The classroom buzzed with low chatter as students settled into their seats.
Emma sat by the window, as usual—calm, notebook open, pen aligned perfectly. Diana slouched beside her, already half-bored, tapping her foot.
The door slid open.
The teacher stepped in… followed by a boy.
"Alright, class," the teacher said, "we have a new student today."
The boy walked in slowly.
Hoodie up.
Earphones in.
Hands in his pockets.
He pulled one earphone out, eyes half-lidded, clearly not impressed by the room.
"My name is Arthur," he said, voice low, casual. "I transferred here."
No extra words. No smile.
The class murmured.
Then—
Arthur's gaze shifted.
It landed on Emma.
And stopped.
Time slowed—just a little.
Sunlight from the window caught her hair, still slightly damp from the morning. Her expression was neutral, distant, unreadable. She didn't look back at him—she was writing.
Arthur blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His brain short-circuited.
"…Oh," he muttered under his breath.
Something warm and sharp hit his chest all at once.
Interest.
Curiosity.
A quiet, sudden crush.
He looked away quickly, pretending nothing happened—but his ears were red.
Diana noticed immediately.
She leaned toward Emma and whispered, "Yo."
Emma didn't look up. "What."
"The new guy is staring at you."
"He'll stop."
Arthur cleared his throat, realizing everyone was still looking at him. "Uh… yeah. That's it."
The teacher gestured to an empty seat.
"You can sit there."
It was.
Directly behind Emma.
Arthur froze internally.
You have got to be kidding me.
He walked to the seat, sat down, and immediately pretended his desk was the most interesting thing in the universe.
From behind, he could see her clearly now.
Too clearly.
The way she held her pen.
The quiet focus.
The complete lack of awareness that she had just ruined his mental stability.
Arthur put one earphone back in, turned the music on low—
And failed completely to focus.
Diana smirked.
Emma kept writing.
A normal school day.
With one very dangerous variable introduced.
Break time hit, and the hallway flooded with noise.
Arthur slipped out quietly and sat on a bench near the side corridor, hoodie still up, earphones in. He pretended to scroll on his phone—but every few seconds, his eyes drifted back toward the crowd.
Toward Emma.
Meanwhile—
Emma and Diana walked together as usual, Diana talking with wild hand movements while Emma listened, occasionally responding with short, precise replies.
"…and then she said it was my fault," Diana continued. "Like, how is that—"
They passed by the bathrooms.
And froze.
The door to the boys' bathroom was slightly open.
Inside—
Mostang.
He was moving his hips and dancing like his having sex with a girl.
He was posing.
Flexing.
Talking to his reflection.
Blowing kisses.
"…You magnificent creature," he whispered to himself.
Diana's jaw dropped.
"…NO WAY."
Emma looked in.
Their eyes met.
Mostang: "HA-."
Emma didn't react. and closed the door
She didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Didn't change expression.
She simply turned her head back toward Diana and said, calmly—
"So, back to what I was saying."
Diana LOST IT.
She bent over laughing, holding her stomach. "EMMA—YOU JUST—YOU JUST—"
Arthur, from across the hall, looked up briefly—saw Diana laughing like she was dying, Emma completely unfazed—
And felt his crush get worse.
Mostang slowly sank to the floor of the bathroom, defeated.
"…I should transfer schools."
Emma continued walking like nothing happened.
Diana wiped tears from her eyes. "This school is insane."
Emma nodded.
"…Yes."
A very normal break time.
Absolutely normal.
Except for Mostang.
Always Mostang.
----
Break time was already chaotic when—
"EMMAAA!!"
Footsteps came running down the hallway at full speed.
Valeria appeared out of nowhere, hair messy, uniform wrinkled, eyes half-dead.
She grabbed Emma by the shoulders.
"I SLEPT THE WHOLE DAY IN THIS SCHOOL AND NOBODY KNEW."
Emma stared at her. "…How."
"I fell asleep in the storage room behind the gym," Valeria said proudly. "I woke up just now."
Diana's eyes widened. "WAIT—"
She snapped her fingers.
"OHHH THAT EXPLAINS WHY I DIDN'T SEE YOU IN YOUR HOUSE YESTERDAY."
Valeria gasped. "YOU CAME OVER?!"
"Yes!" Diana said. "Your room was empty and I thought you got kidnapped or something!"
"I WAS HERE," Valeria said, pointing at the floor. "UNCONSCIOUS."
Emma crossed her arms. "…You skipped an entire day of existence."
Valeria nodded seriously. "Power move."
Arthur, passing by slowly, overheard everything.
He stopped.
Turned his head.
"…What kind of school is this," he muttered.
Mostang, still emotionally damaged from the bathroom incident, walked out and saw Valeria.
"Oh thank god," he said. "Someone weirder than me."
Valeria looked at him. "Why do you look like you lost custody of your dignity?"
Diana burst out laughing again.
Emma sighed, already tired—and it wasn't even noon.
"…You all need supervision," she said.
Valeria hugged her arm. "That's you."
Emma didn't deny it.
Another normal school day.
Somehow.
----
The final bell rang.
Students poured out of the school gates, voices loud, backpacks slung low, freedom in the air.
Emma and Diana walked together for a while, talking casually.
"…text me later, I fixed my phone" Diana said, stretching. "And don't let your mom smother you."
"She will regardless," Emma replied.
They reached the corner.
Diana waved and headed off in the opposite direction, already jogging away.
Emma continued alone.
The street grew quieter. Familiar. Safe.
Her house came into view.
She stopped at the gate.
That's when—
"Hey."
Emma turned.
Arthur stood a few steps behind her, hands in his hoodie pockets, earphones hanging around his neck. He looked… nervous. Not creepy. Not aggressive. Just unsure.
"I—uh," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry if this is weird. I just wanted to get to know you. We're in the same class and—"
He cut himself off, exhaling. "Yeah. That's it."
Emma watched him calmly. No fear. No irritation.
"…You followed me," she said.
Arthur winced. "That sounds bad. I mean—I just walked the same way."
She considered him for a second. "…Speak."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"You wanted to talk," Emma said. "Talk."
Arthur smiled a little, relieved. "I'm Arthur. I know I already said that. You're Emma."
"Yes."
"Uh… you're quiet."
"So are you," she replied.
"…Fair."
They stood there, awkward but peaceful.
Neither of them noticed—
The porch.
Ethan stood outside, mug in hand.
He saw his daughter at the gate.
He saw a boy standing close.
Hoodie.
Hands in pockets.
Leaning in slightly.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
…Who is this.
He set the mug down slowly.
Very slowly.
Arthur was mid-sentence. "Anyway, I just thought maybe we could—"
The gate creaked.
Both teens turned.
Ethan stepped forward, tall, calm, smiling politely.
Too politely.
"Emma," he said warmly. "You're home."
"Yes, father."
Arthur straightened instantly. "Oh—sir—hello."
Ethan's gaze moved to him. Measured. Sharp. Protective.
"And you are?"
Arthur swallowed. "Arthur. I'm—uh—her classmate."
"I see."
A silence fell.
Not hostile.
But heavy.
Ethan placed one hand gently on Emma's shoulder.
"She doesn't usually bring boys home," he said, still smiling.
Arthur panicked internally. "I—I wasn't—I mean—I was just talking—"
Emma looked up at Ethan. "…He followed me to talk."
Ethan's smile didn't change.
His thoughts, however, absolutely did.
Followed.
"Oh," Ethan said softly.
Arthur felt like prey.
Ethan leaned slightly forward. "Arthur, was it?"
"Yes, sir."
"If you want to talk to my daughter," Ethan continued, calm as ever,
"you do it in public. Or with friends. Or you ask."
Arthur nodded so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. "YES SIR. UNDERSTOOD. COMPLETELY."
Emma blinked. "…Father."
Ethan looked down at her. Instantly softer. "Yes?"
"He is not dangerous."
Ethan studied Arthur again.
Then sighed.
"…Go home, son," he said. "Before I misunderstand further."
Arthur bowed slightly out of pure survival instinct. "YES SIR GOOD EVENING SIR."
He turned and walked away at record speed.
Emma watched him disappear down the street.
"…You scared him," she said.
Ethan picked up his mug again. "Good."
She paused. Then added quietly—
"He just wanted to talk."
Ethan looked at her.
Then smiled, this time genuine. "Then next time… he'll do it properly."
Emma didn't argue.
She opened the gate and stepped inside.
Behind her—
A father.
A house.
And a misunderstanding…
barely avoided.
Chapter end