Naura: Three Loves, One Heart

The first time I saw him, I felt nothing. The second time, I was curious. And the third time? I fell. Hard. Hi, I'm Gladis Naura. Most people call me Nau or Ra, depending on who’s talking to me. But when it comes to people around me, I’m not exactly the type who enjoys blending in. It’s not that my environment is bad—I’ve just always been used to being alone. I only have a handful of friends, and thankfully, they’re the kind I feel comfortable with. Right now, I’m sixteen years old and in my second year of high school. In Indonesia, we have three years of high school, and I’m currently in Grade 11, Science Class 6. New classroom, new faces, new friends (supposedly). A few days before school started, I was a bit anxious about adjusting to a new class. But that anxiety disappeared the moment I saw Safera waving at me from the third row. Fera was my seatmate last year in 10th grade. Seeing her in the same class again was a relief—I wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of making new friends. "Isn’t this great, Nau? We’re in the same class again!" Fera greeted as I reached the seat beside her. "Right?! I thought I’d have to cross to another class just to hang out with you, but turns out we’re still together," I replied, feeling much more at ease as I sat down next to her. "You must be super happy to be in the same class as me again, huh?" she teased, flashing her signature grin. "Not really," I lied, of course. "Yeah, right. Stop lying," she scoffed. I chuckled. "By the way, why are we sitting all the way in the back?" "Got bored, Nau. Last year, we sat in the front. Just this once, let’s not be so diligent, okay? Let’s just enjoy high school," she said casually. I nodded in agreement. Honestly, Fera and I weren’t the type to chase top grades. As long as our report cards were above the KKM (Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal, the minimum passing grade in Indonesia) and we moved up to the next year, that was good enough. But that didn’t mean we were troublemakers either. Fera reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, showing me a picture that seemed to be taken this morning. It was the class list for this semester. "Do you know him?" she asked, pointing at a name: Yuga Pratama. I shook my head. "Never heard of him." "Ugh, Nau, he’s in the Fokus extracurricular club! You know, the one that takes photos at school events?" she explained, hoping it would jog my memory. But nope, still no idea who this guy was. "Why are you so curious, Fer? Is he famous or something?" I asked. "Kind of. Oh, and he’s in our class, too!" she added excitedly. I simply nodded in acknowledgment. My eyes scanned the list on Fera’s phone. There were a few names I recognized—two of them were classmates from last year. Then there was another name that stood out: Raka Dirgantara. He was well-known at school, mostly because he often led the flag-raising ceremonies (upacara bendera—a weekly tradition in Indonesian schools where students gather to honor the national flag). I didn’t know much about him, only occasionally seeing him whenever I tagged along with Fera to her extracurricular activities. We rarely spoke. The only things I knew about Raka were that he was tall, smelled nice, and was surprisingly humble. He was also often the target of jokes from his friends because of his easygoing and fun personality. The classroom grew livelier as more students filled the empty seats. Yuga, the one Fera mentioned earlier, ended up sitting right in front of us, while Raka took the seat directly behind us with Galang—one of my classmates from last year. Not long after, the bell rang, signaling the start of our homeroom session. We had to introduce ourselves one by one from our seats. Every now and then, Raka would chime in with random, playful questions like, "What’s your relationship status?" or "What’s your dream job?" making the atmosphere in class more relaxed. He was definitely the type who was easy to like. Once the introductions and class officer elections were over, our homeroom teacher, Mr. Dani, finally left. The first period was left empty, giving us time to get to know each other. That was when I noticed Yuga glancing back a few times, looking hesitant. Fera, who caught on to his nervous behavior, immediately asked, "What’s up?" "Uh… can I borrow your correction tape? I forgot to bring mine," Yuga finally admitted. Fera and I exchanged glances before she handed him her correction tape. As soon as Yuga turned back to his seat, Fera leaned in and whispered, "Isn’t he kinda weird, Nau?" I stifled a small laugh. "Totally." "Fer, are you coming to the gathering after recess?" A voice from behind suddenly made us turn. It was Raka, who had been lounging casually but was now looking at Fera. "I don’t know. Nau and I are planning a little reunion first. Right, Nau?" Fera suddenly turned to me, seeking confirmation. I nodded, curious to see how Raka would react. He glanced at me briefly, then cleared his throat and extended his hand. "I’m Raka." I smiled awkwardly, stealing a glance at Fera, who was watching me with an amused expression. I reached out and shook his hand. "Naura." "Yeah, I know. Fera already told me," he said casually. "You hang out with Fera and the Paskib kids a lot, right? I’ve been meaning to ask Fera for your name, but I kept forgetting," he added. Paskib (Paskibra, short for Pasukan Pengibar Bendera), or the Flag Raising Troop, was one of the most prestigious student organizations in our school. They were responsible for handling the national flag during our weekly flag ceremonies, and their training was known to be intense. "You forgot for a whole year," Galang suddenly chimed in. "Dude, instead of asking Fera, you could’ve just asked me. I was in the same class as Nau last year," Galang continued, still engrossed in his phone. Raka looked at him in disbelief. "Wait, you were in the same class as Naura too?" "Where have you been, Ka?" Fera teased. "Ugh, if I had known, I would've just asked Galang from the start," Raka defended himself. Then, he turned back to me. "Can I call you Ra?" I nodded, unsure how else to respond. "You’re coming to the gathering too, right, Ra?" he asked again. "Um… I’ll just go with whatever Fera decides," I replied. "Why do you always go to these gatherings, huh? Just because you’re the head of Paskib?" Fera teased. I observed Raka, waiting for his response. With his sharp yet friendly features, he definitely fit the image of a Paskib leader. His easygoing personality must have made it even easier for him to lead his team. Without realizing it, I started to admire the way he interacted with others. "I do what I want. As long as I’m not doing anything weird, right?" he said vaguely, making Fera roll her eyes while Galang chuckled. "Even though you’re not in Paskib, since you’re my friend now, you can join us," Raka added, pointing at me. "Oh please, even if you didn’t invite her, I’d still drag her along, Ka!" Fera shot back quickly. I just laughed, slowly getting used to Raka and Fera’s playful banter.