The first day of the new semester was always noisy. The corridors buzzed with laughter, hurried footsteps, and the sound of students greeting each other after the break.
I slipped quietly into my new classroom, clutching my bag tighter than necessary. New school, new faces—something I never enjoyed.
The room smelled faintly of chalk and floor polish, sunlight streaming through the windows. Most of the students were already seated, talking animatedly.
"Ah, you must be Aya Ramos?" the teacher asked, glancing at the attendance sheet.
I nodded. "Yes."
She smiled politely. "You're our new transfer student. Please introduce yourself."
I faced the class briefly, keeping my voice calm. "I'm Aya Ramos. Nice to meet you all."
Some of the girls whispered greetings back. A few boys barely looked up. But one thing I noticed—almost everyone kept glancing toward the back row, where a boy sat slouched in his seat, earphones half-hidden under his hair.
The teacher checked her chart. "Aya, you'll be sitting… next to Lawrence Cruz."
The whispers started immediately.
"She's sitting next to Lawrence?!"
"Lucky…"
"But poor her, he hates seatmates."
I ignored them, walking toward my assigned desk.
Lawrence didn't move when I approached. He just stared out the window, one hand on his chin.
"Excuse me," I said politely.
He looked at me, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes scanned me briefly before he shifted his chair slightly, making room.
"…Whatever," he muttered under his breath, turning back to the window.
Not exactly a warm welcome.
I sat down quietly, placing my bag beside my chair.
The rest of the class went on as usual, but I couldn't help sneaking a glance at him. He didn't take notes, didn't talk to anyone—just stared outside with that detached look.
For some reason, he seemed… familiar. But I couldn't place why.