RUN WITH ME
CHAPTER 3: GETTING USED TO IT

The atmosphere in the canteen became a little tense due to Arunika's angry shout. Many disciples wondered why the woman was angry and who made her angry. However, the question was instantly answered when the voice of a woman was heard, a voice that was very well known to the inhabitants of the school.

"You're acting like the incumbent OSIS chief here again" fed up with Tania, as well as Wilona and her friends who stare cynically at Arunika.

Arunika smirked faintly, "unfortunately I'm not acting, I'm the head of OSIS." The word 'chairman of OSIS' deliberately press Arunika to realize Tania that she is indeed powerful, when honestly, Arunika most do not like to behave like this.

Because the conversation was so loud, Gavin found a strange awkwardness in Arunika's sentence. Why did being the chairman of OSIS make him have more power than any other student? He looked at Maverick and Floyd, asking for an explanation. Realizing that Gavin is still unfamiliar with the OSIS system at their school, the two men attempt to explain in the smallest possible voice due to the quiet atmosphere of the canteen.

"OSIS chairperson selection system here is based on 60 percent of teachers and 40 percent of students. At first the system wasn't like this, but in the election two years ago, one of his OSIS chairman candidates was cheating to get elected." Floyd began to explain in a voice that was almost like a whisper.

"He bribed a lot of students, especially first-graders, to vote for him" Maverick explained in a voice that was not much different from Floyd.

"After becoming chairman of OSIS, his performance was really bad, the whole event held by OSIS was messy because he could not manage it and he was also caught corruption of OSIS cash. The school also knew his behavior and finally he was expelled from here, then the position of chairman of OSIS was given to his representatives with super strict supervision from the school," Floyd's story was replied with a nod of understanding by Gavin.

"Because of the trauma with the incident, finally the school made a rule that the election of the chairperson of OSIS based on 60 percent of teachers and 40 percent of students, the school made a rule that the election of the chairperson of OSIS based on 60 percent of teachers and 40 percent of students, indicating that the student who succeeded in becoming the chairman gets most of the teacher's trust here and if he betrays him, the punishment will not be playful" Maverick continued to face a fight in the middle of the canteen. And so did Gavin.

"I'm just trying to be friends with her" Tania said with an expression made as reassuring as possible. But Arunika certainly did not believe.

"You sure? Was there trying to make friends but the person you were with showed a frightened face?" Skeptical Arunika with one eyebrow raised. Tania glanced at the first-class female disciple next to her who had just lowered her head.

Threatenedly Tania whispered with her mouth slightly clenched, "raise your head, *****." Arunika's eyebrows swooped sharply at the whispers—thank goodness it had sharp ears. He immediately hit hard on the table where Tania was sitting, making everyone there jump in shock. Alright, it seems that Arunika is really angry right now.

"You're saying that to the man you're trying to be a friend to?" whispered Arunika full of anger in Tania's ear, then turned to Hera who had been standing next to her since with both hands folded in front of her chest. That gaze hinted Hera to pull away Tania's bully-an disciple from there. Hera picked up the signal so she approached the student and said a few things before taking him away from the cafeteria.

Maverick exhaled heavily as he lowered his head and muttered, "This angry Arunika is really not good for my heart." While Gavin and Floyd still pay attention to the events of Arunika anger that is very rare.

"When are you going to stop, Tania Hartanto?" arunika asked as she sat down beside Tania, the place where Tania's victim had sat before. He supported his head with his right hand and looked straight at the woman next to him.

"There's no evidence of what I did, huh?" challenge Tania while positioning herself the same as Arunika, just different directions only. Arunika also gave a sweet smile but looks deadly in all pairs of eyes on the table.

"All I can get as long as I'm the head of his OSIS, especially for actions that are clearly wrong from any side."

"Then after getting it, what are you going to do with it? Tell school? Telling my family? Could such a little thing get me out of school? Would my family believe such a cheap thing? You should know that my family strongly believes that I am very innocent and that it is impossible to do evil things" Tania said with a soft tone.

Arunika shook her head slowly, making Tania slightly wrinkle her forehead.

"There's one power that can make your school or your family pressure you to at least apologize, no matter if you admit it or not." Tania gave a confused face, while Arunika grinned and brought her mouth closer to Tania's ear.

"Public power." Tania's eyes widened instantly, making Wilona and her friends both confused and curious. Arunika turned her face away and smiled triumphantly.

"Yes, the public, they're the ones who actually control us." Instantly Tania lowered her head with all ten fingers firmly clenched. Even Arunika at that time immediately knew that he had won.

He stood up from his seat and patted Tania on the shoulder once, "stop or everything I said happened. This is your last chance, Tania Hartanto." After saying that, Arunika immediately left the canteen, following Hera and Tania victims who he believed were in the UKS.

Arunika's departure made everyone there exhale a sigh of relief, as if they could finally feel the fresh air again. This incident seemed to be a reminder for them not to trigger problems or anger the chairman of OSIS. Maybe this is also the reason why the teachers are so sorry for Arunika, knowing how to position herself in all situations.

Maverick breathed a sigh of relief and drank his mineral water, while Floyd and Gavin remained silent. Floyd felt quite the pressure even though he was not the "trial" by Arunika, while Gavin felt admiration and a bit of selflessness in his heart because in the bottom of his heart, he wanted to be able to behave like Arunika.

...⁕⁕⁕...

The latest output sedan enters the yard of a minimalist concept luxury house with a small fish pond in the middle. After the car stopped perfectly, the back door was opened by the driver and Arunika came out from there with her flat face. Not directly entering his house, he looked at the house which was dominated by white and black. Bi Ina, the butler in the Bumantara family home, had been standing in front of the entrance and was looking at him confusedly.

"Non, why don't you come in?" asked Bi Ina who made Arunika slightly jerked and gave her sweet smile.

"Why, Bi, every time I look at this house, it feels bigger and quieter, it's not suitable for just one person to live in." Bi Ina was speechless hearing that sentence, whereas Arunika shook her head.

"Speaking what, the hell, am I?" he said with a small laugh, then walked into the house where he had lived since birth.

This is the side of Arunika that is unknown to the friends at her school. The side that looks very fragile and lonely in the breadth of the building is called home. A house that should be the safest and most comfortable place, a place where tired can be lifted in an instant because it is reunited with loved ones. However, in the Arunika dictionary, home is just a place to sleep, eat, bathe, and learn. There is no such thing as warmth or comfort.

Both parents are busy working because of the demands that are so great, while his two brothers are in a foreign country to study, so he is left the most frequent use of the building. Both of his parents went home more often and left when Arunika was still asleep in his dreams. Arunika also could not often contact her two brothers because of the time difference and did not want to disturb them. Be Arunika spends most of her time studying and languishing in a small library in her home. That way, he could at least forget his loneliness.

"Non, the biology course teacher's here." Bi Ina's voice rang out from outside the room, making Arunika who was wearing her casual clothes speed up her movements.

"Yes, please prepare a drink and a light snack, yes. I'll be downstairs soon, "pinta Arun while picking up the books that will be used later. Human anatomy books, books on reproduction, books on breathing, a notebook, and some stationery. Yes, Arunika has indeed been a few steps ahead of her school friends. If the school is still taught the basic topics, then Arunika has studied it in depth.

In addition, Arunika every day takes lessons that have been arranged by her parents. Monday three-hour biology lesson, Tuesday three-hour physics lesson, Wednesday three-hour chemistry lesson, Thursday three-hour compulsory math lesson and math interest, Friday English lesson, Friday, German, and Mandarin for three hours, Saturday riding and golf courses, and last Sunday he was required to study independently for three hours.

This lifestyle has been Arunika wrestled since the age of eight so it feels very accustomed to his brain continues to work from morning to night. When he was a child, he often begged his parents to give him at least one day where he could rest without having to study for a second. But the answer of his parents instead made Arunika aware, in vain he begged.

"You are a Bumantara! You don't know how the world is out there yet, but we, who already know it, are just trying to give our best to you so you're ready to meet those who underestimate us."

Arunika remembers clearly how her father's face said that and she also remembers clearly her mouth screaming saying that she just wanted to be understood. But of course his father ignored his voice and continued to impose what he considered the best. Until finally as time goes by, inevitably, like not like, Arunika must adapt and accept everything her parents give her. And without Arunika realizing it, her heart swallowed all that bitterness and damaged it slowly.

...⁕⁕⁕...