The Classroom Before Summer Break
"Alright, class!" Mr. Lorkwell slammed a thick stack of papers onto his desk, instantly killing the last remaining hope in the room. "Just because summer break is starting doesn't mean you should abandon your studies! Life isn't all sun, beaches, and video games!"
A wave of silent groans spread across the room.
They were students of Astoria Zenith Academy, the most prestigious school in all of Asia… but right now, none of them acted prestigious at all.
Most were slumped over their desks, half-asleep, half-dead, and fully uninterested.
Everyone wanted to leave.
Except one boy who was somewhere else entirely.
Mike Sutherland sat near the window, his chin resting on his palm as he stared outside. The sunlight reflected softly in his blue eyes, but his expression was distant, calm, and completely unaffected by the noise behind him.
He looked… peaceful.
Or maybe lost.
Summer break, huh… Everyone's excited. I should be too, right? It's supposed to be fun. Parties, beaches, friends…
His eyes followed a bird gliding across the sky.
But I never really felt anything about it. Is that weird?
A tiny frown formed.
No… I'm just different. That's all.
"WHATSAPP MIKEY?!"
"—HAGH?!"
Mike jolted so hard he almost flew out of his seat. One hand slapped over his heart as he gasped dramatically.
"J-Justin! What the hell?!"
His voice cracked a little, cheeks turning faintly pink.
Leaning over Mike's desk with the most innocent smile on Earth was Justin Harper, Mike's best friend. Rich family, expensive watch, prestigious bloodline—
but absolutely zero resemblance to any of those things.
"Sorry, sorry," Justin laughed, scratching his cheek. "Didn't think you were that deep in your emo window-gazing moment."
"I wasn't—! And don't call it that!" Mike snapped, still holding his chest.
"It's summer, dude!" Justin practically vibrated with energy. "We should do something fun! Beach trip? Mountain hike? Jet ski? Skydiving? Frog hunting?! Something cool!"
Justin kept going, a machine gun of enthusiasm.
Mike stared at him for two seconds… then slowly turned back to the window.
Fun stuff, huh…
People around him always lit up when they spoke about vacations. Their eyes would sparkle like children seeing fireworks for the first time.
I don't feel that. I never did.
Justin was still listing ridiculous activities in the background.
I pretend I'm excited sometimes, since that's what people expect. But honestly… summer break just feels like time passing.
A soft sigh escaped him.
Maybe I'm broken?
He shook his head slightly.
No… just different.
His gaze drifted downward, faintly gloomy.
Sammy Interrupts
"MIKEYYYYY!! You topped the class AGAIN!"
"GAH—WHY ME?!"
Mike's entire soul jumped out of his body as Sammy, a loud, hyperactive classmate, appeared out of nowhere like a shouting ghost.
Mike clutched his desk this time, legs trembling dramatically.
"Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?! Can everyone stop ambushing me today?!"
Sammy blinked. "Oops."
Justin burst out laughing. "Bro, you're like a scared kitten today."
"I am NOT—!" Mike started, but his voice cracked again, making Justin laugh harder.
Mike's face flushed a deep pink.
He buried his face in his arms.
"Can this day end already…"
Before Mike even realized what was happening, the noise around him shifted.
A shadow fell over his desk.
Then another.
And another.
He blinked and finally noticed—
He was surrounded.
Twelve teenagers had formed a loose circle around him, like he was some kind of rare Pokémon they accidentally encountered.
Seven boys.
Five girls.
All buzzing with energy.
"Okay, so we go to my family's villa first!" someone said.
"No way! My dad booked an island resort!"
"Let's go overseas!"
"We should go skiing—"
"It's Summer, genius."
The voices overlapped excitedly, each one louder than the last.
They were all rich kids from Astoria Zenith Academy, and their "vacation plans" sounded like a competition to see who could flex harder.
Mike took a breath.
Time to switch.
His eyes softened, his shoulders loosened, and a small, easy smile appeared on his face.
"Alright… time to get back to it," he muttered under his breath as he activated his extrovert persona.
He joined the conversation instantly, laughing, joking, giving clever comments at the perfect times.
Everyone accepted him naturally, like he'd always been the center of the group.
But inside, as he scanned their faces, another voice spoke.
It wasn't always like this, you know?
His eyes drifted slowly over the group.
People see this huge circle around me and think I'm popular or something… but that's not really the truth.
My first year? Honestly, it was peaceful.
No friends. No expectations. No noise.
I didn't have anyone… but I wasn't lonely.
I was okay.
He remembered sitting alone during lunch breaks, reading, thinking, just… existing.
Then teachers started asking questions.
"Are you adjusting well, Michael?"
"Why don't you talk to other students?"
My parents got worried too.
"Is everything alright at school?"
"Are you being bullied?"
Mike exhaled softly through his nose.
The attention was suffocating.
So… I adapted.
I studied people. I learned how to blend in. How to act like someone they'd like.
His outward smile never cracked.
That's how all of this happened…
The chatter suddenly softened.
Two girls approached from the hallway—
Sara Anders and her best friend Mira Hale.
Their arrival completed the circle.
Fourteen teens total.
Seven boys.
Seven girls.
Balanced.
Perfect.
Lively.
But for Mike, the moment Sara stepped into the room—
Everything else went silent.
His eyes snapped toward her automatically.
Not even a blink.
Her brown hair shimmered under the overhead lights.
Her golden eyes scanned the group, warm but cautious.
Her expression—carefully controlled and gentle—pulled him in without effort.
She walked past him, close enough for a faint breeze to brush against his sleeve.
And Mike…
Mike forgot to breathe.
Or think.
Or exist.
His mind went completely blank.
She smiled politely at the others, joining the circle with practiced grace.
Mike continued staring—frozen, mesmerized, hopelessly captivated.
A smirk slowly crept onto Justin's face.
"Oh-ho…? Mikeyyyy…" Justin leaned dangerously close to Mike's ear. "Didn't know you were into OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES today."
Mike flinched so hard he nearly toppled his chair.
"W-WHAT?! I—NO—IT'S NOT— I WASN'T— STOP TALKING!!"
His voice cracked three times in a row.
His ears turned bright red.
He waved his hands frantically like he was swatting invisible bees.
Justin burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
"Bro, you were staring like you found a rare treasure chest!"
"I-I WASN'T STARING—!!" Mike insisted, eyes darting everywhere except toward Sara.
Across the circle, Mira nudged Sara gently.
Sara's golden eyes flicked toward Mike for a split second.
And she—
softly blushed.
Just barely.
A faint pink at the edges of her cheeks.
But enough to warm something in Mike's chest he didn't know was cold.
He didn't notice, though.
He was too busy panicking in place.