[Wednesday, August 25, 2021]

  Two weeks of turbulence had finally passed. For the first time as a Demihuman, Gio managed to find a day without shameful incidents. Classes had run smoothly since morning. No social norms violation, no fatal linguistic misunderstandings.

  3:15 PM. The dismissal bell rang. School was out, and Class 10-G’s entropy increased. They began packing their belongings. Some bolted right after the teacher crossed the door, while others loitered, chatting with their groups.

  Gio had just slid his last textbook into his bag when Zaid—his seatmate—was already up.

  "Going home?" Gio asked.

  "Nah, I got club activities," Zaid replied.

  "Wait, you got club already?" Gio zipped his bag and shouldered it. "Which one?"

  Zaid walked out of the classroom, Gio kept pace. "Volleyball. For the first year, I don't want to join anything heavy. Seniors said the volleyball club's schedule is chill, rarely any meetings."

  "How ‘bout you? Decided yet?" Zaid asked back.

  "Ummm, not really..." Gio replied hesitantly. He slowed down. In his mind, Clubs... There are many interesting options. But my schedule is already full... The activity must be useful for me. Something that can help me understand school subjects... But what?

  Amidst that daydream, Gio didn’t realize he had left a few steps behind. Zaid was about to reached the hallway intersection. "Catch you later," said Zaid. "Okay," Gio replied softly, didn’t stop the rush.

  Gio stood in silent. His eyes scanned the surroundings, ignoring the passing students. On his right, he could glimpse the inside of a noisy classrooms through the glass windows. On his left was the basketball court; though he couldn't see because it was blocked by a wall. And behind, a long hallway of Class 10-E through 10-H.

  Usually, Gio would take a specific route: The North Gate, head to the bus stop, and return to his dorm. He always avoided lingering at school to minimize the risk of causing new problems.

  But today was different. He was "normal." Why not conducting a little field survey? He didn't really know the school's topography other than the mandatory route: class, canteen, toilet, gate.

  "Just this once..." he thought. Decision made. He wouldn't go home. He would take a school tour. Who knew, in some random corner, he might find inspiration for choosing a club.

  Gio started walking. He hit the intersection and took a left turn. A few meters in, he slammed on the brakes.

  Front corridor was the territory of some twelfth-grade class. Gio spotted a very familiar entity there. It was Arua, looked like a very average NPC. Which is rare, cause he usually looked sluggish and slouched; this time, he didn’t. Perhaps he got a decent amount of sleep.

  As for "Strangers at School" rule, Gio didn’t greet him. He throttled down, tailing from a safe distance. Actually Arua’s presence here wasn’t an anomaly. He just geographically unfortunate. The distance between his classromm (north end) and the parking lot (south end) was quite significant. The guy had to cross the entire map just to leave.

  He had only covered half the journey. After passing this corridor, he still had to pass through some eleventh-grade territory, the south courtyard which always crowded with club kids, row of community secretariat rooms, and a canteen. Only then he would reach the parking lot.

  The corridor vibe was initially standard. The twelfth-grade seniors were busy with their own group; chatting, laughing, or simply sitting in front of their classrooms.

  But the second Arua walked by, the air shifted. Almost all eyes within a five-meter radius fixed upon him. Some conversations paused, replaced by cynical whispers trailing behind his back. Like he was a walking stain on their perfect afternoon view. Although they only glanced with (maybe) dislike, not stepping away in fear.

  And Arua? As usual, he walked straight ahead with his annoying face, apathetic to the public sentiment arounds.

  This was a new sight for Gio. Seeing Arua slice through a hostile crowd, his imagination ran wild. He recalled a cliché anime scene he had once watched on his cousin's laptop.

  [Gio's Imagination]

  Arua is an edgy lone wolf. School’s mafia boss respected by other students—even his seniors. "Tch," he sneers internally. "Why should I befriend these foolish humans? Just a waste of time and energy..." Certified sigma male.

  [What was actually in Arua's mind]

  "I wonder if it’s better to pee grapes or poop pineapples..."

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  Gio began to understand the reason behind the "Strangers at School" rule. Arua just didn’t want his bad reputation—whatever the reason—to infect Gio and ruin his younger cousin's school life.

  "But... why?" Gio frowned. "Why they hate him?"

  Driven by insatiable curiosity, Gio decided to continue his mission. He re-engaged his stealth mode, stalking Arua from a safe distance.

  Passing through the eleventh-grade corridor, the scenery was similar. Same reactions here; they stared at Arua's back with looks of disgust, curling lips, and defensive body gestures.

  Until Arua arrived at the South Courtyard. This was the heart of Purwokerto High School’s social life after dismissal bell. High traffic zone connecting the parking lot, the Bangsal (club HQ), and the row of community rooms. Always crowded.

  Student council try-hards, overworked activists, scouts in uniform, and ordinary students desperate for a nap... all mixed in one.

  Realizing the density, Arua shifted his path. He chose to walk along the wall edge, trying to camouflage his presence. But it was useless. Every time someone noticed his presence, they immediately cast a cynical glance. All he was doing was just breathing.

  A miserable contrast occurred just a few meters away on the other side of the courtyard. A large crowd orbited a single social-gravitational point; an eleventh-grade female student with stunning features: an exotic blend of Sundanese and Swedish blood. Her graceful face and smooth fair skin made her worthy of being crowned the school's primadonna. Written on her name tag resting on a curved chest: Elyna Liselotte Erinn.

  Her long platinum blonde hair flowed like a liquid gold, shimmering against the uniform she wore. It wasn’t a cheap market fabric, it was the elite school skin: batik with a dark blue-grey base color.

  The wood-brown Wijayakusuma geometric patterns popped on the dark fabric gave the elegant and exclusive design. For male students, batik cloth on the shirt; long black trousers on the bottom. For female students, batik cloth on the long skirt, long-sleeved white shirt for the top.

  It was a perfect harmony. Especially for Erinn, the combination of local authentic textiles with European facial features created an expensive "East-meets-West" charm.

  "Erinn, will you be performing at the upcoming Cultural Week?"

  "Senior, thoughts on Mr. Anto's illegal fees case?"

  "Uh, yeah, about that..."

  “Rin! Don't forget the proposal deadline tonight!"

  "Hold on, one at a time..."

  She tanked the crowd with a sweet and friendly smile. She shone brightly, drawing everyone closer.

  However, behind that smile, Gio knew a deadly fact—for him. That girl was a Venator.

  Arua had warned Gio since eight months ago, back when Gio was still full-demon. There were two other demon hunters at this school to watch out for, and Erinn was one of them. Thanks to the Ki Rojo’s Nisaga cloak, Gio's disguise remained secure to this day.

  Erinn was clueless. She didn't know Arua was a fellow Supernaturalist. He kept his true identity from others of his kind, especially those affiliated with the Association.

  The reason was obvious: Gio. Association law let Shamans contract spirits, but enslaving a sentient Demoniac? Highly illegal. Slavery was only cool if the pet was a brainless Fiend. If they found out Arua was keeping a smart demon for science experiments, he’d be hunted down.

  Gio scanned the field, comparing Arua’s grim condition vs. Erinn drowning in fans. The contrast was so stark it reminded him of molecular chemistry.

  If the crowd was water, Erinn was Hydrophilic. She absorbed attention, bonding instantly with everyone. On the contrary, Arua was Hydrophobic. Like oil on water, he repelled social contact with high surface tension.

  "Hydrophobic... Hydrophilic..." Gio murmured, repeating the terms in his head.

  Too lost in analysis, Gio’s focus fractured. He stared at the primadonna too long, and Arua had already turned the corner and vanished, swallowed by the crowd of students.

  "Oh no!" Gio snapped. He sprinted, trying to catch up. He cut a path through the margin of Erinn's crowd.

  They get closer. The second Gio passed the nearest point—about six meters range—something happened. Erinn froze mid-laugh. She turned her face to the right, locked onto the path Gio’d just crossed. Her hunter instincts caught a thin glitch in the air—a foreign residue.

  "You okay, Erinn?" a friend asked, confused by the idol's expression change. Erinn's blue eyes scanned. But the anomaly had already blended into the passing crowd.

  "Ummm..." Erinn blinked, then shook her head slowly. "Nothing." Back to smile.

  Meanwhile, Gio had reached the end. His breath hitched, but he lost his target.

  "Gone..." Gio sighed. He stood silent for a moment, considering his plan B: resuming his delayed tour. He was already in the back; might as well check the library or the lab.

  However, the word "hydrophobic" echoing in his mind triggered a memory. "Wait. Chemistry..." Gio paled. "Mr. Heru's Chemistry assignment! Pages 42 to 45 on Molecular Bonding. The deadline is tomorrow morning!"

  His plan evaporated instanly. The tour could wait, but a red mark for him? Yeah he had a lot already, best not to add more.

  "I have to go home now," he decided, shifting priorities. Gio spun around, rushing to the front gate bus stop.

  So that was it. Gio went home by Trans-Purwokerto Bus, as usual. This public transportation gave him a six-kilometers ride from the school stop to his boarding house area. Although it didn't drop him right at the doorstep, he could get off at the nearest stop and walk the remaining 500 meters.

  He barely hit the sidewalk when something across the street grabbed his attention. Parked in front of a simple wooden shack called "Budget-Butcher Food Stalls" was a familiar vehicle. A Honda Supra X 125, body full of scratches. Who else but Arua. The battered bike was parked next to a green Kawasaki Ninja sportbike.

  Gio knew exactly why his cousin was there. That stall was Arua's favorite eatery. The reason wasn't comfort or aesthetics, but one crucial factor: Mendoan. According to his appetite, mendoan here received a "Grade A" rating—just below the perfect rating, Grade S. Without hesitation, Gio headed there.

  The Budget-Butcher’s interior was far from luxurious. Peeling green paint on rotting wood wall. Glass display cases filled with food lined the front, guarded by a young man busy counting small change in a drawer. Long wooden tables were scattered at various points.

  There were only three customers. One local uber driver daydreaming in front of the display case, and two high school students at the corner table, near the window—or rather, a large hole in the wall—which offered a panorama of vast green rice fields outside the stall. One was Arua, munching a mendoan while talking with the figure sitting next to him, another high schooler. Gio's eyes locked onto them.

  "I knew it..." Gio murmured. He walked closer.