that seemed fun, but also seemed boring… really made Freya curious.

What did they all say to make the air so noisy?

Pak Baga took out Freya's suitcases and arranged them in the stroller, which she did not know when and where he got them. Again, she was curious.

“Let's go in, Miss, shall we?” asked Mr. Baga.

Freya just nodded, after all she didn't know where to go. She followed Mr. Baga. Every now and then her head turned here and there, trying not to get too hopeful of anything. In fact, at first she really didn't care how Mr. Baga could find the way to the Main Hall, but in the end her curiosity overcame her. 

She looked up, stretched her neck and then muttered in understanding. It turned out that on the walls of the hallway they were passing through were plastered with some kind of guide paper with arrows. No wonder everyone, including Mr. Baga, was not confused.

A few moments later, they finally arrived at a large room, having previously passed through intricately carved double doors. Freya looked at the sea of disciples in amazement. 

Will all these students become her friends? Impossible, but who knows?

“Miss, you stay here,” said Mr. Baga, surprising Freya. “I will take these suitcases to the school staff, after that I will go straight home. Take good care of yourself here. Don't be too curious, okay?”

Mr. Baga winked and then walked away. Freya stared in disbelief. First, her father warned her not to get too curious, and now Mr. Baga!

 What's with her life and curiosity?

Freya shook her head, trying to shake off her surprise. She looked here and there; confused about who to greet or where to sit.

“Hi!”

Freya turned and saw a girl with brown hair in a ponytail smiling at her. Her black eyes looked at Freya kindly.

“Hi!” Freya replied.

“I'm Zola Miyaka,” the girl said, “call me Zola.”

“Freya Cynth Aleksandrov. Usually they call me Freya.”

They laughed lightly and shook hands.

“Shall we find a seat?” Zola asked.

“Good idea!” Freya said happily.

The hall was filled with many round wooden tables surrounded by four or five chairs at once. There was still plenty of empty space, but Freya knew it wouldn't last long.

“Hey, how about we join them?” Zola pointed in a direction.

Freya turned in the direction Zola was pointing and saw a table with four chairs; two of them are occupied by two girls. Freya nodded and walked over, matching her pace with Zola's. As they got closer, Freya saw that one of the girls with layered black hair was looking bored in all directions. The other girl, her hair reddish brown, was engrossed in the thick book she was holding. The two girls turned their gazes towards Freya and Zola who had already joined them.

“Hi,” said Zora. “Can we sit here?”

The indifferent girl shrugged her shoulders indifferently, while another girl nodded and smiled.

“I'm Zola Miyaka and she's Freya Cynth Aleksandrov,” Zola said after sitting down next to a girl reading a book.

For some reason the indifferent girl suddenly turned around and smiled amusedly. Freya and Zola looked at her in surprise.

“Nothing,” the girl said nonchalantly, as if she was being asked. “I was just surprised. We have the same initials. I'm Zuardian Arshan; call me Zu.”

Zu stretched out her hand, her black eyes still gleaming in amusement. Freya didn't really know what exactly made it funny. The initials of the same name are not something that will make you feel funny just like that.

Another girl also reached out to Freya and Zola.

"I'm Sara Cameroon,” the light brown eyed girl said briefly.

“Are you new students in first grade or what?” Sara asked then. Zu just looked at them disinterestedly. She didn't seem amused by the same initials as before.

Freya and Zola chuckled. “No, I'm a transfer student,” Zola replied.

“Me too,” said Freya.

“Ah.” Sara nodded. “So, what grade are you guys in?”

“Two,” Zola and Freya answered in unison. They looked at each other in surprise, and then laughed.

“How about you guys?” Freya asked back.

“We're not transfer students,” this time it was Zu who replied, “we're already in second grade.” Zu was silent for a while, her eyes stared at Zola in such a way that Zola felt awkward. Zu smiled crookedly. “And we're the same again; initials Z, second grade.”

Freya frowned, but said nothing.

Zola cleared her throat, looking here and there. “So, what are we all waiting for?”

“Oh, just like you know. This and that greeting from the Headmaster,” Sara answered.

“I'm warning you guys, don't let the Headmaster get angry,” Zu told Freya and Zola boredly. “She's a hell of a temper."

Freya and Zola just muttered understanding. Zu's change in attitude was so fast that Freya couldn't help but think of something weird in her mind. However, she slowly inhaled and exhaled very slowly. 

Just as Freya was praying that after this she would be able to get away from having to be friends with Zu, Sara looked at her and chirped, “The two of you will be in the same dormitory with us and will have to perform a special ritual later.”