After finishing orientation, Lupus was shocked to see Phia waiting at the gate.
“Hey, what’s up?” Lupus greeted, struggling with Mami’s kitchen tools. The other kids were crowding around, trying to catch a ride on the passing public transportation. It was like scenes from concentration camps during Hitler’s massacre of the Jews. Their faces were tired, but relieved. Orientation was finally coming to an end.
“I want to talk, Pus,” Phia said, pulling Lupus towards her parked sedan, which was a bit far from there.
“Lusi hasn’t gone home yet. Don’t you want to go home together?” Lupus said as he got into Phia’s Amenity.
“Nah, I just want to talk to you. It’s something important,” Phia’s face looked serious. The Amenity smoothly glided on the hot asphalt, leaving a thin trail of dust blown by the wind.
Lupus sensed something different.
“What’s up, Phia? Are your parents mad again?”
Phia shook her head, sighing heavily. “To be honest, Pus. Have you been taking advantage of our good relationship all this time?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, someone told me that you’re planning to expose the experiences I’ve shared with you in your magazine. Is that true, Pus?”
“Oh, who said that?”
“Just tell me if it’s true or not! Answer!” Phia looked firm.
“Well, y-yes-“
“See! What’s your intention? Do you want to embarrass me?!!!” Phia screamed, looking angry. “I never expected you to do something like this, Pus. I trusted you, genuinely wanted to be your friend, but you just tainted everything. I’m so disappointed, Pus.”
“Oh, Phia, I never meant to take advantage of our good relationship. Someone must have instigated this. If you want, you can read the article later. I will keep the respondents’ identities confidential. Don’t worry, your name and your friends’ names won’t be tarnished.”
“But I don’t like the idea of you spreading that story to others. Just cancel the plan.”
Lupus was taken aback. “Phia, it’s an assignment that I’m working on. I can’t cancel it. It’s my professional responsibility.”
“But I’m the one who’s being harmed!”
“I promise you, Phia, it won’t. You don’t understand. I actually want to write something touching. Something that doesn’t corner you and your friends. But rather, defend you by bringing this reality to the surface. I’m actually angry at the adults. Instead of setting a good example for teenagers, they take advantage. This needs to be straightened out, Phia. Just imagine if your own parents were like that, how would you feel as their child? They accuse our generation of being messed up, but they’re the ones causing the damage! We’re just the relay baton holders, passed on by our parents.”
Phia was silent. But she couldn’t understand Lupus’ good intentions.
“Who the heck instigated this?”
Lupus was totally shocked when he arrived at the HAI office. Mr. Dharmawan said there was a message from Mr. Iwan. “Yeah, your article about the Night Kids is already scheduled for the next two issues. We’re chasing a deadline. And it turns out Reza is the one working on it.”
Reza?
“But I promised that I would definitely finish that article!”
“Well, I don’t know, Pus. Because Mr. Iwan really wants that article. And Reza offered to do it. Reza said he’s familiar with that kind of world from his time in Australia. He used to be a champion skateboarder. Maybe according to Mr. Iwan, he can handle it better.”
“Did Reza talk to you about this, Pus? And you’re busy and couldn’t finish the article.”
Lupus fell silent. He didn’t answer. There was disappointment etched in his heart. He felt betrayed. Fooled. He almost sacrificed everything to prove that he deserved to be a special assistant at HAI. But he was a bit slow because of the orientation activities and training that took up almost all of his time. Making reports, piled-up assignments. He really felt cornered.
Lupus was disappointed.
He had made time to stop by the editorial office to inform them that his article would only be finished tomorrow afternoon. So they could reserve a spot, in case the deadline was missed. But now there was absolutely no hope at all. Everything was in vain.
For a while, Lupus couldn’t believe what he heard. Why would someone be so heartless to disappoint him?
Even when he got home and Mami scolded him, Lupus didn’t respond. He went straight to his room, staring at the unfinished manuscript he had typed. It was the first time Lupus felt so disappointed. He felt like tearing apart the pages he had typed. What’s the point? It’s useless now.
Maybe this is what Phia wanted. So that the article wouldn’t be published. Lupus felt like he was waking up from a beautiful dream. He seemed to be about to launch a big plan, but it suddenly shattered. By something that had never been expected before.
In the front yard, a bird’s nest full of eggs, which had been painstakingly built by the mother bird for days, fell. Prak!
Ring!
The phone rang.
“Puuuus, there’s a phone call!” Mami shouted.
Lupus reluctantly got up. He took the phone handle handed to him by Mami.
“Hello?”
“Lupus, right? This is Reza. I have a message from Mr. Iwan, just cancel your manuscript, he said. We’ve already made a more complete one. Or if your manuscript is already done, just send it. Maybe we can merge them.”
“Oh yeah, you went to the office earlier, right?”
Lupus didn’t respond. This was the person who crushed him. Who stole his ideas. No wonder Lupus felt like he had seen Reza before when he met Phia at the nightclub. Lupus hung up the phone.
And dialed Phia’s number.
Phia answered the call herself.
“Hey, Phia, what’s up?” Lupus greeted in a casual tone.
“Hey, Lupus. I was just about to call you,” Phia’s voice sounded cheerful.
“Phia, you won. I didn’t end up writing that article about you,” Lupus said with a tone of desperation.
“What? Why, Pus? I was actually considering your words. I thought you were right. You can publish your article in your magazine…” Phia replied.
Lupus fell silent. “Too late, Phia. Someone else already beat me to it.”
“Reza?”
“How did you know?”
“Who in the club doesn’t know him? I met him at Sahara. He told me that you were planning to expose me. He said I should be careful around you. He said you were going to write for a magazine…”
Reza? Lupus became even more furious.
“He came to my house and asked about everything I’ve ever told you. I was honest with him because I knew him. But from Sandra, I found out that Reza also works for the same magazine as you, so I became suspicious of him.”
Lupus felt hopeless. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. He decided to keep himself busy helping the others prepare for the inauguration night. He also had an outlet to submit the article he had written for a campus writing competition. The winner would receive a one-year scholarship and be recognized as the best new student.
Lusi had the same determination. “I submitted an article about the orientation program, Pus. It’s based on our conversations during the orientation. Thanks for giving me input.”
“What did you write about, Pus?”
“That. The Night Kids manuscript that I didn’t get to submit.”
“About my sister, Pus?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, exciting. Especially since Mas Ardus is one of the judges, our young lecturer who is also an editor at a leading morning newspaper!”
“Oh, really?”
And that day, all the assignments, papers, and writings were being evaluated by the judges. The orientation program had ended a few days ago, and everyone was busy preparing something for the inauguration night. Some were practicing vocal groups, theater, poetry, dance, and bands. Friendships were formed after the orientation. Even Burhan and Abraham approached Lupus and Lusi, who were busy organizing the rehearsals.
“Hey, you’re the one called Lupus, right?” Mas Ardus, the young lecturer, greeted Lupus as they crossed paths in the campus corridor.
“How did you know?”
Mas Ardus laughed. “Let me introduce myself, I’m Ardus from Kompas newspaper. I’m interested in the article you wrote for the campus writing competition. I read it this morning. If you don’t mind, I will publish your article on page four for tomorrow’s edition. It will be noted that the author is a new student at this university, so it can reach a wider audience. It would be a waste if it’s only read and included within the campus.”
Lupus was in disbelief.
Kompas? His article would be published in Kompas?
“What do you think? Are you willing?” Mas Ardus asked.
“Uh, sure.”
“Great. We will publish your article this afternoon. So it can be included in tomorrow’s edition, coinciding with the inauguration night. Congratulations, I think your work is the best among the student submissions.”
Lupus couldn’t believe it.
Lusi looked at him in awe. “Damn! You’re really amazing, Pus.”
Yes, Lupus felt incredibly happy. Not only did his work receive praise from an editor at Kompas, not only would his work be published as an essay in Kompas and read by many people, but most importantly, it would crush Reza’s sabotage. Reza’s article, which would be published three weeks later, would feel stale. At least people would know who had the idea first!
Lupus couldn’t believe that everything was falling into place. He immediately called Phia from the campus payphone.
“Hey, Phia. Are you back home? You have to read Kompas tomorrow morning. My article will be published on page four. You have to read it, okay?”
“What? Are you serious?”
“I’m serious. I’ll treat you later!”
“What are you treating me to?” Phia was excited.
“Whatever you want. How about the nightclub?”
Phia laughed. “But, will you dare to take me home, Pus?”
Lupus laughed too.
