SERINA: I'M AN EXTRA
BEAT OPPONENT / BECOME CHAMPION?

It has been twenty-five minutes of running time since the time-sign bell began to sound aloud through a mini speaker mounted in the upper corner of the room. It has been twenty-five minutes since the atmosphere in the room that Arka and I lived in was quiet, very quiet

No sound was heard other than the sound of pencils and paper rubbing against each other filled every corner of the room. The committee sisters in charge of watching the room looked very busy, I never saw a second they were silent and stood comfortably or held in the same position in more than five seconds

They kept circling around the room with sharp gazes and flat faces. Staring one by one the participants who for the last few minutes are focusing on working on the problem while occasionally peeking at the desk drawer. Afraid, if maybe there is one of us who is desperate to cheat in order to win the race that is being held at this time

The arc that was currently sitting anxiously beside me also fell silent. His eyes were busy looking at the scribbles of numbers he made on a blurry piece of paper in his state. While his right hand never stopped scratching the tip of the mechanical pencil to continue forming and stringing numbers into formulas on the side of the paper that is almost full of numbers as well as other formulas

Sometimes his eyes look closed, think hard and discuss with himself before entering a series of lifts but into a series of formulas in order to get the right answer from the problem he is working on. After that, he would exhale violently. Write quickly and irregularly on a piece of paper no larger than a4 drawing book in front of him in a hurry, afraid that the numbers are also a formula that has been neatly arranged in his head will just disappear if he does not immediately copy it on paper

While I just kept quiet, staring at the paper sheet I was holding tightly in my left hand. I flipped through each sheet quickly, counting on at least ten of the questions I had managed to solve without hesitation. Until finally here I am, staring at one thing that for the past week continues to disturb my night. Because to be able to find the answer I have to be willing to stay all night and have a fierce discussion session with Arka

Maybe at this time I can just pass the problem of trapping with the highest level of difficulty among the other problems and work on it the last if there is still loose time. Because I myself know with certainty that doing this type of problem will take up to many times more time than when working on other medium levels

Unfortunately, the curiosity within me was completely uncooperable at this moment when my eyes caught what points I could get if I managed to calculate and answer correctly about it written in ink striking color on the small box next to the problem number

Ten points! almost three times the point I get if I answer correctly about other medium levels. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly when I saw the minus point that I might get if I answered the wrong question with the highest level of difficulty and full of traps. Minus four, four times the minus value that I will get when I answer wrong about other medium levels

I glanced back at the white-colored watch neatly coiled around my left wrist. Almost five minutes of time I spent in vain just to stare at one neatly written trap-filled problem with the lure of three times the point on the problem paper I was holding

I scratched the rough nails that wrapped around my thumb, thinking hard to miss or work on the problem with capital diligently because thinking about the opportunity will get the most points if successful answer right and the risk of getting the point minus the highest if I am careless and answer wrongful. Of course I will not spend my precious time for free just to look at this one question in front of me. While on the next sheet there are still at least eleven questions that I have to work on with the remaining time

“Huh!” I exhaled a rough breath, turning the mechanical pencil in my right hand before pulling back the counting paper that I had ignored for a while because I was too focused on the problem sheet that I held firmly in my left hand. Putting the rough sheet of questions that over the last few minutes have managed to beat anxiety and replace it with a fiery competitive sense in me to be able to beat every level of difficulty offered on every item

Nimble, my right hand moved again. Moving a black mechanical pencil on an opaque paper count paper that is filled with dozens of formulas and numbers on it. Looking for the empty space that I can still use to scratch the tip of my pencil so I can re-write formulas and numbers to be able to calculate and get answers from the problem with the most difficult level that offers the most points high if you can answer correctly without being fooled by the traps given

...***...

“Working time is only fifteen minutes away!” a slightly loud voice came from the front of the room. Unfortunately, no matter how loud the sound produced never managed to make the participants who were dissolved with dozens of problems in front of him to divert his attention for a second and stare at the source of the sound

“Usakan so that at this time you have solved the problem in front of you and use the time left to crosscheck each other's answers with your teammate” because no one raised their heads or replied, no one, the voice sounded again. This time in a quieter voice, afraid to disturb the concentration of participants who may still be busy counting the answers “We do tell you to crosscheck each other for answers, but still try to be calm and not rowdy so as not to disturb the concentration of other teams who are currently still focused on doing about”

I saw Arka tidying up her messy problem sheet on the table, stacking and sorting it from the smallest number before shifting her focus to the answer sheet that half of it he managed to fill. After a while to make sure that there was no wrong answer he filled, Arka glanced at me who was currently still busy doodling the counting paper on the table

“Ser, how? Safe is it?” Arka asked me half a whisper. No, rather make sure that I am not having trouble working on what is part of me

I shook my head weakly, exhaling violently without looking at Arka “Aman anyway should, but this I still have to do three more problems Ka. Meningan now you kroscek independently your answer yes, later if I told you in”

Arka shook her head, one hand she stretched out to grab the paper about the one on my left side. Giving orders to me to hand over the matter sheet to him to do through the look in his eyes without using words

I again exhaled a rough breath, slightly raised my head to be able to see his face that looks anxious “Udah no need Arka! It's about my part, so let me do it. Meningan now you check the answer sheet that you have filled out, later if I have just cross-checked the answer”

Hearing my answer, Arka let out a rough sigh. His gaze stared fixedly at the bead of my eyes that were currently still looking up at him. His hand nimbly snatched the question sheet from my left hand. Inhaling a deep breath like holding back an upset before opening the sound of “Serina, you forgot? Here we work as a team. You can't be selfish and self-conscious about whether it's about me or it's about you. We are a team, we have to be compact and help each other. You still want to order a sari Pak Bagus before we enter this room earlier? We are a team, we must always be compact and always maintain cooperation!”

I was about to refute again, but the sound of the clock seconds that kept turning stopped my intentions forcefully. With a heavy heart, I let Arka take the question sheet from my hand and do the rest

“I hope with this remaining time you have done a crosscheck answer and are ready to collect your answer sheet without any doubt” still by the same person, the voice again sounded filled the room, he said, commemorate all participants who are in it to return to do a crosscheck of answers before then collected five more minutes

In a hurry, I snatched the answer sheet on the table. Circling on some of the questions that over the last minutes I have managed to find the answer. With a hunting breath, I looked towards Arka who was tidying up the matter sheet before me before she reopened her voice. Asking the same thing as he asked me a few minutes ago “Where? Is it safe, then? Right now, huh?”

I just nodded in response, then my eyes stared anxiously at the clockwork that kept spinning on my wrist. Only five minutes of time was left, before we had to gather the answer sheets that we had filled out with great difficulty

After tidying up all the problem sheets, Arka breathed a heavy breath. Glancing at the glance of the watch on his wrist before opening his mouth to give instructions “Oke, more or less there is still about five minutes for us to crosscheck each answer”

I raised my head, staring doubtfully at Arka “Five minutes is still enough right Ka to cross-reference answers?”

Arka nodded steadily, looking at me while smiling her sweetest smile “Surely enough! Here's a sheet about me, if you think the answer I checked there is still something wrong you just replace it on the page the answer is yes”

The indoor atmosphere still looks just as busy as when the time-keeping bell started a few minutes ago. each team participating in the race is still discussing each other to ensure that the answers they circle are correct and correct

So are you and Arka at the moment. Sitting while silent with the focus of the view staring at the question sheet in each of our hands. Busy correcting if there is an incorrect answer to immediately recalculate and then replace it with a more appropriate answer

Until not felt, the speakers installed in the upper corner of the room again sounded loud. Yelling as if telling anyone in the room to stop their activity and switch focus to pay attention to it

I bit my lower lip, trying my best to stay focused on correcting the work of the new Arka I can correct in half. While in front of there, the big brother of the committee was busy clapping his hands several times while shouting orders that we immediately collect our answer sheets on the prepared table

“Temen-temen, the working time is up. Please kindly to be sure to immediately clean up your table and collect the answer sheet on the front desk ” one of them again shouted in a tone of voice that was no less loud

Hearing the brother's cry, several children who were in the front and back rows from my place one by one began to move from their sitting position. Carrying the answer sheet in the hand then put the valuable answer sheet on the table that has been mentioned before returning to take the bag that is still in front of the room and sit in the original position

I had circulated my gaze throughout the room, seeing that almost half of the participants had collected their answer sheets and some participants were still busy correcting and some were still busy counting. There may be one wrong answer when he re-corrects his answer

When I was about to connect my activities, my ears again heard a loud voice from one of the committee sisters. This time his voice sounded much more fierce than the voice of the other committee brother who also shouted giving instructions before “Oke, he said, because there are still some participants who have not collected the answer sheet even though the processing time has run out since one minute ago then brother will start counting down from ten”

“For participants who still do not collect the answer sheet on the tenth count then you will consider disqualification!”

The one next to him started counting down, though, making me aware of the panic because it has not been completed to make a re-correction of Arka's answer becomes increasingly panicked just by hearing her voice that seems firm and fierce “Ten.......nine………six........five.............”.

On the count of five I felt Arka standing from her sitting position while carrying our answer sheet in her right hand. He stepped his foot slightly running towards the table where the answer sheet was gathered without even turning his head and talking towards me. Then he sat down next to me again, looking at me with two crescent moons perched sweetly on his face

"Good work Serina!" "Although we haven't had time to correct our answers, I do believe in your ability. Do you believe in my abilities?" said Arka after returning to sit beside me with two backpacks that were in his arrival

He held out the blue backpack to me. A few times patted my shoulder before his hand nimbly stuck the backpack on both of my arms

“Abis this we directly find Pak Bagus yes, we have lunch first while waiting for the results of the lombanya out”

"Calm down, we'll definitely go home with the chalice!"