Petir's discomforts pestered Api's mind every waking second. Despite being a stranger to her, he was determined to pursue this mystery, even if he might get smacked in the face with a sword if he did so. But Api being Api, he devised subtle plans that would unveil true nature of Petir.
Angin and Daun stopped by their apartment again. As Air taught Daun gymnastics at the park, Api informed Angin of his current predicament in their room. Angin was deeply intrigued, and thus the both were now a team.
"Do you think those are just candy?" Angin suggested.
Api exploded in laughter. "Why would those be candy? She broke a cup for god's sake!"
"It could be an accident," Angin argued. "You broke Air's alarm."
"She threw it at me!"
"Could've fooled me." Angin kicked his legs up in the air. "Do you think it's that time of the month?"
Api hummed. "Could be! Air complained about it!"
"But what's that time of the month though? What does it mean?"
Both of them descended into endless confusion of the definition of "that time of the month."
"Let's just ask Air," Api relented.
Angin nodded.
Both of them cheerily skipped towards the park, asked Air regarding the topic, and got a rock thrown at each of their foreheads. They scrapped that idea after applying ointment on their bruised foreheads.
Of course, they weren't going to give up that easily. They went to the point of analysing the bottle itself from Api's memory, and the only solution they could provide was a M&M's chocolate tube that had paper wrapped around it. Maybe Petir adored chocolate and didn't want to share. The idea itself was enough for Daun's face to meet her palm.
"Well," Angin slurred, "that's a no."
Air's eye twitched. "And pray tell why someone would pull that stunt?"
Following Angin's request, Api brought him to the gym per his club's membership privileges. Compared to Api, Angin was scrawny, which led to Angin's sudden optimism of working out.
Even if this was an upper-body focusing gym, Angin hung by the equipment that was meant for legs and stamina. For someone who isn't as strong as Api, Angin had beaten him on the treadmill. By the time Angin was exhausted, Api was knocked out like a light.
Humiliated, Api challenged Angin to lifting weights. He won by a landslide, because Angin could barely keep a ten-kilo barbell up for ten seconds. That's when they realized that their stamina and strength were severely unbalanced and focused on their weak spots. Angin trained his arm strength as Api thrived to increase his stamina.
Days passed and Petir's mystery had been nullified. With a new training buddy, he was doing better in studies and physically. It was like they were meant to be brothers all their lives. With Api's request, Angin tagged along to their after-school study group.
"Great," Cahaya groaned. He glared at the two screaming balls of optimism struggling to do algebra. "Why did we agree to this?"
"The snacks are great!" Angin whooped.
Tanah smiled. "Well, it won't hurt, right?" His expression turned deadly. "I'll make Petir not kiss you in your life if you don't help."
Cahaya shuddered and snapped back to his homework. Api and Angin wondered why the atmosphere had suddenly became chilly.
When Api's first official club meeting rolled around—since he missed the last one—he was pumped and ready to go. Bolting out of the door at 7am, he startled Air, who was still asleep. For someone lazy like her, she was a light sleeper.
Api closed the door before Air threw the alarm at him without fault. How the hell can she even aim so well?
When he arrived at the gym, there were already others gathering around the locker room. Tanah was socializing with some teammates, so Api's presence went unnoticed. Well, there were two reasons for this: he was short, and he was so nervous his brain malfunctioned.
Fortunately, the club members were kind. From how Tanah acted, he was most likely to not select potential douchebags. It was part of his charm.
"Okay!" Tanah called out to his club members. "Today we have a special guest. She's a world-famous-sportswoman in combat history, so I expect you to respect her, even she is younger than most of you."
The 30 members stirred up in confusion. There were females in the roster, but all of them had biceps the size of cannons. For Tanah to bring in someone from a completely different sports category was out of the blue.
"Does this happen all the time?" Api whispered to a tall guy next to him.
"No," the guy whispered back.
A teenager in a black sleeveless vest entered the gym with a fluid grace, attracting everyone's attention. Every inch of her movements seemed measured by a ruler, but they were unpredictable and silent like the calm before a storm. From the faux weapons on her back, one could suggest that they weren't just for show.
"Please welcome my sister Petir," Tanah introduced.
Petir nodded politely, lips still sealed tight. Her eagle-like gaze swept through the crowd of brawlers before moving to her brother's side.
"She will instruct you in the importance of movement," Tanah continued, gentle gaze comforting the startled members. "I noticed the severity of the stiffness during your previous endeavours, so this is a valuable learning experience."
Api gawked. That girl managed to scare a group of people with arms the size of barrels just by appearing. There's no way he can survive her training! He could barely meet her gaze without wetting his pants.
Petir nodded again, responding to her introduction. She placed her bag on the bench.
"Three metres segregated from each other." It was the first time Api heard Petir's voice, even after living with her presence for a while. "Remove excess accessories."
Everyone executed her demands in a hurry. No one wanted to get on her bad side, even if she was only half a head taller than Api.
Tanah shrugged and got into a space next to Api. Petir faced the rest of them, holding a black pill-like object the size of a soda can, albeit a little longer. She pressed the power button and pop music boomed.
Everyone gawked.
"Follow my movements," Petir instructed, her voice steely and clear and held no room for negotiation.
For the first few minutes, everyone tracked her movements that consisted of basic warming up.
But when they finished stretching their elbows, Petir laid on her abdomen and stretched her legs right to the front of her head. She held this pose, waiting for the members to comply.
Everyone panicked and tried to mimic her pose, but almost all of them failed. Tanah included. Only Api managed this move with ease. It was part of his basic training with Air and his body was still flexible, after all.
After thirty seconds, Petir could see that most of them were incompetent with her level of flexibility. Changing her pose to another, the rest of the club was baffled and exasperated. Only Api kept up with Petir's movements, but just barely.
Petir stopped the music. Everyone waited for the yelling. Without emotion, she said, "Warmup's done."
"That was a warmup?" someone demanded.
A girl choked and fell on her face.
Petir remained emotionless.
Tanah looked like his limbs had been dislocated and reassembled, but he didn't complain. Api was surprised he could still function.
"Is she always this way?" Api asked.
Tanah smiled, cracking his neck. "Since young. Breakdancing helps with her flexibility, but looks like you're the only one that could keep up."
"API! TANAHHHHHHH!"
They turned. Angin and Daun were hanging by the spectator's room, separated from the gym room with a glass pane.
Api waved back enthusiastically. He asked for permission before jogging over to them.
"What are you doing here?" Api whooped. "It's so early!"
"We wanted to see how you worked out!" Angin squealed. "You were amazing! Isn't that the four-year-round-champion-breakdancing queen? Oh my god! You're so lucky!"
"Yeah, she's Tanah's sister." Api recalled that he'd never told Angin what Petir was capable of. "Why? Are you a fan?"
Angin pressed his face against the glass, expression as stern as possible.
"You have to get her to teach me."
Api blinked. "Uh, teach you what?"
"Breakdancing!" Angin peeled his face from the glass, which left an oily aftermath. "I wanted to learn, but I can't seem to get it right!"
"Uh," Api said. "I'll ask Tanah. She doesn't seem like the friendly type."
Angin beamed. "Thank you!"
Api returned to the group. Once Petir deemed the club was ready—by that she meant when everyone stopped complaining—she began to instruct them on actual breakdancing movements.
Despite having a flexible body, Api was not a dancer. He failed every synchronization and movement. Tanah didn't fare better. When Petir propelled herself upside down while doing a split, Tanah hit his head on the floor.
"Are you okay?" Api asked.
Tanah rubbed his head. "Yeah." He cringed. "It's going to hurt in the morning."
By the time the club ended, everyone was limping home and aching at their joints. Petir packed and left home before Tanah did.
Daun and Angin had left, thankfully before Api embarrassed himself by getting himself stuck in a complicated pose and Petir had to untangle his limbs herself. Her eye twitched but she said nothing more. He'd never been this embarrassed in something he's unintentionally good at before.
"Hey, Tanah?" Api accosted the president.
Tanah looked up from massaging his shoulder joints. "Hm? What is it?"
"Angin wanted to learn breakdancing from Petir." He sweated. "I was hoping if—"
"I'm sorry, Api, but he can't," Tanah interjects gently. "She only came because she insisted she owed me a favour for that glass. I asked her countless times in the past to come, but she declined. I can't force her either. Her coming here takes a lot out of her, and it's best not to strain it."
Api frowned. "Is it because of the pills? Is she sick?"
"You saw?" Tanah looked down, fidgeting with his hands. "Honestly... I can't tell you. It's not something she would share. It's not my story to tell. As much as I want her to socialize more, I can't force this on her. Just know that this is a one-time thing. If Angin wants this, he'll have to find his own way."