When they reached the restroom again, Aken helped Mevin lie down. The boy was exhausted from the storm of emotions he had endured. At that moment, Vivan and Nethma, Mevin's best friends, arrived to check on him. They had noticed something was off about their friend.
"Hey, Mevin, are you okay?" Nethma was the first to ask.
"Yeah. It's just my head hurting. Maybe I need to rest."
Meanwhile, Vivan noticed the exhaustion and unspoken emotions in Mevin's eyes. Lies... There's more to it than that. His mind screamed. For some reason, Vivan felt that pain as well. Something vivid flashed across his mind.
"Vivan, did you eat?" Mevin asked, noticing the shift in Vivan's mood. His eyes looked as if they were about to fill with tears.
'You're like this and still asking about me? You idiot.' Vivan wanted to say it out loud, but his mouth remained shut.
"Maybe... Mevin, you should get some rest," Yunara suggested, sensing something deeper. But Mevin's stare remained unchanged.
Nethma stepped in, placing an arm around Vivan's shoulder. "I'll take him to eat. You get some rest. You know, sometimes he acts like a kid."
Mevin simply nodded, his gaze unwavering. The only one he saw was Vivan. Aken helped him get comfortable.
"You two, go eat something. Let's give Mevin some space," Aken instructed.
Vivan was about to protest, but Nethma didn't give him a chance. "Come here, you little sulky baby," he teased, dragging Vivan outside.
The teachers laughed at their silliness.
.
.
"You're always like this whenever he's sick," Nethma scolded Vivan.
Nethma had known Vivan before Mevin came to their school. However, after Mevin arrived, it was as if an invisible string had pulled Vivan toward him. They had become inseparable. Surprisingly, Nethma was okay with it. He was about to leave for his mother's country for a while, so he was happy that Mevin would be by Vivan's side.
"I feel like he's hiding something from me. He always keeps things to himself," Vivan complained.
"Aren't you the same?" Nethma remarked.
Vivan avoided his gaze.
.
.
"What are you going to do now, Yuni?" Aken asked.
"I'm going to check on our school students. They might wonder if I don't care about them."
"Yeah, let's go. I also need to check on the others. He's already fallen asleep. Must be exhausted."
---
"How's that kid? Aken told me what happened," Ken asked, handing a drink to Yunara.
"I don't know, Ken. My head hurts too, maybe from the shock," Yunara admitted, rubbing her temples.
Her eyes caught something.
"Why is Rain pacing back and forth like that?" she asked.
"He's under a lot of pressure. I really don't know how to calm him down. I tried my best," Aken sighed, glancing at the boy.
"Call me when it's time," Yunara said before walking over to Rain and taking him outside with her.
.
.
.
They sat on a bench in silence for a while.

"You love music?" Yunara finally spoke. It wasn't a question-it was a statement.
"Yeah. That's everything Cloud left for me," Rain replied.
"Cloud?"
"My elder brother. He's gone now," Rain's voice trembled.
"I'm sorry... You called him 'Cloud'?" Yunara asked, offering him a side hug.
"Yeah. Since my name is Rain, I used to call him Cloud, even though his real name was Mark. He was everything to me. Still is, even though he's gone. Rain doesn't exist without a cloud. But here I am, still alive."
Yunara silently held his hand, gently rubbing it. She felt him relax.
"You know, Miss Yanvi... When we were little, our house was a mess. My parents never cared about us. They were workaholics. Cloud was just five years older than me. Yet he was my parent all those years.
When... when he was ill, no one noticed. I was just a kid who stuck with his brother. And then one day... he was suddenly gone."
Rain's tears fell uncontrollably. Yunara let him cry, silently offering strength by patting his shoulder.
"You know what? After Cloud was gone, my parents suddenly had time for me. I know they regret it. They don't want to lose me too. But... why couldn't they do that for Cloud? He could've lived..."
Rain's voice broke as he asked questions Yunara had no answers to. She remained silent.
"Music is the only thing I have left of him. It keeps him alive. He used to play guitar while we sang together. Sometimes, he played the piano to control his emotions... just like that boy earlier."
He went silent for a moment as if he had spoken too much. Maybe he had never shared this before. Maybe he just wanted someone to listen.
"You know, Rain... I used to do the same," Yunara admitted. "I do the same to remember my grandparents, who were like my parents. And... someone I loved. I kept their memories alive through music. Whenever I wanted to cry, I played the piano. I still do.
Winning is nice. But it's not bad if we don't. Memories don't fade if we don't win. Just feel the way it feels."
"But the teachers will blame me. They say I'm wasting my time and dragging others down," Rain muttered, kicking at the ground.
"Everyone is responsible for their own choices, Rain. No one can blame you for theirs. Do you regret practicing?"
"No," he answered immediately.
"Then don't overthink it. I'm your class teacher, and I don't blame you. I'm here, even sitting with you, aren't I? Just focus on your studies too. I'll help you with that."
"Thanks, Miss Yanvi."
Yunara smiled. "Just take a breath. Everything will be okay dear."
---
When it was time to announce the results, the students from Dream High erupted in cheers. They had won first place in the orchestra event. Rain's happiness was obvious- everyone could see it.
"Yan, let's go," Ken called out.
"Give me a few minutes," Before Ken could answer Yunara hurried back to the restroom.
When she opened the door, she found Vivan sitting beside Mevin, who was still asleep.
"You're here?" she asked.
"Yes, Miss Yan... I just can't focus on anything else," Vivan admitted, his voice shaking.
What's going on? Everyone's either sad or crying today, she thought.
"He'll be okay, dear. Just stay with him," she reassured him. Then, she took out a piece of paper, wrote something, and handed it to Vivan.
"Please give this to Mevin in case he asks about me. And if anything happens, or if you ever need help-not just about Mevin but anything-you can reach me through Mr. Aken, okay?"
Vivan nodded, watching as she gently ruffled his hair.
"Yes, Miss Yanvi," he whispered, sensing something oddly familiar about her presence.
---
As the sun set, Yunara found herself drowning in an ocean of thoughts.
What happened today?
He feels familiar for some reason... But considering his age, he couldn't be from my past. Then who is he?
She couldn't find any answers.
.
.
Suddenly, her phone rang, startling her. She exhaled when she saw who it was.
A thousand questions...
"Aken."
"You okay?" That's the first question.
"I think so."
"I have a bunch of questions, Yuni. I don't know where to start. But I'm glad you're back."
Yunara hummed softly as he spoke.
"You know," Aken continued, "I know you did what you thought was best at the time. But I... I can't agree with everything. What about those who cared for you? What about me? ...What about him?... Do you ...know anything about him?"
"No," Yunara admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
An uninvited tear slipped down her cheek, kissing the floor. The breath she exhaled was so heavy that even Aken's heart felt the weight of it.
"He was furious," Aken sighed. "And then he also disappeared. I couldn't contact either of you. But now that you're back... I hope everything will be okay. You two have shed enough tears Yuni.."
His words gave her hope-yet they also ate away at her.
"I'm so sorry, Aken."
"sh....It's okay, honey. What about Mevin?"
"He..."
They talked about everything, catching up on what they had missed.
When they finally went to bed, Aken felt lighter, knowing his best friend was back.
But Yunara?
She found herself drowning in memories.
I hope he's happy... wherever he is now.
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