Kebun Jeruk: The Battle of Four Leaders
In the depths of Kebun Jeruk District's dense forest, towering trees stood like ancient, silent guardians. Yet, at the heart of the woods, a patch of land lay in ruins—barren, cracked, and pockmarked with the scars of battle. There, four figures stood, breathing heavily, their bodies battered but their eyes still burning with fiery determination.
"You look exhausted. Why don't you just take a nap?" Sunksit teased, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Hah? You're the one who's out of breath—sounding like you're blowing out birthday candles!" Limau shot back, fists clenched and ready to strike.
"Why don't you two just sleep together? It'd be more fun as a group! Bonding time!" Purut chimed in cheerfully, despite the cuts and bruises covering his body.
"A trio sounds even better!" Beri added, his fist already swinging toward Purut before the others could react.
They were the Four Leaders of Kebun Jeruk, locked in their usual battle to determine who was most worthy of leading. This was their monthly ritual—a tradition both absurd and brutal. Their strengths were evenly matched, so victory often hinged on minor factors: a misstep, exhaustion, or even a stray gust of wind.
*THWACK!*
*THWACK!*
"Is that all you've got?!" Purut taunted after blocking Beri's attack.
"Get real, clown! If you were really strong, you'd at least knock me down first!" Limau grinned, his shoulders bruised but still standing tall.
"You two are too noisy," Sunksit muttered before darting forward like a shadow—his fist barely grazing Limau.
"Eat this!" Beri punctuated his words with a spinning punch that shook the ground.
*Twelve hours passed.*
The sun had shifted westward, yet the battle showed no signs of ending. The once-thick forest was now in ruins, trees toppled like broken toothpicks.
"Well, well, who do you think will win? If there were bets, I'd put my money on Sunksit," a voice mused from atop a tree. The man wore a conical hat that obscured his face, but his tone was lighthearted, as if he were watching a show.
No one emerged victorious. By four in the afternoon, they were still exchanging blows—until finally...
*WHOOSH!*
Limau was sent flying toward the tree where the man sat. The trunk snapped, and the man casually leaped down, brushing dust off his tattered clothes.
"Tsk tsk, look at my clothes—covered in dirt!" he complained, flicking away the dust.
The four leaders immediately halted their fight, their sharp eyes filled with suspicion.
"Huh? Who's this guy?!" Purut exclaimed.
"Who brought an outsider here?!" Limau accused.
They encircled the man, forming a perfect ring—ready to pounce on anyone who dared interrupt their ritual.
"Oh no, I'm surrounded!" The man laughed, but there was no fear in his eyes.
"Who are you? Did you come here to interfere?!" Sunksit hissed.
Before they could move—
*WHOOSH!*
*THUD!*
All four leaders collapsed simultaneously, sprawled on the ground. The man merely dusted off his hands before placing a letter in the center of their defeated circle.
"Meeting of the District Leaders... West Jakarta?" Sunksit read hoarsely.
"Tsk, I even had to use my hands. I'll be charging extra for this!" The man walked away, his voice lingering. "Don't rush to decide on a leader just yet. You all still have much to learn."
*SMA Meruya Selatan: Preparing for War*
At SMA Meruya Selatan, the atmosphere had changed drastically since Aswa took over. The school, once rife with thuggery, was now peaceful—no more extortion, bullying, or wild brawls. Instead, there were only sports matches: football, basketball, boxing, and martial arts.
On the sidelines of the field, Aswa, Arca, Mondy, and Momus sat under a giant umbrella, watching a football match.
"Aswa, you don't want this snack? How about you, Momus?" Mondy offered.
"I'm on a diet," Arca interjected.
"I wasn't offering it to you," Mondy grumbled. "But fine, want some—"
Arca immediately snatched the snack from Mondy's hand.
"You said you were on a diet, yet you steal my snack?!"
"You offered it twice! Refusing food is a sin!" Arca defended himself while chewing.
On the field, a player unleashed an incredible kick.
"I wish I could do that!" Momus marveled.
"You're all talk—your underlings are strong, but you're weak!" Mondy teased.
"You're weak too, Mondy!" Arca laughed.
"Yeah, yeah! Maybe we're the same—just good at using our brains!"
"I'm not smart!" Momus protested.
"Then what?!"
"It's a long story!"
Aswa remained silent, his eyes fixed on the match. But his mind was elsewhere—plotting something.
"Ahem... How about we make a plan?" Mondy broke the silence.
"A plan? For what? We usually just charge in!" Arca smirked.
"Ugh, that's why we struggled to win last time!"
"That's because your plan was garbage!"
"Come on, we've been idle for three days. Let's strike first! Right, Captain?" Mondy looked at Aswa.
Aswa nodded. "Mondy's right. We need to attack first."
"Where should we discuss the plan?" Arca asked.
"Right here," Aswa replied bluntly.
"Oh, okay!"
"You only listen when Aswa talks, huh?!" Mondy scoffed.
"Well, duh, he's the leader!"
"Fair point."
"Hey, look, a beetle!" Momus suddenly pointed.
"Ugh, we don't have time for beetles!"
"Sorry!"
"Alright, focus. First, we need to deal with our biggest rival—SMA Meruya Utara. Their leader's nickname is 'Zombie,'" Mondy explained.
"Zombie? Why?" Arca frowned.
"They say he's hard to defeat. No matter how many times he's beaten down, he keeps getting back up. Some say his underlings are as crazy as zombies!"
"Crazy? I've fought guys like that before!" Aswa recalled his battle at Gedung Srengseng.
"If you've been to Building B, you'd see maniacs who only care about fighting!" Momus added.
"Building B? Where's that?"
"Next to the park, guarded by a girl named Rossa."
"So it's really them," Aswa murmured.
"Back to the topic—let's attack Meruya Utara head-on!" Mondy declared.
"Head-on? Just go all out?" Arca grinned.
"Yeah, but we don't have enough intel on this Zombie guy. I've never been interested in disgusting people!"
"Then we leave this afternoon!" Aswa decided.
"He's the obstacle between us and the Kembangan Alliance. We need to confirm—is he an enemy or an ally?"
*SMA Meruya Utara: School or Paradise?*
When they arrived at SMA Meruya Utara's gates, what they saw left them stunned.
*This school was too normal.*
No graffiti on the walls, no litter in sight. The students looked peaceful—some playing ball, others studying in the garden, like an ideal school straight out of a dream.
"This is paradise!!" Momus gasped.
"Damn! Are these rich kids? How is it so safe here?" Mondy couldn't believe it.
"Is it really that surprising? Schools are supposed to be like this," Aswa shrugged.
"Hmm... Maybe they're all weak?" Arca narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, a group of students approached. They looked like typical troublemakers—jackets unzipped, sharp glares.
"Now these are real delinquents!" Momus grinned.
But what happened next defied expectations.
A red-haired teen stepped forward. His smile was genuine, his uniform neat, and his demeanor polite.
"Hello, I'm Zay, Leader of SMA Meruya Utara."
Aswa shook his hand. "I'm Aswa."
"Aswa, the new leader of Meruya Selatan? Yudan's replacement?"
"Yeah. But why so formal?"
"Sorry, force of habit," Zay chuckled. "I knew you'd come. There's something I want to discuss—with you, the leaders of Meruya Selatan, Joglo, and Srengseng."
"Talk? About what?" Mondy eyed him suspiciously.
"Before that, let's move. I don't want my students getting scared."
They were led to a scrap yard—a stark contrast to the school's pristine image.
"Sorry, this is the best I can offer," Zay shrugged.
*"Cut to the chase. What do you want?"* Mondy pressed.
"I... want to form an alliance with you."
Everyone was stunned.
"An alliance? Based on what?" Mondy crossed his arms.
Zay took a deep breath. "I want to protect SMA Srengseng Timur's students. But I'm also afraid of SMA Kembangan. They could attack anytime. Right now, they're led by one person—strong and ruthless. I want to take them down, end their extortion system!"
Mondy hesitated. "What do you think, Aswa?"
"What do you hate most about them?" Aswa asked.
"I hate how they extort! Every three months, they demand payments. I'm sure they do it to every school!"
Aswa nodded. "If you're serious, I accept your alliance."
"But why were you rivals with SMA Srengseng before?"
"I wasn't. I just hated how Yudan led—sneaky and cruel, even though he was weak himself."
*The agreement was sealed.*
"So, you're really planning to attack Kembangan directly?" Zay confirmed.
"Originally, we were gonna take out Meruya Utara first," Mondy muttered.
Zay laughed. "Haha... Alright. Go home for now, we'll meet again tomorrow. I'll gather more intel tonight."
As they left, Mondy whispered:
"Something's off. From what I remember, Meruya Utara was a rival even before Zay and Yudan."
Aswa gave a slow nod. "Suspicious."
---TO BE CONTINUED---