It's 9:30 in the morning... and the sun, damn — it's burning out here.
But who cares? I'll be at school in a while anyway.
My name's Daayer... Daayer Origami.
I'm around 14 years old.
I live alone.
And by alone, I don't just mean single — I mean really alone.
My family passed away a long time ago...
Now, loneliness is just something I've gotten used to.
Right now, I'm a student at Magician High School.
Today marks exactly one month since I joined.
---
If I talk about the world around me... what should I even say?
Everywhere I look, it's just crime.
Wrong here. Wrong there.
People wear more masks than smiles.
But honestly?
I don't care.
I just want to live my life peacefully.
That's the real reason I joined this magician school.
I thought maybe I'd find a little fun here — maybe even a bit of life.
And I did...
Things have been going pretty peacefully.
But then —
she showed up in my class…
and completely messed up my rhythm.
---
Her life felt... strangely similar to mine — quiet, a bit distant.
But at the same time, completely different.
Just like me, she stays away from everyone.
But here's the thing —
People try to talk to me. I'm the one who avoids them.
But with her… no one even tries.
No students.
No teachers.
No smiles.
I don't know why...
but there's something about her that keeps everyone away.
---
Now, I'm not the kind of guy who goes around complimenting girls…
But I have to admit — she's beautiful.
Like, a silent kind of beauty.
Her face, her eyes… there's something in them. Something that words can't quite describe.
She always sits near the window.
And I've been watching her for days now.
She keeps staring outside...
like she's lost in some faraway world only she can see.
Her lips move softly —
talking to herself.
Or maybe…
talking to someone she's lost?
---
She always looks so quietly sad.
And then…
One day, something happened.
The first time I saw her up close.
School was over.
Everyone had already left.
Only the two of us were still in the classroom.
I had my head down on the desk, just resting a bit.
Suddenly, a piece of paper floated over near me — carried by the breeze.
When I looked up…
there she was — bent down, picking it up.
And for a moment…
our eyes met.
And in that split second,
everything just stopped.
All sounds, all movement... paused.
Just her… in my eyes.
And me… caught in hers.
Another breeze blew through the window — and scattered all the papers again.
I helped her pick them up.
She gently said, "Thank you"…
and walked away. Quietly.
Like speaking to me had taken effort.
Or maybe… courage.
---
Everything felt normal after that.
But I wasn't.
Her eyes kept replaying in my head.
Eyes that felt like they were drowning in silence.
Eyes that seemed to be searching for someone.
Someone to just sit beside her and listen.
I don't understand it...
But now — I want to talk to her.
I want to understand her.
I want to ask her so many things...
Maybe... she's lonelier than I am.
"Now she's all I think about...
Feels like if I just get one chance to go to her, to talk to her...
maybe then even my breathing will find some peace.
I just want to talk to her, yaaaaar..."
---
Next day, at school —
Looks like I arrived a little too early today.
But... wait a second — the door is already open?
Zenoyi...
So, like every day, she's here even before me.
I quietly took my seat on the bench.
She was, as usual, sitting by the window — looking outside, lost in her thoughts.
But the moment I stepped in... she glanced at me — a brief, cold glance —
and then drifted right back into her world.
After a while, she walked out of the classroom.
I kept thinking... "Why not talk to her today?"
I slowly began to follow her.
Turned out, she had gone to the swings behind the school —
the ones that are always empty.
I just wanted to walk up to her...
But courage?
That was my worst enemy at that moment.
And once again, I fell back into my usual pattern — quietly returned to class.
By then, the classroom was filling up with students.
Everyone was practicing the "magic" we're taught.
---
Magic.
That word is on everyone's lips here.
But in reality... magic doesn't even exist.
It's just body energy — which we've labeled as "magic."
We only study the theory — like it's some ancient science.
True magic exists in only a few people.
Not even the teachers possess it... they only have bookish knowledge.
Do I have magic within me? I don't know.
I truly don't.
And those who do have real magic...
They often resort to illegal acts to grow their power.
The government can't touch them.
Because it's thanks to them that the country is safe.
Every nation has some magicians —
Some have many, others only a few.
Those without any... don't even exist on the world map.
In the name of magic, people worship them as gods...
Speaking against them? Forget it — even thinking something bad is forbidden.
---
But me?
I wish I had no magic inside me.
Just a simple, peaceful life.
No need to be a hero or a villain.
I just want to live... for myself, with myself.
---
Next morning —
Once again, I reached school before anyone else.
And as it had become a routine — Zenoyi was already there before me.
Her every movement had become a part of my day.
A little later, she left the classroom.
I figured — she must've gone to the swings again.
I went to wash my hands...
And from the window, I saw — I was right.
There she was, sitting alone — like every day.
Alone. Still. Quiet.
I watched her for a while.
And then —
I made up my mind.
I began walking toward her — slowly.
The moment she saw me... she immediately lowered her head.
I sat on the swing beside hers.
But... I still didn't have the courage to say anything.
She kept her head bowed down...
Like something inside her shattered when she saw me... or maybe she was hiding something.
This went on for a few days.
I'd sit next to her — and she'd look down.
Not a single word... not a single smile.
---
But today —
Today, I finally made a decision.
I had to talk to her!
I nervously said to her —
"Uhh... I... I want to ask you something..."
---
Me: "I want to ask you something..."
I gathered all my courage and asked.
Zenoyi looked straight into my eyes and said,
"What do you want to talk about? You followed me yesterday, and today too... What do you want from me?"
Me (nervously): "No, no! Please don't misunderstand me. I just... just wanted to talk to you. That's all. I only wanted to know... why do you stay so distant from everyone? Why does everyone avoid you? And why don't you talk to anyone? Why?"
Zenoyi stayed silent for a while, then said in a cold tone,
"Maybe you don't know my name... that's why you're asking these questions."
Me (thinking to myself): Name? What does a name have to do with all this?
Then I softly said,
"You're right... I don't know your name yet. No one has ever called you by name, not even during class attendance. Maybe that's why... I never got the chance to know. Will you tell me your name?"
She looked at me, then said,
"My name is Zenoyi... Zenoyi Senock.
Now maybe all your questions have been answered."
I stood frozen.
Zenoyi Senock?
That was the very name that lived in every magician's mind like a curse.
The Senock family — the most powerful magical family in the world. There was a time when their pain and their command both ruled the world.
And then one day, a king of the Senock family did something that pushed the entire world to the brink of destruction. The other kings united and killed him... and since then, the name 'Senock' became one that every human and magician began to hate.
I had heard too... that no one from that family is alive anymore, except for one girl — who wasn't punished by the government, but was already declared guilty by the people.
And that girl... was standing right in front of me.
There was a tiredness in Zenoyi's eyes — a kind of defeat. She quietly asked,
"So... do you want to leave too?
After hearing my name?"
I lowered my head.
Zenoyi thought I would hate her too — just like everyone else.
But she didn't know...
I wanted to know her even more.
I smiled softly and said,
"I don't want to go anywhere...
In fact, I want to talk to you more.
I have no problem with your name, Zenoyi.
But yes, I can understand what it must be like to live with that name.
Come on... for now, we should get to class. I think classes are about to start."