The afternoon sun leaned heavily against the classroom windows, casting long, amber rectangles across the floorboards. Inside the quiet room, where the echoes of high school life had finally begun to settle like dust, Haya sat alone.
He was perched on a warm wooden bench, one that felt familiar in a way that hurt. It was a piece of furniture that held more memories—scuffed initials, whispered jokes during rainy afternoons, the frantic scratching of pens—than his mind could ever hope to categorize. A soft, soothing wind drifted through the open window, brushing against his face like a gentle goodbye.
Haya gazed up at the clear blue sky. It was an impossible vastness, a sapphire dome that stretched out to cover the entire world. To him, the sky felt like a silent guardian, carrying the weight of billions of wishes and the heavy ambitions of every living soul. Even though it had been scarred by the hands of humans—pierced by smoke and steel—it stood firm. It shone. It cherished the burdens it was forced to bear.
Will I ever be like that? Haya wondered. Strong enough to hold everything up without breaking?
He let out a slow, shallow breath. The silence was his reward for finishing the final paper of his SPM examinations. While his peers had rushed out of the hall to celebrate, shouting and tearing up their notes, Haya had walked past them without a word. He had one goal: to return to this room. This classroom. The sanctuary of his youth.
— I suppose it was worth coming here, he thought.
Suddenly, the silence didn't just break; it exploded.
"Baaaa!"
"Hwooooh!"
Haya's heart performed a violent somersault in his chest. A pair of heavy arms lunged from behind, wrapping around his neck in a chaotic, playful hug. A boy with a grin far too wide for the quiet afternoon clung to him, laughing at the sheer success of the prank.
It was Danish.
"What are you doing here all alone, huh? Secretly crying because you'll miss the cafeteria food?" Danish teased.
"Let go!" Haya struggled, though his irritation was half-masked by a reluctant twitch of a smile. "Danish, I swear, get off!"
Danish finally released his grip, though he stayed close, leaning his weight against Haya's shoulder as he peered out the window. Haya stood up, brushing off his uniform and letting out a long, theatrical sigh. He tried to look angry, but as Danish pleaded for forgiveness with exaggerated puppy-dog eyes, Haya simply shook his head.
"Fine. I forgive you," Haya muttered. "But keep that up and the next time you scare me, I won't be so generous."
Danish chuckled, but his expression soon shifted into one of genuine curiosity. "Seriously though, what's with the brooding? You were staring at the clouds like you were looking for the meaning of life."
Haya hesitated. Being an ambivert meant he could talk for hours with Danish, but sharing his deeper thoughts always felt like stepping onto thin ice. He turned back to the window, watching a distant hawk circle in the updrafts.
"It's nothing, really," Haya said, his voice soft. "I was just thinking about the sky. About how strong it is. I was wondering... if I'll ever become like it."
Danish opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the sound of the classroom door creaking open. Three more figures stepped in quietly, their footsteps muffled. They had been watching from the hallway, waiting for the right moment to join.
Annis, Zul, and Hanna moved toward the bench, their expressions a mix of amusement and concern.
"What is going on here?" Annis asked, crossing her arms. "Did we just miss a deep philosophical moment?"
"Yeah, Haya," Zul added with a smirk. "What's this about the sky? Don't leave us out. We've been friends since we were kids—secrets aren't allowed today."
Haya looked at them. They were the anchors of his life, the people who had populated his memories for as long as he could recall. He felt a sudden, sharp realization that this was the last time they would all be in this room as students.
"I already said it," Haya replied, his voice firm yet gentle. "I mean what I say. I want to be someone reliable."
The group went quiet. A moment of awkwardness arose, not because they didn't believe him, but because the weight of his words lingered in the air, too heavy for a group of teenagers to fully grasp. They were relieved to see that Haya hadn't changed—even after the stress of the past year, he was still the same person they had always known.
Breaking the silence, Hanna stepped forward. She was shorter than the rest, with big almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold a quiet wisdom. She smiled at Haya, a look of absolute certainty on her face.
"I know you can become one!" she said, her voice proud and clear. "I'm sure of it, Haya. I've been watching over you all this time. I know how much you care."
Haya felt a heat creep into his cheeks. He couldn't think of anything to say except a quiet, "Thank you, Hanna."
"The sun is starting to dip," Danish noted, checking the time. "We should get moving. We don't want to be late for our last hurrah, right?"
After walking for a while, they are welcomed by the soothing and gentle wind , also the sound of wave collide to the shore.Then as they walk up the hill To get to the shore, slowly in front of them , a clear blue colour appeared , as the ocean spreading wide open as far as their eyes could see . They were speechless , mesmerized and feeling relieved that they decided to go there because this was the place where they had been playing together when they were just kids . Nostalgia hits them , as they walk around the shore , going to the place they played together , talking to each other of the memories that they shared.
As they happily reunite with their memories, Haya is suddenly shocked and stands still while his friend continues chatting. The others, realizing that, asked Haya what in the world is he looking at. They are confused when they hear Haya say that he saw someone.
"Oi, Haya, what are you looking at while we are having a good time here, huh?" Danish asks curiously.
"Yeah, yeah, what are you doing just standing there and saying nothing? Do you really have nothing to say, or is it that you do not remember a thing ?" Zul asks in a curious and sarcastic tone.
Haya answers, "There is someone there.….
-I was looking at her."
All of them are confused as they turn and look toward where Haya is looking. There is no one – not a single soul is present there. To clear up the confusion, all of them say,
"What are you saying, Haya? Are you going crazy or something? There is nobody there."
Unable to bear being doubted, Haya firmly insists that there is indeed someone there. To prove he is telling the truth, his friend asks him to describe the person he sees.
"What are you guys saying? There really is someone there – a little girl! Just near the sea!" says Haya.
"If there really is someone there, you should be able to describe her, right?" Annis asks Haya, while Zul, Hanna, and Danish nod in agreement.
There is a little girl there, I swear. She has long golden-brown hair, fair light skin, she is wearing a white one-piece dress with a white straw hat, and her height is just below yours, Annis!"
Haya describes her in distress.
Indeed, there is a little girl who can be seen, but her presence is visible only to Haya with his own two eyes – only to him. After realizing that Haya might be hallucinating, none of them provoked him, but they became worried about the situation they were in. Suddenly, Haya began to grunt while holding his head, saying that it hurt terribly.
"Haya! Are you okay?"
All of them shouted in concern for Haya.
But what they didn't know – and what Haya himself did not know – was that what he experienced earlier wasn't a hallucination at all. It was something he had forgotten: a story from the past that flashed through his eyes and mind, as if urging him to remember the memory that he had lost through the years. As he tried to recall the sight of the little girl he was seeing – "the memory of that girl" – it faded like static on a TV screen and crashed into his consciousness. Yet he was still unable to remember anything except the image of that little girl standing in that exact place.
One thing was certain: he was no longer experiencing any headache. As he fell to his knees after what he had just gone through, all his friends – Danish, Hanna, Zul, and Annis – came to his side to help him. Haya looked drained, sweat covering his body, barely able to stand on his unsteady feet. His face was pale, his hands cold, his body exhausted. Giving in, he asked for help.
—Sorry. I do not know what happened. Can someone help send me home?
Without any delay, Danish offered to help. Hanna looked surprised and was about to cry, while Annis tried to comfort her. Zul, on the other hand, just watched and held Haya so he wouldn't fall.
—What are you saying? Of course you are not going home alone in this state.
Danish said this as if he were angry.
—I am sorry I could not be of any help,
Hanna continued.
—I do not know if you being like this is related to what you just saw earlier,
Zul said, giving his opinion.
"This is not the time to be thinking about that. We all have to go home first, and deal with everything else after we have all arrived safely," Annis said, rushing and angry at Zul.
After seeing what happened to Haya, they all decided to go home as quickly as possible, worried that something bad might happen if they stayed any longer. They parted ways there; Hanna and Annis took the same route as Zul. Danish supported Haya's shoulder so he could walk better, and then they rode their bikes. Under Danish's supervision, Haya continued to ride his bike home. Slowly but surely, they arrived safely.
Both Haya and Danish arrived at Haya's home. From afar, they could see people already waiting to welcome them: Haya's mother and his little sister. Danish had informed Haya's mother earlier, just before they rushed to his home. As he parked his bike, his mother came to support him because he already looked as if he was about to faint. After ensuring that Haya was now safe and sound in his family's care, Danish went back home and said goodbye.
"What really happened? You just went to the beach, right?"
His mother asked, worried and angry.
"Brother, are you really okay?"
His little sister asked, concerned.
"I am really okay, it is fine, do not worry. I just felt tired, that is all," Haya tried to reassure his family.
Upon entering his house, he took care of himself, showered, and then it was time to eat. All his family were waiting for him at the dinner table, still wanting to know what had really happened. Leaving him with no choice, he accepted defeat and began to tell them every single detail. Only after he had finished could his family finally feel reassured, thankful that nothing bad had happened and seeing that he was truly all right.
"Thank goodness nothing bad happened," his mother said, finally relieved, while Haya could only reply with an awkward laugh.
"Next time, you must tell us if anything happens. If you don't , I'm really going to hate you, brother, you know that!"
His little sister was still worried and angry of her brother, Haya, who seemed to keep all his worries and problems to himself.
After taking all the scolding and warnings from those two while eating earlier, Haya went to his room and checked his friends' group messages, which were flooded with messages and calls from them asking about his condition. Feeling tired, he only sent a short message saying he was fine, just to make sure no one worried and he could rest in peace.
Finally, he went to bed and fell asleep, yet his mind still clung to what he had seen earlier, to that girl.
About " the memory " of when he first met her.