The Eternal Fragments of Moonlight
Chapter 3: The Hanging Fingers

Not a word said from the lips of Alan and Mira on the way home together. Like understanding each other to maintain silence as a solution. Barrels. Maybe that's what was on their minds. It shouldn't have to be like this. If things were a little different, maybe Laras and Mira could be good friends. Yeah, be a good friend. Because it should be.

The location of the school is located in a hilly area, making the highway that leads there surrounded by shady trees. The beautiful and cool atmosphere is still felt even though it is noon. Now there are no more students to be seen around them, only Alan and Mira accompanied by the sound of birds chirping from the trees around.

In the middle of the journey, Alan suddenly felt something hanging at the end of his sleeve. When he turned his head, he found Mira's fingers hanging there. Alan instantly became stiff and pretended to be unaware. The moment lasted quite a long time, or time went slowly for both of them. When Mira hung her finger to the end of the sleeve like that, the effect was. nostalgic.

While the two of them were drifting in that beautiful atmosphere, from a distance a cry sounded.

“Miraa!”

Waving her arms, Dian ran over to the two of them. Realizing that the one running towards her is Dian, Mira deftly releases her clutches from Alan's sleeve.

“Hah, huh, Mira are you okay?” With breath still panting, Dian held onto both of Mira's shoulders while looking all over her body. As if looking for something that should be there but become nothing or vice versa.

“Say you had a fight with Laras earlier?  You ain't nothing, are you? He doesn't do anything about you, does he?”

“A, I have nothing.” Answer Mira. “Not really fight with Laras earlier, just. Eh Dian, don't you have an ex today? How come you're here?”

“So my underclassman said that there was a fuss at the school gate. He said you were bickering with Laras. That's why I was looking for you, but said the people who were at your gate already home.” Unmistakably. “I'm afraid of you why-why Mir.”

“Aish, you overdo it Di, why? There's no way he'll do me.”

Alan and Dian frowned as if to say “Yes, he might!”.

“But the point is that you are doing nothing, right? Uh I'm really surprised if there's any wind what try the Baras make the same problem you.”

Dian had just turned to look at the real Alan from there. After seeing Alan, Dian also seemed to understand about the outline of the problem. He exhaled a long breath then shook his head while holding his forehead.

“Huff, that's right.” Her speech. “Mir, I'm back again yes, if later there will be anything to tell me.” While running, Dian blinked one eye. “Sorry to interrupt, be careful on the road yes you guys.”

Then after running a few meters to get back to school, Dian turned around and exclaimed at the two of them.

“Mira, whose hand is dong, don't dress it!”

“Heaaan noisy! You disturb others know!”

In fact, he is the one who is more noisy. It took a while before the awkward silence broke. Mira looks confused where she wants to hide her face that is increasingly blushing with embarrassment.

“Huuh, Dian nyebelin!” Mira sulks and leaves, followed by Alan.

They continued their journey home by keeping a few steps between them. As expected, not a word was said. Most people, including Alan, view Mira as a person who is graceful, calm, and can always maintain an attitude. But this time, it looks like Alan is finding a new side he has never seen from Mira.

After passing a few blocks later, they arrived at a crossroads where they had to separate because of a different return path.

“O.. okay until tomorrow yes Mir.”

“Ah, yes Lan until tomorrow.”

“Be careful on the road yes, Mir. You're going home by yourself, aren't you?”

“Iya.” Answer Mira slowly.

They waved to each other then Alan turned and went home through his lane. Just two steps away from where she had moved, Mira called her back in a stammered voice.

“Tu, wait.”

“Ya?”

Alan, who heard Mira calling him, turned to find out what he was trying to say. Alan was stunned when he saw Mira who was standing there. His face looked at the ground but his gaze did not look at the ground. His heart looks agitated but inviting. His wiggly fingers incessantly sorted the handle of his bag that he had been holding. This reaction, this expression, don't-don't!

“Alan... Actually I... I like..”.

Likey?

“I love the novel! Bah Alan!”

Restrained. Insatiable. Mira turned away as she ran away from the place.

“Mira!”

“Huh?”

“You... have a screwdriver?”

“No, no HP number. Hihi”

***

The next day, Alan walked to school as usual. It's just that the look on his face is not like ordinary days. He kept looking at his phone and smiled to himself, occasionally rubbing his nose. He saw one by one a row of chat with Mira last night. Alan had never been this cheerful before when he left for school.

At the intersection of his place and Mira separated yesterday, Alan looked at the various corners of the area. It was like the first time he was there. Asphalt roads, street lights at intersections, and ravines that were beside it seemed to be a new thing to see. The place is the same only the effect is different.

It was a T-junction that connected the school with two residential areas. The path to get to the school is an uphill road flanked by two steep cliffs that are drilled as high as 4 to 5 meters on both sides.

People used to call the area as “Tanjakan Teduh”. Because it's always shady.

This is because the two cliffs on the side of the Teduh Range have dense trees that cover almost all parts of the road below. So that the climb is almost never exposed to direct sunlight. Moreover, if you walk towards the school from the direction Alan is walking right now, or from the opposite direction, you will not be able to see what is going on at the Rise of the Shade. Because two very high cliffs on either side of it will block the visibility.

After Alan turned towards the Rise of Shade, unlike the usual days this time he just stood there. From what I see it looks like he's waiting for something to happen. Yeah, wait for Mira.

I also think this place feels more suitable to be a place to wait for Mira to pass compared to her stool in class. There will be a lot to talk about and more time to look at Mira on the way to school.

And if later Mira appeared, he would not know if actually Alan had been deliberately waiting for him there, because Mira's visibility was blocked by the cliff. So Alan could argue that their meeting was just a coincidence.

But after 20 minutes of Alan waiting, it seems that the expected never comes. “Maybe it's already.” Mumbled. Alan continued his journey to school alone as usual.

Arriving at school Alan then walked to the main stairs to go up to the 2nd floor to the classroom. But because today he did not come as early as usual, then the stairs were already crowded by students who arrived.

He stopped to use the main stairs and chose to use another ladder that is rarely used by students in the morning. Because the location is far from the entrance of the school makes someone have to turn first if you want to use the stairs to just enter the classroom.

Alan arrived at 2. There is a school Club IT which is one of the extracurricular branches in the school and right in front of the school, Alan found something that made him surprised.

A girl was standing there behind him. Just be quiet and not flinch while looking at the floor. Finding someone there in the morning is already a strange thing. Let alone this, finding a girl who was sitting there alone. It would make anyone feel weird. Even more so if the girl is someone you know very well.

“Mira?”

Mira suffocated and looked back.

“What are you doing here?” Ask Alan.

“Huh? Emm...” Mira looks confused. His eyes moved right and left, as if looking for something.

“What's the first? Hehe I forgot.”

Alan who felt strange then raised his eyebrows next door. Makes Mira look uncomfortable and cornered. Realizing that Mira was uncomfortable, Alan also became unbearable and began to continue the conversation.

“You... it is common to pass here huh, Mir?”

“I, yes.”

It was also a bell sign of the start of the lesson sounded and made them both spontaneously walk towards the classroom without any more talk. They stay that way, not talking to each other until the break time comes.

While the students are scattering out of class to enjoy their break, Mira and Dian stay on their stool to enjoy lunch together. Alan had to go to the cafeteria to buy food. Because from today Laras no longer provide lunch for him. Before leaving the classroom, Alan walked up to Mira's bench. But after a few steps he walked, for some reason he seemed hesitant and instead immediately left the classroom to the cafeteria.

After thinking for a while, Alan finally decided to buy a sandwich as his lunch menu. But unfortunately, the sandwich contents of tuna mayonnaise that became his target has been sold out. Alan really likes tuna.

“You how else.” Mumbled.

But then someone ambushed and spoke to the cafeteria mother.

“Bu, my stuffed bread is covered huh? Not yet opened.”

Baras traded his tuna mayonnaise sandwich for a ham sandwich that Alan was about to take. Alan stared at the sandwich, then he looked at Laras.

“Udah cepet take, later keburu bought people.”

“Still, Race.”

Baras flicked his hand and left. Soon after that Alan also bought a sandwich that was exchanged for Laras and in the end he was able to enjoy his favorite sandwich as a lunch menu.

“Manis”. Mumbled.