Chapter 74 — The Message That Made No Sense
Rihannat walked into the campus with steady steps, her posture calm and composed as always.
But beneath that controlled expression, her nerves were tightening painfully.
Her fingers curled harder around the strap of her handbag the moment she noticed people glancing at her. Some whispers followed. Some stares lingered too long.
She nearly flinched when one of her classmates waved at her from a distance.
For a second, she forgot how to respond.
Then quickly—awkwardly—she waved back before lowering her hand and hurrying away immediately.
Her heartbeat refused to settle.
By the time she entered the classroom, every nerve inside her was already on edge.
She could feel eyes on her.
Too many eyes.
Or maybe she was simply becoming paranoid.
Slowly, she sat down and opened the notebook on her desk, staring blankly at words she was not reading.
I shouldn't have come today.
The thought hit her hard.
Maybe I should transfer schools entirely.
Her chest tightened.
This is too much...
She checked the time on her wristwatch.
Fifteen more minutes before the lecturer arrived.
Fifteen more minutes of sitting here pretending she could function normally.
How am I even supposed to concentrate in class? Or—
"As-salamu alaikum warahmatullah, sis."
Rihannat looked up immediately.
A female student stood beside her desk.
"Someone wants to speak with you outside."
Rihannat frowned slightly.
"A student?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. He said he needs just a minute."
"Alright. Thank you."
Closing the untouched notebook, Rihannat picked up her bag and walked out of the classroom, confusion already filling her mind.
Who could it be?
The moment she stepped into the corridor, an unfamiliar young man approached her quickly.
"Hi... I'm Sam."
He looked nervous.
Very nervous.
"Please, I need to speak with you."
Rihannat stayed silent, studying him carefully.
"My sister..." he continued quietly, "she's the girl that had the accident this morning."
Rihannat's brows pulled together instantly.
"She won't be coming back to school," he said. "But before she left... she told me to relay a message to you."
Something cold settled inside Rihannat's chest.
Sam swallowed hard.
"She said... she's sorry."
His voice dropped further.
"She said you should please forgive her."
Rihannat stared at him in complete confusion.
"Wait—what?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Who exactly is your sister? Do I even know her? And why is she apologizing to me?"
The questions came out rapidly.
But Sam only shook his head.
"I don't know anything more than that."
He looked around uneasily before lowering his voice again.
"And please... don't look for me after today."
Rihannat blinked.
"I'm transferring out of this school," he continued hurriedly. "Nobody knows she's related to me, and I want it to stay that way."
The tension in his face deepened.
"Please don't tell anyone we spoke."
Before Rihannat could ask another question, he turned and walked away quickly.
Leaving her standing there.
Confused.
Frozen.
Her thoughts spiraled instantly.
Sorry for what?
What accident?
What exactly is happening around me?
Her mind kept replaying his words over and over again.
So deeply lost in thought—.
Tyres screeched sharply against the pavement.
Several students turned in shock.
Seifullah jumped out almost immediately.
His breathing was uneven as his eyes searched frantically around the area until they landed on her.
Relief crashed through him so hard it almost looked painful.
"Sis!"
He rushed toward her.
"Who was that guy leaving just now?"
Rihannat barely reacted.
Seifullah grabbed her shoulders anxiously.
"Why did he approach you?"
Still no response.
"What did he say to you?"
His voice rose.
"Did he threaten you? Did he hurt you?"
Rihannat blinked slowly, finally focusing on him properly.
Seifullah was practically shaking her now.
As though trying to wake someone from a nightmare.
"Can you stop shaking me?" she complained weakly. "I'm getting dizzy."
Seifullah froze.
"You weren't even listening to me?"
"I honestly didn't hear half of what you said."
Then she frowned slightly.
"And why exactly didn't you drive directly into my classroom too, since you already brought your car near the class premise?"
The sarcasm caught him off guard.
For a second, Seifullah simply stared at her.
Then he exhaled sharply.
"Do you know how worried I was?"
His voice softened despite the frustration in it.
"I was told some random guy was with you."
He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
"I drove through multiple red lights because of you."
Rihannat's eyes widened slightly.
"And here you are getting annoyed about where I parked?"
He tapped her forehead lightly.
"This girl will be the reason I develop hypertension."
A small smile touched her face.
Despite everything weighing on her mind—
Despite the fear.
Despite the confusion.
Despite the strange apology still echoing in her head—
Rihannat found herself letting out the smallest laugh.
And Seifullah saw it.
The tension in his chest eased just a little.
Only a little.
Because deep down—
He knew something was terribly wrong.
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