05. Saint Institute(2)
When receiving an attack of excessive stress, everyone has their own way of dealing with it.
Some will fall into despair, while others will develop a greater appetite when receiving large amounts of stress; Some will fall into deep self-reflection in order to cope with stress and find the cause and effect involved, while others will just cry in frustration without knowing what to do.
And I, Rona, belong to the category that develops appetite.
On the table in front of me, dozens of snack packs were scattered.
My laptop turned on. Showing movies, as usual.
All of these snacks were provided by the government for the Saint candidates, so I didn't feel any purse pain at all from eating a lot of them.
However, apparently, it bothered Keisya a little.
"Ona... You're going to get fat, you know."
What!
What a presumptuous one!
Even if you're my best friend, I won't forgive you if you say such a forbidden thing, you know!
I glared at Keisya, who had been holding a glass of juice, without drinking it at all.
"I'm one of the types that won't get fat no matter how much I eat, so that's fine!"
No matter what happens, I won't get fat!
Keisya was overwhelmed by my strong reply, but could only sigh and sip the juice in her cup.
She looks quite depressed, for a girl who already has a boyfriend!
I relieved my frustration by eating some chips.
While I was watching the movie quietly, Keisya spoke up.
"We have been placed here for 2 days... Ona, what do you think will happen to us?"
I sighed.
As expected. Keisya is also worried about the same thing as me.
"Indonesia is following the actions of China, Korea, and most other Asian countries, so we will be fine."
At worst... We will live in some special way. Like, you know, living under supervision. Forever.
I kept what I was actually thinking in my mind. After all, even in the Novel "Saint from the End", something similar happens.
Our fate shouldn't be much different.
Like a young girl in a melancholy state, Keisya stares far into the horizon behind the bustling cityscape.
Well, in our case, we are indeed in that situation, anyway.
Really, I wonder what will happen to us, huh?
It has been 3 days without further notice.
We were not allowed to leave the room at all.
The only people who came to our room were the hotel maids. They only came to deliver food and restock the supplies available in the refrigerator.
I was worried that we would be left locked up until the end.
If so, wouldn't we end up with the same fate as Saints in those few countries?
I've never even dated any guy, but I'm already going to be locked up. This would be too much!
***
Day after day passed full of worry and uncertainty.
However, our wait was not in vain.
On the evening of the fifth day since we were confined in the hotel room, the messenger came and told us to prepare ourselves immediately.
Why, you ask?
Because tomorrow we will be sent to Merdeka Square, right at the National Monument of Indonesia itself, to hold the first Open Meeting since the establishment of Indonesia, which will be witnessed by the whole country!
The meeting members are all very surprisingly important!
After all, it turns out that even the President, the number 1 person in the country, will be present!
Of course, it's not just us who will be sent there.
The other Saint candidates who had been found would be sent there on the same day.
Everything already became this big problem.
I started to get nervous!
Even Keisya had trouble sleeping that night because she was nervous.
We really want to stop the morning from coming even 1 minute longer.
However, the arrival of the morning remains unstoppable.
Despite being attacked by a nervousness that was even more tense than when I was about to express my feelings to Aldrian, I still mustered myself and stepped out of the room. I and Keisya following the messenger who sent to pick us up.
We dressed up in white uniform that was given to us Saint candidates.
My heart was beating very fast.
My skin was pale.
My hands trembled every second.
The point that would determine our fate had arrived right in front of us.
When I thought like that, I couldn't calm myself down.
I wanted to escape, but I knew that it would be impossible to do.
To distract my nervousness, I turned my head to the side to look at Keisha.
The expression on her face... Looks fine?
I was amazed at her for a moment, but it wasn't true. I immediately felt sorry for Keisya when I realized how stiff she was walking.
Even Keisya is not in a better state than me.
When I went down the elevator and reached the 1st floor of the hotel, I saw a lot of girls dressed like myself and Keisya.
They are all Saint candidates...
It was amazing when I actually thought about it.
The other Saint candidates also turned their heads and realized our existence, but no one spoke or tried to greet us.
Me and they were too nervous to disturb others.
We walked out of the hotel, through the park, and then towards the parking area.
There, we found a lot of army and police on guard in all directions.
The messenger who picked us up took us to enter a car.
Then, together with another car carrying the Saint candidates, we departed for the location of Merdeka Square.
Police and army trucks accompanied our car.
The road has been closed for a long time to eliminate the possibility of random residents' cars blocking our path to Merdeka Square.
The camera follows us wherever we go.
Drones, even Helicopters, broadcast our convoys.
Whether it was just a recording for personal use or for the television channel broadcast, they see us.
I – no, all of us - felt that the eyes of the state were currently staring at us.
We are the most prominent stars in the country at this point.
An existence that could not be hidden.
A figure who had the possibility of becoming a Saint!
That's who we are.
Whether it will bring happiness or misfortune for our life, soon we will find the answer.
***
Meanwhile, inside one of the cars carrying the Saint candidate, a girl with a soft face like a baby in a white uniform clenched her thighs with a nervous expression.
She muttered in a weak voice.
"I want to pee..."