The sun had just risen, but Laras had already been standing in front of the mirror for more than thirty minutes. She smoothed the slightly messy ends of her hair, made sure her school uniform wasn’t wrinkled, and stared at her reflection with bated breath.
Perfect enough? she asked herself.
She took out her phone, adjusted the lighting angle, and photographed herself with a smile she had practiced over and over. After slightly brightening the photo and adding a soft filter, she finally posted it with the caption: “Good morning! Keep smiling 😊”
Within minutes, dozens of likes and comments appeared.
“Absolutely gorgeous today!” “You’re always perfect, Lar!” “Our school idol really is on another level 😍”
Laras smiled as she read them, but her heart felt heavy. No one knew—that behind the photo that looked so calm, she was already exhausted. Tired of smiling when her heart was restless. Tired of looking put-together when her thoughts were a mess. Tired of being the version everyone wants, instead of being herself.
In the school hallway, laughter rang out all around her. Laras walked with her head held high, returning every greeting with the exact same smile as in the photo. But when she saw Bayu sitting casually on a garden bench, reading a book—with no phone, no pretense—her heart was moved. He seemed so comfortable being himself. Without a filter, without being afraid of being judged.
When their eyes met, Bayu simply gave her a sincere smile. Not the kind of admiring, complimentary smile other people gave her. Instead, it was a smile that seemed to say, “I see the real you.”
Laras quickly lowered her head and walked on. She was afraid. Afraid that if her mask slipped even a little, everyone would leave. Including him.
What she didn’t know was that Bayu was waiting for her to find the courage to let go of that forced smile.