Batch 99- Rise Of Nobody

The first time Xian Reyes saw Hana Yang, it wasn't magical.It was chaotic.The hallway of Saint Theodore High was crowded that morning — freshmen lost, seniors loud, lockers slamming, footsteps echoing against polished floors.Xian adjusted the straps of his worn-out backpack. It was his first day as a transferee. His shoes were slightly faded, uniform a little loose — second-hand but clean. He walked carefully, avoiding attention.He didn't belong here.He knew that the moment he stepped into the campus.Laughter erupted from the staircase. Expensive perfume lingered in the air. A group of students descended like royalty — confident, polished.And then it happened.Bang.He collided with someone.Books scattered across the floor.Gasps echoed."I—I'm sorry!" Xian quickly knelt down to gather the fallen papers.A delicate hand reached for the same notebook.Their fingers brushed.He looked up. And for a second, everything went silent.She had calm eyes. Sharp yet gentle. Long dark hair flowing neatly over her shoulders. Her name tag read:Hana Yang.Behind her, whispers began."Careful, Hana.""Watch where you're going, transfer boy."Xian froze. He quickly handed her notebook back."I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking."Hana blinked, studying him — not with disgust, not with superiority.With curiosity."It's okay," she said softly.Her voice surprised him.Not cold.Not arrogant.Just… normal.Marcus Villareal stepped forward, placing a protective arm around Hana's shoulder."You should watch it," Marcus said sharply. "Not everyone here belongs."Xian felt the weight of the words.Not everyone belongs.He lowered his gaze. "Understood."Hana subtly removed Marcus' arm."It was an accident," she said.Marcus smirked but stepped back.Xian stood up, clutching his bag.Before he could leave, Hana spoke again."You're new, right?"He nodded."I'm Xian."She smiled slightly. "Hana."He already knew.The bell rang.Students dispersed.But Hana surprised him again."Which classroom?""3-B."Her eyes widened slightly. "Me too."Marcus frowned.Bianca whispered, "What a coincidence…"And that was how it started.Not with love.Not with destiny.But with a collision.After School.Xian sat alone under a tree near the soccer field, reviewing notes. He didn't want to go home immediately — electricity in their house was unstable during afternoons.He was solving math problems when a shadow fell over his notebook."You're good at calculus?"He looked up.Hana.Alone."Yes.She sat beside him.Not across.Not at a distance.Beside."My tutor didn't explain this clearly," she admitted, pointing at an equation.Xian hesitated.She didn't need help.She probably had private tutors better than him.But still…He explained patiently.Step by step.Her eyes followed every line he wrote."You explain better than my tutor," she said, impressed.He shrugged. "Maybe your tutor explains in dollars."She laughed.The sound startled him.It was real.For the first time that day, he forgot about the whispers.From the bleachers, Marcus watched.Bianca narrowed her eyes."Why is Hana sitting with him?"Marcus' jaw tightened. That Evening.At the Yang Mansion.Mr. Yang read a report while Hana sat quietly."I heard you sat with a scholarship student today," he said without looking up.Hana stiffened."He's smart.""That's not the point."Silence."You are not like them, Hana."Them.She clenched her fists under the table."Yes, father."But inside, something resisted.Because for the first time…Someone treated her normally.Not like an investment.Not like a business contract.Just Hana.Meanwhile.Xian walked home through narrow streets.Street vendors shouted.Children played barefoot.He looked at the sky.Blue.Wide.Unreachable.He remembered Marcus' words.Not everyone belongs.He smiled faintly."Maybe I don't belong," he whispered to himself."But I'll build a place where I do."And somewhere in the distance…Hana stood by her balcony, looking at the same sky.Unaware…That the space between them wasn't just wealth.It was the beginning of a storm.