This short story was originally written during my high school days at the age of 16, as part of an assignment for my Indonesian language class. I later revised it slightly before publishing on my Medium account in 2023 because I did not want to change the original writing too much. I wanted to see how my writing has developed over time.
STORYLINE
The story portrays the emotional journey of a teenager experiencing an identity crisis brought on by social pressure and unrealistic expectations. Behind his achievements and constant smile, he hides a deep sense of loneliness and exhaustion. It is only the unconditional love and acceptance of his mother that keeps him from falling apart, although even that does not entirely resolve his inner conflict. The narrative also contains elements of fantasy through the presence of mysterious entities that represent his inner turmoil.
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Magical Realism (due to the symbolic, fantasy-like characters ‘Si Hitam’ and ‘Si Merah’), Drama