[Miyu]
Mornings At My House Always Start The Same Way.
Not Messy — Just The Same Routine, Over And Over Again.
By The Time I Opened My Eyes, The World Had Already Started Moving.
The Morning Light Had Found Its Way Through The Curtains, Casting Soft Patterns On The Wall.
I Sat Up Slowly, Letting The Warmth Of The Light Touch My Face.
The Clock Read 6:01 A.M. — 14 Minutes Before My Alarm Was Set To Go Off.
I Always Wake Up Before It Does.
It Was Never Intentional.
But Over Time, It Just Became A Habit.
My Room Was Organized — Too Organized, Maybe.
Not Because I Enjoyed Keeping Everything In Order, But Because Messes Made Me Feel Like I Was Out Of Character.
And I Couldn't Afford To Be Out Of Character — Not Even A Little.
Books Were Stacked On My Study Table, Arranged By Subject.
My Bag Was Already Packed According To Today's Schedule.
I Reached For My Phone, Which Was Lying On The Desk, And Checked For Messages.
There Were None — As Expected.
As I Stood Up, The Mirror Caught My Reflection — It Looked… Normal. Clean. Calm. The Expression I Wore Every Day.
Then I Headed To The Bathroom. Brush. Wash. Rinse. Every Motion Was The Same As Always.
The Water Was Cold — It Startled Me Awake More Than I Liked To Admit.
After A Quick Shower, I Sat On The Small Stool Beside My Desk, Where I Usually Did My Hair.
Today, I Tied It In A Simple Low Ponytail — Functional And Unremarkable.
My Uniform Was Already Ironed And Hanging On The Wall — Sharp Creases, No Wrinkles, Every Button Aligned. I Wore It Slowly And Mechanically, Tucking My Emotions Into The Invisible Folds Between The Collar And Tie.
Before Heading Downstairs, I Checked My School Bag One Last Time. Textbooks Sorted By Subject, Pencil Case Zipped, Notebook Tucked In Just Right.
My Older Brother's Door Was Still Closed As I Passed By In The Hallway — No Surprise. He Never Wakes Up Early. He Says Mornings Are Overrated. I Don't Argue. That's Just Who He — Calm, Easygoing, Always One Step Behind The Clock.
Downstairs, The House Was Quiet — As Always. My Parents Had Already Left For Work. My Mother Always Set Out Breakfast For Me Before Leaving : Two Slices Of Toast And A Warm Cup Of Tea. Balanced. Just Like Everything Else In This House.
I Ate Slowly, Methodically — Toast In One Hand, Tea In The Other. My Phone Buzzed Once Beside Me. Probably The Class Group Chat. I Didn't Check.
Yui — My Younger Sister — Wandered In, Half-awake, Dragging Her Slippers Across The Floor. Her Hair Was A Mess. She Gave Me A Small, Sleepy Grin Before Settling Into The Chair Across From Me.
" You're Already Dressed? Of Course You Are " She Said With A Yawn.
I Handed Her A Hair Tie From The Small Cup Near The Toaster.
" You'll Be Late Again If You Don't Hurry. "
She Stuck Out Her Tongue But Tied Her Hair Without Protest.
I Smiled Faintly — Not Because It Was Funny, But Because It Was Familiar. Reassuring, Even.
We Didn't Talk Much After That. She Wasn't A Morning Person, And I… Well, I Was The Kind Of Person People Called 'Composed.' Not Chatty, Not Distant — Just… Centered.
But I Wasn't Always Real.
As We Left The House Together, My Sister Skipped Ahead To Join Her Friends. I Walked At A Steady Pace — Not Too Fast, Not Too Slow — Just Behind Her.
I Put My Earphones In. No Music Playing. Just Quiet.
On The Way To School, I Kept My Gaze On The Road, Occasionally Glancing At Passing Cars And Cyclists. I Wondered How Many Of Them Were Pretending Too — Pretending They Were Fine, Pretending They Liked Who They Were.
I Reached The School Gate A Little Early. Some Classmates Were Already There, Chatting And Laughing. I Gave A Soft Nod And A Faint Smile As I Passed By.
The Hallway Felt Colder In The Morning, But I Liked It — Less Crowded, Less Noisy. I Entered The Classroom, The Door Sliding Shut Quietly Behind Me. Only A Few Classmates Were Already Seated.
My Seat Was Near The Front, Third Row From The Window — But Still Close Enough To Glance Sideways And Catch The Light.
As I Approached My Desk, My Eyes Wandered Around The Classroom.
He Was Already There, Sitting Quietly, Watching The World Outside The Window.
Ren.
It's Already Been About A Week.
But Somehow, That Feeling Is Still Stuck With Me.
And As My Eyes Briefly Found Ren Again — Still Quiet, Still Unreadable — I Felt That Same Thread Pull At Me Again.
That Moment — That Fleeting Glance — It's Stayed With Me Longer Than I Wanted To Admit.
It Wasn't Anything Big. No One Would've Even Noticed.
But Something About The Way He Looked At Me… It Felt Like Being Seen.
Like He Wasn't Seeing What I Was, But Who I Was — Even If Just For A Second.
I Shook The Thought Off Quickly, Sat Down In My Seat, And Opened My Notebook, Pretending To Review My Notes.
Because Sometimes... Pretending Was The Only Way To Get Through The Day.
[Ren]
Today, I Arrived At School A Little Earlier Than Usual. Only A Few Classmates Had Shown Up — Not That I Cared. I Took My Seat And Settled Into My Usual Position: Chin Resting On My Hand, Eyes Fixed Outside The Window.
I Started Thinking About A Lot Of Things. Nothing Important — Just The Usual Questions That Drift Through My Head.
Why Does The Morning Feel Heavier Than The Night?
Why Do People Treat Silence Like It's Something That Needs To Be Fixed?
And The Most Persistent Thought Of All —
Why Do I Keep Noticing Her?
Miyu.
It Wasn't Like She Was Trying To Stand Out. She Just… Existed. And Yet, Somehow, She Always Managed To Pull A Part Of My Attention.
I Was Lost Deep In Thought When I Suddenly Heard A Voice Calling Out To Me.
"Oii, Ren."
I Blinked, Slightly Startled, And Turned My Head Just Enough To See Mahito Standing Right Beside Me, A Lazy Grin On His Face Like He'd Been Watching Me Space Out For A While.
Mahito Was… The Opposite Of Me In Many Ways. He Was Loud Without Being Obnoxious, His Personality Easygoing And Unbothered. He Was The Kind Of Guy Who Could Talk To Anyone And Make Them Laugh Without Even Trying.
He Met Me For The First Time In High School. He Decided We Were Friends, And I Never Had A Reason To Disagree.
What Surprised Me, Though, Was That We Actually Had Things In Common. He Liked Anime And Often Asked Me For Recommendations. He Also Played Games — Not The Quiet, Story-heavy Ones I Preferred, But More Action-based, Competitive Ones. Still, We Usually Found Something To Play Together, Like F*** ****, B***, Scr***** and others.
"You're In Your Fairytale World Again, Aren't You?" He Said As He Dropped Into The Seat Next To Me.
I Glanced At Him But Didn't Say Anything Right Away.
He Leaned Back With A Grin. "Let Me Guess —Thinking About How You Could Ride Those Clouds?"
I Shrugged. "Just Thinking."
He Laughed. "Yeah, That's What Worries Me. You Think Too Much. Especially In The Morning. It Should Be Illegal."
I Looked At Him. "What About You? Were You Up All Night Chatting With S████ Again?"
He Smirked. "Maybe. Best Friends Need To Stay Updated."
I Raised An Eyebrow. "Only 'Best Friends'? And At 2:00 A.M.?"
He Shrugged, Far Too Casually. "Time Is Just A Number When You're Emotionally Invested."
I Stared At Him. "You Mean, When You're Hopelessly Attached."
He Grinned, Unfazed. "You Say Attached, I Say Loyal."
I Shook My Head, Almost Smiling.
"Wow, You're Seriously Annoying."
He Leaned Back, Arms Behind His Head. "And You're Weird. That's Why We Work."
We Kept Going Back And Forth Like This — Mahito Doing Most Of The Talking, Me Giving Just Enough To Keep Him Entertained. Then I Noticed Vicky Walking Toward Us.
Mahito Noticed Too. "Look Who Finally Escaped His Bed."
Vicky Gave Him A Side-eye. "I Was Up Late, Okay? Not Everyone Falls Asleep The Second The Stars Come Out."
I Glanced At Him. "Doing What? Scrolling Through Your Phone Until Midnight?"
"Shut Up," He Muttered. "I Was Talking To People. You Know, That Thing You Avoid Like Sunlight."
Mahito Laughed. "Ren Doesn't Avoid People — He Just Treats Social Interaction Like It's Optional."
I Tilted My Head. "Says The Guy Who Narrates His Whole Life."
Mahito Clapped A Hand Over His Chest. "That's Called Having A Personality."
Vicky Smirked. "And A Desperate Need For Attention."
"Hey," Mahito Said, Pointing Between Us, "At Least I Speak. Ren Over Here Is One More Stare Away From Becoming A Background Character."
I Rolled My Eyes. "You Both Talk Too Much."
"And You Barely Talk At All," Vicky Replied.
Mahito Nodded. "Balance. That's Friendship."
I Sighed. "You Two Are Exhausting."
Mahito Grinned. "And You're A Puzzle. We're All Something."
As We Were In The Middle Of Our Usual Banter, The Bell Rang — Sharp And Final — Echoing Through The Halls And Marking The Start Of The Day.
Vicky Walked Toward His Assigned Seat.
Mahito And I Began Organizing Our Desks — Or At Least Pretending To.
The Teacher Walked In A Moment Later, And We Both Straightened Our Backs, As If We Hadn't Been Joking Around Just Seconds Ago.
The Day Had Officially Begun. Again.
--×--
The Day Passed As Usual — Periods Blending Into One Another. Some Classes Dragged, While Others Slipped By Quicker Than Expected.
During Lunch, Mahito And Vicky Managed To Argue Over The Most Ridiculous Ranking Of Anime Side Characters, While I Quietly Ate My Lunch, Occasionally Speaking Up When They Got Something Seriously Wrong.
By The Time The Last Bell Rang, The Classroom Was Already Buzzing With People Packing Up, Making Plans, Or Just Glad To Be Done For The Day.
I Packed My Things Slowly, Letting The Voices Around Me Drift Past.
Then, Without A Word, I Slung My Bag Over My Shoulder And Headed For The Door.
The Hallway Was Loud, Filled With Footsteps And That Familiar After-school Energy.
I Slipped My Hand Into My Pocket — Only To Pause.
Empty.
A Quick Check Of The Other Pocket Confirmed It.
Great.
I'd Forgotten My Earphones.
It Seemed Today Wasn't Quite Done Being Annoying Just Yet.
[Miyu]
The Classroom Was Quieter Than Usual After Everyone Had Left. I Didn't Leave Right Away — I Wasn't In A Hurry. The Silence Felt… Peaceful.
I Sat Still In My Seat, Tracing The Sunlight On My Notebook With My Finger, Letting My Thoughts Drift. It Was One Of Those Rare Moments When I Didn't Have To Be Anything — Not The Top Student, Not The Perfect Daughter. Just… Me.
The Door Suddenly Opened. I Looked Up, Expecting Maybe The Cleaning Staff Or A Classmate Who'd Forgotten Something.
It Was Ren.
He Didn't Say A Word — Just Walked Over To His Desk And Picked Up A Pair Of Earphones, The Ones He Usually Kept Shoved Deep Into His Pocket. Typical Of Him To Leave Quietly And Come Back Even Quieter.
He Turned To Go, Already Halfway To The Door.
Before I Even Thought About I Spoke.
"You Know," I Said, "For Someone Who Doesn't Like People, You Sure Forget Things Where People Are."
I Don't Know Why I Said It — Maybe I Just Wanted To Say Something Real, Not Filtered Or Planned. And Maybe Because I Was Curious… About How He'd React.
He Stopped. Looked At Me.
Not With Surprise. Just… Stillness. That Same Unreadable Calm He Always Carried.
Then — A Small Twitch At The Corner Of His Lips. A Breath Of A Smile. Like He Understood I Wasn't Just Teasing Him. Like He Knew I Needed That Moment More Than I Let On.
I Smiled — An Unguarded One, This Time.
And Just As He Passed Me, He Paused. His Voice Was Quiet But Steady.
"You Should Smile Like That More Often. It Suits You Better Than Pretending."
Then He Left.
And I Sat There, Heart A Little Too Loud, Wondering How A Single Sentence From Someone Who Rarely Speaks… Could Feel Like The Only Honest Thing I'd Heard All Day.
[Ren]
I Forgot My Earphones. Again.
Annoying, But Not Surprising. My Brain Tends To Check Out The Second The Bell Rings.
I Figured The Room Would Be Empty — It Almost Always Is By Now. But Today, She Was Still There.
Miyu.
She Was Sitting At Her Seat, Sunlight Falling On Her Hair — The Kind Of Picture People Write Poems About. I Didn't Say Anything. She Didn't Look Like She Needed Me To.
I Grabbed My Earphones Quickly. I Wasn't Planning On Staying.
But Just As I Turned, She Said Something.
"You Know, For Someone Who Doesn't Like People, You Really Like Forgetting Stuff Where People Are."
A Joke. Soft, Not Biting. A Little Ironic.
I Paused.
Not Because I Was Annoyed. Just… Surprised She Noticed. That She Even Wanted To Speak To Me.
I Looked At Her. She Wasn't Wearing That Usual Polite Smile — The One She Gives Teachers, Classmates, The World. This One Was Real.
And I Don't Know Why, But Something About It Made Me Say What I Did Next.
"You Should Smile Like That More Often. It Suits You Better Than Pretending."
I Didn't Wait For A Response. I Just Left.
But In That Moment, Something Shifted. Not In Her — In Me. Because I Realized… I Actually Liked Seeing Her That Way.
And Maybe… She Didn't Mind Being Seen.
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Some Moments Don't Announce Their Importance When They Happen. They Slip In Quietly — Like A Glance Across A Room, A Line Said Half-Seriously, Or A Forgotten Pair Of Earphones.
This Was One Of Those Moments.
Ren Doesn't Realize Yet How Much He's Beginning To Care. And Miyu Doesn't Know How Much She Wants To Be Seen — Truly Seen — By Someone Who Isn't Expecting Her To Be Perfect.
They're Both Standing At The Edge Of Something. Not Quite Friendship. Not Quite Love. Just… A Shift.
There Will Be More Forgotten Things. More Accidental Conversations. And Eventually, Some Choices That Won't Be So Easy To Take Back.
But For Now, It Starts With This — A Smile, A Sentence, And A Silence That Feels A Little Less Empty.
To Be Continued...