Spring was coming, and it felt as if the world itself was stretching, yawning, and smiling—ready to fall in love all over again......
Year 2XXX. A new semester had just begun.
Shi came rushing into the classroom, his voice bubbling with excitement.
"Hey, hey, everyone! A new student transferred to our class!"
Before anyone could respond, the bell rang. Teacher Ran walked in with her usual calm expression.
"Good morning, students. Today, we have a new classmate. Please, introduce yourself."
At the front of the class stood a boy with dark hair that brushed lightly over his eyes. His gaze stayed fixed on the floor. For a long moment, silence filled the room. Finally, he muttered, barely above a whisper:
"Uh… hello. I'm Arn. Nice to meet you all."
The teacher nodded and pointed to the empty seat by the window. "Arn, your desk is next to Pou."
Pou offered him a friendly smile as he sat down. "Nice to meet you," she said softly.
Arn didn't reply.
During the break, some curious students gathered around him, eager to know more. But Arn only kept his silence, his expression unreadable. Whispers spread quickly, and soon, everyone had given him a nickname: The Lonely.
Weeks passed. Arn never joined conversations, never laughed, never spoke more than a word when he had to.
One afternoon, Pou handed him a test paper. "Here, this is yours," she said gently.
For the first time, Arn's lips moved. "...Thank you."
Pou blinked, surprised. It was just two words—but something about the way he said them felt different, as if a hidden world lay behind his silence.
And for the first time, she wondered—who really is Arn ?