A week after that afternoon in the nurse's office.
Ray woke up early.
He followed his usual routine: showered, brushed his teeth, and went downstairs.
Breakfast was waiting for him on the table, as his mother prepared every morning.
He hadn't touched it for weeks.
But this time, Ray sat down and started eating.
His mother watched him from the kitchen with a mix of relief and tenderness.
—"I'm glad to see you eating again," she said from the kitchen. "I can't even remember the last time you had breakfast at home… but today you look different, son."
—"Different? Well… maybe something's changed these past few days, Mom," Ray replied with a small smile. "Just wish me luck."
He took another bite of breakfast.
—"This is so good! Can we have the same thing tomorrow?"
Suddenly, he remembered something.
His friends…
Ray grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.
—"Oh, right… if I leave them waiting again, they'll leave without me."
He jumped up.
—"Bye, Mom! Love you!" Ray shouted as he opened the door.
—"But Ray, it's still early…" his mother started to say.
The door closed before she could finish.
The woman sighed, smiling.
—"Ah, this boy never listens to me," she murmured to herself while clearing the dishes.
As always, Ray walked two blocks to the spot where he met his friends.
But that morning, the place was empty.
—"Seriously? They're not coming today?" Ray muttered.
He pulled out his phone to check the time.
Then he realized.
He had left fifteen minutes earlier than usual.
—"Did I really leave that early?" Ray said, surprised.
He looked down at the ground in frustration.
—"And I left my breakfast unfinished for this?" he complained, kicking a small stone.
He sat on the step of a nearby kiosk and started playing an RPG on his phone.
Minutes later, Tai and Cris appeared.
Tai was the first to speak.
—"Seriously?" Tai laughed. "Ray got here before us? I have to take a picture of this historic moment."
Ray lifted his eyes from the phone.
—"Shut your mouth, idiot," Ray replied. "I left early and left my breakfast half-eaten because of your threat the other day."
Tai approached, smiling, and draped an arm over his shoulder.
—"So, you're scared to go to school alone?" Tai joked. "Relax, scorer. We'll always wait for you as long as it takes."
Ray nodded with a small smile.
As they walked toward school, Cris looked at him curiously.
—"Are you really going to do it?" Cris asked.
Ray nodded confidently.
—"Of course," he replied. "It's already decided."
Then he lowered his voice a little.
—"Although… I'm a little scared to try."
Tai jumped, excited.
—"Then you'll tell her on the end-of-year trip!" Tai exclaimed. "We'll go to the mountains… that could be really romantic."
Ray froze.
—"End-of-year trip?" he asked, confused.
His face went pale.
—"W-what do you mean 'end-of-year trip'… our school doesn't do those things," Ray said nervously. "Besides…"
He looked at Tai with concern.
—"To the mountains? But… how much does that cost?"
For a moment, Ray stopped thinking about Hana.
He thought about his home.
About his parents.
About money.
—"Ah… yeah, of course," Ray said, feigning confidence. "To the mountains. I'll do it."
Tai and Cris noticed the change in his voice.
Though neither said anything, they exchanged a glance.
Once at school.
During the entire class, Ray barely listened to the teacher.
His mind was focused on just one thing.
The trip.
He thought a thousand thoughts at once.
Where to get the money.
How to ask his parents for help.
Finally, he dropped his head onto the notebook in frustration.
The teacher paused to speak.
—"Alright, everyone," the teacher said, walking around the classroom. "As you know, this is your last year."
He positioned himself in front of the board.
—"Our school doesn't usually organize end-of-year trips, but this year is special. Both classes have had excellent grades, and we want to give you a memory you'll never forget."
Then he began explaining the trip.
A cabin in the snowy mountains.
Separate rooms for boys and girls.
But plenty of activities together.
Hana's best friend, Sarah, raised her hand.
—"To the mountains?" Sarah asked. "That must cost a fortune."
The teacher smiled calmly.
—"Luckily, we got a special discount."
He pulled out a brochure and held it up for everyone to see.
—"Each student will get a 50% discount."
Ray lifted his head sharply.
The notebook left a mark on his face.
—"F-fifty percent…?" he muttered to himself in disbelief.
Even so, a small hint of hope appeared on his face.
The teacher continued explaining.
—"The total cost of the trip, including transportation, activities, the cabin, and meals… will be 100,000 pesos."
Ray's small smile didn't disappear completely.
But he knew it would still be difficult.
For the rest of the day, he could hardly stop looking at the clock.
He just hoped the bell would ring.
Cris and Tai were also waiting for classes to end.
But for a very different reason.
They wanted to spend the afternoon playing video games with Ray.
—"I can't wait to get out and beat you both in FIFA," Cris said confidently. "This time we'll bet drinks."
Tai crossed his arms immediately.
—"Are you crazy?" Tai replied. "I'm not betting against you again. Last time I paid for a whole meal for the two of us."
When the bell finally rang, Ray ran out of the classroom.
—"Sorry, guys!" Ray shouted as he ran away. "I have things to do!"
Tai and Cris looked confused from the doorway.
Tai sighed dramatically.
—"Well…" Tai said. "Looks like no FIFA afternoon today."