"What's this?" I asked confused as soon as Kenan showed me the various photos that I knew belonged to the Aster Gang which were neatly pasted on the blackboard.
"Take your target's photos!" said Kenan casually.
The man was still busy pasting photo after photo on the blackboard.
As usual, we always meet in this old building every morning. Kenan regularly invites me to exercise in the morning, trains me in martial arts in the afternoon, and at night we just talk. We've been doing this routine for almost a week.
"If you want revenge, you have to get to know them deeper. That way, you can find their weak points." Kenan shouted while pointing at the blackboard in front of us.
"Okay. So, you spied on them? What did you get?" I'm starting to get excited.
"There are four members of the Aster Gang. Their leader is Lenny, then the two useless maids, Miranda and Feby, and the idiot who can hit women, Marko! You have to know the ins and outs of their family!" Kenan exclaimed while pointing at their photos one by one.
"I only know that Lenny's family is very rich, they are the biggest contributor to my school, so all the teachers love Lenny," I said quietly.
Ken nodded slowly.
"A family that looks perfect in people's eyes usually has a lot of holes in it," Kenan commented while looking at Lenny's photo.
"What do you mean? What hole?"
Kenan frowned at my words. Ah, he must be annoyed that I didn't respond quickly.
"Don't use confusing sentences when talking to me, use simple and easy-to-understand sentences," I pleaded quietly.
Kenan shook his head slowly, then took a deep breath.
"Someone like Lenny must have a lot of scars, and since what stands out is the story of her perfect family, that means trouble is there!" Kenan explained.
I shook my head weakly, sat cross-legged, and stared at the row of photos that Kenan had pasted earlier.
"Wait, I still don't understand, why should I investigate their family? Shouldn't I just fight them?" I asked quickly.
"Seeing your physique, and your fighting ability, I can assure you that you won't be able to fight them physically!" said Kenan casually.
"But I always practice martial arts with you. If not now, one day I can beat them!" I protested.
"I taught you martial arts, not for power-fighting! I taught you martial arts, to defend yourself when they want to hurt you physically again. And if they lose to you, they will keep looking for ways to bring you down again, and The battle will never end!" Kenan explained slowly.
Ah, I see what Kenan meant. Reasonable enough.
"So we have to get an ace that will knock them out of the water! You understand that?" Kenan asked with a serious face.
I nodded slowly in understanding.
"And people like them, usually have their fears, whether it's from family, boyfriend, or something else! Your job is to investigate all of that!" Kenan said casually.
"Okay! I'll do it! I have to do it so they stop bothering me, and everyone else! People like them need to be removed!" I exclaimed determinedly.
Kenan glanced at me briefly, then turned his gaze the other way.
"Kenan," I called softly.
"Hmm?" said the man without looking up.
"I've thought of a simple scenario that might solve this problem easily," I said quietly.
Kenan frowned in confusion, then turned to look at me.
"What?" he asked quietly.
"When I saw you sparring with your friends during our practice, I thought you were strong enough to fight Marko, and I will try to beat Lenny too. So, wouldn't it be easier if we just asked them to duel?"
Oh really, all that was on my mind was the desire to avenge the slaps and punches I had received from them.
"Hmm, that can happen. But as I said before, the fight will never stop just because they lose physically to you! Do you understand that? If you want them to stop doing whatever it takes to annoy you, you gotta get their aces!"
I was silent listening to every word that came out of Kenan's mouth.
We were silent for a moment. It's true what Kenan said. Just focus on the aces.
"Kenan," I called again.
"What?"
"What exactly is your motive? I still can't believe that you even bothered to help me like this just because I'm pretty!" I argued.
Kenan smiled slightly while looking at me fixedly.
"Are you still thinking about that? Are you still thinking about the reason why I want to help you?" Kenan asked in disbelief.
I nodded quickly in response to Kenan's question. When we met, my face looked ugly, there were several bruises on my face, my eyes were swollen, and the uniform I was wearing was also very shabby. How can Kenan think I'm beautiful at a time like that? It must have just been an excuse he made because he was reluctant to reveal the real reason.
"You don't believe that I'm helping you because you're beautiful?" Kenan asked surprised.
"At that time, my face was really ugly, so your excuse doesn't make sense!" I said quickly.
"Sooner or later you too will know the real reason. For now, just focus on your revenge! No need to think about unimportant things like this! Speaking of your appearance, looks like we should make a little change!" exclaimed Kenan who immediately made my forehead wrinkle. Why is he acting mysterious like that? Very annoying!
"Change?" I asked doubtfully.
"With your appearance like this, you look like a cowardly spoiled girl! You have to change your appearance a little, show them that you are reborn with a new personality! Kei who will never be afraid of them!" Kenan exclaimed with emphasis.
Yeah, Kenan was right, I'm too cute to scare them. Maybe I should cut my hair, change out of my oversized uniform, and wear cool shoes. Shoes that have a rough texture on the bottom kick them in the face with satisfaction.
"Oh, by the way, you don't have a girlfriend right? If you and I continue like this, your girlfriend will get angry later," I said slowly.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Kenan said casually.
"Thankfully, so I won't hesitate to ask for your help at any time."
"When do you want to go to school?" Kenan asked slowly.
"Two more days," I said quickly.
"Should I transfer to your school to make sure you can fight them?" Kenan asked with a serious face.
My eyes narrowed to see Kenan who was looking straight at me.
"Wait! "You wanna wear that uniform?" Kenan shouted while glaring at me in disbelief, making the employees in the store also surprised and look at us with strange looks that made me feel uncomfortable.Alright, I don't see anything wrong with the school uniform I'm holding. Well, it's new, clean, and nice; what makes Kenan surprised by those glaring eyes?"Now I understand why they targeted you from the start! You must look nerdy wearing a big-size uniform like that!" Kenan with his hands on his hipsYeah, actually, I never cared about anything like looks or anything; I just wore what made me feel comfortable. Is it wrong? And just because someone wears a dress that makes them look weird, stupid, or whatever doesn't give you the right to bully that person.Kenan shook his head slowly, then left me to get a uniform in another size."Try this," Kenan said as he handed me the uniform."You don't think this is too small? Well, I need a comfortable uniform to move around freely in case I h
Kenan smiled broadly as I came out of the house. Even though I refused, Kenan still insisted on taking me to school. Luckily, Dad had left for work this morning, or he would have interrogated me about Kenan. Where is his home, who are his parents, and so on? Ah, that would be too troublesome."Wow, you look beautiful!" Kenan praised me while giving me a helmet.I just smiled faintly and put on the helmet that Kenan gave me."Are you nervous?" asked Kenan while winking one eye at me.Nervous? Of course. Am I brave enough to fight them? Well, I'm sure I can face Lenny, Feby, and Miranda. But Marco?"What are you worried about?" asked Kenan after starting his motorcycle engine."Marko," I answered quickly."Kei, we already have Marko's ace card; just relax; he won't dare to bother you again," Kenan said casually.Kenan drove his motorcycle through the busy streets of Jakarta. A refreshing woody scent wafted from the jacket Kenan was wearing. It's quite impressive; why would a handsome an
I waited on the terrace of the house while eating my favorite snack. This afternoon, Kenan changed our practice schedule because he wanted to take me somewhere. I don't know what he's planning today; he didn't say anything but sounded rushed."Don't eat too much; you're a girl," said Dad, who had just come home."You're home early?" I said it quickly."Yes, my work is done, so it's better to hurry home and accompany you home," Dad said as he sat beside me."Too bad, I'm going out with my friend. You better get some rest, drink coffee, and read the paper!"Hearing what I said, Dad immediately squinted and looked around."Where do you want to go?" he asked suspiciously."Um, this is young people's business; you don't need to know," I said, then winked mischievously.Dad just shook his head slowly, and he then walked away from me. I put the snack back in my mouth. Kenan said my body was too thin; I could fly just because the strong wind hit me. So, I had to gain weight; I hit less hard b
"Ready to meet Marko today?" Kenan asked, then smiled at me.I just smiled and took a deep breath."Remember to call me whenever you need! I'll come and finish that guy off if needed!" After saying that, Kenan patted my arm lightly.I nodded slowly, then said goodbye to Kenan and entered the school. As I walked down the school corridor, the whispers of other girls kept my ears ringing. They kept gossiping about my transformation, and not only that, they wondered how a nerdy girl like me could know a cool guy like Kenan, who always dropped me off at school and picked me up.This is quite surprising because they know Kenan. Is Kenan so popular that everyone knows him?Whatever the case, the most important thing is that I can be free from Lenny and the gang for a while. I wanted to do a lot of things that I couldn't do at this school because of Lenny. I want to hang out in the canteen, I want to read a lot of books in the library, I want to take part in extracurricular activities like ba
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Alright, I look pretty good in the new clothes Kenan gave me. Today he invited me to go to the game center to play.Last night I didn't sleep because I was looking for Kenan's social media account. Honestly, I'm curious why my friends are so excited to see me with Kenan; they say that Kenan is quite popular. Am I the only one who doesn't know him? Kenan—the mysterious man who suddenly helped meI want to get to know Kenan better. Who is he, what is he like, and what is his motive for helping me now that my problem with Lenny is over? Shouldn't Kenan be honest with me about what he wants?I rushed downstairs when I heard the sound of Kenan's motorcycle engine stopping in front of the house. As usual, the man casually waved at me.Apart from his good looks, what makes him so popular?"Hey, I have a few questions! This is bothering me, so I hope you will answer them!" I said that when Kenan gave me his helmet."Wow, relax! We still have plenty of
I deliberately woke up early and went to school early to avoid Kenan. I wasn't sure he would drop me off at school as usual, but it was better to be careful not to run into him.Angry? Yes, let's say I'm angry. I feel entitled to know why. Shouldn't he just tell me? Why is he making things difficult for him?I got out of the taxi and rushed through the gate. When I passed Lenny's class, I saw her and Miranda looking at me intently from inside the classroom. And of course, I don't care; as long as she doesn't bother me anymore, I won't do anything bad to her.The atmosphere began to change, and some friends began to greet me. After what I've been through so far, I'm not sure if I can be friendly with them. Let's say I'm a vengeful girl. They once left me and ignored me; why are they pretending to be nice to me now?When I passed the indoor court, my steps stopped when a guy who was familiar to me was playing basketball there. My feet moved automatically toward him."Hey!" I shouted, ma
"What?" I looked at Tiana, who was standing beside my desk with a scared face."Clarisa..." Tiana looked very nervous; she only said Clarisa's name and looked down again.I took a deep breath, then shifted to look the girl straight in the eye."What are you talking about?" I exclaimed, annoyed."Clarisa is now an errand girl for the Aster Gang; please, Kei, help her," whined the girl with a worried face. Tiana even shed tears while begging me.Oh my! Quite surprising. I thought the Aster Gang had stopped because they failed to make me their butt. But apparently, they changed the target so easily.And now Clarisa?"I know you can help her; please, Kei, help Clarisa; after all, she is our friend," Tiana pleaded, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.Hum, it's not that I don't want to help; getting away from Marko and the Aster Gang is also not an easy matter. I struggled with it, so I wasn't sure if I could help Clarisa."Just like you, I'm also afraid of them; I don't want to get i
I sat alone in class because I forgot to bring my sports uniform. Clarisa came into class with a limp and a bleeding forehead; the girl's face was also bruised. Clarisa didn't say anything and just sat quietly in her seat. No need to ask what happened to her; I already know that this is the work of the Aster Gang.This stinks; hasn't the school gone too far by letting those thugs continue to hurt other people here? Just because of money, they all turned a blind eye and allowed the child they were supposed to protect to become a victim."Now, I know why you hate us so much. We should have helped you first, no matter what," Clarisa chirped, making me look at her, who was looking down while crying.Ah, seeing her like that makes my conscience hurt. Someone has to take steps to stop them from bullying."I won't deny it," I said quietly."How did you manage to endure it all this time?" This time, Clarisa raised her head and looked at me.How can I endure it? I couldn't help it, so I tried