"The Door She Almost Didn't Open"
The school gates rose tall in front of them, painted white but softened by time and sunlight. Students moved through them in waves — laughter, footsteps, voices overlapping like a living rhythm Yuni didn't yet understand.
She slowed.
Aeris noticed immediately.
He always noticed.
"You're thinking too much," he said, nudging her shoulder lightly.
"I'm not," she murmured, eyes fixed on the ground.
"You are. Your 'thinking face' is loud."
She exhaled slowly. "What if I don't fit in? What if everyone already has friends?"
Aeris adjusted the strap of his bag and tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle he'd solved a hundred times before.
"Yuni," he said gently, "do you remember your first day at the village school?"
"That was different."
"You cried behind the water tank."
Her eyes widened. "I did not."
"You absolutely did. And then you became the class topper two months later."
"That's not the same thing."
"It is," he replied calmly. "You're scared at the beginning, and then you make the place yours."
They stepped inside together. The courtyard felt bigger than yesterday — louder too. A basketball bounced somewhere nearby, echoing across the walls.
Yuni's fingers curled tighter around her bag strap.
As they reached the hallway where their paths separated, she stopped walking.
Her classroom door stood ahead, half-open, voices spilling out.
She froze.
Aeris walked a few steps forward before realizing she wasn't beside him anymore. He turned, eyebrows lifting slightly.
"Hey… what happened?"
"I…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't think I can go in yet."
He didn't laugh. Didn't tease.
Instead, he walked back and leaned casually against the wall next to her.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "when I changed schools last year, I stood outside my class for ten whole minutes."
"You?" she blinked. "But you talk to everyone."
"Exactly. Which means I know how scary it is when you don't know anyone."
Yuni glanced at the door again. A group of students inside laughed loudly. The sound made her chest tighten.
"What if they think I'm weird?" she asked.
Aeris shrugged lightly. "Then they'll get used to it."
"That's not comforting."
He smiled softly. "Okay… new plan."
He stepped in front of her, lowering himself slightly so their eyes met.
"You don't have to be brave for the whole day," he said. "Just be brave for ten seconds. Walk through that door. Sit down. That's it."
She hesitated.
"And if I hate it?"
"Then after school we'll get ice cream," he said instantly.
"That's bribery."
"It's emotional support."
Despite herself, she laughed quietly.
Aeris tapped her forehead gently. "You're stronger than you think, Yuni. And if anyone gives you a hard time…" He paused dramatically. "I'm literally one hallway away."
"You're such a drama king."
"And proud of it."
He stepped back, gesturing toward the classroom door like it was a grand entrance. "Go. I'll wait until you walk in."
Her heartbeat thundered.
One step.
Two steps.
She reached the doorway and paused again, fingers brushing the frame.
Aeris lifted his thumb behind her in a silent you've got this.
Yuni inhaled deeply… and walked inside.
The classroom fell quiet for half a second — not in a dramatic way, just the natural pause people give to something new. Desks were arranged in neat rows, sunlight streaming across the floor from tall windows.
The teacher looked up with a warm expression. "You must be Yuni."
"Yes, ma'am," she said softly.
"Come in, don't stand at the door. We were waiting for you."
A few students turned in their seats, curiosity flickering across their faces.
"Introduce yourself, dear."
Her throat felt dry, but Aeris's words echoed in her mind.
Just ten seconds.
"I'm Yuni," she said quietly. "I moved here recently. Nice to meet you."
Not loud applause. Not silence either.
Just a few nods. A small smile from someone near the window.
"Take the empty seat near the back," the teacher said.
Yuni walked carefully to her desk, setting her bag down. The chair felt slightly cold. The classroom smelled like paper and chalk dust — unfamiliar but not unpleasant.
Outside the window, she caught a glimpse of Aeris walking away toward another corridor. He didn't look back.
But somehow she knew he trusted her to be okay.
The first class began.
Pens scratched against notebooks. The ceiling fan hummed steadily above them.
A girl sitting one desk ahead turned slightly. "Are you good at math?" she whispered.
"I think so," Yuni answered.
"Good. I'm terrible," the girl sighed.
It wasn't a full conversation — just a small exchange — but it eased something inside her.
Between classes, the room filled with chatter. Students complained about homework, compared lunch boxes, argued about a game someone played yesterday.
Yuni listened more than she spoke.
She noticed little things:
A boy who tapped his pencil rhythmically.
A girl who laughed louder than everyone else.
The way sunlight shifted slowly across the floor as time passed.
During recess, she stayed at her desk at first, tracing tiny petals in the corner of her notebook.
A shadow fell across her page.
"Those are nice," a soft voice said.
She looked up at a classmate with bright eyes and messy hair.
"Thanks," Yuni replied, surprised.
"First days are weird," the girl added casually. "You'll get used to it."
Yuni nodded, unsure what to say, but the simple sentence felt comforting.
By the last period, the classroom didn't feel as heavy.
She answered one question quietly.
She borrowed a ruler from someone.
She even laughed — just once — when two students argued over whose turn it was to clean the board.
Small things.
But they mattered.
The final bell rang, echoing through the hallway like a deep breath finally released.
Students rushed out in noisy waves, chairs scraping, laughter bouncing off the walls. Yuni packed her bag slowly, fingers lingering on the edge of her notebook before she stood.
Outside the classroom, the air felt warmer — lighter.
Aeris was waiting near the courtyard wall, hands in his pockets, watching students pass by like he was trying to look casual and failing slightly.
"There you are," he said when he spotted her. "I was starting to think you joined a secret club already."
"I survived," Yuni replied softly.
He tilted his head. "Just survived?"
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe… a little more than that."
They began walking toward the gate together, their steps falling into an easy rhythm.
"So," Aeris said, bumping her shoulder gently, "tell me everything."
Yuni hesitated, then spoke quietly. "I was scared at first. Like… really scared. But the teacher was nice. And one girl talked to me a little. And… I answered one question."
"That's huge," he said seriously. "First-day achievements unlocked."
She glanced at him. "What about you? How was your first day?"
Aeris let out a dramatic sigh. "My class is chaos."
She laughed softly.
"No, seriously," he continued. "One guy tried to sit on a chair that wasn't even there. And the teacher already knows my name because I laughed too loud."
"You always laugh too loud."
"It's my brand."
They stepped out through the school gate, the afternoon sun stretching their shadows long across the road.
For a moment, they walked quietly.
Then Aeris snapped his fingers. "Wait. I promised something, didn't I?"
Yuni blinked. "What?"
"Ice cream," he said proudly. "I am a man of my word."
"That was emotional manipulation," she muttered.
"Correct. And now we celebrate bravery."
The small ice-cream shop stood on the corner near their street, colorful posters fading under sunlight. A tiny bell chimed when they pushed the door open.
"What flavor?" he asked.
She scanned the board, thinking carefully. "Strawberry."
"Classic," he nodded. "Respect."
They sat by the window, the cool sweetness melting slowly as they talked — about teachers, about confusing hallways, about how big the school felt compared to their old one.
"You know," Aeris said between bites, "I was nervous too. I just pretend I'm not."
"You?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. But when you walked into your class… I felt proud."
Yuni looked down at her cup, cheeks warming slightly.
"Ten seconds," she said quietly.
"Ten seconds," he agreed.
By the time they left the shop, the sky had softened into evening colors.
Their house came into view, windows glowing gently.
The front door opened before they even knocked.
Their mother stood there, arms crossed but smiling softly. "You're late."
"Ice cream emergency," Aeris said immediately.
Yuni slipped off her shoes. "Sorry…"
Her mother brushed a strand of hair from her face. "So… how was the first day?"
Yuni paused, thinking about the classroom, the window seat, the tiny moments that didn't feel so heavy anymore.
"It was… new," she said finally. "But not scary forever."
Her mother's smile softened.
"Good," she whispered. "That's all I hoped for."
Inside, the house felt warm — familiar — safe.
Aeris dropped his bag with a loud thud. "I deserve extra dinner portions for emotional support services."
"You deserve homework," their mother replied instantly.
Yuni laughed quietly, the sound lighter than it had been that morning.
Later that night, she opened her notebook again and added a small line beneath her doodles:
Today I walked through the door.
Outside, the wind chime rang softly as evening settled around the house.
Not a perfect day.
Not an easy day.
But a beginning she had taken with her own steps.
🖤🖤🖤...
🌙 End of Chapter 14 .
Every new place begins with a small step… and today, Yuni took hers. Thank you for reading and walking beside her journey. And I'm really sorry for the long wait — thank you for being patient with me and still giving love to this story. Your support means more than you know. 🌸