Chapter 22: A History Quiz and an Unexpected Realization

March had no mercy.

Just as I was starting to feel good about Biology, History came back to haunt me.

The day of the History quiz arrived faster than I wanted, and I was not ready. Despite my so-called good memory, the endless names of historical figures and battles refused to stick in my brain.

As I sat in class, waiting for the quiz papers to be handed out, I turned to Azri.

"I'm doomed."

He snorted. "You say that, but I bet you still do better than me."

I sighed. "That's not saying much."

Azri smirked. "You're lucky. Cikgu Zul actually thinks you're good at this subject."

I groaned. "If only he knew the truth."

Madame Ju stood at the front of the class, holding a stack of papers. "Alright, class. This will be a 30-minute quiz. No talking, no cheating. You may begin."

The papers were handed out.

I took a deep breath and flipped mine over.

First question: In what year did the Treaty of Pangkor take place?

…Okay, that one was easy. 1874.

I moved on.

Second question: Who was the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia?

I hesitated. Then it hit me. Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad.

Then I reached question seven.

"Explain the significance of the Malacca Sultanate in the development of Malay civilization."

…Nope. I was done.

---

The Aftermath

After class, we gathered outside to compare answers.

Rina grinned. "How was it?"

I sighed. "Some were easy, but question seven? No way."

Azri laughed. "I wrote something about trade and culture. Probably wrong, but at least it looks like I tried."

Rina smirked. "You mean you guessed."

Azri shrugged. "Same thing."

Cikgu Zul passed by and nodded at us. "How was the quiz?"

Rina smiled. "Not bad, Cikgu."

Azri faked a dramatic sigh. "It was a painful experience, sir."

Cikgu Zul laughed. "Mana, how about you?"

I hesitated. "Uh… okay, I guess?"

He nodded. "You have a good memory. I expect a good result."

I forced a smile. No pressure, huh?

---

The Nad-Faiz Situation

During evening prep class, Nad was, once again, in the next classroom.

With Faiz.

It had become a habit by now—every time prep started, she would casually walk over to his class.

Azri nudged me. "Bro, you okay?"

I looked up from my book. "Huh?"

He nodded toward the door, where Nad had just left. "You know, that."

I sighed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Rina raised an eyebrow. "Because you're so obvious."

I rolled my eyes. "She's just talking to him."

Azri smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."

I frowned, staring at my textbook but not really reading it.

Was I actually bothered by this?

---

An Unwanted Thought

The truth was, I knew Nad was friendly with Faiz. She was friendly with everyone.

But for some reason, every time she walked into that classroom, I felt a weird, unfamiliar irritation.

I hated it.

I didn't want to be the jealous type. I had never even told her how I felt. And even if I did, it's not like anything would change.

But still… something about it bothered me.

Rina tapped her pen on the desk. "You know, you could always—"

"No."

She smirked. "I didn't even say anything."

Azri chuckled. "Man, this is fun to watch."

I groaned and buried my face in my book.

March was getting way too complicated.

—Mana, March 2017