"Come on, hurry up!" Rafa ordered, his tone flat and smileless.
"I don't know, Senior. Dian wasn't paying attention," Diandra replied with an innocent look.
Rafa's expression turned angry.
"You weren't paying attention? Then what have you been doing this whole time?" His voice rose.
"Playing Worm—uh, I mean, the worm game," Diandra answered casually.
Several seniors behind Rafa could only gape. This was the first time anyone had dared answer Rafa without fear. Besides being handsome and smart, Rafa was also known for being cold, strict, and snippy depending on the situation.
Radita, who looked furious, wanted to approach Diandra, but Kevin stopped him.
Rafa let out a harsh sigh. "Okay, since we're taking a break in five minutes, I'm giving you an assignment. Write 'I will not play games during lessons' fifty times."
"What, Senior? That's so many!"
"Still not enough? Fine, one hundred times!" he declared.
"That's way too many, Senior. Are you sure?" Diandra pouted.
"That's your punishment, so you'll learn how to respect people. Tomorrow, exactly at seven, you need to be here with the assignment in your hands. Got it?" Rafa's sharp stare instantly left Diandra frozen and silent.
The bell brought that morning's activities to an end.
Rafa and the other seniors left the assembly field. Diandra's shoulders drooped. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, stomped her foot against the ground, and walked over to Vita.
"Serves you right!"
"That's what you get for causing trouble!"
All kinds of snide remarks were thrown her way, and Diandra could only glare irritably at their faces.
"Senior Rafa is so annoying!"
"Hang in there, Dian. You got this!" Vita said. She put an arm around Diandra and led her toward the cafeteria.
Fifteen minutes later, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind Vita and Diandra as they enjoyed their food.
"Hey, mind if I join you?" asked a guy carrying a plate of siomay and iced orange juice on a tray.
Diandra and Vita looked up at the same time to see who was standing in front of them.
"You want to join us, Senior?" Diandra asked while sipping her iced orange juice.
He nodded. "Can I?"
"Go ahead, Senior!" Vita replied.
Diandra glanced over, seeming indifferent to the male senior who was watching her.
"Don't keep staring, Senior, or you'll fall for me!" Diandra teased, making the senior immediately scratch the back of his neck. Vita looked awkwardly at Diandra and reflexively gave her leg a light kick.
Oh my God, can't you act normal for once? Vita thought.
"Oh, yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Gibran! I'm in the same class as Rafa."
"I'm Dian, Senior. This is Vita!" Diandra replied, snatching a cracker from Vita's bowl and making Vita stare wide-eyed at her.
Gibran carefully asked, "I saw Rafa chewing you out earlier."
Diandra huffed in annoyance. "Senior Rafa is seriously so cruel. Who makes someone write a hundred pages? My hand's definitely going to ache."
"That's just how Rafa is. He really hates people who don't know how to respect others. Besides being strict, he's disciplined too."
"Whatever. I'm too lazy to care, Senior. Don't bring it up again. You're ruining my appetite!" Diandra set down her spoon.
"I thought you'd lost your appetite. There's still plenty left in your bowl—oh, wait, it's already empty," Vita grumbled, peering into the bowl.
"There's still broth, but I don't feel like finishing it anymore," Diandra replied after just finishing the last of her iced orange juice.
"Just admit you're full!" Vita shot back.
Diandra only grinned, showing off her white teeth. Gibran smiled and shook his head.
"You know what the difference is between Senior Gibran and Senior Rafa?"
Gibran frowned. "What?"
Diandra raised one eyebrow and leaned back slightly, as if examining Gibran's face while he looked awkward under her scrutiny.
"Senior Rafa is like a block of ice—the cold is enough to freeze you solid. Senior Gibran is the exact opposite. His heat goes all the way to your bones. Warm and cozy, you know?"
Gibran immediately choked on his food, his face turning bright red.