5. New Reality

That morning, I tried to get ready for school as quickly as possible. Bin didn’t come home all night, who knows where he slept, and when he finally showed up, he just brought back those dirty clothes. I didn’t ask anything about the bloodstained shirt I found either. Honestly, I was still too scared to open my mouth.

I looked at the wall clock. Almost late. I rushed out of the house, while the sound of Bin’s motorbike was already gone. He must’ve left for school earlier.

After waiting a while by the side of the road, I finally got a minibus. But, of course, halfway there, the damn thing broke down. The other passengers and I waited by the side of the road while the driver messed around with the engine under the hood.

“Ugh, I’m gonna be late if this keeps up,” I muttered, glancing at my watch. No sign of a replacement minibus. It was almost time for school to start, and I had no idea how long I’d have to wait.

Suddenly, the sound of a large motorbike stopped right in front of me. I looked up, and who else could it be but Bin, with his beloved bike.

“Hop on, I’ll give you a ride,” he said bluntly.

I looked around, hoping another minibus would pass by. But nothing. Like it or not, I had to make a quick decision if I didn’t want to be late.

“Fine,” I answered half-heartedly, mostly because I had no other option.

I got on the back of Bin’s bike, and he revved the engine right away. It felt weird, it was my first time riding with him. I held onto his jacket tightly, afraid I’d fall, even though I was used to taking public transport.

The whole ride, I stayed silent, just watching the city of Bandung come to life, students, office workers, all starting their day.

As soon as we arrived at school, everything felt... different. I got off the bike and immediately felt people staring. Like an unwanted spotlight had been turned on me.

“Wait, that’s Ayu… she came with Bin?”

“No way, seriously? She rode on Bin’s bike?”

“Is she purposely getting close to him? Trying to stay safe from Jeni? Wow, smart move, Ayu.”

Whispers started to float around the kids hanging out by the school gate. I pretended not to hear them, but inside, I was a mess. I didn’t want people to think I was using Bin for protection or anything. But the rumors had already spread.

Bin glanced at me briefly before revving his bike and heading off to his usual parking spot. I let out a long sigh and walked into school feeling heavier than usual. Why the hell did I have to go through all this?

Since the day Bin saved me from Jeni’s gang, the atmosphere at school had changed drastically. That morning, as I walked into class, almost everyone smiled at me. Not just classmates, kids from other classes suddenly seemed friendlier too.

“Hey, Ayu! Come sit with us,” said Nita, a girl who usually didn’t care much about me. I was just about to sit in my usual spot and felt a bit confused. Since when did she invite me to join them?

“Oh, uh… thanks,” I said while glancing around. Usually, I ate lunch alone or with a couple of close friends, but now it felt like everyone was trying to say hi.

It wasn’t just Nita. Other students who barely ever talked to me were suddenly coming up to me. They didn’t seem to care anymore that I was the “model student” everyone used to avoid because they thought I was too smart or stuck-up. I was completely confused, what had made them change?

During break, some students from other classes even approached my desk.

“Ayu, is it true you’re with Bin now?” asked one of them, a girl I couldn’t even remember the name of.

“Uh? No, I’m not. Why?” I replied with an awkward smile, not sure what to say.

“It’s nothing. I just think you’re lucky if you’re close to him. Around here, Bin’s pretty respected. Especially after he stood up to Jeni’s gang for you yesterday,” she said with a grin.

My jaw dropped. Respected? Since when was Bin respected? As far as I knew, he was just some troublemaker always stirring up drama at school. There was nothing special about him except his awful reputation.

Curious, I leaned over and whispered to my friend Arum, who was sitting beside me, “Rum, why is everyone suddenly being so nice to me? Who exactly is Bin?”

Arum gave me a strange look. “You don’t know, Yu? Bin’s not just your average bad boy. He doesn’t really get involved in school stuff, but outside of school, well… let’s just say a lot of people are scared of him. You got saved by someone who’s actually pretty respected among the delinquents.”

I felt even more confused. Bin, respected? I thought he was just a lost-cause student with no direction, but now everyone seemed to see a whole different side of him.

“Respected? What do you mean by that, Rum?”

Arum just shrugged and gave me a small smile. “You’ll see for yourself, Yu. Bin’s world… it’s not as simple as you think.”

After hearing weird stories about Bin all day, I couldn’t take it anymore. During lunch break, I pulled Arum, my best friend, to a corner of the cafeteria. I needed a proper explanation of who Bin really was.

“Rum, you have to be honest with me. Who is Bin, really?” I stared at her seriously, no more beating around the bush.

Arum looked unsure. She was restless, clearly uncomfortable with my question. “Y-Yu, I thought you already knew…”

“I don’t know anything, that’s why I’m asking. You’re my best friend, right? You don’t want me to stay completely clueless like this, do you?” I pressed her, my voice rising more than I meant it to.

Finally, Arum gave in. She took a deep breath before she started to speak. “Okay, Yu. I’ll tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out.”

I nodded quickly, holding my breath.

“Bin… he’s not just your everyday troublemaker. You know that biker gang called Garuda Steel?” Arum paused, watching my expression.

I just nodded slowly. I’d heard the name before, but I never paid attention to it.

“He’s the leader, Yu. The leader of the biggest motorcycle gang in Bandung. A lot of people respect him, some are even scared. His gang’s gotten into fights with other gangs, and… well, Bin’s never lost.”

I felt like the blood drained from my body. I genuinely went cold.

“The leader of a gang?” I could barely believe what I’d just heard. Bin? The guy who drove me nuts at home for being messy and rude and never serious about anything? He was the leader of a gang?

And then I remembered, Jeni had mentioned something about a gang too, but I hadn’t paid attention!

Arum nodded again. “Yeah. And his gang isn’t a joke, Yu. A lot of people here are scared of him because they know who he is outside of school.”

I felt sick. This was all too absurd. How could I possibly live under the same roof as someone like Bin? A person who spent his days wrapped up in the biker gang world, who had probably gotten into countless street fights?

I tried to imagine what my future would look like. How could I live with someone whose daily life was filled with stuff like that? It felt impossible.

“Rum, I… I can’t imagine it. How am I supposed to live under the same roof with him? Will I even be safe?” I whispered, my fear starting to creep in.

Arum held my hand, her eyes full of sympathy. “You’ll be okay, Yu. I know this isn’t easy, but Bin’s not as bad as you think. He’s rough, sure… but he won’t hurt you.”

I still wasn’t convinced. Even if Arum said that, the image of who Bin really was wouldn’t leave my head. My fear was too real.