Freddy had barely been at school for two weeks, but already he felt like he was walking a line — one that few noticed, but many judged.
It started small.
A chair missing from his usual desk. A chalkboard erased before he could finish copying notes. Laughter that died when he walked into a room. He wasn't sure who started it, but he could feel it — the shift.
"New boy thinks he's something," someone muttered one afternoon near the water tap. "Always around the girls."
It stung more than he expected. Freddy hadn't done anything — at least, nothing wrong. But maybe that was the problem. He wasn't from the city, yet he was talking to Maido. Laughing with Brain and Genty. And now... sitting beside Bushrah during breaks? That made some people uncomfortable.
One afternoon, after a group discussion in class, a boy named Nashy cornered Freddy outside the library.
"You think you're special, huh?" Nashy said, crossing his arms.
Freddy blinked. "What?"
"You show up, make friends with everyone, act like you've been here forever. You're just a village boy trying to shine where you don't belong."
Freddy felt heat rise in his chest, but he kept his voice steady. "I didn't know being friendly was a crime."
"Just watch yourself."
That night, Freddy sat on the balcony of Joseph's apartment, staring at the city lights. The buildings looked beautiful from far away, but he now understood that not all brightness was welcoming.
The next morning, Maido found him quiet, more withdrawn.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Just… some people don't like me being here."
Maido sighed. "This place has its own rules. Some people guard their little territories like treasure. You didn't do anything wrong. Just don't lose who you are."
Her words stayed with him — but so did the looks, the whispers, the way some classmates turned away when he entered the room.
Even Bushrah noticed.
"You're quieter lately," she said one afternoon.
"Just tired," Freddy replied.
She studied him a moment. "Ignore the noise. It fades. The ones who see you clearly — they don't need convincing."
It wasn't a fix. But it helped. A little.
Freddy knew this was part of the journey. You don't come to the city and expect open arms. You build your place, step by step. And maybe—just maybe—that place would include people like Maido. Like Bushrah.
Even if some didn't like it.