Keep a Safe Distance
1578 Words
A few days later, the community service program that Sekar's team conducted finally ended. The female student could now breathe a sigh of relief because she no longer had to meet Raiden. At least on campus, they wouldn't meet every day.
Since the incident in the hut, Sekar kept her distance from the lecturer. While some of the female students in the program always followed Raiden wherever he went, Sekar was different. She chose to stay away and hang out with the other male students.
The farewell between the students and the local community created a slightly emotional atmosphere. Many memories would be left behind in the village. Especially for Sekar, her eyes welled up with tears as she shook hands with each of the residents she frequently interacted with.
On the last day, Raiden had swapped his sleek motorcycle for a car, a rare change that caught everyone’s attention.
As Sekar walked past him in the bustling parking area, Raiden leaned casually against the driver’s door, his gaze locking onto her. "You’re riding with me," he said, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Sekar blinked, glancing around as if searching for someone else he might be talking to. Surely he didn’t mean her?
Raiden smirked, a mix of amusement and exasperation flickering in his eyes when she looked back at him. "Yes, you, Sekar," he added, his voice carrying a fond frustration that betrayed the turmoil she’d unknowingly stirred in his heart over the past few days.
"Oh! You’re talking to me?" Sekar repeated, pointing to herself as though the idea was preposterous.
Raiden sighed, his patience waning. Without waiting for her to respond further, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the passenger seat. "Get in," he said firmly, his tone gentle but commanding.
"My belongings—" Sekar began, but Raiden cut her off.
"You wait here. I’ll get them," he said, already walking off to find the equipment team.
Left alone in the car, Sekar shifted uncomfortably in the plush seat, glancing out the window. Nearby, a group of female students watched the scene unfold, their expressions a mixture of jealousy and disbelief.
"Why her?" one muttered, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.
"I mean, there’s room for more. The back seat’s empty!" another whispered.
But none of them dared approach Raiden. His reputation as the most handsome and most intimidating lecturer on campus was enough to keep them silent. When Raiden made up his mind, no one challenged him. If anyone dared to ask for a ride, he wouldn’t hesitate to shut them down and send them off to another car without a second thought.
Raiden returned moments later, easily carrying Sekar’s small suitcase. He placed it in the trunk, his movements calm and efficient, then slid into the driver’s seat beside her.
The car roared to life, and they were off.
For the first leg of the journey, silence hung heavy in the air. Sekar stared out the window, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Raiden’s grip on the steering wheel was firm, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Ahem," Raiden finally cleared his throat, breaking the tension that had been building between them.
Sekar turned her head slightly, startled by the sudden noise.
"Where’s your house?" he asked, his tone softer now, almost hesitant.
Sekar remained silent and stared out the window, enjoying the view of the fields that were almost turning yellow. Once in the city, she wouldn't be able to see that view again, as it would be replaced by towering skyscrapers.
"Sekar," Raiden called while holding the delicate fingers of the student.
Sekar was startled and immediately pulled her hand away.
"Were you daydreaming?" guessed the Japanese-Indonesian man accurately.
"Yes," Sekar answered briefly. The student lowered her head, not daring to look at the lecturer for too long.
"Where is your house?" Raiden repeated once more.
"My house is close to campus, Mr. Rai," the bespectacled student replied softly.
"Just drop me off at campus, from there I can walk," she continued.
"Okay." Raiden agreed.
"Who do you live with?" the lecturer asked again, probing for a bit of information about his student's family.
"Hmm, I just live with my mom, Sir."
"Your dad?"
"He left for somewhere since...." Sekar left her sentence hanging.
"Since?" Raiden was curious.
"Since he found out my mom was pregnant, he didn't take responsibility."
Raiden nodded, understanding.
"But not all men are like that, Sekar," Raiden assured the woman beside him that he was different. "I'm not that kind of man and, honestly, I despise men who don't take responsibility," he added.
Sekar shrugged.
"That's why I want to get to know you better and meet your mom."
Sekar turned with a displeased look. "Why?"
"I will prove that I am a responsible man. Our relationship..."
"I am not asking you to take responsibility for what happened in the hut, Mr. Rai, so there's no need to bother," Sekar refused, sarcastically.
Raiden chuckled, "You're funny, you know? Everywhere else, women would ask the man who took their virginity to take responsibility, but you don't want to!" Raiden ended his sentence with a click of his tongue and shook his head.
"I consider what happened in the hut as just a mistake on both our parts, Sir. It's not your fault or mine," Sekar explained.
"You don't regret it?"
"Regretting it won't bring back my virginity, Sir," Sekar said curtly.
Raiden's demeanor suddenly changed. He didn't like Sekar rejecting him. Who is she to reject me? Raiden thought.
"Alright then. But if something happens one day, don't come to me!" Raiden warned.
Sekar, being mature and smart from living in a big city, immediately understood the lecturer's implications.
"Yes," she replied briefly.
Raiden clenched his teeth and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He held back the emotion that was about to explode, but he restrained himself.
Silence returned until the car Raiden was driving entered the campus area.
Raiden parked his car in the designated area for lecturers. Sekar immediately got out of the car and took her small suitcase from the back seat.
Suddenly she remembered something. She hadn't thanked Raiden for the ride. However, when Sekar was about to speak to him, the lecturer had already mingled with other students who had just arrived.
Sekar took a deep breath.
She chose to pull her small suitcase away without saying goodbye, walking along the campus sidewalk, and entering an alley not far from there where the rented house Sekar and her mother lived was already visible.
"Mom, I'm home," Sekar shouted from outside.
Her mother, who was in the kitchen, hurriedly came out to welcome her beloved daughter's return.
"Hey, my beautiful daughter is back," greeted Arumi, immediately hugging Sekar and kissing her on both cheeks. It was clear how much she had missed her only daughter.
"Let me take your suitcase," Arumi insisted, as Sekar tried to stop her, not wanting to trouble her mother.
Arumi took Sekar's suitcase to the room and began unpacking it.
"Where are your dirty clothes, Sekar?" asked Arumi.
Sekar, who had just sat down on the carpet, immediately stood up and went to her mother.
"All my clothes are clean, Mom. I washed them myself while I was there," Sekar revealed.
"Oh, I see. Alright then." Arumi continued organizing her daughter's clothes and putting them away in the wardrobe.
Sekar sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. Her gaze lingered on her mother, Arumi, who was busy arranging clothes in the wardrobe with her usual care. The sight of her mother, who had given birth to her, raised her, and been her source of unwavering strength, made the knot in Sekar’s chest tighten.
Arumi seemed unaware of the turmoil brewing inside her daughter, her movements calm and precise as she folded each garment. But Sekar’s face betrayed her inner battle, her expression clouded as she fought to hold back tears.
She wanted to confide in her mother, to pour out everything that had happened as the KKN ended, but the words caught in her throat. Fear gripped her. How could she tell Arumi about her mistake? About how she’d let herself be swept up in Raiden’s charm and hadn’t refused his invitation that fateful day?
Would Arumi look at her with disappointment? Would she see her daughter as tainted, no longer the pure girl she had raised so carefully?
Sekar’s thoughts spiraled, and she barely noticed Arumi shutting the suitcase with a loud snap.
"Ah!" Sekar jumped, startled by the sound.
Arumi turned to her with a playful smile. "Oh! Did I scare you?" she teased, her warm voice cutting through Sekar’s haze.
"Mom, you scared me!" Sekar protested, though her voice lacked its usual energy.
"You’re the one who’s been daydreaming," Arumi said, tilting her head as she studied her daughter. Her eyes softened with concern. "What’s on your mind, Sekar? Tell me!"
Sekar froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She forced a smile, shaking her head slightly.
Tell you what, Mom? That talking about KKN will only reopen my wounds? Sekar thought bitterly, swallowing the lump in her throat. How could I ever explain this to you, Mom?
She lowered her head, her mind racing for an excuse and anything that wouldn’t reveal the storm raging inside her.
- Writer
