The classroom was alive with the usual hum of chatter and chair legs scraping against the floor. Morning light slanted through the tall windows, casting soft golden lines on the desks. Vladislav sat at his desk, feeling a mix of satisfaction and disbelief. In his hands, he held a graded essay—100/100 stamped at the top in bold red ink.
He blinked at it for a moment, then slowly smiled.
"Perfect," he muttered to himself, fingers brushing the edges of the paper like it might vanish if he wasn't careful.
Yesterday had been a rush—Wei had helped him brainstorm, Ami double-checked his grammar and style, but it was this morning, just before class started, when Selene and Asher swooped in to help him revise and polish everything.
Selene immediately caught a weak transition in the third paragraph. Asher, quiet and observant as always, suggested a smoother way to close his conclusion. Their touches had turned the essay from "pretty good" to "flawless."
Vladislav glanced across the room where Selene and Asher were seated side by side, chatting about something with soft smiles. He couldn't help but stare, caught in a sudden wave of nostalgia.
A Few Years Ago…
It all started back in Elementary days—first day, new classroom, nerves high.
Vladislav had just sat down when a girl with a sharp stare and confident aura dropped her bag beside him.
"Selene," she said without looking at him, already unpacking her books.
"Vladislav," he replied, eyes wide at her boldness.
They didn't say much that first day, but by the end of the week, Selene was already pointing out where he was messing up his notes and helping him organize.
"You can't just write everything down like a robot," she snapped once, flipping through his messy notebook. "Here—use bullet points."
That's how it began. Selene wasn't soft, but she was reliable. She became his unofficial guide in the classroom—smart, driven, a little bossy, but always watching out for him.
Then, somewhere along the line, a new face joined their bubble—Asher.
He was quiet, never raised his hand, and always sat in the back. But during a group project, the teacher assigned them together.
At first, Vladislav and Selene thought they'd have to carry the team, but Asher surprised them.
"I—I already started the outline," he said shyly, sliding over a full page of neatly organized points.
Selene blinked. Vladislav stared.
"Wait. You're good," Vladislav said, grinning.
Asher just blushed and looked away. But from that day forward, the three of them stuck together.
Selene guided them, Vladislav made everything fun, and Asher—well, he quietly held it all together with his calm energy and unnoticed wisdom.
Back to the Present…
Now, years later, watching the two of them laugh together felt almost surreal. They were no longer just that shy boy, that serious girl, and that confused new kid.
They were Selene, Asher, and Vladislav—a trio known for sticking together through every class, every group project, every school event. And slowly, more people joined them—Wei, Sofia, a few others who clicked with the strange yet balanced chemistry they had.
Selene turned and caught Vladislav watching.
"What?" she raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"Nothing," he said, but his smile widened. "Just thinking. You guys are the reason I got this perfect score.
Asher tilted his head, curious. "We just tweaked a few sentences…"
"And helped build my brain over the years," Vladislav laughed, folding the essay carefully and tucking it into his notebook like a treasure. "Seriously. You two changed everything."
Selene rolled her eyes, but her smile softened. "You're too sentimental."
"No," Asher said quietly. "I think he's right."
But for a second longer, the three of them sat in stillness—linked by years of shared memories, subtle loyalty, and the strange beauty of how friendships start in the simplest ways.
A seatmate.
A shy kid with an outline.
A bossy girl with a sharp eye.
And a boy who never expected any of it—but found a home in both of them.