Few days passed.
Alaric still wondered why Caelin had suddenly moved out and changed classes.
Lost in thought during class, he rested his chin on his hand, staring out the window.
Even if he moved out... why did he end up in the same residence as Simon? They had conflicts in the past.
This makes no sense.
The thought lingered, irritating him.
"Alaric... Alaric."
Someone was calling him.
He snapped back to reality and looked over.
It was Graneth.
Graneth cleared his throat, slightly nervous but respectful.
"Ehem... can I sit here?"
Alaric shifted a little to make space.
"Sure, go on. Rare for you to come talk to me," he said casually.
Graneth nodded.
"Since you beat me in that duel, I've been watching you. Even in the arena, you fight well."
He paused.
"I should respect your skills."
Alaric laughed.
"Man, you're too serious. Drop the formality. It makes me uncomfortable."
He lightly tapped Graneth's shoulder.
Graneth gave a small nod.
"Alright."
From a distance, Elara and Lalanat watched them.
They both felt relieved that Alaric finally had someone else to talk to besides them.
---
A few days ago...
Simon had rushed toward the office, complaining about having to share a residence with Caelin.
While he argued with the teachers, Caelin walked in.
"Is there a problem?" he asked, looking at Simon from behind.
Simon quickly turned around.
"As you know, we don't get along. So what's this about sharing a residence?"
Caelin walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. You're right, we don't get along... and that's exactly why I'm doing this."
He gave Simon a small smile.
"So don't cause trouble, and neither will I."
He tapped Simon's shoulder before walking past him to speak with the teachers.
Simon stormed out of the office, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"What the hell is this guy thinking? He keeps getting on my nerves," he muttered as he walked away.
---
Soon after, Caelin entered his new classroom.
He could immediately tell that most of the eyes were on him.
He placed his belongings on one of the seats before walking toward Simon and his group.
As he approached, some of them straightened up while others made space for him to pass.
Simon remained in his seat.
The moment their eyes met, the atmosphere shifted slightly.
Caelin slowly leaned toward him.
Simon stiffened.
"Wh-what?"
Caelin smiled.
"Let's forget about the past and try to get along, okay?"
Simon blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Ah... sure," he said slowly, still unsure.
Caelin straightened.
"I'll be spending my final year here in this class, so I don't want any problems with anyone."
He looked around.
"Hope we all get along."
His classmates quickly gathered around him, throwing questions at him one after another.
Laughter followed.
Soon, the room filled with chatter.
After a while, the teacher entered and told them to head to the hall.
There was a farewell ceremony for the second-year students who were leaving after finishing their term.
Simon watched Caelin from behind, lost in thought.
Maybe he's afraid of me now... especially since Alaric isn't here anymore.
A small smile formed on his face.
I guess... since he's being polite and all, I should accept him.
He felt a quiet sense of pride in that decision.
---
Caelin was walking alone when suddenly, someone wrapped an arm around him from behind.
He turned slightly.
It was Simon.
Simon shrugged.
"What are you looking at? You're the one who said we should get along."
Caelin looked at him for a moment before letting out a small laugh.
The two continued walking together.
Soon, they made their way toward the hall.
---
A few days ago, that was all it had been.
Now, Caelin sat in class, staring ahead.
Troubled by the thought, he wondered whether he should tell them why he had changed his classroom and residence.
Should I?
But what if they think I'm selfish... choosing my dreams over them?
The thought weighed heavily on him.
"Caelin?"
Simon called his name.
Suddenly, Caelin stood up, hands in his pockets, and walked outside.
His expression was slightly tense.
Simon watched him leave.
"What the hell is wrong with him...?" he muttered before returning to his own business.
---
As Caelin stepped outside, the thought returned.
Should I?
Maybe they'd understand... they're my friends.
For a moment, he considered telling them.
Then he saw them.
Alaric.
Elara.
Lalanat.
And Graneth.
They were all together.
Elara and Lalanat were laughing, while Alaric and Graneth argued about who was taller.
The four of them teased each other, their laughter easy and natural.
Caelin stopped.
Oh...
Maybe I shouldn't.
His gaze dropped slightly, as if something inside him had quietly given up.
He watched them for a moment longer...
then turned away.
And walked off.
---
The last bell rang.
Students rushed to leave, with some being warned by teachers not to run in the hallways.
At the school gate, Caelin and Alaric crossed paths.
They looked at each other from a slight distance, too far apart to speak.
Before either of them could say anything, Simon, Katy, and Silvia appeared.
They surrounded Caelin and invited him to walk home with them.
Alaric watched quietly.
Soon after, Elara and Lalanat arrived.
For the first time...
they went their separate ways.
---
That night, during dinner, Alaric finally spoke.
"Earlier today, before we left, I saw Caelin. He seems to have new friends now."
He was still chewing when he said it.
Elara hummed softly.
"Hmm..."
Lalanat asked,
"Did you guys talk?"
Alaric shook his head.
"No. He was surrounded, so I couldn't."
He stared down at his food.
"It's like he's changed. I can't explain how."
"He looks the same... but something about him isn't."
Elara dropped her spoon and sighed softly.
"There's a saying in an old book..."
She paused.
"We don't meet the same person twice in life. Not even in the same person."
She picked her spoon back up.
"I think that's what you're going through."
Alaric looked at her, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"It means both of you have changed."
She glanced at him.
"Not just him. You too."
Alaric frowned slightly.
"But I still want him as my friend..."
He looked down at his food.
"He's my first real friend."
Elara glanced at him.
"What? You think I have all the answers to your questions?"
She shook her head.
"That's too personal for me to answer. I'm not Caelin."
"He's the only one who can give you that answer."
She returned to her food.
Alaric leaned back, folding his arms.
"Why does change always come with a cost...?"
He stared at the ceiling.
Lalanat spoke quietly.
"Change can be scary, but it's the only way people grow."
She looked down at her hands.
"Even if we want to stay the same, time drags us forward anyway."
"So we either adapt... or get dragged along."
"And when people cling to the past, they look at those who move on and feel left behind."
She paused.
"That's what hurts."
Both of them looked at her.
Lalanat suddenly noticed their attention and panicked.
"Ah... I mean... that's just how I see it."
She laughed softly, trying to brush it off.
Alaric picked up his spoon and stared at it.
"I don't fully get it... but that's not a bad way to think about it."
For a while, the room was quiet.
Lalanat hummed thoughtfully.
"I wonder who his roommates are besides Simon."
Alaric replied,
"I think it's Silvia and Katy from Class Seven, but that's all I know."
Elara cut in.
"Both of them are from Caelwyn Nation. Silvia is academically strong and has a good personality, while Katy is more average in her studies but playful."
Alaric looked impressed.
"Wow, you know a lot."
Elara gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"Yeah, yeah. Just finish your food."
Lalanat smiled at them.
Then suddenly, she turned to Elara.
"By the way, about the homework—"
"Homework?" Alaric interrupted.
Both girls looked at him and sighed.
"Oi, come on, just tell me," Alaric complained.
Elara rolled her eyes.
"We don't attend knight academy here. Start paying attention in class unless you want to repeat the year."
Alaric groaned while Elara kept poking at him.
Lalanat laughed quietly.
The room filled with arguing and laughter.
---
On the other side...
Caelin was helping Katy and Silvia wash the dishes, despite insisting that he didn't need to.
Katy smirked and nudged him lightly.
"Hey, Caelin... have you ever had a girlfriend? Or someone you liked?"
She looked him up and down.
"You're tall and handsome. I bet you've dated a lot already."
Silvia quickly interrupted.
"Hey, come on. Don't ask that kind of question. You'll make him uncomfortable."
"What? There's nothing wrong with wanting to know more about your roommate," Katy said casually.
Caelin smiled faintly.
Both girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
Still focused on the dishes, he spoke quietly.
"When I was around nine or ten... before I even understood what love was... there was someone I didn't want anyone else to have but me."
He paused, taking a breath.
Both of them watched him curiously.
"But... I lost to someone I had never even seen."
He gave a small, dismissive laugh.
"Since then, I haven't really gotten close to people. I've just been like this."
Katy leaned in, intrigued.
"Was she from your nation? Do you still like her?"
Caelin's expression softened.
"She was a guest at our house during a meeting between nations."
He paused.
"I might still like her... or maybe it's just something I can't let go of."
He glanced at them before straightening up.
"Alright, I'll head up. I've got some work to do."
Both of them nodded.
"Oh, okay. Goodnight."
Caelin went upstairs.
The two girls watched him disappear.
After a while, they returned to finishing the dishes.
"So... you know who he was talking about?" Katy asked, not looking at Silvia.
Silvia paused for a moment before continuing to wash.
"I guess."
She lowered her gaze.
"It's always been about her... ever since we met him."
"I wonder how he didn't recognize you."
Katy glanced at her.
"Have you changed that much?"
Silvia slowly dried her hands.
"I don't know... maybe I did."
She paused.
"We were much younger back then. We could barely even speak properly."
She let out a small breath.
"And people don't remember others as well as we think... unless we made a strong impact on them."
"Hm... aren't you going to tell him?" Katy asked.
Silvia stopped.
The cloth slipped from her hand.
"I don't think I need to."
She looked down.
"I'm not that kid anymore... and he doesn't seem interested in the past."
"It wouldn't really change anything even if I told him."
Katy frowned.
"If he's not interested in the past, then why does he still talk about her?"
"He cares. He just doesn't want to admit it."
Silvia smiled faintly and gently patted Katy's head.
"It's not the past he's holding onto..."
She turned toward the door.
"It's her."
Then she walked out of the kitchen.
Katy stood there for a moment, frowning.
"...What is she even talking about?"
She shrugged and followed after her.
---
After taking a bath, Silvia sat on her bed, thinking back to her conversation with Katy.
While drying her hair, she reached into a small box and took out a blue hairpin.
The moment she held it, it pulled her back into the past.
A few years ago...
Silvia wandered through the castle.
It was her first time there.
From a distance, she spotted a boy around her age, swinging a wooden sword.
Sweat ran down his face, yet he was completely alone.
She stayed hidden, watching him for longer than she should have.
"What are you doing?"
A maid's voice startled her.
Silvia froze.
"I... I was wondering who he is," she said nervously.
The maid glanced over and smiled lightly.
"That's Prince Caelin."
She thought for a moment.
"If I'm not mistaken, you two should be around the same age."
Silvia looked back at him.
"Doesn't he have friends? Why is he alone?"
The maid watched Caelin for a moment as he swung his sword like he was in a real battle.
"It's not easy for him."
"He's strictly protected. He's the only child... and the future heir of the Bane Kingdom."
"His safety matters more than anything."
Silvia stayed quiet.
The maid smiled again.
"It might be hard to understand now. But maybe one day you will."
"While you're here... try to be friendly with him."
Then she left.
Silvia slowly approached, careful with each step.
Caelin noticed movement.
"Who's there?"
He pointed his wooden sword toward the sound.
Silvia stepped out, her hands trembling slightly.
"Ah... sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you," she said quickly.
"I'm Silvia, from the Caelwyn Nation... the youngest princess. I'm here with my parents for a meeting."
She bowed politely.
Caelin smiled.
"I see."
He returned a small bow.
"I'm Prince Caelin. Nice to meet you."
Silvia didn't respond immediately.
She simply stared at him, quietly taking him in.
"...What are you doing?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
Caelin looked at his sword.
"I'm practicing."
He smiled proudly.
"I want to become a knight someday."
"Wow... you already know what you want to be," Silvia said, impressed.
Caelin looked back at her.
"What about you?"
She hesitated.
"I don't know yet..."
She lowered her gaze.
"I'm not really good at anything."
Caelin stepped closer.
"I'm sure one day you will be."
"There's no need to rush."
For a moment, time felt slower.
Silvia couldn't think of anything to say.
She simply watched him as he got closer.
"Let me show you around," Caelin said.
He reached out and gently took her hand.
As he walked, he kept talking.
Silvia barely heard any of it.
Her eyes stayed on their hands.
Then she looked up...
and saw him smiling back at her.
Slowly, she followed.
---
Snapping back to the present...
Silvia found herself smiling at the hairpin.
The feeling stayed...
just for a moment.
"...Idiot," she murmured, almost fondly.
Then, carefully, she placed the hairpin back where it belonged.