Wenalin's POV
Today . I had my eco bag slung over my shoulder, filled with a few things I picked up—instant noodles, a pack of melon bread, and some canned coffee for tomorrow morning. My mom always tells me I should spend more on proper meals, but honestly? Cheap food tastes better when you're a student on a budget.
The evening air felt nice as I cut through the park on my way home. The sun had almost set, leaving the sky a soft shade of orange fading into blue. I liked this time of day. It was quiet. Simple. Nobody really paid attention to me, and I preferred it that way.
At least, until I heard it.
"BARK! BARK! BARK!"
The sound jolted me, and I turned my head quickly. A big dog stood on the path up ahead, growling. I saw a girl on the ground a few steps away from it. She was frozen, her hands pressed to the pavement, her whole body stiff like she couldn't move.
I saw her freinds I think was running away
Seriously? Just leave her like that?
I tightened my grip on my eco bag and took a slow breath. I wasn't good with dogs either, but something about the way she looked—wide-eyed, trapped, completely out of place on the cold pavement—made me move before I could think twice.
"Hey!" I called out, my voice louder than I expected.
The dog's ears twitched, its attention snapping toward me. My I kept my posture straight and tried to sound calm. I knew from watching my uncle's dog back in the countryside that animals could sense fear.
I bent down slightly and whistled, pulling out the melon bread from my bag.
"Look what I've got, boy. You hungry?"
The dog's growl eased into a curious sniffing sound. Step by step, it walked toward me, distracted by the sweet smell. As soon as it was close enough, I tossed the bread a few meters away. The dog chased after it immediately, tail wagging now instead of standing stiff.
I exhaled, only realizing then how tense my shoulders had been.
Turning back, I walked to the girl still sitting on the ground. She looked at me our eyes meet
she was, staring at me with wide eyes, as if I'd just pulled her out of a nightmare.
"You okay?" I asked, offering my hand without thinking.
She blinked, still frozen for a second, before slowly slipping her hand into mine. Her palm was soft, warm, and a little shaky. I helped her up,She brushing dirt from her sleeve.
Yana's POV
My palms burned. Tiny cuts stung where they scraped the pavement, but what hurt more was my pride. Fujimoto Yana—heiress, cheer star, the girl who "never falters"—had just frozen in front of a dog and fallen like a clumsy kid.
The girl who pulled me up crouched beside me, her bag still slung . She was something steady in the way she moved, calm and unbothered.
We sit on the bench at the park
"You scraped your hand," she said softly. She dug into her bag and pulled out a packet of tissues and a small bottle of water. "Here. Let me clean it before it gets worse."
I frowned. "You don't have to—"
"Hold still." She smiled as if she hadn't heard me at all. She carefully poured a bit of water over my palm, dabbing gently with the tissue. The sting made me hiss, and she looked up, eyes apologetic but still smiling. "Sorry, I'll be careful. But you should really watch where you're stepping, especially in places like this."
Her voice wasn't mocking. It was light, almost playful, as if she was scolding a little kid.
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't say nonsense. Do you know who I am?"
She didn't even blink. "Yeah," she said with a shrug, still focused on my hand. "You're a girl who almost got bitten by a dog."
For a second, my brain stopped working. Nobody ever spoke to me like that. No "Yana-sama," no awe, no trembling admiration. Just… blunt honesty, said with a smile.
"You…" I started, then trailed off, unsure whether I should be offended or amused.
She glanced at me, tilting her head. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
I stared at her. That smile that didn't waver even when she had no idea who she was talking to.
And for the strangest reason… I felt my chest tighten.
"No," I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended. "You just don't know who you're talking to."
"Does it matter?" she asked. "Everyone's just a person, right? Even someone who almost tripped over a rock while running away from a dog."
I gasped. "I wasn't running away! I was just—"
"Freezing?" she teased gently, eyes glinting with humor.
My mouth fell open. She was teasing me? Me? Fujimoto Yana?
"You're… unbelievable," I muttered, unsure whether I wanted to laugh or scream.
She only chuckled, patting my hand once more before pulling back. "There. Not perfect, but better than leaving it dirty. Be careful next time, okay? Dogs can smell fear."
I was still staring at her. At that smile. At the way she didn't care who I was. At the way she treated me like some random girl in the park, not the heiress everyone admired.
For the first time in a long while… I felt seen. Not as Fujimoto Yana, the flawless daughter, the admired cheerleader. Just… me.
And that terrified me.
"Wait," I said quickly, as she started to stand and sling her bag higher on her shoulder. "You didn't tell me your name."
She blinked, then gave a small shrug. "Wenalin."
Wenalin. The name echoed in my mind like a secret melody.
"Nice to meet you, stranger-who-freezes-in-front-of-dogs," she said with a grin. Then, without waiting for a reply, she walked away, humming softly to herself as if saving a clumsy heiress was the most ordinary thing in the world.
I sat there for a long moment, staring at her retreating back, my heart pounding for reasons I couldn't explain.
Me. Fujimoto Yana. Muse of the school. Speechless.
Over a simple girl with a smile.
-------
By the time I got home, my friends were still spamming me with messages.
> Miki: Yanaaaa are you alive??
Reina: I swear that dog was huge! Sorry we left you behind! T_T
Ayaka: Omg I feel so guilty, are you okay??
Kana: Next time let's run faster LOL
I rolled my eyes, tossing my phone onto the bed. So much for friendship. The only one who hadn't abandoned me was… her.
Wenalin.
Her name stuck in my head like gum on the bottom of a shoe. Annoying, impossible to shake off, and strangely… sweet.
I lay back on my bed, staring at the chandelier above me. The heiress's room—perfectly decorated, perfectly polished, perfectly lifeless. It felt too big tonight, the silence pressing down on me.
And all I could think about was that simple girl's smile.
How she didn't flinch when I snapped at her. How she said I was "just a girl who almost got bitten by a dog." How she treated me like… anyone.
I grabbed my phone again, biting my lip. "Wenalin," I whispered, as if saying her name would summon her.
If she was a student around here, then surely she had social media. Everyone did. And if she was someone worth remembering, then I should be able to find her, right?
I opened Instagram first. Search bar. Fingers flying.
Wenalin.
No results.
I frowned. Maybe it was spelled differently? Wenalyn. Wenalinne. Wena.
Still nothing.
"Impossible," I muttered. Everyone in this city had an online presence. Even the quiet kids in the library had some secret cosplay account.
I tried Twitter. Then TikTok. Then even Facebook, though I hadn't touched that app in years. Still nothing. Just blank results or accounts from people halfway across the world.
I groaned, throwing the phone onto the pillow beside me. "Who even doesn't have social media in this century?"
Rolling onto my side, I hugged my pillow tightly. For some reason, not being able to find her bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I should've forgotten her already—she was just some ordinary girl who helped me in the park. A stranger.
But the way she smiled, so effortlessly, without knowing who I was… it haunted me.
I closed my eyes, pressing the pillow against my face. "Wenalin…"
Why was it that for the first time in years, someone treated me like I wasn't special—
And that was exactly what made her unforgettable?