Wednesday – Morning
St. Ivy looked the same.
But something felt… off.
Maybe it was the silence that followed me down the hallway.
Or maybe it was the way everyone seemed to know something I didn't.
I stepped into Class 1-A and nearly tripped over the quiet.
Which, for this group?
Was suspicious.
No Sofia singing meme songs.
No Noah fake-fainting over someone's shoes.
Just a room full of glances.
Quick. Soft. Sharp.
And a little too many pointed at me.
Tyler appeared beside me with a grim face.
"Bro. Operation: You've Become Main Character is officially a problem."
"Huh?"
He jerked his head toward a cluster of girls whispering near the window. When I looked, they flinched.
"Apparently," he said, voice low, "you kissed someone on the rooftop yesterday."
My heart stopped.
"I didn't."
"I know that. You know that. But logic isn't what's going around."
Great.
Just what I needed.
Emma walked in a moment later—late, which wasn't like her.
She brushed past me without a word.
Her shoulder barely missed mine.
Ouch.
Then Amaya entered, slower.
Her eyes flicked to me, then to Emma… then down.
Sofia arrived last, humming something. She blew a kiss in my direction like nothing had changed—but her eyes flicked to Amaya's corner just a little too long.
So yeah.
Something was happening.
And I had no idea how to fix it.
Second Period – It Gets Worse
I wasn't imagining it.
The whispers were getting louder.
"It was definitely with Sofia."
"No, I heard it was Emma."
"Amaya was on the roof too, wasn't she?"
"Maybe it was Luna."
"Isn't he, like… dating all of them?"
I rubbed my temples.
"How did I become a dating sim?" I muttered.
Mid-Morning – Drama Club Ambush
During break, Drama Club cornered me near the courtyard.
"Jay! Perfect timing!"
I blinked. "What—"
"You're going to be the romantic lead in our festival preview," the girl in charge said.
"Wait, what—"
"It's a tragic love triangle. Maybe square. Possibly hexagon."
I stared. "No."
"Yes," she replied, already dragging me inside. "You're literally living the role."
"That's slander."
"That's casting!"
Lunch – Chaos Peaks
I sat alone. On purpose.
Emma sat on the other side of the courtyard with Sofia and Luna.
Amaya sat under a tree, quietly eating with her sketchbook open but untouched.
Everywhere I looked—more looks.
The gossip was chewing through the class like fire.
And I didn't even know who lit the match.
Then… she appeared.
Yuki Dawson.
Out of nowhere.
Tray in hand.
Expression unreadable.
She sat down across from me like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Everyone stopped breathing.
Even the trees.
"…Hey," I said, startled.
She didn't respond.
Just looked at me for a long second. Then said:
"Do you know what happens to stars that burn too fast?"
I blinked. "They collapse?"
She nodded once. "Supernovas. They burn so beautifully—then they implode."
"…Are you calling me a star?"
"I'm calling you a distraction."
Her gaze didn't waver.
"They're all spinning around you. Some don't even know they're doing it."
I sat there, stunned.
"What about you?" I asked, voice quiet.
"Me?" she said, sipping her tea. "I'm the telescope."
Then she stood up.
And walked away.
Leaving me with more questions than answers.
And all of them spelled Yuki.
End of Class – Back in My Seat
The tension wasn't going away.
Emma hadn't spoken to me all day.
Amaya had drawn only one page.
Sofia had winked twice—but that was probably a trap.
Even Mr. Brooks paused during roll call and said, "Markov, whatever drama you're causing… stop."
I raised a hand. "I exist."
"That's the problem."
Evening – In My Apartment
I finally collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.
There were no answers up there.
But I kept looking.
I didn't kiss anyone on the roof.
I didn't confess to anyone in a closet.
I didn't promise anyone anything.
And yet...
Somehow, everyone around me felt like they were slipping through my fingers.
That Night – In My Desk at School
I forgot my notebook.
When I returned after hours to grab it from my desk…
There was a piece of paper inside.
Not folded. Just… resting.
Like it belonged.
I picked it up slowly.
One sentence.
Everyone watches you. But no one sees you. I do.
No name.
No signature.
But I knew.
Yuki.
And somehow…
That scared me more than any of the others ever could.