She finally stepped into the class. Everyone knew she was a commoner.
No one dared to approach her, as she was bold and confident. Boys murmured, trying to approach her, but every time they tried, their instincts drove them crazy.
Her mindset was "either kill or be killed." That was what they were most afraid of—even if they didn't know it.
The girls felt jealous. "A commoner is never that beautiful…" That was the thought that crossed their minds every time they tried to befriend her. Gradually, day in and day out, everyone who wanted to talk to her ended up waiting for a chance instead of just saying, "Hey, I like your hair, what's your name?"
As it went on like this, at some point she ended up being alone—just as she wanted. She continued to live a quiet life.
Thus, she decided to remain silent and bold. Even if someone were to approach her, she would reject them. Ideally, yeah… but there was this one problem she had been facing.
She always went to the school grounds park. At the edge of the school's wall lay the back of the park. No one cared to go there, because just looking around was enough to get lost. She always enjoyed her free time sitting on a giant tree that passed over the academy's wall. The city lay behind the academy, and the view was amazing.
Now that I think about it, I'm gonna go check it out…
Getting back to the problem—he was the problem.
The mighty himself always sat there, enjoying the view: Vernon.
As the strongest, wherever he went he stood out as "the highest in the room" (yeah, it's a song reference).
He always came to the giant tree to watch thousands of people overwhelming the staggering market, like ants rambling below.
He bore the heavy responsibility of his family name, being the firstborn child, always told to be perfect.
As days passed, he found Eira taking over the place.
They slowly began to low-key compete with each other for the tree branch. The branch they both wanted was a bit higher than the wall, parallel to it. It could only hold two people at max, but neither dared to sit beside the other.
Plus, there was no other branch suitable for the magnificent sight of the market except the one they competed for. They both despised the idea of sitting one above the other, even if on separate branches.
One day, as he grew busier and arrived late, he couldn't just stand it anymore. He began to jump out of windows, ill-mannerly…
No one noticed, but they felt the vibe: "Why would he do such a thing? He must be in a hurry."
They both wanted to see the mesmerizing view of the market. That day was special for the market.
The rain poured heavy, and a glimpse of sunlight radiating through made it even more beautiful. They both noticed that when classes ended, the rain had already stopped, leaving behind a perfect combo of sun and clouds—irresistible.
The moment class ended—before the teacher even finished—BAM! The door slammed wide open as they ran out, competing like they were in a race.
Everyone was shocked, blabbering about what the two were plotting.
They entered the park. The mud was a bit hard to manage, but at least they reached the tree.
He was surprised that she kept pace with him. Looking at her with wide eyes—eyes he never opened except during training—he slipped, falling face-first into the mud.
Right in front of the tree, his clothes and face were covered.
She laughed at him, looking him straight in the eye. For the first time in the academy, she laughed. And for him, it was his first time being humbled by a girl.
As she looked back and was about to jump, her school uniform caught, tripping her, and she slammed perfectly into the mud.
He ran fast and helped her up, wiping the mud from her face. She laughed, lying back in the mud.
He was worried, but his face relaxed a little, and he smiled. He looked at her again, and they both laughed together. The tree dropped rain droplets from its leaves. The droplets rained down as he looked at her, making him feel strange.
"Why am I attracted to her..? I wasn't like this too long ago… suddenly I feel like I want her."
He never once asked why, when, where… nothing. All he could think was: "I like you… yeah, I guess I like you." Of course, he would never dare to say it out loud. Someone always burdened with family business, as a firstborn child, could never exercise something like this—an emotion slowly bursting, eating away at his chest.
He carried her to the mini waterfall. She turned red, blushing. "Thanks, but… I'm all mud. Your uniform…" She never expected such a thing, but she felt the embarrassment.
But he replied, "It's okay. You're gonna be fine."
She jumped into the river, washing the mud off her uniform.
He swam to the other side, washing himself with his clothes still on under the mini waterfall. Both of them were soaked, their clothes clinging. He glanced at her—her body was attractive, seductive.
It was his first time having a moment like this with a girl his age. First times hit hard.
After he got out, both of them shivered. She noticed something on his head. Coming close, she raised her hand and brushed his hair, removing a leaf.
She was too close. His heart pounded, though he remained composed on the outside. Inside, he was being beaten down by her beauty.
As she stepped back—he hugged her.
She blushed, smacked his front part of his shirt lightly, staring at his chest.
There, in the middle of the mini waterfall, where no one ever came—
They were all alone.