I woke up from my dream and screamed.
"Gah! Let me go, you monster!"
Whack.
"Ouch! That hurts, Ma!"
…That pain felt familiar.
"Huh? That pain feels familiar… Ma?"
I turned to my right.
There she was—my Ma—glaring down at me with those demonic eyes of hers. The kind that could burn a grown man alive. I swear, I could see the flames behind her.
"Calling your mother a monster? You've lived long enough, huh?" she snapped, raining heavy slaps on my arms like divine punishment.
"Ack! It's really Ma?!!" I screamed.
"You lazy bum. Get your stinky butt up and get ready for school. It's the beginning of your second year in high school already."
"School…?" My voice cracked. I shuddered.
I glanced at the clock beside my bed.
[5:30 a.m.]
"…Oh no! I might be late if I dilly-dally much longer!"
Ma raised her demonic fist again.
Not good.
"Not getting your butt moving, are you?" she growled. "Looks like someone wants more of my tender loving care."
"Oui, Ma! I'm moving! I'm moving!"
'Why didn't my alarm clock ring…?'
With a loud slam, Ma exited my room.
I leapt from bed like a man on death row and dove into the shower.
"Ouiii~ I sweat so much just from that dream," I muttered, water running down my face. "What even was that about…? It almost made me late for school, dammit."
After a record-speed shower, I threw on my school uniform and bolted to the car.
[15 minutes later]
I arrived at school—fifteen minutes before class.
"I made it on time! Woohoo!"
I stood in front of the school gate, watching waves of students pour in.
New uniforms. Fresh faces. Nervous footsteps. First-years.
"They must be the newbies… Feels like I was just one of them yesterday."
The scene was loud. Chaotic. Some were already forming groups. Others just tried to survive. Teachers yelled at the crowd to quiet down—not that it ever worked.
Still, the noise was oddly comforting.
They do say the more, the merrier.
"Man… This takes me back."
It had been almost a year since I first stepped into this school.
Almost a year since… that day.
I was running.
From my science teacher.
Not figuratively—literally.
If anyone saw the scene, they'd call it a cartoon: a cat chasing a mouse.
And I was the mouse.
"All I did was pull a small prank on Ms. Angie," I muttered, ducking behind a gazebo. "She didn't have to go full Ifrit on me…"
Rumor had it she used to be a track athlete. I never believed it—she seemed too quiet.
Today proved me wrong.
She ran like she was trying to break the world record for a marathon.
I peeked around the gazebo. "The coast is clear."
Exhale.
As I leaned back to stretch, I spotted her.
A girl.
Beautiful, long brown hair. Smoother than silk.
Carrying a mountain of books.
That must be the teachers' favorite pet… Isabella?
She looked cold. Distant.
Like a machine built for obedience. No emotions, no reactions. Just… functional.
Still, boys fell over themselves for her. Professing love left and right.
She rejected them all. Brutally.
And so, the rumors started.
Whispers of a shaman grandmother. Bullying stories. Lies, mostly. She didn't even acknowledge people, let alone bully them.
"How boring," I muttered.
I looked away.
Then—
Bang.
I jumped up. My eyes snapped back to her.
The books were everywhere.
She stood frozen, staring at the mess.
Expressionless.
She didn't hear what I said earlier… right?
Around us, students started murmuring. Whispering. Watching.
"How troublesome…" I sighed.
I stood and walked toward her.
Without saying a word, I bent down and started picking up the books.
They were from Mr. Kay's class. That lazy bald man probably dumped his workload on her again.
Then I noticed something.
Drip.
Water droplets hit the books.
I looked up.
She was crying.
Silently.
Her tears sparkled in the light—like water crystals.
Water… crystals?
I rubbed my eyes. When I looked again, the tears were gone.
Payback, huh?
"This must be karma for all my pranks…" I muttered.
"Pranks?" she said coldly, glaring at me.
Her eyes—light brown with a hint of blue.
Brown-blue eyes? What kind of Asian has those? Mixed, maybe?
I handed her the books.
"Thanks," she said warily.
"My name's Llyne," I offered. "We never introduced ourselves before. Hectic classes and all."
"I know you."
"Oh?" I smirked. "Didn't know I was that famous."
"You are. For being a troublemaker. You always disrupt class."
"You mean I bring life to a dull classroom."
She didn't smile.
"Why're you carrying these alone? Where's Mr. Kay? I could spot that man's bald head from a mile away."
"He's… busy. So I'm helping him," she said, eyes drifting away.
She took the rest of the books.
"Huh… is that so… Well, they're heavy. Want help?"
"No," she snapped. Then walked off.
Is she a cat?
I chuckled.
"Guess getting to know her won't be so bad."
Looking at her up close… it made sense why the boys went wild.
V-shaped chin. Big round eyes. Pale skin. Slender. Rich. Smart. First in middle school.
Almost perfect.
Almost.
But her attitude? Cold.
Even if we lived in the same world, it felt like she existed on a different wavelength.
Ding dong.
The bell rang.
"I guess recess is over…"
'Doubt we'll ever cross paths again.'
I returned to my classroom.
"Now that I think about it… that was a wonderful moment."
"…."
"Who am I kidding? It was a disaster. But hey—we're still friends."
As I stood reminiscing, the school bell rang again.
"What! Was I standing in front of the gate that long?! Sheesh. Time waits for no one."
I bolted toward my new classroom—located in Building D.
A new building. Built just last year.
It was at the far edge of the school.
"Who puts a building that far away?! It's not even greener there!"
[Classroom 2-B]
I arrived.
The class was packed with noise.
No teacher yet.
Lucky me.
Still sucks that Iz and I aren't in the same class this year. Ugh… extra subjects.
As I stepped in, silence fell.
Instant.
You could hear a pin drop.
Students whispered. Others averted their eyes. A few glared.
The reason?
Because I'm weird.
An outcast.
I hated the norm. Rules bored me. So, I broke them.
Rumors spread. None of them flattering.
I didn't care.
People who don't deserve my time wouldn't get it.
Still… watching their discomfort sometimes? Kinda fun.
I ignored them and walked toward the board.
Back window seat.
Perfect.
Great excuse to nap.
I walked to my seat, their gazes trailing behind me.
It felt like walking on a runway. Except instead of admiration, I got daggers.
It didn't matter. I liked it that way.
I sat down. Dropped my bag beside me. Crossed my arms. Crossed my legs.
Waited.
The stares lingered. Irritating.
So I turned to the window.
When's recess…? It's boring without Iz around.