Rain, Debate, and Teh Tarik

Seawal pagi di kampus, Aina menyandang beg yang berat sambil menelan sisa mengantuk setelah berjaga malam menyiapkan slaid pembentangan.

Early in the morning on campus, Aina slings a heavy bag while fighting off lingering drowsiness after staying up late to finish her presentation slides.

Bas kampus tiba-tiba penuh sesak, jadi terpaksa berdiri rapat-rapat, memegang palang sambil berdoa agar sampai sebelum pensyarah mengambil kehadiran.

The campus bus suddenly gets packed, so she has to stand shoulder to shoulder, gripping the pole while praying to arrive before the lecturer takes attendance.

Hujan renyai turun tanpa belas; jalan licin, dan kasut kain yang murah itu cepat-cepat menyerap air hingga hujung seluar basah.

A light drizzle falls mercilessly; the road is slippery, and those cheap canvas shoes quickly soak up water until the ends of her pants are wet.

Setibanya di dewan kuliah, jam menunjukkan lima minit lewat, namun Prof. Nabila, yang terkenal tegas tetapi adil, hanya mengangkat kening dan menyuruh duduk.

Upon arriving at the lecture hall, the clock shows five minutes late, but Prof. Nabila, known to be strict yet fair, only raises an eyebrow and tells her to sit.

Kelas hari ini bertukar menjadi perdebatan spontan tentang etika kecerdasan buatan, dan Aina, walaupun gementar, mengangkat tangan kerana hujah yang dilatih semalam masih segar di kepala.

Today's class turns into an impromptu debate on the ethics of artificial intelligence, and Aina, though nervous, raises her hand because the arguments she rehearsed last night are still fresh in her head.

Sementara rakan-rakan bertikam lidah secara sopan, dia menarik nafas panjang, menyusun ayat, lalu menyampaikan contoh yang dekat dengan kehidupan pelajar—aplikasi menjejak kehadiran yang kerap tersilap.

While her friends spar politely, she takes a deep breath, arranges her sentences, then delivers an example close to student life—the attendance-tracking app that often gets it wrong.

Tepukan kecil kedengaran di belakang, dan Amir, teman sekumpulan yang selalu tenang, mengedip mata seolah-olah berkata, 'jalan terus'.

A small round of applause is heard at the back, and Amir, the always-calm teammate, winks as if to say, 'keep going'.

Rehat tengah hari di kafe kolej membawa kelegaan: nasi lemak panas, teh tarik berbuih, dan gurauan meja panjang yang menyejukkan kepala selepas perdebatan sengit.

The midday break at the college café brings relief: hot nasi lemak, frothy teh tarik, and long-table banter that cools the head after a heated debate.

Namun sebelum lega benar, mesin pencetak di makmal komputer tiba-tiba meragam ketika mahu mencetak poster projek, menyebabkan baris panjang yang semakin gelisah.

But before truly relaxing, the printer in the computer lab suddenly acts up when they want to print the project poster, causing a long queue that grows restless.

Dengan berbekalkan pemacu USB dan sedikit nasib, juruteknik yang kebetulan lalu membetulkan sambungan, lalu fail mereka akhirnya keluar juga, walaupun warna agak lari.

Armed with a USB drive and a bit of luck, a technician who happened to pass by fixed the connection, and their file finally came out too, although the colors were a little off.

Petang itu, ketika matahari muncul malu-malu di sebalik awan, Aina menutup hari dengan latihan kumpulan di perpustakaan, dan pulang dengan hati berbunga-bunga kerana tahu esok, apa pun cabarannya, sudah ada landasan.

That afternoon, as the sun peeked shyly from behind the clouds, Aina closed the day with a group practice in the library, and went home with her heart in bloom, knowing that tomorrow, whatever the challenge, a path has been laid.