"Bye, Mom, I'm leaving now," Lilith called out as she dashed out of the house, her bag bouncing against her back.
"Bye, sweetie. Don't come back late today," her mom replied from inside.
By the time Lilith got to school, most of her classmates were already gathered around in small groups. The atmosphere felt different from usual—lighter, louder. It was Friday, the day they were to submit their first exploration project, and excitement floated in the air.
"Hey, Lara," Lilith said as she spotted her friend. "I haven't heard from you since our project started. How was Xavier? I hope he didn't give you a hard time."
At the mention of Xavier's name, Lara's cheeks warmed instantly.
"N-no," she stammered. "He was very cooperative… and nice."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Why are you blushing? Don't tell me you're starting to like him."
Before Lara could respond, Xavier walked up to them. He handed a few neatly arranged project files to Lara.
"These are ours," he said calmly. "Miss Parker said we should submit them now."
Lara nodded quickly. "Oh—okay. Thank you."
Miss Parker soon instructed the students to head to her office and submit all the projects. After that, chatter broke out again, louder than before.
"Attention, everyone!" Peter's voice rang out. "Class Three challenged our class to a football match this morning. Anyone interested in playing should head to the field—they're already waiting. Girls are included too."
Lilith's eyes lit up.
"Lara, will you be going?" she asked eagerly.
"No," Lara replied immediately. "You know I'm not a fan of that kind of activity. You're attending, right?"
"Of course," Lilith said. "If you won't play, then at least come and watch me."
"I have a stomach ache," Lara said quietly. "I think I want to go home."
Lilith scoffed. "That's a big lie, and I'm not accepting it. Come on, let's go." She grabbed Lara's hand and pulled her along.
"Please, Lilith," Lara pleaded. "I'm tired. You know I don't like noisy places."
"You're going to like it today," Lilith said confidently. "I'm not letting you go. Besides, I have a gist for you."
At the mention of gist, Lara stopped abruptly, her tiredness forgotten. "What gist?"
Lilith smiled mischievously and tugged her again. "You love gist too much. I'll tell you when we get to the field."
When they finally arrived, Lara let out a long breath. "Ahhh, we're here at last."
"You're becoming too lazy," Lilith teased. "How far did we even walk that you're panting like a goat on the run?"
"I told you I was tired earlier," Lara replied. "You forced me here."
"Sorry," Lilith said lightly. "You won't do anything stressful. Just sit, watch, and cheer us on. Let's go meet the others."
The football field lay wide and calm, its green grass stretching openly under the sky. Fresh white lines marked the pitch neatly, untouched and waiting. At each end, the goalposts stood firm, casting faint shadows across the field. There were no players running yet, no whistle blown—just quiet anticipation.
Around the field, rows of chairs had been arranged for students who would soon fill the space with cheers. Some were already seated, chatting softly, while others stood in groups, adjusting their bags or scanning the field. Laughter drifted in the air, mixed with the cool freshness of the day.
At different corners of the field, students gathered as names were called out to select players. Some stretched their legs, others joked nervously, while a few simply watched with interest.
Lara stood beside Lilith, taking it all in. She wasn't a fan of crowds, but there was something calm about this moment—the pause before everything became loud and chaotic.
It felt like the kind of moment that came only once in a while… the quiet before the noise.