Beautiful Monster
Before Meeting

Amidst the silence, Ignacia seemed to have seen the screen of Nesya's phone light up several times. Even though the screen is facing the table, Ignacia can still feel its small vibration. Moreover, his hand was on the table, feeling a little amused as the tremors came.

"It looks like you got a lot of messages" Ignacia said. The girl raised her food slightly to cool down immediately without trying to become curious about the activities on her friend's phone.

Nesya finished her meal, grabbed her phone to check what was coming. "I just got into a group chat about a comic I read. The author is now selling stuff related to comics, so I'm looking for information."

Ignacia nodded her head in understanding. Back to his eating activities. The vibration was gone because Nesya had already turned it into a silent mode. There might have been thousands of messages by the time Nesya opened them at the cost.

Ignacia's eyes looked up at the ceiling of the city, finding the many stars scattered like dust. "I forgot how the sky can be this beautiful. Is it because it's been a long time since I locked myself in my room to study and forgot to look up?"

Shrugged his shoulders not knowing. He himself also forgot how. He also did what normal new students like Ignacia do. Learning to get good grades even though it feels torturous and as if trapped in a trap called education.

"There seems to be good news until your aura feels warm like Danita," the glasses grabbed her drink, gulped once and then turned to her friend, "would Rajendra possibly find you? Because you haven't seen each other since you graduated."

Very precise guess on target. How could Nesya even realize the thing she did not want to say so perfectly? Ignacia almost choked.

"I guessed it. But I have to admit that your business today is similar to Danita's. Maybe because you live next to each other, it can be infected with aura," joked Nesya and then chuckled little, "I saw Danita with a man before coming here."

"I've heard of Danita having a boyfriend, so I'm sure he's her. I could see Danita was very happy, similar to your aura now. So I'm guessing if Rajendra will come too."

Nesya added that she also wanted to invite Danita to eat together, but the appearance of the short-haired friend undoes her intentions. The appearance is also very appropriate because at that time Nesya will type the same message on Danita.

Ignacia chuckled closer to her friend's explanation that she did not understand which red thread it was. Nesya may have caught a surge of happiness from Ignacia's head until her imagination turned her into a story.

So Danita has met her boyfriend again? Has the neighbor returned to the dorm? If remembered, Ignacia did not hear any sound when the dorm was completely silent. Danita is not a person who stays silent for too long. There is usually a small sound next to the room.

Finished with a late-night snack, Ignacia and Nesya were still sitting around in front of the minimarket. Now Ignacia's buying snacks. Not 10 minutes after the two eat, but have chewed other foods only.

Both did not settle until almost late at night. Nesya was worried about her friend if she had to return too late. Dormitories do not have curfews, but walking alone is not a good idea.

"See you, thanks for the late-night snack. Beware," hail Ignacia then go in a different direction. Nesya nodded, waiting for her friend to leave first to make sure.

Luckily the last bus was still in operation. It was almost late but there were still some people there besides Ignacia. At least the bus wasn't just running for him. People look exhausted. Maybe just finished with a sickening routine.

...*****...

"Come in. Thank you for today, Tata. We'll meet again tomorrow. I'll pick you up, okay?" The man who had just returned from the opposite city had given some understanding, but Danita did not feel like letting go back. Tomorrow, the two can date as planned.

The girl had not let go of her hand, hoping that it was still not midnight to be together. "It should have taken you faster so I could linger with you" Danita said uncomfortably.

"Hey, tomorrow I'll come early so we can be together longer" whispered the man right in the short-haired girl's ear, kissing her lover's cheek for reassurance, "now come in and rest."

Danita smiled, reflexively hugged her lover briefly, "thank you you for coming, I'll come in. Be careful on the road, see you tomorrow morning." Danita waved her hand as she walked into the dorm area. Her cheeks were hot due to the wrong behavior.

"She's really my type" whispered Danita.

"Eh?" Far ahead of Danita, there was someone walking towards the stairs. At first the short-haired girl thought that there was a ghost that appeared because she came home too late, but judging by her body shape and haircut, Danita would know who it was.

The short-haired girl rushed over silently with the intention of surprising her friend. But before he got behind, someone had already turned his head, finding him with a puzzled look, "you came home very late, Danita."

"Yes," Danita was nervous, "I picked up my girlfriend and we took a walk for a while. I don't think I'm the only one who came home late. Where are you finished?" The two walked together up the stairs, Danita holding Ignacia's arm idly.

"Nesya called me to accompany her to a late-night snack" explained Ignacia, "she'll also call you, but apparently you're on a date."

Danita chuckled stiffly, "Nesya must be in shock because I'm holding a man. I have friends in the same department as Nesya, and she says Nesya is the type who doesn't like anything romantic. He doesn't look interested in the men around him and just focuses on his college."

"So Nesya hasn't changed since I first met her. He was when we were in High School. He just wants to be the best in his education" Ignacia said.

A small smile appeared on Ignacia's face, her old friend was still the same. No man in the real world has caught his attention. Maybe it's better if Nesya still likes the men in the comics than the men in the real world.

Arriving in front of Ignacia's room, Danita releases her armband, saying goodbye and wishing the neighbor a good dream before going to her room. Ignacia nodded, so sleepy that she could not return Danita's words.

Ignacia dropped herself on the bed, grabbed her phone from inside the jacket pocket and put it painstakingly on the nightstand. Because Danita was just discussing Nesya's attitude, Ignacia thought about it.

"I wonder, what kind of man will Nesya date in the future?" ask Ignacia while closing her eyes slowly.

...*****...

Rajendra woke up, suddenly his body felt strange symptoms and had to be resolved immediately. His eyes were forced open, it took a few seconds for Rajendra to wake up and find that the main light of his room was still on. And in addition, Bagas was just about to put down his phone.

"What are you doing?" ask Bagas on the newly awakened. Shouldn't Rajendra be asking that? What did this roommate do to sleep in the middle of the night?

Bagas simply kept silent, undoing the intention to turn off the lights. Assume if Rajendra will do it because he will be the closest to the switch that is next to the door rather than him. A little cheating but that's okay.

Just now Bagas was about to close his eyes when he heard the voice from the mobile phone. Apparently someone he had been waiting for replied to since just now had just sent a message. Is it not time to sleep? Already Bagas will reply to him tomorrow morning so that he can still continue the conversation.

Maybe because of the effects of holding back sleepiness, Bagas could not even sleep until his roommate came. Rajendra saw clearly if Bagas repeatedly improved his sleeping position to make it more comfortable and easier to sleep. But his efforts just look a bit strange.

"You're dating a girl?" ask Rajendra originally, "you're like a man in love."

Rajendra was once in the position of a person who fell in love, but did not look like Bagas. Ignacia is not the type of person who will sleep late. In school alone he was often sleepy despite sleeping on time.

"I'll tell you sometime," Bagas replied, turning his back on Rajendra so as not to be asked.

"So right," Rajendra made a conclusion. Threw bolsters that had fallen and then returned to sleep with the lights that had been turned off.

...*****...

"I'll wait for your work before midnight. Please collect to the number I have sent in the group. Thanks for today, see you in the next class."

Ignacia thanked him like any other friend, only that he said it almost in a whisper. He has no desire to do anything tonight in order to get ready to meet Rajendra. Tomorrow the two will meet.

As soon as the Lecturer had left the room, Ignacia immediately dropped her head on the table. After this was lunchtime, he did not have to rush to leave. Lunch time is also a lot.

"You okay?" Danita asked worriedly because of the impact sound she heard from the friend. Also another friend beside Ignacia was also worried about him.

Danita and the man looked at each other until Danita spoke to him if Ignacia might just be tired. Since yesterday they got the task to be completed before midnight

Danita was still sitting in her place, putting an Ignacia pencil in her place and closing the friend's tome to put it in the bag. It seems his friend's emotions are mixed, between happy and lazy to do college assignments.

The short-haired girl placed her head on the table, facing him to Ignacia. "I'll help you finish quickly and get ready" Danita said, "I might be able to help pick out a dress or something."

Danita's words make Ignacia sit down. He said he was fine and would do everything he had to do himself. He felt that he had too much trouble Danita. Starting from the double date invitation the day after tomorrow and all the schedules.

Danita follows Ignacia out of class. He took his long-haired friend to the cafeteria because he heard a rumbling sound from Ignacia's stomach as the billows came out of the room. Ignacia's body language sends the code.

"Besok Rajendra is coming, right? Excited, Ignacia. After this you can meet again" Danita recalled. Ignacia nodded her head, according to when her hand was even pulled gently to the door of the canteen.

Her Rajendra is coming tomorrow, so Ignacia should make her lover's day very colorful before she has to go back to separate ways. Ignacia should be able to deliver what Rajendra wants without being asked.

In the afternoon, Ignacia immediately pursued the tasks that came that day. It just so happens that the strapping is the same, before midnight. So there is a sense of a little rush to finish quickly. Of course with some Fitbar friends so as not to get sleepy.

Amidst the nervousness, a call suddenly came in. So busy with a laptop, Ignacia was not aware of some messages coming from Rajendra. The man confirmed some things Ignacia should know while she was in town.

Ignacia swiped the green button on the screen without seeing that the incoming call was not a voice call as usual. So Rajendra could immediately see the tense and upset face of Ignacia through the front camera. Moreover, his phone is being leaned against the wall expecting the girl.

"It looks like you're busy" Rajendra said.

Ignacia immediately turned to the phone rested next to her laptop, her eyes almost rounded due to lack of attention. He nodded nervously then continued to work on the task. It felt embarrassing when Rajendra had to see Ignacia's unhappy face.

"Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe I can get you a reference or whatever you need" Rajendra bargained.

Ignacia shook her head, "no need. I've got everything I need. Now I am changing it according to the needs of my duty. What's the matter calling?"

"Because you didn't return my message. I thought something happened, so I made this video call. Am I bothering you? Should I turn it off?"

Quickly Ignacia shook her head strongly, making a big X with both hands, "i'm just happy that you came. It was like having a friend to do a job. If you don't mind, will you be able to accompany me to the end? It's midnight."

"I think you can finish it before it's hard. Then I will accompany you while doing my duty as well."

The long haired girl at the end of the call nodded while showing a smile. Accompanied alone is fun, especially if Rajendra seems to give a code if it will accompany Ignacia to completion.

Neither Ignacia nor Rajendra spoke. Rajendra just needs to complete his task, so he quickly finished. Meanwhile Ignacia was still struggling with a quick typing sound. Rajendra did not dare to bother.

Looking at the clock, it was suddenly time for lunch. The two began to talk in the afternoon. Seeing the sky was dark. It's dinner time.

"Ignacia, do you still have a lot of work?" Rajendra gathered a lot of courage to ask.

"I guess so. Do you have any other business, Rajendra? Then let's just end it. It's okay."

"It's not. I will keep you company until you are done. I'm free tonight."