# Chapter 3
Jovan was late.
Seventeen minutes.
Keira knew because, since exactly three o’clock, she had checked the time eleven times.
Not because she was waiting for Jovan.
Of course not.
She simply valued punctuality.
That was all.
“Looking at it one more time isn’t going to make the clock move faster.”
Keira turned sharply.
Celine sat in the chair beside her, spinning a pen between her fingers.
“I’m not waiting for anyone.”
“I didn’t say you were waiting for anyone.”
Keira turned her attention back to her laptop.
Celine smiled.
Annoying.
The meeting room on the first floor of the Multipurpose Hall was already filled with around twenty students from various Student Voice Week divisions. There were students from publicity, documentation, equipment, food, events, security, and field operations.
Ms. Melinda sat with Mr. Hendra at the front.
The meeting was supposed to start at three.
Supposed to.
But one of the coordinators hadn’t arrived yet.
Mr. Hendra checked his watch.
“Where’s Jovan?”
One of the field-operations students answered, “He was still practicing earlier, sir.”
“Did you tell him the meeting was at three?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Hendra sighed.
Keira typed on her laptop a little harder than necessary.
Celine glanced over.
“Your keyboard didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I always type like this.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Celine.”
“Okay.”
The door opened.
“Sorry.”
Keira didn’t need to turn around.
She recognized his voice.
But she turned anyway.
Jovan stood in the doorway, his hair slightly damp with sweat. His uniform shirt was no longer as neat as it had been that morning. A sports bag hung from his shoulder, while his left hand held several sheets of paper.
“Practice ran late,” he said.
Mr. Hendra pointed to an empty chair.
“Sit down. Be late one more time and I’ll move you to the parking division.”
Several students laughed.
Jovan nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
Then his eyes swept across the room.
They stopped on Keira.
There was one empty chair.
Right beside her.
Keira immediately turned to Celine.
Celine was already standing.
“Where are you going?”
“Documentation.”
“You’re in publicity.”
“I’m multitalented.”
“Celine.”
But the traitor had already carried her chair to the other side of the table.
Keira stared at her retreating back in disbelief.
Jovan reached her side.
He looked at the empty chair.
Then at Keira.
“Is it empty?”
“No.”
Jovan raised an eyebrow.
“Looks empty.”
“Someone’s sitting there.”
“Who?”
Keira looked for Celine.
The girl was sitting primly beside the documentation members, pretending to read a file.
Jovan followed Keira’s gaze.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“Oh.”
Keira knew that smile.
“Don’t.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“Don’t smile either.”
“Why?”
“You’re annoying.”
Jovan pulled out the chair.
“So that hasn’t changed.”
“What?”
“You still get annoyed easily whenever you see me smile.”
Keira stared at him.
Jovan sat down as if he hadn’t said anything at all.
Mr. Hendra tapped the table.
“Okay, everyone’s here. Let’s start.”
Keira took a breath.
Professional.
She only had to be professional.
Six weeks.
Forty-two days.
Maybe less if weekends didn’t count.
She could do this.
Apparently, she couldn’t.
The first twenty minutes alone were enough to make Keira want to throw her pen.
“Publicity needs the final schedule no later than three days before the event,” she said.
Jovan looked at the schedule in front of him.
“Three days is too early.”
“Why?”
“The match schedule could still change.”
“That’s why it needs to be finalized before then.”
“What if a team drops out?”
“Replace them.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Keira looked at him.
“Then what do you want?”
“Finalized the day before.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Sure you can.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because the schedule poster needs to be made, checked, revised, and then uploaded. We’re not machines.”
“I never said you were machines.”
“Your tone did.”
Jovan frowned.
“My tone has subtitles?”
Several people around the table started holding back laughter.
Keira crossed her arms.
“Three days. Period.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
Jovan tilted his head.
“Two and a half.”
Keira fell silent.
“Is there even such a thing as two and a half days before the event?”
“There is if we agree on it.”
“That’s called the night before the third day.”
“So it’s the same thing.”
“Jovan.”
“Keira.”
Mr. Hendra, who had been listening all this time, finally set down his pen.
“Are you two done?”
They both fell silent.
“Good.”
Mr. Hendra looked from one to the other.
“I don’t know what your problem is.”
Several students immediately lowered their heads to hide their expressions.
Keira wanted to disappear.
“But if every decision requires a five-minute debate, this event will be over next year.”
“Sorry, sir,” Keira said.
Jovan nodded. “Sorry.”
“Three days before.”
Jovan opened his mouth.
Mr. Hendra pointed at him.
“Don’t.”
Jovan closed his mouth again.
Keira held back a smile.
Jovan glanced at her.
“Happy?”
Keira whispered, “Very.”
“Devious.”
“Professional.”
Jovan snorted.
But Keira saw the corner of his mouth lift too.
And that became a problem.
Because for a few seconds, everything felt like it used to.
They had always been like this.
Arguing about where to eat.
Arguing about movies.
Arguing over who had to apologize first.
Arguing until one of them got annoyed, then laughing again five minutes later.
Keira quickly lowered her head toward her laptop.
Don’t get used to it.
This was different.
They were different now.
The meeting ended at 4:20.
Keira closed her laptop.
“Kei.”
She pretended not to hear him.
“Keira.”
She couldn’t pretend anymore.
“What?”
Jovan held up a flash drive.
“The schedule file.”
“Oh.”
Keira reached for it.
Jovan didn’t hand it over.
“Let’s check it now.”
“Why?”
“So I can mark the parts of the match schedule that changed.”
“Just send it.”
“What if I send it and you misread it?”
“I can read.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
“The file’s a mess.”
Keira gave him a flat look.
“And you’re admitting that proudly?”
“Not proudly. Honestly.”
Celine appeared behind them.
“Just work on it now.”
Keira turned.
“Where have you been?”
“Documentation.”
“You’re not in documentation.”
“Starting today, I feel a spiritual connection with them.”
Keira narrowed her eyes.
Celine picked up her bag.
“I’m heading out.”
“Wait.”
“Can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I have something to do.”
“What?”
Celine thought for two seconds.
“State business.”
“Celine.”
“Bye!”
She left.
Keira stared after her with her mouth slightly open.
Jovan laughed.
“Your friend is weird.”
“Your friend is too.”
“Bima’s normal.”
“He texted your ex-friend to report that you almost got into a fight.”
“Okay, he’s weird.”
Keira put her charger in her bag.
“Send it tonight.”
Jovan checked the time.
“Half an hour.”
“What?”
“We’ll work for half an hour. Then we go home.”
Keira wanted to refuse.
But the sooner they finished, the fewer reasons Jovan would have to contact her tonight.
“Half an hour.”
Jovan nodded.
“Deal.”
They chose the Media Room because almost all the journalism-club members had already gone home.
Keira sat at the long computer desk near the window.
Jovan took the chair beside her.
Too close.
Keira shifted her chair slightly away.
Jovan noticed.
He didn’t say anything.
Keira plugged in the flash drive.
The folder opened.
She went silent.
FINAL SCHEDULE
REALLY FINAL SCHEDULE
NEWEST FINAL SCHEDULE
NEWEST FINAL SCHEDULE 2
THIS IS THE RIGHT SCHEDULE
Keira slowly turned to him.
Jovan gave her a small smile.
“What?”
“Are you serious?”
“About what?”
“Your file names.”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Which one is final?”
Jovan pointed.
THIS IS THE RIGHT SCHEDULE
Keira closed her eyes.
“Why didn’t you just name it final?”
“The final one’s there.”
He pointed to another folder.
FINAL
Keira opened it.
It was empty.
Keira stared at Jovan.
He started laughing.
“Don’t laugh.”
“Sorry.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“I think it’s pretty funny.”
Keira shook her head.
“You haven’t changed.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Jovan’s laughter slowly faded.
Keira realized what she had said.
She looked back at the screen.
“I mean the file names.”
“I know.”
The mood shifted.
Not much.
But enough.
Keira opened the schedule.
They started working.
The first ten minutes went normally.
Jovan explained the changes to the match schedule.
Keira took notes.
A few times, they argued about the poster size and which information needed to be included, but it never escalated into a fight.
Then Jovan suddenly asked,
“Do you still get headaches often?”
Keira’s fingers stopped on the keyboard.
“What?”
“You were rubbing your temple during the meeting.”
Keira hadn’t realized she was doing it.
“No.”
“Have you eaten?”
The question came too naturally.
As if the past two years hadn’t ended six days ago.
Keira stared at the screen.
“Yes.”
“What did you eat?”
Keira fell silent.
Jovan turned to her.
“You haven’t eaten?”
“I have.”
“What?”
Keira tried to remember.
Nothing came to mind.
Jovan sighed.
“Kei.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“At this hour?”
“I’ll eat at home.”
Jovan stood.
Keira immediately turned to him.
“Where are you going?”
“Be right back.”
“We haven’t finished the file—”
“Be right back.”
He left.
Keira stared at the closed door.
Five minutes later, Jovan returned with two rolls and a bottle of water from the school co-op.
He set one in front of Keira.
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
“Eat.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Keira’s stomach growled.
Silence.
Jovan looked at her.
Keira stared at the table.
Jovan bit the inside of his cheek.
“If you laugh, I’m throwing the laptop at you.”
“I’m not laughing.”
The boy’s shoulders were already shaking.
“Jovan.”
“Sorry.”
Keira picked up the roll.
“Not because of you.”
“Yeah.”
“I did want to eat.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t smile.”
“Yeah.”
Keira unwrapped the roll irritably.
But after the first bite, she realized she really was hungry.
Jovan sat back down.
He didn’t say anything.
That made Keira even more uncomfortable.
“What?”
Jovan frowned.
“What?”
“Why are you still like this?”
The question made Jovan go quiet.
Keira regretted saying it.
But it was too late.
“Like what?”
Keira set down the roll.
“Paying attention to whether I’ve eaten. Asking about my headaches. Buying me food.”
Jovan looked at her.
“Shouldn’t I?”
“We broke up.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Jovan leaned back in his chair.
For a few moments, he only looked at Keira.
“Do you want me to stop?”
Keira opened her mouth.
No answer came.
Jovan gave a small nod.
“Okay.”
For some reason, Keira didn’t like his tone.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop.”
That wasn’t it.
Keira wanted to say that wasn’t it.
But what was it, exactly?
She didn’t know herself.
Jovan turned back to the screen.
“Change the second match to one o’clock.”
Keira was still looking at him.
“Jovan.”
“Hm?”
“I’m not—”
The Media Room door opened.
They both turned immediately.
A boy stood in the doorway.
He was tall, wearing a Cakrawala Nusa uniform with a temporary student ID still hanging around his neck.
His hair was slightly messy, as if he had just taken off a helmet.
He looked at Keira.
Then Jovan.
Then the two rolls on the table.
“Hey,” he said. “Am I interrupting?”
Keira had never seen him before.
Jovan didn’t seem to know him either.
“Who are you looking for?” Keira asked.
“Ms. Melinda.”
“She already left.”
“Oh.”
The boy nodded.
Then he noticed the words JOURNALISM CLUB on the wall board.
“I was told to come here to sign up.”
“Are you new?” Keira asked.
“Yeah.”
He stepped inside.
“Devin.”
Keira nodded.
“Keira.”
“I know.”
Jovan, who had been silent until then, finally turned to look at him.
Keira frowned too.
“How do you know?”
Devin pointed to the organizational chart on the wall.
There was a small photo of Keira on it.
“Oh.”
Devin laughed.
“Relax. I’m not a stalker.”
Keira gave him a small smile.
Jovan saw the smile.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But it was enough to change his expression.
“If you want to sign up, come tomorrow,” Keira said. “Ms. Melinda is usually free during second break.”
“Okay.”
Devin looked at the computer.
“You two working?”
“Student Voice Week schedule.”
“Can I help?”
Keira was about to answer.
“No need,” Jovan said.
Keira turned to him immediately.
So did Devin.
Jovan kept looking at the screen.
“We’re almost done.”
His tone was normal.
Too normal.
Devin nodded.
“Okay. I’ll get going.”
“Just come tomorrow,” Keira said.
“Sure.”
Devin smiled.
“Thanks, Keira.”
He left.
The door closed.
Silence.
Keira sat back down.
Jovan tapped his pen against the table.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Keira tried to focus.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Finally, she turned to him.
“Can you stop?”
Jovan stopped tapping.
“What?”
“That.”
“Oh.”
Five seconds of silence.
Then:
“New kid?”
Keira looked at him.
“That’s what he said.”
“What’s his name?”
Keira almost laughed.
“You heard him.”
“I forgot.”
“Devin.”
“Oh.”
Jovan nodded.
Silence again.
Keira went back to typing.
“He seems easy to get along with.”
Keira’s fingers stopped.
She slowly turned to him.
“Who?”
“Him.”
“You met him one minute ago.”
“Which is why I said he seems that way.”
Keira held back a smile.
There was something incredibly familiar about his tone.
“Why?”
“No reason.”
“Jovan.”
“What?”
“Are you jealous?”
Jovan turned to her immediately.
Keira herself was surprised she had dared to ask.
“Jealous?”
“Yeah.”
Jovan let out a short laugh.
“No.”
“That was a fast answer.”
“Because it’s an easy answer.”
“Oh.”
Keira looked back at her laptop.
A strange little feeling stirred in her chest.
She couldn’t tell whether it was disappointment or relief.
Then Jovan added,
“I just don’t like his face.”
Keira turned back to him.
“You just saw his face.”
“Exactly. Didn’t like it right away.”
Keira finally laughed.
Really laughed.
Not a small smile.
Not a forced laugh.
Jovan fell silent.
Keira was still laughing when she realized he was looking at her.
“What?”
Jovan shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“Why are you staring?”
“Am I not allowed?”
Keira stopped laughing.
Their eyes met.
This time, neither of them looked away right away.
Jovan smiled faintly.
“It’s been a long time since I heard you laugh.”
Keira’s smile slowly faded.
It had only been six days.
But six days felt like a long time when they had spent almost every day together before that.
Keira lowered her head.
“Let’s keep working.”
Jovan didn’t push her.
“Okay.”
They finished at 5:12.
Longer than they had agreed.
When they left the building, the sky was already dark.
Keira stopped on the school terrace.
Rain.
Heavy rain.
“Great.”
Jovan stood beside her.
“You bring an umbrella?”
“No.”
“Someone picking you up?”
Keira opened her phone.
There was a message from her father.
Dad: Kei, I’m still tied up. Can you get home by yourself? Sorry.
Keira sent a short reply.
“I can get home by myself.”
Jovan nodded.
“How?”
“I’ll book a motorcycle ride.”
“In rain like this?”
“I can wear a raincoat.”
Jovan looked at the rain.
“It’s pouring.”
“I know.”
Keira opened the app.
It was hard to get a driver.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Canceled.
She tried again.
Jovan was still standing beside her.
“You haven’t gone home?”
“I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
“The rain.”
“You brought a motorcycle.”
“That’s why I’m waiting for the rain.”
Keira snorted.
Her ride was canceled again.
Jovan glanced at her screen.
“Can’t get one?”
“I got one.”
“It was canceled twice.”
Keira turned off her screen.
“Were you snooping?”
“I could see the screen.”
“Sure.”
The rain grew heavier.
The remaining students began leaving with their rides.
Five minutes later, the terrace was nearly empty.
Jovan pulled his motorcycle keys from his pocket.
“I’ll take you home.”
Keira answered immediately. “No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Your house is on the way.”
“It’s not on the way.”
“I can make it on the way.”
Keira looked at him.
“Jovan.”
“Keira.”
“Don’t start.”
“I’m just offering.”
“I can get home by myself.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
Jovan looked at the rain.
“Kei.”
“Hm?”
“I know we broke up.”
Keira fell silent.
“I also know you can get home by yourself.”
He turned to Keira.
“But it’s pouring, it’s already late, and you’re alone. I won’t be able to go home peacefully if I leave you here.”
Keira gripped her phone.
“You said you were going to stop.”
Jovan frowned.
“Stop what?”
“Paying attention to me.”
Jovan’s expression changed.
“Oh.”
He nodded slowly.
Then he gave a small, bitter laugh.
“I said I could stop if that’s what you wanted.”
Keira stared at him.
“You haven’t answered.”
Rain pounded hard against the terrace roof.
Keira didn’t know what to say.
Because the problem wasn’t that Jovan’s concern made her uncomfortable.
It was the opposite.
She was too comfortable with it.
And that scared her.
“I’ll just book a car,” she said finally.
Jovan didn’t argue.
“Okay.”
Keira opened the app.
This time, she got a driver.
Eight minutes.
They waited in silence.
When the car finally entered the school grounds, Keira lifted her bag.
“That’s mine.”
Jovan nodded.
“Be careful.”
Keira walked down one step.
Then stopped.
She turned around.
Jovan was still standing in the same place.
“Van.”
For the first time since they broke up, the nickname came out on its own.
Not Jovan.
Van.
The boy’s expression changed instantly.
Keira noticed it too.
But she didn’t take the word back.
“Your hand.”
Jovan looked at his knuckles.
The injury was still visible.
“What about it?”
“Put some medicine on it.”
Jovan gave her a small smile.
“I thought it wasn’t your problem anymore.”
Keira immediately regretted it.
“Whatever. Forget it.”
She turned away.
“Kei.”
Keira looked back.
Jovan raised his hand.
“I’ll do it later.”
Keira held back a smile.
“Good.”
She got into the car.
The whole way home, Keira watched the rain through the window.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Tasya.
Tasya: How was the meeting?
Keira typed.
Keira: Normal.
The reply came quickly.
Tasya: Normal like a regular person, or normal like you and Jovan?
Keira rolled her eyes.
Keira: Regular person.
Tasya: Did you fight?
Keira: A little.
Tasya: Now that’s normal for you two.
Keira almost laughed.
Another message came in.
This time from Celine.
Celine: HOW DID WORKING TOGETHER GO???
Keira didn’t reply.
Then another notification appeared.
Jovan had sent a photo.
Keira opened it.
A photo of Jovan’s knuckles.
They had been treated with antiseptic and covered with a bandage.
Below it:
Jovan: Done.
Keira stared at the screen.
Keira: Good.
Jovan replied.
Jovan: You care a lot.
Keira typed immediately.
Keira: I’m blocking you.
Jovan: Don’t.
Keira stopped.
The next reply came in.
Jovan: I haven’t sent the file for tomorrow yet.
Keira snorted.
Keira: Send it now and then I’ll block you.
Jovan: Cruel.
Keira: I thought I was the stubborn one.
Jovan: You are.
Keira smiled without realizing it.
Then another message from Celine appeared.
Not text.
A screenshot.
Keira opened it.
And her smile disappeared instantly.
@TheNextHallway had uploaded something again.
Not a photo.
An anonymous post.
ANONYMOUS POST
Apparently our class’s most viral exes had a meeting together until late today 👀
Additional info: there’s also a new kid joining journalism.
Looks like we’re getting a new player soon.
Keira closed her eyes.
It wasn’t over.
Of course it wasn’t.
Her phone buzzed again.
Celine: DON’T GET MAD.
Keira typed quickly.
Keira: WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS SAY DON’T GET MAD BEFORE MAKING ME MAD???
Celine didn’t reply.
Keira opened the post again.
The comments were already pouring in.
Who’s the new kid?
Oof, her ex has competition.
That was fast. Moving on already?
Was that the guy who went to the journalism room earlier?
Keira stopped.
The guy who went to the Media Room earlier?
How did people know?
She was about to close the app when a new comment appeared.
It consisted of only one sentence.
Poor Jovan. He got replaced before it’s even been a week.
Keira stared at it.
Her chest grew hot.
She could accept people talking about her.
She could ignore the photos.
She could ignore the guesses.
But now they were dragging in someone she had only met a few minutes ago.
Keira tapped the comment box.
She typed:
You don’t know anything. Stop making up your own stories.
Her finger hovered over the send button.
Then stopped.
Don’t.
Replying would only make the problem bigger.
Keira deleted everything.
That was when a new notification appeared.
Someone had already left a comment.
Keira recognized the account name.
@jovandirgantara
The comment was simple.
That new kid has nothing to do with this. Don’t drag someone who doesn’t know anything about the situation into it.
Keira froze.
The next comments appeared immediately.
YO, JOVAN HAS DESCENDED FROM THE MOUNTAIN
SO YOU REALLY DID BREAK UP???
WHY ARE YOU STILL DEFENDING HER?
VAN, YOU STILL LOVE HER, HUH?
Keira closed her eyes.
“Oh my God.”
That boy really couldn’t keep quiet.
She immediately opened their conversation.
Keira: Why did you comment?
Jovan read it.
Jovan: Why?
Keira: You just made it even louder.
Jovan: Let them.
Keira: Jovan.
The typing indicator appeared.
Jovan: I don’t like them dragging you into this.
Keira fell silent.
Keira: They dragged Devin’s name into it too.
Jovan replied quickly.
Jovan: I like that even less.
Keira frowned.
Keira: Why?
The typing indicator appeared and stayed there for a long time.
Jovan: No reason.
Keira smiled faintly.
Keira: Jealous?
The message was read.
There was no reply.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Keira was about to put her phone down when a message finally came in.
Jovan: No.
Keira typed:
Keira: That took you a while.
Jovan started typing again.
This time, it took only a few seconds.
Jovan: I was thinking about whether to lie or not.
Keira stopped breathing.
Then another message came in.
Jovan: Turns out I’m still terrible at lying to you.
Keira didn’t know how to reply.
The car continued through the rain.
She stared at those two sentences until her screen nearly went dark.
Then the last message appeared.
Jovan: Let me know when you get home.
Keira put down her phone and rested her head against the window.
Six days ago, she had been sure that ending their relationship was the only way to make everything stop hurting.
Now Keira was beginning to understand something.
Breaking up had succeeded in changing their relationship status.
But it hadn’t changed their habits.
It hadn’t erased their concern for each other.
It hadn’t gotten rid of the jealousy.
And most dangerously—
it hadn’t made Jovan stop being the person who could bring down her defenses most easily.
Tomorrow, Keira would see Devin again.
Jovan clearly didn’t like that.
And if the school’s anonymous account kept watching their every move, one simple meeting could turn into a new rumor.
Keira just didn’t know yet that the problem waiting for her tomorrow wouldn’t be just another @TheNextHallway post.
It would be a question from Devin—one Jovan would hear for himself.
“Are you and Keira actually still dating?”