With time ticking down, he rushed to the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. In just a minute, he arrived, just in time to see Arman lining up for breakfast in the cafeteria. Raia walked up behind him, but he didn't greet him normally and he did so diabolically.
Instead, he raised his index fingers and poked Arman on both sides.
"AH!" Arman shouted, not from pain but from the shock of the unexpected intrusion into his personal space.
Raia hadn't expected Arman to react like that.
Because of the outburst, the students around them turned their heads in their direction. Within seconds, they were bombarded with curious stares from everyone nearby.
Raia giggled as he looked at his friend, hiding his hands like nothing had happened. What was more diabolical was how he looked at Arman and acted as if 'he' were the crazy one.
Arman turned to Raia, who was smiling mischievously. He knew immediately who the culprit was. Embarrassment clung on him like gum, but amazingly, he kept his composure, though the redness on his face gave him away.
"I hate you so much right now," Arman whispered, face still on the front.
"That's for teasing me yesterday," Raia whispered back, leaning close to his ear. Then he giggled non-stop, trying hard not to laugh out loud. Unfortunately, in his attempt to suppress it, a loud pig-like 'snort' escaped his mouth.
Snort!!!
The cafeteria went dead silent.
Karma is definitely a bitch and it bit Raia fast. Arman turned around, eyes wide, trying to hold in his own laughter.
"Did you just 'snort?'" Arman asked, not realizing he was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Now, every eye in the cafeteria was on Raia. He could feel the piercing gazes from everyone. But instead of feeling shy, he just burst out laughing. Loudly.
Because of how goofy Raia's laugh was, everyone present ended up laughing along with him.
The once dull and quiet cafeteria turned bright and full of energy. The students around them cheered up. None of them had expected to encounter such gagiing scene , but it somehow lifted their spirits and, even if just for a moment, helped them forget their fears and worries.
Because of that single event, a little flame of hope reignited in everyone's hearts, brightening the gloomy atmosphere in the air.
"You are one thick-faced friend," Arman muttered, still embarrassed for Raia.
Raia just winked at him with a thumbs up, like he already knew.
After they got their food, they sat down to eat. Just then, Brock appeared. He looked troubled and anxious.
"Uhm… Raia… I still couldn't find her," Brock said as soon as he reached the table.
Raia looked at him, surprised, and helped him sit down. He could tell from Brock's expression that the news wasn't good especially since it involved someone.
"What do you mean?" Raia asked, confused.
"I asked her roommate if she saw Lavender yesterday morning, but she said no. And today, I asked her again…" Brock trailed off, trying to catch his breath.
"She said Lavender didn't come back to the room at all..." Brock added, anxiety written all over his face. The way he gripped his utensils said it all.
Seeing that, Raia gently tapped Brock's hand.
"Ok, Ok, Brock… Don't worry. Maybe she did came back to her room, and her roommate just didn't notice her. I'm sure she's fine, okay? Don't let your wander in the dark. Lavender's fine. We'll find her soon," Raia reassured him. Deep down, he felt the same worry, but he didn't want Brock to overthink. He knew how much Lavender meant to him, after all it's his one and only close friend.
Still, Raia couldn't shake the worry after hearing the news. He asked Brock where Lavender's room was. Brock told him: third floor, Room 32.
Raia promised to look into it and update Brock if he found anything. That eased Brock a little, and he managed a smile.
After breakfast, Raia let Brock and Arman go ahead while he headed back to take a shower and change into his uniform for their next class.
But instead of going to his room, he pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator move up and took him to his destination. He walked out and he walked down the corridor. He immediately found Room 32, right next to the first room he passed.
He knocked. After a few seconds, a girl with short black hair and eyeliner smeared stylishly at the edges opened the door. She had a badass vibe.
"What's up?" she said upon seeing Raia.
"Hi, I'm Raia. I'm looking for my friend, Lavender. Is she here?" he asked politely with a smile.
The girl looked weirded out by his kindness. She wasn't used to nice people.
'What's with this dude?' she thought, squinting at him.
"Oh… her. I don't really know. All I know is she didn't sleep here last night," she said, stepping aside and leading Raia to Lavender's bed.
"Really? Why didn't she sleep here?" Raia asked, visibly perturbed. Still, he trusted the girl, she seemed authentic.
"Look, I really don't know, man. All I know is that when I woke up, that bear was still in its upright position." She pointed at a large pink teddy bear sitting on the bed.
"For the past few days, she's always hugged that teddy. And when she left it, it was usually lying flat. But since yesterday, that bear's been sitting like that. Her bed's untouched."
Raia stared at the bed, trying to find any signs of use, but there were none.
Seeing he wasn't convinced, she opened the closet and showed him Lavender's neatly hung, untouched uniforms.
"If you look closely, she didn't even take a uniform from here. Maybe she's staying at her boyfriend's room or something," the girl speculated.
Raia's mood changed for the worst, his concern now laced with fear and worry. Still, he tried to hold it together. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening them, ready to ask another question.
"Uhmm… Is it alright to ask for your name?"
"I mean... yeah... Call me Jing," she replied, flashing a rock-on hand sign.
Raia smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jing. But before I go, can I take a quick look on the balcony?"
"Sure, No problem." she shrugged.
Raia stepped out onto the balcony slowly. A cool breeze brushed his skin. What greeted him were flower pots planted with flowers in a variety of colors, they even released mix of sweet fragrances.
The mix of scents with the fresh air created a natural perfume. Raia draw air from his nose, trying to enjoy the moment until a familiar scent caught his attention.
It was the smell of lavender, wafting through the air. He turned and found the flower behind him, near the sliding window.
He admired its color and beauty, but then noticed something… red.
"What's this…?" he whispered, reaching to pick up the pot.
'Wait! I think you should stop looking for your friend… I'm sure she's fine,' Inner Self suddenly blurted out.
Raia frowned. The sudden interjection was suspicious.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Uhh… maybe she's with her instructor.... again. You know, their secret affair? Maybe she's staying in his room to… do their stuff more often… Right?' Inner Self said, his words stuttering more than usual.
'Does he know something? But his theory does make sense…' Raia thought, a seed of doubt growing.
'That Dr.… I need to talk to him next time…' he resolved, deciding to keep investigating despite Inner Self's objections.
He stood and was about to open the sliding window when a faint scent stopped him. It was metallic like iron. Even with all the sweet floral aromas, Raia's heightened senses picked it up.
His mind raced. His heart pounded. Flashes of last night's dream surged through his brain.
'Blood… Shit! That dream again!' Lavender had been in that dream. And now the scent was real.
Sweat formed on his brow. A terrible feeling crept in.
'I hope Lavender's alright…' Raia thought, pushing the fear down. He still suspected Inner Self of knowing something but he'd deal with that later.
He thanked Jing for her hospitality and left, heading back to his room to change into his uniform.
As he did though, a strange sensation made the hair on his skin went up, he felt like he was being watched.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" he called out, shifting into a defensive stance as he surveyed the area.
But no one answered. Just the eerie silence.
"Hmmm… That's odd..." he mumbled, embarrassed. He had a tendency to overthink even when nothing was going on and now he looked like a crazy person. 'Might be the stress kicking over.' He thought defeatedly.
Raia quickly headed downstairs and ran toward his next class with Arman.