Arsen was still standing beside his little bike. His hands had not moved since he saw the brown cloth bundle inside the basket.
The afternoon breeze blew gently. Some students had already gone home, leaving the schoolyard increasingly quiet.
“Sen,” Raka called softly.
Arsen did not answer.
“Sen, are you listening?”
“Yeah.”
“Well?”
Arsen stared at the object.
“I’m confused.”
Dimas walked over, glancing around as he did.
“We shouldn’t stay here too long.”
Raka turned toward him.
“Why?”
“If someone deliberately left that there, then they could still be watching us.”
Dimas’s words made Raka immediately look toward the school gate.
“Don’t make this even creepier, Dim.”
“I’m just saying it’s possible.”
Arsen took a deep breath.
“Let’s take it home.”
Raka was immediately startled.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“What if there’s something weird inside?”
Arsen took hold of the cloth wrapping.
“If we don’t open it, we’ll never know.”
Dimas gave a small nod.
“True.”
Arsen put the bundle in his bag. Then he climbed onto his bike.
Oddly enough, the bike felt heavier than usual the whole way home.
It wasn’t because the road was uphill.
And it wasn’t because there was anything wrong with the chain.
Something kept Arsen’s thoughts fixed on the object inside his bag.
Raka, pedaling beside him, finally spoke.
“Are you scared?”
Arsen was silent for a moment.
“Yeah.”
Raka looked surprised.
“Seriously?”
“What? I’m not allowed to be scared?”
“That’s not what I mean. You usually act all brave.”
Arsen gave a faint smile.
“Being brave about falling off a bike is different from being brave about something you don’t understand.”
Dimas, walking a little behind them, smiled too.
“At least you’re being honest.”
The three of them stopped at an intersection.
“We’ll open it together tomorrow,” Raka said.
Arsen nodded.
“But don’t tell anyone yet.”
“Relax. My lips are sealed.”
Dimas immediately let out a quiet laugh.
“That’s usually what people who can’t keep a secret say.”
Raka pretended to be offended.
“Hey, I have secrets too, you know.”
“What secret?” Arsen asked.
Raka immediately fell silent.
“See? So you do have one.”
Raka scratched his head.
“I’ll tell you later.”
Arsen studied Raka’s face.
His best friend was hiding something.
But he chose not to ask.
When he got home, Arsen took his bag straight to his room.
He set it on the table.
Arsen’s room wasn’t very big. There was a small bed near the window, an old wooden wardrobe, and a shelf packed with storybooks. In the corner, the little toy bike his father had given him was still kept there.
Arsen sat down and stared at the bag.
For several minutes, he did nothing but sit in silence.
Finally, he took out the cloth bundle.
Slowly, he untied it.
Inside was a small metal box.
Parts of the box were already covered in rust. A small image resembling an emblem was stamped on its top.
Arsen held the box closer to the lamp.
“What is this?”
He tried to open it.
It was locked.
Arsen turned the box over.
There was tiny writing on the bottom.
The words were almost impossible to see beneath the rust.
Arsen took a cloth and cleaned it.
After he scrubbed it several times, the writing began to emerge.
To the owner of the little blue bike.
Arsen stopped at once.
His heart began beating faster.
“The owner of the little blue bike?”
He looked toward the bike near his bedroom door.
It was blue.
But how could anyone else have known?
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Arsen hurriedly slipped the box into a drawer.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
His mother stood there holding a glass of milk.
“You haven’t taken a shower yet?”
“Later, Mom.”
His mother looked at Arsen’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You always look down when you’re lying.”
Arsen immediately looked away.
His mother gave him a small smile.
“Are you thinking about something?”
Arsen wanted to tell her.
But then he remembered his promise to Raka.
“I’m just tired from school.”
His mother didn’t press him.
“All right. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Okay, Mom.”
After his mother left, Arsen opened the drawer again.
But when he picked up the box, he froze.
Something had changed.
The box, which had been locked before, was now slightly open.
Arsen was sure he hadn’t opened it.
Carefully, he lifted the lid.
Inside was a small key.
There was also a neatly folded slip of paper.
Arsen picked it up.
His hands trembled slightly as he unfolded it.
There were only a few lines written inside.
If you found this, then the bike has reached the right person.
Arsen read it again.
Don’t believe every story you hear. Some things have been deliberately kept hidden.
Arsen swallowed.
At the very bottom was a name.
A name that left him speechless.
Rian.
Arsen had heard that name before.
But he didn’t know where.
That night, Arsen didn’t go straight to sleep.
He sat on his bed, holding the piece of paper.
His mind was filled with questions.
Who was Rian?
Why was the bike connected to him?
And why was all of this only coming up now?
The next morning, Arsen arrived at school early.
Raka was already waiting near the gate.
“Did you open it last night?”
Arsen nodded.
“There was a box.”
“What was inside?”
“A key and a letter.”
Dimas, who had just arrived, came over.
“What letter?”
Arsen showed him the paper.
Dimas read it slowly.
When he reached the final name, his expression changed.
“Rian?”
Arsen immediately looked at him.
“You know him?”
Dimas didn’t answer right away.
Raka looked at him too.
“Dim?”
Dimas took a breath.
“I’ve heard that name before.”
“From whom?”
Dimas looked at Arsen’s bike.
“My father.”
The atmosphere changed at once.
Arsen gripped his handlebars.
“Your father told you about this bike?”
Dimas nodded slowly.
“But his story ended before he could finish it.”
“Why?”
Dimas looked at them.
“Because after that incident, someone left this neighborhood.”
“Who?”
Dimas didn’t have time to answer.
Suddenly, the school bell rang.
The three of them fell silent.
But before they entered the classroom, Dimas spoke softly.
“Rian isn’t an ordinary name, Sen.”
Arsen stopped walking.
“What do you mean?”
Dimas looked toward the little bike.
“Because the last person who owned that bike was also named Rian.”