The classroom fell silent after Eve's cheerful introduction. Eyes widened, jaws dropped.
Then suddenly—
"Welcome, Eve!!" the class shouted in unison.
The teacher tried to hush them, but no one seemed ready to quiet down.
"Great," I thought with a gasp. "I really did end up in the weirdest class… but still."
My gaze fell to my fingers, fidgeting with unease. I have no friends.
I'd always tried to talk to people, but no one was ever interested. They'd either avoid me or give me that look—the one that says everything.
I couldn't blame them. If I were in their place, I'd avoid me too. I mean, to be real, I'm the most boring person you'll ever meet. I know nothing about sports, games, anime, music, or even what's happening in the world. So why would anyone waste their precious time on me, who doesn't know a thing?
"All of you sit silently, or I'll start the class from today itself!" the teacher exclaimed.
Everyone's eyes widened before they scrambled back to their seats.
"You're so boring! But fine, we'll stay silent," Sofia said boldly, plopping down.
"She's really fearless, huh?" I thought. "She says everything openly, never hesitates."
A memory flickered in my head—Sofia, arguing with the teacher without a trace of fear, even when she was completely guilty. Honestly, she could make a great lawyer for criminals.
I shook my head at the thought and peeked at her from the corner of my eyes. She was already busy chatting again.
The teacher rubbed his forehead in disbelief, then turned to Eve before scanning the classroom. His eyes landed on the empty seat beside me.
"Eve, sit next to Isak. Over by the corner bench," he said.
Every gaze shifted to me. My eyes widened, and heat rushed to my cheeks under their stares.
This is awkward.
Why is everyone looking at me? I'm not dancing.
My gaze darted around the room, desperate to escape the weight of their attention.
Eve noticed the way I was acting. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips, clearly amused by my reaction. But I didn't catch her stare—too busy shrinking under everyone else's.
She hummed in confirmation to the teacher before walking toward the bench beside me.
I risked a quick glance at her, then immediately looked away, pretending I hadn't noticed a thing.
A teasing smile curved on the corner of her mouth before she let out a soft laugh.
"You're acting like a shy monkey—looking around and scratching your head."
My eyes widened, heat rushing to my cheeks at her sudden jab.
"You—what!? Me, a monkey? These are my eyes, and I'll look wherever I want, got it?"
The words came out louder than I intended, echoing sharper than usual. It felt… strange. I hadn't raised my voice in months—so long I couldn't even remember the last time. The sound of it startled even me.
Weird.
Weird in a way my rotten brain could never have imagined.
Eve stared at me for a brief second before letting out a soft chuckle.
"You're ridiculous, Isaac," she said, still laughing under her breath.
She placed her bag on the desk and sat beside me. Everyone finally stopped glancing our way — a relief I didn't know I needed.
I exhaled, trying to calm down, but I could still feel someone's eyes on me. Meanwhile, the teacher sat at his desk, pretending to read a book while secretly scrolling on his phone. He probably thought no one noticed.
I leaned forward, elbows on the table, resting my face between my hands — half hiding, half bored of just sitting around.
Across the room, Sofia's gaze flicked our way. She wasn't looking at me, though — her eyes were on Eve, who had suddenly stolen all the attention.
---
When afternoon came, everyone grabbed their lunch boxes and drifted out of the classroom — some heading to the patio, others to the cafeteria.
I stayed in my seat, placing my lunch box on the desk.
Lifting the lid, my eyes shimmered at the sight of curd rice and pickle.
Who needs a burger when you have curd and pickle? I didn't care what anyone thought — this was perfection.
I picked up my spoon and brought it close to my mouth when suddenly—
"What's your lunch, Isaac?" a voice called from behind.
I jolted in shock, nearly choking on rice — some even shot up my nose.
Turning to Eve, I gave her a look of pure annoyance while tapping my temple to stop coughing.
"Are you trying to kill me or what? What did I ever do to deserve this!?" I said between coughs.
Grabbing my water bottle from my bag, I twisted off the cap and took a few quick gulps before sighing.
I immediately turned to Eve with an annoyed grin.
"What's your problem!?" I barked. "Do you want me to die or something?"
I rubbed my neck; there was still a faint pain in my throat from the coughing fit earlier.
Eve stared at me with worried eyes, as if she regretted her actions. She reached out a hand—then quickly pulled it back, afraid I'd reject her.
She turned her face away, guilt softening her tone.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to. I just wanted to eat lunch with you."
My eyes widened. Lunch? With me?
No one had ever tried to talk to me before—not really. I always told myself I didn't care, that I was fine alone... but hearing someone actually want to join me—it felt almost unreal. And it's a girl!?
I noticed the lunch box in her hands. So she really meant it.
A faint blush crept onto my cheeks, and I turned my head.
"I should be the one saying sorry, not you," I said softly. Then, looking back at her, calmer now, "Just… don't scare me like that next time, okay?"
Eve's eyes widened for a moment before she grinned—and suddenly kicked my leg.
"Yeah, jerk! You should be the one apologizing! You made me feel bad for a second, you moron!"
"Hey—what the hell!?" I yelped as the pain shot through my leg.
"Why did you kick me!?"
"Because you deserved it, moron!"
We glared at each other, both of us hissing under our breath.
Then Eve's gaze dropped to my lunch box.
"Ha! Look at that—moron eats moron lunch!" she said, laughing to provoke me.
But I ignored her and kept eating silently.
Eve blinked, confused. "Wait... aren't you mad?"
She slowly sat back down and opened her own lunch box. The smell of curd and pickle filled the air.
She had the same thing.
I peeked at her from the corner of my eye.
"You like curd and pickle too?" I asked.
Eve kept her eyes on her food. "Yeah... it's rare to see someone else eat it at school."
I smiled faintly. "So you like curd too—but you just called it moron lunch?"
"I was trying to piss you off."
"I knew that," I said, taking another bite.
Eve paused for a moment, then looked up at me.
"You knew? That's why you went quiet?" she asked, curiosity glinting in her eyes as if testing my honesty.
I sighed, finishing the last bite of my lunch.
"I don't really like arguments," I said. "So... I just stay quiet."
Eve stared at me for a few seconds.
"Moron," she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips.
I looked at her, then at my empty lunch box. The faint smell of curd and pickle lingered in the air, and for the first time that day— I didn't feel so lonely.
To be continued-