Chapter 008: A Teacher's Responsibility
Arin couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the back corridor that afternoon.
As soon as she returned to the teachers' lounge, she simply sat in silence at her desk.
The stack of paperwork in front of her no longer held her attention.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of Aruna.
What exactly is happening to that child?
She closed her eyes for a moment.
The image of the torn skirt.
The bruises on her arm.
And Aruna's brief reply.
"I'm used to it, Miss."
The words kept echoing in her mind.
If she's used to it...
Then this wasn't the first time.
Arin let out a long sigh.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
Could it be...
Is she being bullied?
The question surfaced on its own.
But as a teacher, she couldn't act on suspicion alone.
She needed proof.
If the accusation turned out to be wrong, the consequences would be enormous.
The school's reputation was at stake.
But if her suspicions were correct...
And she chose to stay silent...
As the school counselor, she would never forgive herself.
From that day on, Arin began observing Aruna differently.
She recorded every absence.
She spoke with Aruna's subject teachers.
She also tried asking several of Aruna's classmates.
But the results were almost identical.
No one was willing to talk.
Some claimed they knew nothing.
Others simply shook their heads.
Whether they truly didn't know...
Or were deliberately hiding something...
No one gave her an answer that was actually helpful.
As time passed, Arin became increasingly convinced that the entire class was keeping something secret.
Day after day went by.
The final exams drew closer.
Yet Aruna remained the same.
She still skipped school frequently.
Even when she attended, she barely spoke.
The moment the dismissal bell rang, she was almost always the first student to leave the classroom.
Arin felt that time was running out.
If this wasn't resolved soon, Aruna might graduate without anyone ever learning what had really happened.
A few days after the mock exams ended, Arin was called to the principal's office.
When she entered, she saw that Aruna's homeroom teacher was already there.
The atmosphere was tense.
"Please, have a seat, Bu Arin."
Arin complied.
The principal opened a folder containing Aruna's records.
"This can't continue."
He slid the attendance sheet across the desk toward her.
"Aruna's absences have exceeded the school's tolerance limit."
Arin nodded quietly.
"I know, Sir."
"And?"
"What progress has counseling made?"
Arin remained silent for a moment.
"There hasn't been any significant progress, Sir."
"Aruna is still keeping everything to herself."
The principal sighed.
"Bu Arin."
"It's been nearly six months."
"The school can't keep waiting forever."
He paused before continuing.
"If disciplinary action is necessary, then take it."
Arin looked up.
"I'm sorry, Sir."
"I'd like to try one more time."
The principal studied her for a long moment.
"Why?"
"I don't believe Aruna is a troubled student."
"I believe she's facing a serious problem."
The room fell silent.
Even Aruna's homeroom teacher listened without interrupting.
"I don't have any proof yet."
"But I'm convinced she's hiding something."
"If we punish her immediately..."
"I'm afraid we'll only make things worse."
The principal leaned back in his chair.
"So what's your suspicion?"
Arin drew a quiet breath.
"I suspect Aruna is the victim of bullying."
The room instantly grew heavier.
The principal frowned.
"Based on what?"
"I once caught several students surrounding her."
"I also saw bruises on her."
"Her school skirt was torn."
"And I heard her say herself that things like that were 'nothing unusual.'"
"Were there any witnesses?"
"...No."
"The perpetrators?"
"They ran away before I could identify them."
"Any other evidence?"
Arin fell silent.
There wasn't any.
Only suspicion.
And a teacher's instincts.
The principal let out a long sigh.
"Bu Arin."
"I understand your concerns."
"But allegations of bullying aren't a small matter."
"If we're wrong..."
"It won't only affect the students involved."
"It will affect the school's reputation as well."
Arin bit her lower lip.
She understood exactly what he meant.
But that was precisely what troubled her even more.
"Continue your investigation."
"But don't reach any conclusions until you have evidence."
"If bullying really is happening, the school will take action."
"But until we have proof..."
"Don't let this matter leave this room."
Arin nodded.
"Understood, Sir."
Even so, her steps felt unusually heavy as she left the principal's office.
She realized something.
She was on her own now.
If she wanted to help Aruna...
She would have to find the answers herself.
That same day, Arin reopened all of Aruna's academic records.
She compared her grades, attendance, and teachers' notes from seventh through ninth grade.
The longer she examined them, the more a pattern emerged.
Aruna hadn't changed gradually.
The change had been sudden.
As though a single event had marked the turning point.
She opened Aruna's medical records.
"Absent due to illness for nearly two weeks..."
Arin murmured to herself.
"That happened near the end of eighth grade..."
She then checked the class schedule and the list of teachers from that period.
Her gaze stopped on one name.
The Indonesian language teacher.
The same teacher who had also been Aruna's homeroom teacher that year.
Arin didn't jump to conclusions.
But from that day on...
That teacher's name stayed on her mind.
Two days passed.
Arin still hadn't found the answers she was looking for.
Every lead seemed to end in a dead end.
Aruna still refused to talk.
Her classmates remained silent.
Even the Indonesian teacher who had briefly caught her attention showed nothing particularly suspicious.
Yet one thing never changed.
Aruna skipped school more and more often.
One afternoon, after classes ended, Arin reviewed Aruna's attendance record once again.
She counted every absence one by one.
The more she counted, the more serious her expression became.
"If this keeps up..."
"...she may not graduate."
The words escaped in a whisper.
Not because Aruna's grades were poor.
But because the number of absences had already exceeded the school's limit.
Arin slowly closed the folder.
She knew.
She had run out of time.
If she kept waiting for Aruna to open up on her own, it might already be too late.
For the first time, she made the decision she had been avoiding all this while.
She would visit Aruna's parent.
The following day, after confirming that Aruna was attending classes, Arin headed to the address listed in the student's records.
The house was modest.
Not large.
But clean and well cared for.
Arin took a deep breath before knocking.
"Assalamu'alaikum..."
"Wa'alaikumussalam."
The door was opened by a woman who still appeared fairly young.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry to bother you."
"Is this Aruna Hashifa's home?"
"Yes."
"I'm her mother."
"My name is Arin."
"I'm Aruna's school counselor."
"Oh..."
Aisyah's expression immediately softened into a warm smile.
"Please, come in."
"Thank you."
They sat down in the living room.
After Aisyah served her a glass of water, silence lingered for a few moments.
Aisyah smiled politely.
"I'm sorry, Bu Arin."
"What brings you here today?"
Arin returned the smile.
"First of all, I apologize for coming without notice."
"That's alright."
"I'm actually glad you came."
"Has Aruna gotten into trouble at school?"
That question only strengthened Arin's suspicions.
It seemed Aisyah truly had no idea what had been happening to her daughter.
Arin nodded gently.
"There are quite a few things I need to discuss with you."
"That's why I chose to come in person."
Aisyah straightened in her seat.
Her expression turned serious.
Arin began explaining everything.
Aruna's worsening attendance.
Her dramatic decline in grades.
The warning letters that had never received a response.
And finally, her suspicion that Aruna was hiding something.
As she listened, the color gradually drained from Aisyah's face.
Her hands slowly clasped together.
Occasionally she shook her head.
As though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Then...
Arin reached the most difficult part.
She drew a long breath.
"Bu Aisyah..."
"There's one more thing I need to tell you."
"It's only a rumor."
"And I haven't been able to confirm whether it's true."
"But I believe you deserve to know."
Aisyah stared at her without blinking.
"What rumor?"
Arin answered with great care.
"At school..."
"...there are rumors that Aruna was once pregnant."
The room fell into complete silence.
Aisyah froze.
Her eyes widened.
"...What?"
The word was barely audible.
"I'm sorry."
"I truly haven't been able to verify it."
"That's why I came here."
"I was hoping Aruna might be more willing to open up to you."
"Because until now..."
"...she hasn't told me anything."
Tears began to gather in Aisyah's eyes.
Yet she kept shaking her head.
"No..."
"That's impossible."
"Aruna would never do something like that."
Arin didn't argue.
She hadn't come to validate the rumor.
She had come to uncover the truth.
A few minutes later, after saying everything she needed to say, Arin excused herself.
She never realized...
That the woman she had just left behind remained frozen in the living room.
Aisyah's face had turned pale.
Her eyes stared blankly ahead.
And for the first time...
Doubt began to creep into the heart of a mother who had always trusted her daughter.
Arin took her leave after making sure Aisyah had calmed down somewhat.
"I'm sorry for taking up your time."
"No, Bu Arin... I should be the one thanking you."
"I just hope Aruna will finally talk. If she keeps bottling everything up, it'll be very difficult for us to help her."
Aisyah nodded quietly.
"I'll try talking to her."
"Thank you."
Arin stepped out of the house.
The moment the door closed behind her, the gentle smile on Aisyah's face slowly disappeared.
The house, which had felt perfectly ordinary just moments ago, suddenly became unbearably quiet.
Aisyah stared into space.
Arin's words kept repeating in her mind.
Pregnant...
Abortion...
Constantly skipping school...
Her grades had collapsed...
Bullied...
Her body began to tremble.
"No... no, that's impossible..."
Tears streamed down her cheeks before she even realized it.
"Runa isn't that kind of child..."
She pressed a hand against her chest.
Breathing suddenly became difficult.
"Ya Allah..."
On the other side of the city...
The school bell finally rang.
Students poured out of their classrooms.
Aruna walked alone with her backpack slung over one shoulder.
She looked even more exhausted than usual that day.
She had barely taken a few steps past the school gate when someone called out.
"Run!"
Aruna turned around.
"Vin?"
Gavin waved from his motorcycle.
"What are you doing here?"
"Picking you up."
Aruna frowned.
"Picking me up? That's unusual."
Gavin shrugged.
"Just felt like it."
Aruna stared at him for several seconds.
"But your school's in the opposite direction."
"Yeah."
"So?"
"I happened to be passing by."
"Oh, come on..."
Gavin chuckled.
"Just get on."
Aruna remained where she was.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Won't I be a bother?"
"Get on."
Aruna finally let out a sigh.
"Alright."
She climbed onto the back of the motorcycle.
Moments later, they rode away from the school grounds.