High School Soldier
Inner war: certainty

The second day of the holiday was peaceful, he said.

...

Two weeks before the beginning of the month.

Even compared to the war against Otherworldly nations that are reducing human populations around the world, climate change is still one of the many serious problems facing this beloved earth.

Since the war began, the use of weapons that emit heat is carried out by powerful countries. The Eternal Frozen Land (Antarctica), which is said to not be melting for another hundred years, is now losing 5 percent of its icy surface. Due to the melting ice covering the Antarctic Continent, Jakarta and other Indonesian coastal cities are close to sinking ‘lag’ if the government 100 years ago did not build Fort Laut. This was exacerbated by industry and post-war development that would never end, thus raising the trend of global warming. The media of course only contained information of the war and its occurrence, as if the earth could recover by itself.

Humanity accounts for a portion of carbon dioxide, and will continue to increase as their population increases. For everyone who knows, of course, the main cause of most of the ice in Antarctica is melting done by humans.

Even though the electrical pulses in Nike's home have been paid and can last up to 3 months, the air conditioner in his house plus a number of fans brought from Nio's house could not do anything to the highest temperature during the day in May in Karanganyar City, about 39 degrees Celsius. The tall building with glass walls reflects the heat of the sun into the houses of the lower citizens, causing a problem named ‘gerah’.

At least, Nike's house is still spacious enough to accommodate up to 20 people in it, even though Nio is the only male among the many girls in his house. Nike did not know why Nio and the girls chose his house as a place to have fun.

Nio sat down on the bottom bare-chested but turned his back on the girls, causing the whole girl to want to see her whole body. With sweat pouring out, Nio stood in front of the fan to cool himself down.

The otherworldly girls were lying on the cool living room floor, while Tania and Nike were preparing for lunch. The zefanya confine themselves in the refrigerator to avoid the hot air roasting the human body from its frozen ground.

At the very least, no neighbors were bothered by the presence of guests from another world with Nio the only man in the group.

In front of the entrance of the house, Nio stood there with his upper body not covered by anything, causing the entire girl to be unable to blink despite the many flaws in the male physique. In the living room, all chairs have been moved and replaced with mats with tables placed in the middle. They all intended to have lunch together, have a casual chat, although the real reason everyone would be sitting on the floor was that Nike did not have enough seats for all of its guests.

Arunika has not come home from ‘date’, and Nio will receive a guest from Sonia's team who will ask for her help on some matters. Sonia and her team chose to find a cheap hotel to stay at while gathering information on some important cases that they would solve with the help of Nio.

Nio without wearing his clothes walked into the kitchen, witnessed Tania and Nike wearing apron while cooking. The cooked two girls let out a spicy and salty aroma from some of the side dishes they cooked, and the diffuse steam swept across Nio's face. The aroma of home cooking is enough to make Nio hungry. The nearly expired ration was not comparable to the decent food that two beautiful girls made.

Opening the fridge the other – because Zefanya used one of two refrigerators to survive – Nio let out a concerned expression.

Nio spoke to Nike and asked confusedly, “Nike... have you never shopped?”

Nike approached Nio who was still staring at the refrigerator containing two instant noodles fried variants, then suddenly closed the fridge door that made Nio curious.

“A-I never shop? Not in the refrigerator there are instant noodles, papaya leaves, and young papaya?” nike replied with a forced smile.

“That's not what I mean..I mean, this is all you had for two weeks before payday?”

“You have also not paid some bills, not even tap water came out to drink.”

Tania's face stiffened after hearing Nio's confession that made Nike only able to look down.

“Do you lack money? Tell me, I can help you,” said Nio.

“Yes, very bad. But, I am ashamed.” answered Nike softly, hoping that Nio would not hear too much of what he said.

“If it's like this, why didn't you tell me? What's that shame?” keep Tania.

Nike responded with a nod without a sad expression, it was Tania who felt that way.

“If there is no money, what will you cook tomorrow?” ask Nio.

“Mi instant, stir-fry leaves of papaya and young papaya.”

“Toknya again?”

“Mi instant.”

“Next day?”

“Nation and salt..”.

“Next day again?”

“Stay rice and salt.”.

Nio felt that Nike did not dare to do what he had to do to get out of the torturous end of the month, borrowing money on Tania or Arunika for example.

Nike's condition created Nio's mood, which made him feel relieved to have bought a number of groceries for several days in large quantities due to the arrival of guests from other worlds and Russia.

“What can I do, there is rice alone is enough for me. The daily wage from part-time work at the minimarket and the monthly salary from the daycare home is not enough for this month. I also have savings, but only enough for myself and even trouble you to pay all the unpaid bills. I didn't mean to trouble you with my problem, Nio.”

Nio made an expression of disbelief mixed with sadness. He certainly did not expect a shy girl like Nike to face this kind of situation alone. However, he has decided to help Nike, and will make her eat well every day from her money working on the unsavory battlefield.

Nio had not gotten a message from the auction company. He had briefly submitted one of his twenty Valiki for auction. He suggested the first offer as much as 4 trillion rupiah, but the auction company actually opened the bid at 7 trillion rupiah. The reason was obvious, as the Valiki currency of the Kingdom of Arevelk consisted of precious metals that could not be found in this world, thus being considered a treasure. In essence, Nio is still looking for people ‘super rich’ who want to spend a lot of money for a treasure from another world.

Nike has one main job and one side job. Being an employee in a day care home with a wage of 500,000 rupiah per month, and part-time in one of the minimarkets with a daily wage of 50,000 rupiah in two working days in one week. He did not earn money from any illustrations shared through any of the social media. Most of the money is gone to pay some bills and daily consumption.

Nike decided to withdraw Nio's hand, until they were both in the warehouse so that no one could hear the chatter or everything they did.

“Nio..” Nike speaks, but closer on murmuring. “I dare not say this to anyone. But I actually had to say it too. Like you said, it's the end of an unpleasant month. So... I want to borrow your money.” Nike said like that with a somewhat frightened face, evident from his vibrating tone of speech.

“Hmmmm,” Nio muttered, and it was clear the answer from him.

Nio answered Nike's statement, looking at the girl's entire skinny curves before him, then said with a wicked sneaky smile, “What do you use for the guarantee of borrowing money?”

“Eh..?”

Just looking at Nio's smile which was full of hidden meaning, Nike's feelings fell apart. He turned his face away, covered his mouth with both hands, and started sobbing.

However, Nio did not look at all guilty for making a helpless girl cry, even though what he felt in his heart was inversely proportional. Nio actually did not have the heart to speak up to cause Nike confusion to answer it.

“... Tu-body..”.

“What?” Nio wanted to hear the answer more clearly from Nike.

“I told you my body guarantee! I know, kidneys, eyes, lungs are very expensive. You can even make me ‘gong’ to get more money!”

“Eh, how to be gini?” nio said in his heart when he felt so guilty after hearing Nike say that.

Did this girl just say she was going to give up her body to borrow money? Nio murmured in the heart again. He looked concerned and uneasy at Nike, then gently patted the girl's left shoulder.

“So... about borrowing money..” Nio spoke shyly.

Nike responded to Nio's words with a reddened face in tears and embarrassment, “Yes, I only dare to say that with you. As you know, I have to do what I have to do to survive until the beginning of the month. If the salt in the kitchen and the rice runs out, I have nothing but tap water in the garden to drink.”

Nio was really very guilty of making Nike show such a resigned expression. Silence was created between them when the girls were heard laughing and joking about each other.

“I'm kidding, but my jokes are overrated. Sorry.”

Nike looked at Nio nervously, and slowly calmed down as if he could see the true expression Nio was showing behind his mask.

“I'll give you. You don't have to repay the loan from me, but make sure you make good use of it. If you can, you do something with that money up to more than I give,” said Nio.

Then, she stroked Nike's unkempt hair and continued, “Hunger makes people do the unexpected.”

However, a moment she heard Tania yell, “Nio, Arunika is looking for you..!”.

Nio and Nike came out of the warehouse together, and were greeted with mysterious gazes from all over the girls. They all looked at the Nike who looked like it had just cried, and directed a sharp glint at Nio that made the man feel guilty.

Every time men bring women to a deserted place, and come back with suspicious conditions, people often start to suspect that often spread false information. The closest cases are Nio and Nike returning from the warehouse. Anyone who has made a girl cry for doing something unreasonable will get punishment from all parties.

The gaze that Nio received from Arunika was more or less the same as she saw Arunika walking with another man. The two of them had yet to exchange words, yet the woman looked at the girls in the Nike house with an agitated look.

“I'll give you later. Now, you take them shopping. Zefanya, how long do you want to shut yourself in the fridge?! Get out, and follow them shopping!” Nio said that while giving her credit card, and made Zefanya forced to get out of the fridge because of her screams.

The faces of Tania and Nike sparkled, they could shop for dinner and buy the girls from the other world the goods of this world using Nio's money, without the need to return it.

“We will shop as necessary,” Nike said with a happy face as she led the girls out of the house and into the shopping.

The happy voices of the girls as they got the chance to shop slowly vanished. The silence this time happened between Nio and Arunika.

Attack helicopters were patrolling, the neighboring mothers were gossiping, and the hot air added to the hot atmosphere that disturbed Nio's feelings. After closing the front door of the Nike house, Nio and Arunika walked over to their house, with Nio walking in front and Arunika in the back with an awkward atmosphere.

The aroma of the house that is supposed to calm makes Nio hotter in addition to the hot air during the day.

“Only we are now..” said Arunika.

“Terus?” asked with a cold eye gaze, so Arunika wanted to know Nio's true expression behind her mask.

“Did you tell them to shop knowing I wanted to talk to you?” ask Arunika.

“Ya, that kind.”

Arunika put her tote bag on the table, and slightly tidied her hair. He took off his shoes then put them on the shelf provided, and walked back to the sofa where Nio was sitting right now with a cold expression, it seemed. Arunika was a little sad as she sat down and looked at Nio's face.

“Listen Nio... I get a marriage proposal.”

“Let's talk about something else first. What do you think our relationship is after we express our feelings and kiss?”

Nio slightly lowered his head, with a completely unsettled mood with Arunika's words. Although the girl beside him showed a calm expression, Nio knew just by her gestures Arunika also felt the same way as him.

“We are no longer family..” replied Nio, but in a soft tone that was very much different when he faced his subordinates on the battlefield.

“Do you think so? But I think after that incident, you didn't explain more about our relationship. I still don't know what kisses mean and feelings statements, whether they are done by men and women in love or expressions of family affection.”

Nio bowed with his left hand propping his body, then shortly afterwards covered his face.

“Please, don't break my heart,” Nio said with his face still covered with his left hand.

“Sorry, but that's the truth. If you consider our relationship a couple, what do you do to me?”

Nio raised his voice, “But I have an impossible task left behind. You should know my job there, too. I don't know what's on your mind, but I'm there really struggling.”

Nio's words sounded full of complaints, and the high-pitched words made Arunika quite daunted.

Arunika tightened her fist above the knee, and the face showed a sad expression mixed with annoyance.

“Thanks for that. But I also need certainty from you. Not only is there certainty about our relationship, I also need proof that you are still alive. Do you think relationships can continue with just one person?”

“Sorry, but I also have no chance to send a letter.”

“Nio, I don't know if you're there having time off or not. But, letting people wait and hope for too long is not good. Actually, I was afraid that there you would meet a lot of girls who were more perfect than me. Don't you have at least once a month to send proof that you're still around, or provide proof that you have a special relationship with me?”

“But I always think of you. I always hope you understand what I did there.”

Nio said what he had in mind, although sometimes he thought about fighting and how to win battles.

“Nio, it's not just you who hope. You expect me to understand your duties there, but do you understand my concerns yourself? I'm not only worried about you in the face of battle, but how you are surrounded by so many beautiful otherworldly girls.”

Arunika then approached Nio, until his shoulder came into contact with Nio's arm and then grasped Nio's left hand which hid his face. Nio felt the gentle touch of Arunika's palm in her rough hands, but the mood she had was far from happy or happy.

“Sorry, but I don't think it's possible for us to continue the relationship if you don't understand the woman's feelings. Not that our relationship as a family is over, so don't worry you'll be alone. The application was said to be directly by Darsono. I told her that I'm not ready to get married anytime soon, but she's done a lot for me as long as you don't give me certainty. So, I can't just turn it down..”.

Hearing the name ‘Darsono’ mentioned by the woman he still loved, Nio seemed to be filled with bad memories of the past and made him weakly bowed. Darsono was once its commander, and the son of a former Defense Minister before President Suroso began his term. He had known Darsono, but did not have a pleasant impression on the man at all. Even after he returned to his city with the new unit, he never forgot the problems he went through during his time as Darsono's subordinate.

However, more importantly on paper Darsono remains the son of a former important state official. Nio thought it would be impossible to resist such an opportunity, rather than continue to continue relations with soldiers who were more often on duty at very far places without having time off.

“And, it turns out that my grandfather's family approved the proposal from Darsono.”

“But, why now?” Nio remembered that Arunika was not really an orphan like him, so was not surprised by the statement that Arunika had the support of ‘ his family’.

And Nio knew, the company owned by the Arunika family had ‘close’ with the government before President Suroso.

For that reason, Nio knew why Arunika was planning to accept a marriage proposal from Darsono. If Arunika still wants to be considered a member of the family enough ‘look’, she has no power to refuse marriage proposals. Although it is a kind of ‘sacrifice’ for the survival and fate of the company and family, but marriage because forced is still prevalent in Indonesian society. Nio hopes Arunika is forced to accept the marriage proposal, and she still has a chance.

“Because I can't wait anymore. Because, if I think for too long and still accept it, I think it will be a forced acceptance.”

“So, you didn't have to accept Darsono's proposal?”

Arunika shook her head, making Nio fall even more.

What was the purpose of Darsono proposing to Arunika when he was several times near death on the battlefield? Arunika seemed to understand Nio's dislike, but she responded by saying, “I don't know what problem you have with Darsono. But, you will believe he can take care of me, Nio.”

“I'll be able to trust Darsono, you say?” Nio could no longer hide his pain.

Arunika then took out a piece of paper from her bag, and gave it to Nio.

As Nio read the contents on the paper, Nio felt his heart flinch.

“Sialan... Why have to be with this bastard…? Why?”

Just by looking at the photo of Darsono smiling, Nio felt himself receiving a headshoot.

Nio stared blankly at Darsono's curriculum vitae that might have been used to convince Arunika. However, as a person who had worked under Darsono's orders, part of the contents of the man's life history was a lie. Even so, the face is clean and not dull, without any scars at all – unlike her – shows that Darsono really comes from a family not messing around.

“Darsono once said you had become his subordinate. I'm sure, you can quickly trust him.”

Nio continued reading the contents of the curriculum without ignoring the words of Arunika that sounded as if Darsono was clean from sin.

Darsono was a member of the Headquarters, once the commander of one of the companies for the West Java garrison. His entire family is a politician, his father a former Minister of Defense. The note about Darsono looking ‘clean’ was written to make Arunika subconsciously believe that Darsono is a good man.

He looked like the embodiment of a perfect, handsome, highly educated, high-income man. But, before that, Nio knew that Darsono's actions were not being acted on by the power of his family. Nio was only Arunika's family, squad commander, salary increase depending on services and role on the battlefield, and was not handsome and did not have family support.

Nio could feel a feeling of pain in his heart, something that could not be described. But to be sure, he did not want to feel the heartache he was feeling right now. He did not want to hear anything else from Arunika for some reason. Nio has a desire to get up and get out of the house. But, the actions Nio took were the opposite.

Arunika sees Nio returning the curriculum vitae, and she sees that Nio is okay with the marriage proposal she received.

“So, when are you going to meet him?” ask Nio.

“Besok.”

“Besok?”

That means Arunika actually accepted the marriage proposal.

“Do you agree to meet first, or..?”

Arunika turned her eyes away from Nio as she answered a question from him, “I will not hide anything. It's kind of hard for me to say. I'll accept Darsono.”'s wedding proposal.

Nio realized he was clenching his fists so hard, that he saw his left palm bleeding.

“I want you to be next to me, as a representative of father...maybe,” said Arunika.

“Maybe said? What do you mean?”

“Darsono will of course bring his family, and I still need a companion. Even though I still have family, I still need you there. I know this request is unusual, but can you accompany me?”

Without the word ‘tolong’, Arunika said that with a calm looking face.

“I, can.”

“Really? Alright.”

Arunika again directed an anxious look towards Nio, and asked;

“What do you think, Nio?”

“What is how?”

“Do you have any thoughts against this marriage proposal?”

Sure was! Nio refrained from saying that. Just imagining Arunika being hugged by another man made Nio nauseous.

But, Nio can only pretend ‘quite tahu’.

He is Arunika. Girl from a well-respected family, a family member of the owner of the largest private ammunition company in the country. The class system may seem to have disappeared from modern Indonesian society, but among wealthy and classy families such as the Arunika family, social class still prevails.

Married to a wild ‘too’ dog even seems unreasonable for girls from well-respected families. Nio thinks that the Arunika family common sense is a wealthy family only suited to other wealthy families.

Arunika's biological mother should never have married an ordinary factory worker, with a tragic end to life. That means, Arunika should have a decent life with her original family, rather than working for an orphan with an unclear future.

Nio falls into the mind that he once got advice from his father, “We are just ordinary people, so life should be like an ordinary person. Don't act like you're one of them. But, if you already have rank, position, and wealth, you can pit it against other rich people.”

“If you accept it with a happy face, you mean fine with this marriage proposal.”

“How about you?”

Sweat shot out from Nio's forehead, then flowed and seeped into the black buff mask that covered half of his face. Nio looked straight at Arunika.

“Of course..” Nio stopped his words, making Arunika curious.

Nio's face looked like it was holding something painful. After a while, Nio showed a happy eye gaze – although in fact he did not make a happy expression – and tried his best to be happy.

“Of course I'd be happy if you found your happiness. That's why I fought there, and prevented another war in the country. I know our special relationship was clapping one hand. Expecting a romantic life with you, I was so stupid, right?” Nio said that with a stupid face.

That was the last conversation between Nio and Arunika.

“I'll find the girls. I'm afraid they're over-shopping using my money.”

Nio stood up after he finished speaking, exited the entrance of the house and rode his motorbike. He left without giving Arunika a chance to show a response.