I can see it

Chapter 8 : I can't let you go

The days that followed the argument with Raja felt like a slow unraveling of everything Hujan once held dear. From attending classes together to sharing meals, their friendship had disintegrated into a cold, distant silence. Raja didn't sit with them anymore, didn't text in the group chat, and the last message Hujan had received from him was over two weeks ago: "Busy with assignments. Catch you later."

To be truthful, Hujan was worried. He replayed Malik's accusation about the box over and over in his mind. Was it true? Was Raja really using something sinister? And if so, why? The look of shock and anger on Raja's face when Malik mentioned the box lingered in his thoughts like a shadow he couldn't shake.

One morning, Hujan decided to check on Malik. He had been skipping classes more frequently, and today was no exception.

"Malik, you're not coming to Chemistry today?" Hujan asked as he passed Malik's door.

"MC," Malik replied shortly, his voice muffled by the door.

Hujan frowned. Malik had been withdrawing too, and it worried him. "I'll visit you later after class, okay?" he said, though Malik didn't respond.

Hujan made his way to class alone, as usual. His steps were heavy, weighed down by his thoughts. As he approached the chemistry lecture hall, he overheard two classmates walking a few steps ahead of him.

"Did you hear about Hujan? He's so bad," one whispered.

"Yeah," the other replied. "I didn't know he was like that. Trying to persuade others to hate Raja just because he's part of the Popular Kids now? He's probably jealous he didn't get in."

"Such an attention seeker," the first one added.

Hujan froze in his tracks, their words hitting him like a punch to the gut. His heart raced, and his chest tightened with disbelief. Me? Jealous? The thought was absurd, yet the sting of their words lingered.

He clenched his fists, willing himself to stay calm. He chose to act as though he hadn't heard anything and quietly entered the lecture hall.

As he took his seat near the back, he couldn't ignore the shift in the atmosphere. The room buzzed with an unspoken tension. Raja entered a few moments later, his presence instantly lighting up the room.

"Raja! Over here! Sit with us!"

"Raja, I saved you a seat!"

Raja smiled, flashing his usual charm as he walked to the front and joined a group of students who greeted him like a celebrity. Meanwhile, Hujan sat unnoticed, the isolation weighing heavier than ever.

The lecture began, but Hujan struggled to focus. His notebook remained blank as he stared at the equations on the board. His mind wandered, longing for the simpler days when Malik, Raja, and he would joke around during class, their laughter echoing in the halls.

By the end of the lecture, Hujan was exhausted—not from studying, but from the effort of holding himself together. At this moment, he needed Malik more than ever.

But deep down, Hujan was starting to realize the truth. After the argument with Raja, it wasn't just their trio that had fractured. Everyone who had once been close to him—his classmates, his roommates, even Liew—had started to grow distant.

He had become an outsider in his own circle. And for the first time, Hujan felt truly alone.

The sun hung low, casting an amber glow over the campus as Hujan made his way to Malik's room. He clutched a pack of warm nasi ayam, Malik's favorite. The familiar scent brought some comfort to Hujan as he approached the door.