Lupus strolled through the school gate, carrying his backpack while casually counting the number of girls who were already engrossed in the early morning excitement. Some were giggling away, while others were busy checking the attendance list. Lupus was on the lookout, trying to find someone juicy to gossip about.
One of his targets was Ruri. This girl was the gossip queen, always spreading rumors about their fellow classmates. If you wanted to be the talk of the school, it was easy. Just ask your friend to make up a fake story about you and tell it to Ruri. Guaranteed, it would spread like wildfire in just one day. And don’t be surprised if the story you provided would evolve into a long, spicy tale.
Ruri was indeed talented when it came to being a gossip journalist. But when Lupus casually asked about her aspirations one day, her answer was quite surprising. She wanted to work for BAKIN, to become a secret agent for our country. Oh God, instead of extracting information from enemies, she might accidentally leak state secrets. Let me tell you now, for those of you who love gossip, don’t become a secret agent. It’s not a good fit with the profession and hobby you’ve cultivated since childhood.
Meanwhile, the morning air was still fresh. Just as fresh as Suli’s face, a sweet girl with long hair who was running towards Lupus.
“Hey, little kid. Where are you going in such a hurry?” teased Lupus. The girl just scoffed.
“Hey, Lupus. Is there a payphone up ahead on the street?” she asked between gasps for breath.
“Nah, there isn’t!” Lupus replied honestly.
“Aww…” Suli’s face turned into confusion. She turned to go back to her classroom. But Lupus quickly stopped her.
“Hey, Suli, if you need a phone, just use mine. Why didn’t you say so?”
“Lho, they said it’s not working?”
“Yeah, duh. Phones can’t walk. If they could, it would be a hassle. You wouldn’t be able to use them properly. It would turn into a game of chase.”
“Damn!” Suli ran back towards the phone up ahead, leaving Lupus still happily chewing his gum.
As Lupus entered his classroom, Budi, the class president, greeted him, “Hey, Lupus! You’re awesome. I’ve read your latest magazine article about our school activities. Yeah, we should be proud of our school too!”
Lupus just grinned and took a seat at the back. His friends already knew that Lupus often wrote for Hai magazine. And recently, his friends and teachers forced him to write about the charity event at their school. Lupus couldn’t find anything interesting to write about from that event, but because of the pressure and guilt from his friends and teachers, he wrote it anyway. Luckily, the result wasn’t too disappointing.
The first break was about to arrive when a commotion could be heard outside. Lupus peered out of the window, calling out to a passing student.
“Pssst! What’s going on?”
“Uh-oh, they’re doing a long hair raid! ” the student hurriedly replied.
“A hair raid?” Lupus was shocked. There was nothing that annoyed him more than hair raids. When the teachers stormed into the peaceful and calm classroom with scissors in hand, just like a police raid on a gambling den. Then, they would cut the long hair that went past the collar and covered the ears. Even though the students had changed their tactics by only growing the front part of their hair long. Like the current trend. But they still got caught in the raid.
Lupus, with his long hair both in the front and back, was clearly in his own world. He quickly packed his books.
“Where are you going, Lupus?” Heru, who was sitting next to him, asked.
“Running away!” Lupus replied nonchalantly, while keeping an eye on the drawing teacher who had turned his back to the students.
“Running away? Do you mean through the window?” Heru asked suspiciously.
“Yeah. Do you think I’m gonna ask for permission from the teacher first and then run away? Seriously? Don’t be a fool, friend. It’s better if you keep an eye on the teacher, you know? Because it’s dangerous, there’s a hair raid…” Lupus said daringly as he threw his bag out the window. But as soon as he peeked out the window, the teacher suddenly turned around. His eyes immediately focused on Lupus, who looked like a thief in action. When he’s in a tight spot, this kid tends to take risks.
Without a doubt, Lupus was immediately dragged to the front of the class for interrogation.
“Um, sir, I have an unbearable stomachache. Rather than getting caught in class…” Lupus defended himself. But the angry look on the drawing teacher’s face couldn’t be erased by such a simple and immature excuse.
“I don’t want to hear any excuses. This is a serious insult directed at me. Now, come with me to the Principal’s office!” he snapped. Lupus couldn’t do anything. He admitted that he was wrong. But this situation actually saved him. At the same time, two teachers stormed into the classroom, carrying scissors.
“All the guys with long hair, please stay put. We’re offering free haircuts. Just tell us what style you want. It’s not bad, right? Better than going to a salon?” they tried to joke. But even Robert, who loves to laugh, didn’t laugh.
And at that moment, Lupus was already taken to the Principal’s office.
Without a doubt, Lupus was dragged to the front of the class for interrogation.
“Um, sir, I have this unbearable stomachache. Instead of getting caught in class…” Lupus defended himself. But the angry look on the drawing teacher’s face couldn’t be erased by such a simple and immature excuse.
“I don’t want to hear any more excuses. This is a serious insult directed at me. Now, come with me to the Principal’s office!” he snapped. Lupus couldn’t do anything. He admitted that he was wrong. But this situation actually saved him. At the same time, two teachers stormed into the classroom, carrying scissors.
“Hey guys with long hair, stay put. We’re offering free haircuts. Just tell us what style you want. It’s not too bad, right? Better than going to a salon?” they tried to joke. But even Robert, who loves to laugh, didn’t find it funny.
And at that moment, Lupus was already taken to the Principal’s office.
Lupus entered the quiet room. Meanwhile, the Principal, a figure always feared and respected by the students, sat calmly, engrossed in the book in front of him. The drawing teacher who had escorted Lupus and explained the purpose of bringing him to the office had left the room. Ugh. Complaints! Lupus cursed in his mind.
“You know why you’ve been brought here?” the Principal calmly replied.
“Um, sir. I want to apologize for my mistake. I swear, sir, I deeply regret my actions that were out of control. You know that sometimes people tend to act out of control. But besides that, I also want to let you know that the charity event report in our beloved school has been featured in Hai magazine,” Lupus whispered.
“Oh, so you’re the one who wrote it?”
Lupus nodded quickly. The Principal’s face softened a bit.
“Yeah… yeah, I read it this morning. My child is a subscriber to that maja- what’s it called? Hai magazine, yeah, Hai magazine. I like students who take pride in their own school like you. You can continue pursuing that talent. Oh, what was your name again?”
“Lupus.”
“Yeah, Lupus. I’ve read your writing many times, but this is the first time I’ve met the person behind it. You’re the one who often writes reports about knowledge from other schools, right?” Lupus was a bit surprised. Did he really write stuff like that often? This was actually his first time. But he quickly nodded and smiled respectfully.
“I am indeed getting old,” the Principal continued. “It’s becoming very difficult to recognize kids your age. Especially nowadays, their faces all look the same. But if I could easily recognize you, it would be better. I could easily contact you if we ever plan other activities that deserve media attention.”
“But, sir, you can easily recognize me, right?” Lupus replied enthusiastically.
“Oh yeah? How so?” “Just look, sir. My hair is unique. Unlike other kids who have short haircuts. This can be a distinctive feature that’s easy to recognize. Even from a distance…”
Kep-Sek adjusted his glasses, furrowing his forehead.
“Oh boy. Your hair is all long and messy. But that’s against the rules, right? Didn’t you get checked earlier?” he said.
“Yeah, sir. If I cut my hair like the other kids, it would be hard for you to recognize me. Especially with a generic face like mine. Do you know Ridwan, Andi, or Roni? The four of us are often mistaken for twins. But we’re not. They’re not even siblings. Only their grandma and my grandma are the ones who are actually grandmas together…” Lupus rambled.
The Principal just nodded along. Maybe he needed more coffee to deal with Lupus’ chaotic conversation. But that’s just Lupus’ tactic. If he managed to escape this raid, at least there wouldn’t be any more raids for the next three months. Because those people themselves were also just doing crazy activities like this. Lupus felt lucky because he was too hesitant to cut his hair short. It wouldn’t be cool anymore, he said. As for the next raid, he could think about it later.
“So, sir? Can I go now? I’ll still do my best to uphold the reputation of our beloved school, SMA Merah Putih!” Lupus confidently replied, reaching out his hand (like a kite or something?). Kep-Sek welcomed the handshake.
“Congratulations to you. Keep on working hard while you’re still young!” he said.
Lupus nodded respectfully, then walked confidently out of KepSak’s office. Suddenly, he remembered his bag that was thrown out the window earlier. Did it end up in the drain?
