Laras took a sip of water from the bottle Hasan had handed her. The cool water flowed down her throat, which had grown dry after hours of trekking along the mountain trails.
She let out a relieved sigh after taking a few sips, then returned the bottle to Hasan.
"Thank you, San."
Hasan simply nodded with a faint smile.
Amid the increasingly chilly mountain air, Laras began to notice that her black hair had become messy. A few strands had fallen across her face, making it slightly difficult for her to see the path ahead.
She raised both hands, straightened her thick hair, and tied it back.
However, without her realizing it, two pairs of eyes were watching her from a short distance away.
Hasan and Rico.
They stood a few steps behind Laras, their headlamps illuminating the girl's figure among the towering trees.
There was something Rico found difficult to explain whenever he looked at Laras.
She did not have to do anything special to capture his attention. Even when she was simply fixing her hair, Laras still looked absolutely captivating.
How lucky the man who would one day win the heart of a girl like her.
Rico smiled to himself.
It was not just Laras's beauty that attracted him, but also her courage and personality, which set her apart from most of the girls he had ever known.
However, before Rico could lose himself any further in his thoughts, a hand suddenly landed on his back.
"Hey, bro!"
Rico turned around.
Hasan grinned mischievously, folding his arms across his chest.
"No wonder you've been trying to get close to Laras all this time. So, you've secretly been admiring her too, huh?"
Rico immediately frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's no need to pretend. I've seen everything." Hasan chuckled. "Do you think I haven't noticed you staring at Laras?"
"Come on, stop making things up."
"Fine, fine." Hasan raised both hands in surrender. "But as your friend, I have to warn you. Laras is quite popular on campus. Plenty of guys have tried to get close to her."
He paused for a moment before patting Rico on the shoulder again.
"And if you're seriously thinking about winning her heart, you'd better prepare yourself."
Rico looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Hasan leaned closer as if he were about to reveal a major secret.
"Her father is a prime minister, and her mother is a lawyer. If you mess around with Laras, you might find yourself facing a double attack!"
Hasan chuckled after delivering his remark.
Rico could only let out a long sigh.
"You really can't keep your mouth shut for even a second, can you?"
"Am I wrong, though?"
Rico did not answer.
Hasan turned his attention back to Laras, who had just finished tying her hair.
"Ever since our first semester, I've often seen Laras receive greetings, birthday gifts, and all sorts of unique presents from her admirers on campus. Almost every time there's an event, some guy tries to get her attention."
He shook his head slowly.
"But strangely enough, I've never seen Laras get genuinely close to any guy. As far as I know, she's never even had a boyfriend."
Hasan then glanced at Rico.
"Just think about it! A girl as beautiful as Laras, yet she seems completely uninterested in romance. Maybe she'd rather focus on her education."
Rico remained silent for a moment.
He knew he was not the only guy attracted to Laras. However, knowing that so many others had tried to approach her made him realize one thing.
Winning Laras's attention might be much harder than he had imagined.
"I've liked her ever since I first saw her smile," Rico finally admitted.
Hasan turned toward him, no longer laughing.
"Seriously?"
Rico nodded slightly.
"I don't know how to explain it. Laras is different. Of course, she's beautiful, but that's not the only reason I'm attracted to her. There's something about her that makes me want to get to know her better."
He paused before offering a faint, bittersweet smile.
"Even though I know she might never feel the same way about me."
Hasan did not respond immediately.
For a moment, he simply looked at Rico before casually patting him on the shoulder.
"Then don't give up before you've even tried, bro."
Rico smiled faintly.
But deep down, he knew that feelings did not always lead to the endings people hoped for.
Especially since he had yet to discover the secrets hidden within Laras's life.
────────
The long trek from Post 2 finally came to an end when Rico, Hasan, Laras, and Alya arrived at Post 3.
Night had fallen over the mountains. The cold air pierced their skin, while a thin layer of mist slowly crept between the densely packed trees.
Several tents had already been neatly set up in the campsite.
A red tent had been prepared for the girls, while a yellow tent was designated for the boys.
In front of the two tents, Keenan, Tissa, Riki, and Rengga were gathered around a campfire. The dancing flames were their only source of warmth against the freezing night air.
However, just as Laras and her friends were about to approach the campsite, a small snake suddenly slithered right in front of them.
Its dark-colored body moved across the ground, weaving through the dry leaves without paying any attention to the humans nearby.
"AAAAH!"
Alya screamed.
She immediately jumped backward and grabbed Laras's arm, her face turning pale.
"Oh, my God! A snake!"
Hasan instinctively pointed his headlamp toward the creature. Meanwhile, Rico stepped back, making sure the snake was not moving toward them.
Eventually, the snake disappeared into the bushes.
But Alya was still terrified.
"I don't want to sleep inside the tent!" she cried, her voice trembling. "What if the snake gets into the tent while we're asleep?"
Laras turned toward her.
"Al, calm down."
"How am I supposed to calm down? The snake was right in front of us!"
Laras took Alya's hand, trying to soothe her frightened friend.
"I'll stay with you inside the tent. We'll make sure the tent is properly closed, so you don't have to worry too much."
"But, Laras—"