The next morning, Gilang arrived earlier than usual.
Not because he was diligent.
He simply didn't want to repeat what happened yesterday, when he'd nearly been late to class.
He stopped his motorcycle in the college campus parking lot, took off his helmet, and checked the time on his phone.
7:18 a.m.
There were still almost forty minutes before class started.
He walked to the cafeteria.
The college campus felt different in the morning. Some students still looked sleepy, some were busy looking for breakfast, while others were already sitting with their laptops open.
Gilang chose a corner table in the cafeteria and ordered a coffee.
Not long afterward, someone sat across from him.
“Alone?”
Gilang looked up.
Dimas.
Dimas set his bag on the chair beside him.
“Have you done the assignment?”
Gilang looked at him.
“Don't start trouble first thing in the morning.”
“So you haven't.”
“Not yet.”
Dimas laughed.
“Me neither.”
“Then why'd you ask?”
“So I wouldn't feel alone.”
Gilang shook his head.
Not long afterward, Nisa arrived.
She set her bag on the table and sat down.
“Have you two started?”
“Started what?” Gilang asked.
“Started working on the assignment.”
Dimas pointed at Gilang.
“He hasn't.”
Nisa looked at Gilang.
“I figured.”
“Why?” Gilang asked.
“You have the face of someone who does an assignment five minutes before it's due.”
Gilang smiled.
“So you've gotten to know me.”
The three of them laughed.
After breakfast, they went to class together.
That day, the professor's explanation was longer than usual. This time, Gilang really tried to pay attention. Every so often, he wrote something down, though even he sometimes had trouble reading his own handwriting.
In the middle of class, Dimas slid a small piece of paper over to him.
“Where are we doing the assignment later?”
Gilang wrote back.
“The library.”
The paper went back to Dimas.
A few seconds later, it came back.
“Seriously?”
Gilang wrote:
“Yep.”
It came back again.
“Are you sick?”
Gilang almost laughed.
He held it in because the professor was explaining something.
When class ended, they finally went to the library.
Gilang didn't really like studying there. It was too quiet.
But this time, he didn't mind.
They chose a table near the window.
Nisa opened her laptop.
“So how should we divide it up?”
Dimas immediately pointed at Gilang.
“He can find the data.”
Gilang frowned.
“Why me?” he asked.
“Because you're the one who talks the least,” Dimas replied.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Gilang asked.
“If you talk a lot, you're not suited to finding data,” Dimas answered.
Nisa held back a laugh.
Gilang finally gave in.
“Fine.”
They got to work.
The first hour went smoothly enough.
Until Dimas pulled out his phone.
“Lang.”
“Hmm?”
“Look at this.”
Gilang turned around.
Dimas showed him a funny video.
Gilang watched for a few seconds.
Then he laughed.
Nisa immediately looked at them.
“Are you working on the assignment or watching videos?”
“Multitasking,” Dimas replied.
“Get out,” Nisa said.
“Someone's grumpy,” Dimas shot back.
Gilang chuckled.
He turned his attention back to his laptop.
For some reason, he liked moments like this.
Nothing too serious.
Nothing too crowded.
Just three people trying to finish an assignment while joking around every now and then.
By late afternoon, their assignment was almost finished.
Nisa closed her laptop.
“I'm heading home.”
Dimas stood up too.
“Me too.”
Gilang was still entering some data.
“Go ahead.”
Nisa looked at him.
“Don't end up forgetting to save it.”
“Don't worry.”
“And don't stay up late.”
Gilang nodded.
Then they left.
Gilang remained seated alone in the library.
For a while, he simply stared at his laptop screen.
He didn't know why, but lately he'd often felt that his life was too peaceful.
Not in a bad way.
It just felt empty.
College went on.
Assignments came and went.
He had friends.
The days passed.
But sometimes Gilang asked himself what he actually wanted to become after graduation.
He didn't have an answer yet.
A lot of people his age already had plans.
Some wanted to work for big companies.
Some wanted to start businesses.
Some wanted to continue their education.
And Gilang?
He just wanted to graduate on time.
He'd think about the rest later.
Out front, the students were still bustling around. Some sat in groups, some were waiting for rides, and others were busy with their organization activities.
Gilang walked toward the parking lot.
That day wasn't much different from the day before.
Tomorrow might be the same.
And the day after that might be the same again.
He didn't realize yet that it was precisely from this ordinary-feeling life that something would slowly come to him.
Not today.
Not yet.
For now, Gilang still had time to enjoy his life as a college student.
Without knowing that one day, he would miss the time when the biggest problem in his life was nothing more than an unfinished assignment.