On the other side of the classroom, the usual chatter between Kaori and her close friend continued.
"Kaori, did you hear the news?" her friend leaned in, lowering her voice as if it were some big secret.
"Huh? Hear what? You haven't even told me anything yet," Kaori raised her brows, pretending to be annoyed but clearly intrigued.
"They said we're going to have a new student."
"For real?" Kaori's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Is it a girl or a boy?"
"They said it's a girl."
"That's cool. I really hope she'll be fun to talk to," Kaori said, folding her arms with a grin.
"Yeah, I think so too."
The person they were talking about, however, was not who they imagined. The new "girl" was actually Alvaro, who had no choice but to step into the school under a false identity—Valerie Celeste. This new name was the mask he would wear, concealing the truth about who he really was.
Kaori, meanwhile, was someone impossible to ignore. She was one of the school's most admired students—a star on the basketball court, approachable and friendly in the hallways, and intelligent enough to impress even the strictest teachers. Many students admired her for her balance of strength and kindness.
But beneath that glowing reputation was another side. Kaori was clever, cunning even. Her sharp wit and ability to read people gave her an edge that made others cautious around her. She could smile warmly, but those who crossed her rarely dared to try again. Though she treated everyone kindly on the surface, she reserved her true trust for only a chosen few.
---
Thursday arrived, the day that would decide Alvaro's fate.
Molenia, the one overseeing the entrance process, called him forward. In her hand was a sheet of paper—the result of his test. She handed it to Alvaro without a word.
Alvaro took it nervously, his palms slightly damp. His eyes scanned the numbers, and in an instant, his heart dropped.
"Damn, I almost didn't make it—good thing I passed," he muttered under his breath, his voice tight with relief. "If I hadn't, I honestly don't know which school I would've gone to…"
The score glaring back at him was 20. Barely enough. Anyone below 20 was automatically disqualified from entering. Alvaro had walked the thin edge between failure and acceptance, escaping by nothing more than a single point.
Molenia glanced at Alvaro's grandmother, who had been watching quietly nearby. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"So, your grandson has passed the test," she said calmly. "That means he is now officially permitted to attend school in person."
The grandmother let out a soft sigh of relief, nodding gratefully.
"Oh, and his books…" Molenia added, reaching behind her desk. She lifted a large, heavy bag filled with textbooks, the kind that weighed down the shoulders of every new student. With a deliberate motion, she set it in front of Alvaro.
"These are yours, Valerie."
The false name cut sharply into Alvaro's ears. His body stiffened for a second before he forced himself to nod.
"U-uh, y-yes," he stammered, his voice a little awkward. He wasn't used to it yet—this new name, this new role he was forced to play. Every time someone called him Valerie Celeste, it felt like stepping into a skin that didn't belong to him.
Still, he picked up the bag of books, clutching the straps tightly. Whether he liked it or not, from this day forward, Valerie Celeste was the identity he would have to live with inside the school's walls.
"And this school allows free clothing," Molenia added with a polite smile. "So you don't have to worry about buying uniforms or anything like that."
"Oh, okay," Alvaro replied, forcing a small nod. He adjusted the heavy bag of books on his shoulder, then slowly turned his body to leave.
As soon as he stepped away from Molenia's desk, a familiar voice reached him.
"So, how did you do, Alvaro?" his grandmother asked gently, though her eyes carried a trace of worry.
Alvaro hesitated, exhaling a quiet sigh. "Well… I almost didn't pass. But the important thing is, I did. I passed, Grandma."
His grandmother's lips curved into a soft, relieved smile. "Oh, that's good, then. I'm glad."
Alvaro tried to lighten the mood, flashing his usual confident grin. "Relax, okay? I'll study hard. I'm smart, after all. I can handle this."
She gave him a look that was somewhere between affectionate and skeptical. "Yes, yes. I've heard that before."
Alvaro chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't entirely sure he believed his own words. The truth was, he had barely scraped by, and the thought of all the expectations waiting for him in this new school made his stomach twist. Still, he didn't want his grandmother to worry.
"Come on, let's go," she said softly, motioning toward the door.
---
As they stepped outside the office, the late afternoon light spilled across the courtyard. Students passed by here and there, some chatting in groups, others hurrying off with their own books and bags. Alvaro caught himself scanning the crowd, realizing that soon he would no longer be just an outsider looking in.
Soon, he would walk these halls as Valerie Celeste.
The very thought made his chest tighten. He wasn't just entering a new school—he was entering a new life, a new identity. Every word he spoke, every move he made, had to be calculated carefully. One slip, and his secret could be exposed.
He shifted the strap of his book bag again, muttering under his breath, "Guess it's really starting now."
His grandmother glanced at him, catching the edge of his words. "What's starting?"
Alvaro forced another grin. "Ah, nothing. Just… school life. I'm ready for it."
But deep inside, he knew he wasn't. Not really.