PARTNER
1374 Words
Chapter 5. PARTNER
Arka’s shoulders drooped like a scolded puppy.
“Fine, fine, I’ll tell you. I was gonna…” He inhaled deeply and blurted it out in one breath,
“Look up those gay dating apps, okay?”
Kaal froze.
For a split second, he thought he misheard. But no—Arka had just said it.
His eyes narrowed, a dangerous calm settling in.
He… what?
After everything he did to me that night, now he’s thinking of finding someone else? Oh, this i***t is begging for a grave.
Arka blinked, completely oblivious. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
See? He’s not just dumb—he’s a walking disaster wearing a human face.
“You dare?” Kaal’s voice dropped to a whisper. It was soft. Too soft.
“Huh? Dare what? Of course, I do,” Arka said, smiling proudly, like he’d just answered a quiz question right.
That was it. Kaal’s patience snapped.
He lunged forward, grabbing Arka by the collar, and tried to pull him closer. Tried.
Arka didn’t move an inch.
Kaal tugged again. Nothing.
“…What the hell—” Kaal muttered under his breath.
Arka looked down, puzzled. “Um… are you trying to drag me somewhere? Should I, like… follow you?”
Unbelievable. Kaal’s face turned bright red—not from shyness, but pure embarrassment.
Is he made of bricks? Why can’t I move him!?
“Follow me,” Kaal said finally, his tone a mix of command and humiliation.
“Sure!” Arka grinned, falling in step behind him. “You know, you could’ve just asked nicely. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Kaal didn’t respond. He kept walking until they reached a small coffee shop. Arka stopped beside him, eyes wide.
“Wait—are you taking me on a date?”
Kaal gave him a blank stare that could’ve frozen lava, then walked inside.
“Guess that’s a yes,” Arka mumbled, grinning as he trailed behind.
Kaal found a table near the window and sat down. “Sit,” he said quietly.
Arka sat. “Um, are you okay? You look kinda mad…”
Kaal sighed through his nose. “Order something.”
He handed the menu over without looking.
“Oh, okay…” Arka picked a random drink. His eyes never left Kaal. “You’re not eating?”
“Just order.”
The silence stretched. Arka fidgeted. “I still don’t get what’s going on.”
“Nothing.”
“Then why do you look like you want to strangle me?”
Because I do!, Kaal thought grimly. Out loud, he said, “Because you talk too much.”
Arka blinked, startled, then smiled nervously. “Heh. You’re cute when you’re angry, you know that?”
Kaal turned his face away, pretending not to hear that.
He folded his arms. “I dragged you here because there’s something you need to know before you faint from shock later.”
Arka tilted his head. “Wait, is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Both.”
Arka leaned closer, suddenly serious. “Okay. Hit me.”
Kaal cleared his throat. “The school is starting a tutoring program. Top students must help those who are… hopeless.”
“Ohhh,” Arka nodded slowly. “So you’ll be tutoring someone, huh? Wow, that’s great! You’ll be a great teacher!”
Kaal’s eyes twitched. He’s not getting it.
“Yes,” he said, tone icy. “And some students are required to receive tutoring.”
“Really? I wonder who…”
Kaal raised an eyebrow. “Guess.”
Arka froze. “…It’s me, isn’t it?”
“Congratulations, detective.”
Arka gasped. “Wait, how bad am I?”
Kaal sipped his drink. “Two hundred eighty-eight.”
“Out of how many?”
“Three hundred.”
Arka’s jaw dropped. “That can’t be right! I studied for hours!”
Kaal tilted his head. “Hours? Total, or per semester?”
Arka pouted. “You’re so mean.”
Mean? No. Honest.
Arka leaned forward again, trying to read Kaal’s expression. “So, you’ll be my tutor then?”
“No.”
“What—why not?”
Kaal’s lips curved, just a little. “They already assigned you to someone else.”
“Wait, WHAT?!” Arka almost flipped the table. “Who?! Who dares steal you from me!?”
People turned to stare. Kaal lowered his gaze, sighing.
“Sit down, Arka.”
Arka did, pouting like a scolded kid. “This is betrayal. You’re supposed to be my study partner. My emotional support. My everything.”
Kaal gave him a side-eye. “Emotional support?”
“Well, yeah! I can’t concentrate without you around. You glare at me, and somehow my brain starts working. It’s a system!”
Kaal covered his face with one hand. Why does this i***t sound proud of being pathetic?
“Your new partner will be fine. She’s smart, patient—”
“She?!”
“Yes.”
“NOOOO.” Arka slumped over the table dramatically. “Kaal, she’ll fall in love with me. It’s not my fault I’m this cute.”
Kaal’s mouth twitched, his voice was flat. “Trust me. She won’t.”
Arka blinked. “You sound very confident about that.”
Kaal leaned back in his chair. “Because she’s my cousin.” Kaal didn't realize the slip of his tongue.
Arka’s face went pale. “…Oh.”
“Exactly.” Kaal took another sip of his coffee, victorious. “So behave.”
Arka groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. “This is the worst day of my life.”
Kaal smirked. Finally. Peace.
But then Arka peeked between his fingers and whispered, “You know, you're dragging me here still felt like a date.”
Kaal nearly choked on his drink. “Arka—!”
Arka grinned, eyes sparkling. “See? You do care.”
Kaal sighed, defeated. If stupidity were contagious, I’d be dead by now.
The next day, chaos greeted the classroom before the bell even rang.
Arka slouched in his seat, hair messy, one shoe untied, a pencil dangling from his mouth. Across the room, a girl with tidy braids and sharp glasses stood holding a stack of textbooks like a soldier on duty.
“Arka Pranata?” she called.
Arka raised his hand lazily. “Yeah, that’s me. You must be my new partner.”
She nodded politely. “I’m Mira. I was assigned to help you study.”
Arka blinked. “Wait—Mira?” He glanced around the room. “Mira, as in Kaal’s cousin Mira?”
“Yes.” She adjusted her glasses with that same trademark precision.
Arka’s soul left his body for a second. He wasn’t kidding.
As stupid as Arka, he didn't realize either that Kaal revealed his secret background.
She sat beside him, opened her book, and began, “We’ll start with mathematics.”
Arka blinked at the open page, numbers swirling like ancient runes.
“Umm… before that, can we maybe—uh—get to know each other first?”
She didn’t look up. “We’ll have plenty of time for that after you stop failing.”
Arka froze, his brain short-circuiting. She’s scarier than Kaal.
Meanwhile, from the hallway outside, a pair of sharp eyes watched through the door window.
Kaal leaned slightly, adjusting his glasses, expression unreadable.
Inside, Arka was already sweating bullets as Mira scribbled equations faster than lightning.
“X equals—wait—why does it equal that?!” he yelped.
Mira sighed. “Because logic exists, Arka.”
Kaal pressed his lips together, fighting back a smirk. Serves you right, i***t.
But when Mira leaned too close, guiding Arka’s hand to write a formula, something twisted faintly in his chest.
Why does that look so… annoying?
Arka laughed awkwardly inside, “Heh, wow, you’re really good at this!”
Kaal looked away. “Tch.” He turned to leave, pretending his heart wasn’t doing something stupid.
Outside the classroom, he muttered under his breath,
“Plan B, huh? Let’s see how long you can survive Plan C (Cousin).”
- Writer
