London had been Alia's home since she was little.
Not only because her father and mother worked there, but also because her grandparents lived in the city. Almost all of Alia's childhood memories were tucked away among London's streets, her old school, the winters, and her grandparents' warm home.
Alia grew up as a girl accustomed to life abroad.
However, everything changed a year ago.
Her father received a new work assignment in Indonesia.
The job required him to return to his homeland.
In the end, her parents decided to go home.
Her older brother, Ravian, returned with them because by then he was old enough to continue school in Indonesia.
Alia was the only one who didn't go with them right away.
It wasn't because her parents didn't want to take her.
Quite the opposite.
They wanted Alia to finish middle school in London first.
Because of that, Alia had spent the past year living with her grandparents.
Whenever they spoke over video calls, Alia always saw her family's faces on the screen.
Including her older brother's.
Ravian.
Her older brother was only a year older than her, but ever since childhood, Ravian had always seemed much more mature.
And now, after spending a year in Indonesia, Ravian had become a sophomore at one of the best private schools in the city.
And Alia?
Today was her first day as a freshman in high school.
The plane carrying her from London finally landed that morning.
Alia stood inside the airport, pulling a small white suitcase behind her.
Her long hair fell past her shoulders. Her face looked fresh, even though the long journey had left her body slightly tired.
Her mother approached and immediately hugged her.
"Tired?"
"A little."
Alia smiled.
"But I'm happy to finally be home."
Her father, standing not far away, smiled too.
"Welcome back to Indonesia, Alia."
Alia looked at her father.
"It feels strange."
"Strange how?"
"I was born here, but after living in London for so many years, Indonesia feels like a new place now."
Her mother gently patted Alia's head.
"You'll get used to it."
Alia nodded.
Then her eyes searched for someone.
"Where's Ravian?"
Her father let out a quiet laugh.
"He's already at school."
"He didn't come to pick me up?"
"He said he had an exam."
Alia pursed her lips.
"As usual."
But deep down, Alia knew that was just how her older brother was.
Ravian wasn't the type to show his concern excessively.
In fact, even as a child, her older brother had been known for being cold.
But Alia knew one thing.
Beneath his cold attitude, Ravian loved her dearly.
They simply never expressed their affection in an excessive way.
A week later.
The day Alia finally started school arrived.
The car taking her there stopped right in front of the school gates.
Alia stepped out in a white-and-gray uniform that was still perfectly neat.
She let out a long breath.
A new school.
New friends.
A new environment.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
Alia gripped the strap of her bag and started walking through the gates.
She hadn't taken more than ten steps when several students who had been talking suddenly fell silent.
"Hey, look."
"Who is she?"
"A new student?"
Alia didn't notice.
She kept walking.
But the farther she went, the more eyes followed her.
"Wow..."
"She's really pretty."
"Seriously, I've never seen her before."
"She looks like a new student."
"Maybe she's a freshman."
Several girls even turned to look.
Quite a few people were talking about her.
Alia had a beauty that was hard to ignore.
Her features were soft, her eyes clear, her nose small, and her faint smile made her face look even sweeter.
She wasn't the type of girl who deliberately sought attention.
That was precisely why attention came to her on its own.
As Alia passed through the main corridor, a male student accidentally dropped the book he was holding.
His friend laughed.
"Why are you spacing out?"
"I... I've never seen a girl that beautiful before."
"She's new."
"How do you know?"
"Her uniform still looks brand-new."
Alia merely gave small smiles to the people who greeted her.
She had no idea that in less than an hour, her name had already become a topic of conversation.
But there was one thing no one knew.
Alia had an older brother at the school.
And her brother wasn't an ordinary student.
Ravian.
A sophomore who, over the past year, had become one of the most famous figures at the school.
Handsome.
Smart.
Accomplished.
Cold.
Rarely spoke to anyone.
And almost always the center of attention among the girls.
Alia had actually already learned about all that from her parents' stories.
That was why, before starting school, she had already made one decision.
No one could know that she was Ravian's younger sister.
Not even her new friends.
When she saw Ravian at home that morning, Alia had reminded him.
"Don't tell anyone I'm your sister."
Ravian, who was putting on his school uniform, merely stared at her.
"Why?"
"I want to have a life of my own."
"We're going to the same school."
"I know."
"What if someone asks?"
"We don't know each other."
Ravian stared at Alia for a long moment.
"Are you serious?"
"Serious."
"Fine."
That was his entire answer.
No protests.
No further questions.
That was Ravian.
Cold, brief, and impossible to read.
The first class went fairly well.
Alia made several new friends.
They were all friendly and curious about her life in London.
"You really lived in London since you were little?"
"Yeah."
"Then your English must be really good."
Alia laughed.
"It's decent."
"So why did you move to Indonesia?"
"My parents came back first because of work."
Alia deliberately didn't mention Ravian.
She didn't want anyone to know.
Then the gym bell rang.
The P.E. teacher told Alia's class to head to the field.
Alia walked with her new friends.
At first, she paid no attention to the other classes.
Until a sudden commotion rose from the side of the field.
"Ravian!"
"He's here!"
"Oh my God, he's so handsome."
Alia immediately knew who they meant.
She turned around.
And sure enough.
Ravian was walking over from the gym building.
His white-and-blue gym uniform fit neatly over his body.
His black hair was slightly tousled by the wind.
His expression remained calm.
Cold.
Without a smile.
Yet that very attitude made even more girls pay attention to him.
"That's Ravian."
Alia's new friend whispered.
"The most popular upperclassman."
Alia pretended not to know.
"Oh."
"They say he's really smart."
"Oh."
"His grades are almost always the highest."
"Oh."
"And apparently he won a national academic competition last year."
Alia held back a smile.
That's my brother.
But she kept her expression neutral.
P.E. began.
The two classes happened to have gym at the same time.
The students ran laps around the field.
After a few laps, Alia sat at the edge of the field to rest.
She took out her water bottle.
That was when someone stopped directly in front of her.
Alia looked up.
Ravian.
Their eyes met.
Alia immediately gave him a warning look.
Don't even think about it.
But Ravian only looked at the water bottle in her hand.
"Water."
Alia furrowed her brow.
"What?"
"Water."
Ravian held out his hand.
Alia froze.
"Bro..."
She almost said it.
Luckily, she caught herself in time.
Ravian continued waiting.
In the end, Alia handed him her water bottle.
Ravian took it.
And without the slightest hint of embarrassment, he immediately drank from it.
The atmosphere around them slowly changed.
Several students stopped talking.
The girls began exchanging looks.
"Huh?"
"Ravian drank from that girl's bottle?"
"Who is she?"
"Is she close to him?"
"Is she his girlfriend?"
Alia immediately panicked.
She glared at Ravian, annoyed.
But Ravian didn't look bothered at all.
After drinking, he returned the bottle to Alia.
"Thanks."
Then he simply walked away.
As if nothing had happened.
Alia stared at her brother's back in disbelief.
The friend beside her immediately grabbed her arm.
"Alia!"
"What?"
"You know Ravian?"
Alia gave a stiff smile.
"A little."
"A little?"
"Yeah."
"But he drank from your bottle!"
"I don't know why either."
Her friend continued staring at her suspiciously.
On the other side of the field, several girls began talking about Alia.
The beautiful girl who had just arrived.
The girl who had made Ravian approach her.
The girl whose water bottle Ravian had used.
No one knew the truth.
No one knew that the beautiful girl was actually Ravian's biological younger sister.
And Alia hoped that secret would remain hidden.
But her first day at her new school had only just begun.
And without realizing it, one simple action by her older brother had made the entire school curious about her.