Unknown POV
"I can't do it…"
My voice came out weaker than I expected, almost as if it didn't belong to me. The space around me felt heavy, silent in a way that pressed against my chest instead of calming it.
"You can't?"
The voice that followed wasn't loud, yet it carried a weight that echoed through everything. It didn't need to rise...it simply settled, deep and unavoidable.
"No one wants you."
My breath hitched, my fingers tightening instinctively. "No… that's not true," I whispered, shaking my head as if denying it could make it disappear.
"Then why are you alone?"
The words came closer this time. Sharper.
"I..."
"Why do you think they leave?"
Something inside me cracked. My thoughts tangled, my chest tightening as if the air itself had turned against me.
"They don't..."
"They always do."
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was suffocating.
"I said no!"
This time my voice broke out, louder, desperate, like I was trying to fight something I couldn't even see. "No… no, no..!"
---
Kaizer's POV
The noise didn't stop.
It just changed.
I blinked slowly, the classroom coming back into focus as if I had just surfaced from somewhere deeper than sleep. The usual sounds returned...chairs scraping, low conversations, restless movement...but beneath it all, the thoughts were still there, overlapping, constant, impossible to fully escape.
Today, though, I wasn't just enduring them.
I was trying to understand them.
What if I could control it…? What if I could choose which thoughts to hear?
The idea had been lingering in my mind since yesterday, growing stronger with every passing moment. Because if I couldn't learn to filter it… then this would never stop.
"You know, I would've helped you in the test."
I looked up to see the boy sitting in front of me turned halfway around, his expression awkward, like he was trying to sound casual but wasn't quite managing it.
"…but I couldn't."
For a moment, I just stared at him, catching the faint echo of what he had thought earlier.
*I'll just ignore him.*
Of course.
I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on the desk. "It's okay," I said calmly. "You obviously wouldn't think about ignoring me."
His expression froze. For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he turned back immediately, shoulders stiff.
I leaned back again, not entirely sure why I had said that. It didn't matter.
The classroom door opened, and just like that, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations died down as the teacher walked in, answer sheets in hand, and suddenly the room filled with a different kind of tension...hope, anxiety, silent negotiations with God.
Names were called one by one, marks announced aloud, each reaction blending into the growing hum of thoughts.
When the boy in front of me was called, he walked up confidently, even though his score was just above average. Still, his thoughts were clear enough.
At least better than Kaizer…
I didn't react.
"Kaizer."
I stood up and walked forward.
"Forty-two out of forty-eight."
There was a pause in the room, just enough to be noticeable. I took the paper from the teacher as he looked at me thoughtfully.
"Seems like you followed my suggestion," he said. "Asked a senior for help?"
"Yes, sir."
"Which senior?"
"…Senior Iris."
He nodded slightly, almost approving. "Good choice."
I returned to my seat, but the words didn't stay about marks or studies.
They shifted.
To something else.
---
Her.
---
The performance.
---
Will she agree?
The thought repeated, clearer than anything else around me.
The bell rang, breaking the moment, and the class dissolved into movement again.
"Bro!"
Lux appeared beside me instantly, far more energetic than necessary. "We're almost the same," he grinned. "I just beat you by one."
I glanced at him briefly. "Congratulations."
"I know."
We started walking toward the canteen, his voice filling the space between us, but I wasn't really listening. My mind stayed somewhere else.
Will she agree?
---
We found them easily.
Iris and Anya were already sitting, talking about something, and Lux immediately called out to them. Within moments, the four of us were seated together, the table filling with familiar energy.
---
Iris's POV
Something felt… off.
Not in a bad way. Just different.
I glanced at Kaizer. He was quiet, but not in the usual distant way. This felt more… inward, like he was somewhere else entirely.
And the truth was..
so was I.
Because the same question had been circling my mind since yesterday.
Should I say yes… or no?
"Are you guys actually going to perform or not?"
Anya's voice cut straight through my thoughts, leaving no space to avoid it.
I looked up.
At him.
And for the first time, I realised he was already looking at me.
I hesitated. The answer was there, but it didn't come out.
Before I could say anything...
he spoke.
"You don't have to do it."
Everything paused for a second.
There was no pressure in his voice. No expectation. No hint of disappointment or insistence.
Just… an option.
I looked at him, slightly surprised, because that wasn't what I expected him to say.
And somehow, that made it harder.
Because when someone doesn't force you… the decision becomes entirely yours.
You don't have to do it.
The words stayed with me, even after the conversation moved on.
---
By the time school ended, I still hadn't given myself a clear answer. My steps slowed slightly as I reached the bus stop..and then I saw him.
Standing there.
I didn't overthink it this time.
I just walked up to him and stopped beside him.
For a brief second, I became aware of the distance between us...not emotional, but physical. Months ago, I used to reach almost his chin without trying. Now, standing this close, I barely reached past his shoulder.
"Actually.."
We both spoke at the same time.
I blinked. He did too.
"What if my dance ruins your singing?" I said.
"What if my singing ruins your dance?" he said.
For a moment, we just looked at each other.
And then..
he laughed.
Softly. Naturally. Like it wasn't forced.
I had never seen that before.
A smile slipped onto my face without me realising.
He looked at me then, properly.
"If we're going to ruin it," he said, "let's ruin it properly."
A small laugh escaped me.
I nodded.
"Okay."
And just like that, something settled between us.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just… understood.
---
The bus arrived, and we got in. I took a seat by the window, and he sat beside me, leaving just enough space in between so it didn't feel uncomfortable.
It was quiet.
But not awkward.
---
When my stop came, I stood up and stepped down, then turned back almost instinctively.
"Bye," I said, raising my hand.
He looked slightly caught off guard, like he hadn't expected it, but then he raised his hand too.
"…Bye."
---
The café felt the same as always..busy, steady, grounding.
"Late again?" Grace asked as she passed by.
"Not today," I replied.
She glanced at me for a moment, then nodded. "You look… better."
I paused slightly.
"…I think I am."
She gave a faint smile before walking away, and for once, there was no tension in the air. Just something neutral. Something… moving forward.
---
When I reached home, I didn't go to my bed first.
I went to the wall.
I picked up a small piece of paper, tied it carefully, and wrote..
"Let's ruin it together."
A small smile formed as I hung it in place.
Then I picked up my phone and typed:
I will fill the form. We shall discuss and start from day after tomorrow.
The reply came quicker than I expected.
As per your wish.
I stared at the message for a second, then let out a soft breath, dropping onto my bed and turning onto my stomach as everything I had been holding in all day finally slipped out.
A quiet laugh escaped me, light and real.
And slowly, with that same smile still resting on my lips...
I fell asleep.
Peacefully.