Chapter 3 — Getting Closer

That afternoon, after coming home from school, I lay down on my bed without really intending to sleep. I was still wearing my uniform. My bag was still on the floor. But my phone was already in my hand.

I opened Instagram.

One by one, I typed the names I had added yesterday. Kak Steven. Kak Kevin. Then I paused a little longer on one account.

Kak Aldi.

I stared at his photo for a moment. He wasn’t doing anything special. Just a normal photo. A normal smile. But somehow, it felt different from seeing him in person on the court.

The three of them really were… pleasant to look at. Like they belonged to a world that felt slightly more put together than mine. My mind drifted back to yesterday at the mall—the short conversation, the exchange of numbers, and then parting ways without any promises.

I let out a quiet breath.

My fingers hovered above the screen. A little hesitant. A little playful. But mostly… curious.

Without thinking too much about the consequences, I created a small group chat and typed my first message.

Mira: Good afternoon, Kak 🙂

The message was sent.

I stared at my phone, then turned onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

My phone vibrated.

Steven: Good afternoon too, Mira. What’s up?

I sat up halfway.

Kevin didn’t reply.

A few seconds later, another notification appeared.

Aldi: Afternoon, Mira.

For some reason, I smiled.

Even though it was just a simple sentence.

I typed again.

Mira: Kak Steven, could you help explain a math problem?

The reply came quickly.

Steven: Oof, sorry Mira. I’m really bad at math 😭

I stared at the emoji for a moment, then sighed softly. That made sense.

I was about to put my phone down when the screen lit up again.

Aldi: Sure. You can send the problem.

I stopped breathing for a moment.

Aldi: Do you want to do a video call, or just take a photo of the question?

I lightly bit my lower lip. Out of the three of them, only Kak Aldi replied like that. Not loud. Not overly playful. Not making me feel like a burden.

Mira: I’ll just send a photo, Kak 🙏

I got up from the bed, opened my math book, and took a picture of the problem that had been giving me a headache. Then I sent it.

A few minutes passed. I waited, not daring to do anything else. Even opening another app felt wrong.

My phone vibrated.

A photo came in.

The solution.

Neat. Step by step. There was even a small note written on the side.

Aldi: If this part is wrong, try repeating it from step two. Don’t skip ahead.

I read it slowly.

Oh.

For the first time, I understood without having to reread it over and over.

Mira: Kak… thank you so much 😭

Aldi: You’re welcome. If you’re still confused, just let me know.

I stared at that sentence for a long time.

It was simple, but it felt warm.

Since that afternoon, I started trying to message Kak Aldi more often.

Not every day. Not for long conversations. Mostly just about schoolwork.

Tuesday came again.

Like usual, after school, Ani and I walked toward the multipurpose hall.

“You’re going there again?” Ani asked, giving me a half-accusing look.

“What’s wrong with that?” I replied.

Ani snorted. “Nothing. It’s just funny.”

We stood in the same spot as last week. A safe distance. Not too close. Not too far.

On the court, the seniors had already started practice. Shoes squeaked. The ball bounced. Loud, but orderly.

Without realizing it, I started searching with my eyes.

When my gaze met someone in the middle of the court, he gave a small nod.

I nodded back.

“Hey,” Ani whispered. “That’s rare. Kak Aldi nodded at you.”

I pretended to focus on my phone. “You’re noisy.”

Ani chuckled.

Kak Steven and Kak Kevin stayed indifferent. Like people who had never even met me. And somehow, that felt normal. I wasn’t expecting anything from them.

A light rain fell that afternoon. Not heavy, but enough to make the air feel cold.

After practice ended, we went home like usual. No greetings. No waiting.

That night, like always, I casually sent Kak Aldi another message. He was always polite and never rejected my texts.

Mira: Kak, sorry, I still don’t really understand this one.

I sent an example problem along with the message.

There was no immediate reply.

A few seconds passed without an answer.

I almost regretted sending it when the notification finally appeared.

The solution to the problem.

Short. Clear.

That night, before going to sleep, I realized something.

We didn’t really know each other yet.