"After the odd semester exams, there will be no more hiking events, right?" Viona asked while wiping the sweat from her temples. The afternoon sun began to lean to the west, illuminating the asphalt road that the three of them were walking on. Viona, Gita, and Ririn had just come home from school. 
"I think there won't be any more," Ririn answered while fanning her face with the folder in her hand. A tired look was clearly visible on her face. "The current OSIS management is not as creative as the old one. Outdoor activities like that are no longer continued." 
"Why? Miss hiking?" Gita teased while glancing at Viona. "So that I can retrace memories with Dewa, right?" 
Ririn immediately giggled at Gita's words. Meanwhile, Viona only smiled thinly, but there was something in her eyes that seemed to want to avoid the topic.
"Come on, let's not talk about it anymore. Dewa is already dating Riska," said Viona, her tone soft, but enough to make Ririn stop for a moment. 
"Dewa is dating Riska?" Ririn exclaimed spontaneously, her eyes wide with surprise. She stared at Viona as if she wanted to make sure that what she heard was not wrong. "Seriously... Dewa has high taste, how could he be dating Riska?" 
"They're already dating," replied Gita, this time in a neutral tone, as if she was used to the news. 
"Why would Dewa want that?" Ririn still couldn't accept it. She shook her head slowly while pouting her lips. "Even though I think Riska is slow, not good-looking either." 
"Well, that's what love is, Rin. You don't always see with your eyes," added Gita wisely, trying to close the topic. 
Ririn no longer replied. She just lowered her head, while Viona also chose to remain silent. The conversation became silent for a while. 
"Oh yeah," Ririn suddenly spoke again
After that, Ririn's voice was no longer heard. Meanwhile, Viona was silent, staring blankly at the front of the road, her thoughts wandering who knows where.
"Oh yeah, in the second semester, reportedly the second class that starts in the morning will be rolled over to start in the afternoon. Then the ones that start in the afternoon will start in the morning," said Ririn, trying to change the atmosphere. "Because the renovation of the class in the back is not finished yet, apparently."
"Where did you get the info, Rin?" Viona asked with raised eyebrows. She seemed surprised by the information.
"From Mrs. Ratih, she's my homeroom teacher, 2.B. But it seems like not all classes are changing. At most only three classes are affected."
"So from 2.C?" Viona pursed her lips, feeling unhappy. "Well... My class will get afternoon classes, right?"
"It's only for three months, until the third graders have their final exams," Ririn said soothingly. "When they're done, they'll all go back to school in the morning."
But Viona's face remained sullen. For her, afternoon classes were annoying—aside from the heat and going home in the afternoon, she also had to rearrange all her studio and music lesson schedules which usually took place in the afternoon.
Without realizing it, time continued to fly, and the semester exams finally arrived. After going through tense and preparation-filled days, it was time to distribute report cards.
After going through a series of tiring exams, the day of report cards arrived. As usual, the students gathered in the school hall after finishing their afternoon classes. However, this time Viona felt different. The day that was usually awaited with great hope, this time became a nightmare for Viona.
Viona's name was no longer heard being called to go up on stage to receive an achievement award as usual. Usually, she was always one of the students announced as the class champion. But this time it was different. Viona was no longer in the top three. She was even thrown down to sixth place. Meanwhile, Riska had actually managed to achieve an achievement, ranking second in her class.
Viona could only stare at the bundle of papers on Mr. Hasan's desk, the homeroom teacher for class 2.C, with a confused feeling. There, all the students' grades and rankings were clearly visible. Although her grades did not decrease, the average was stagnant and not enough to raise her position. She knew exactly the consequences: if she did not become the class champion, her permission to practice in the studio and play music could be revoked by her parents. That was an agreement that had been made since the beginning of the school year.
"Viona..." Mia's soft voice was heard from behind. She walked quickly after Viona who was walking towards the school gate. The sun was almost setting, the sky had turned golden orange.
"Mom, are you coming to get your report card?" Mia asked anxiously.
"Come. Around eleven," Viona answered briefly. "Why, how's your mom?"
"Mom can't come," Mia said while playing with the end of her uniform collar. "Can I ask you a favor, Vi? Please get my report card later."
"Okay, I'll tell my mom," Viona replied. They had been friends since elementary school. Even their parents were in the same class at school, so it was not strange for them to help each other in situations like this.
"What's your rank, Vi?" Mia asked, her voice soft but full of curiosity.
Viona took a deep breath and shrugged. "Sixth… You?"
"Not ranked," Mia answered honestly. "But Riska came in second. Did you see Dewa praising Riska earlier? He seemed to really care about Riska."
Viona swallowed. She just wanted to get home quickly and avoid all the talk about Dewa and Riska. Even though she had tried hard to distract her mind from those two names, still, like shadows, they always appeared around her.