Greetings fellow readers, as you can see I am Hinata—your dear main character.
Most people say my attitude doesn't fit my name, but hey, I don't care about them. I'm just vibing.
That's how my life usually goes. No drama, no expectations. Just school, music in my ears, and my mind somewhere else. People expect a gentle girl when they hear my name, but I'm not here to meet expectations. I exist how I want to.
That morning felt no different—until the classroom door opened.
"Our new transfer student will be joining us today," the teacher announced.
I barely looked up. New students never mattered. They always came with rumors and left with none. But when the room went unusually quiet, I glanced forward.
He stood there, calm and unreadable.
No flashy entrance. No awkward smile. Just a presence that made the air feel… still. His eyes slowly scanned the room, then settled somewhere ahead—not on me.
"I'm Aiden," he said.
That was all.
The teacher pointed to the empty seat beside mine. "You can sit there."
Great. Just my luck.
He walked over and sat down without a word. Up close, I noticed small things—how he smelled faintly like rain, how his sleeves were slightly too long, how he seemed distant without being rude.
Minutes passed in silence.
I tapped my pen against my notebook. "You always this quiet?"
He glanced over, surprised, then shrugged. "Only when I don't know where I am yet."
"Huh," I replied. "Good luck surviving this place."
A corner of his lips lifted. Not a full smile—just enough to make me pause.
The rest of the day went on, but I kept noticing him. Not in an obvious way. Just… there. Walking a few steps behind me. Sitting across the cafeteria. Like a passing thought that wouldn't quite leave.
When the final bell rang, I grabbed my bag and stood—only to realize he was waiting.
"Hey," he said, hesitating slightly. "Which way is the bus stop?"
I pointed. "That way."
"Thanks."
He didn't say anything else. Didn't ask my number. Didn't walk beside me. Just nodded and left.
And somehow… that stayed with me more than it should have.
I told myself it was nothing. Just a new student. Just another day.
But as I walked home, I realized something unsettling.
For the first time in a long while, I wasn't just vibing anymore.