School had ended. The final bell echoed through the emptying halls as students rushed outside, laughing, chatting, running home with light hearts and loud voices.
But Yuna wasn't one of them.
She walked slowly, her hand resting on the seat of her cycle, guiding it beside her instead of riding. Her face was blank, her expression unreadable. Her heart felt heavy. A quiet ache pulsed in her chest as thoughts of her father clouded her mind.
She missed him. Everything about him. His voice, his eyes, the way he used to smile at her like she was his entire world.
She hated living with her aunt and uncle. The house was just a place, not a home. There was no warmth in it, only walls and silence. But she was still a minor. The law didn't care how independent she felt or how broken she was inside. She had no choice but to stay there.
Her thoughts wandered to today's class. To the strange tension, to Nyx's worried face, to how everything felt overwhelming. Her heart wasn't calm, and her mind couldn't stay in one place.
She reached the house. Quiet. Still. Cold.
Her stomach growled softly, reminding her she hadn't eaten. But she didn't go to the kitchen. She walked to her room and closed the door behind her. Changed her clothes into something more comfortable. Sat at her study table. Opened her books.
But she couldn't focus.
All she could remember was the incident in class. The stares. The whispers. Nyx's eyes on her, trying to understand her pain. But no one really could. Only her father could, and he was gone.
The clock ticked slowly. Evening turned to night. Her hunger only grew worse.
Eventually, she left her room and walked into the kitchen. It was clean. Dishes washed. Countertops wiped. No food. Nothing.
Not even a plate kept aside for her.
She stood there, motionless. Not shocked—she had expected this. Her aunt didn't care about her. Didn't cook for her. Didn't even call her for dinner. Her presence in this house was unwanted. She felt it every day.
She didn't cry. Just sighed softly, turned away, grabbed her wallet, and left the house.
She walked under the dim streetlights to the small shop near her neighborhood. The air was cool. Quiet. Familiar.
She entered the shop, picked up a pack of instant noodles, and paid.
She sat outside on a worn-out plastic chair, eating her simple dinner. Every bite reminded her of loneliness. But it also reminded her of her strength. She could take care of herself. She had enough money—her father had made sure of that. She would be fine.
After eating, she walked home. Quietly. Entered the house, went to her room, and lay down on her bed. No one asked her anything. No one noticed she was gone.
---
The next day.
The morning air was crisp. Yuna walked into the school gate, pushing her cycle beside her.
This school felt slightly better now. She had friends. Not many, but enough to feel like she wasn't completely alone.
As she walked, a sudden screech of tires made her jump. A bike came to a fast stop right in front of her.
She froze.
Was it a boy? Her heart skipped. Her hand tightened on the cycle handle.
Then the helmet came off.
It was Iris.
Yuna exhaled and smiled slightly. "You're crazy... Just for a second, I got scared."
Iris laughed. "But hey, I'm cool, right? I ride bikes now."
Yuna looked at the bike, then at Iris. "You're not just cool. You're really cool."
Iris smirked proudly. "Yeah, it's my thing."
"Come on," Iris said. "Let's go to the parking lot. I'll park my beast, and you park your cycle."
They walked together. Heads turned. Students stared.
Everyone noticed Iris.
"She's so brave."
"Look at her style."
"She rides a bike? Wow."
Yuna walked beside her quietly, smiling. She felt proud, somehow, walking next to someone like Iris.
They reached class. Eira was already there, in her own little world, carefully doing her makeup at her desk.
Yuna and Iris exchanged glances and giggled softly.
They took their seats—right behind Eira's desk—and watched her. She adjusted her eyeliner, fixed her lipstick, dabbed blush onto her cheeks.
"She should open a beauty salon," Iris whispered.
Yuna smirked. "Right here in class."
Suddenly, the door opened. Juno walked in.
Eira reacted instantly. She scrambled to put all her makeup back into her bag and turned to face him.
"Good morning, Juno," she said sweetly.
Juno gave a tiny smile, nodded, and went to his seat. He pulled out a book, not looking at her too much.
Yuna leaned closer to Iris. "Did you see that?"
"She's so into him," Iris whispered back.
They both grinned.
Moments later, Nyx and Ren entered the class, talking about something in low voices. They took their seats just as the school bell rang.
The classroom door opened gently, and a hush fell across the room.
Jensy Ma'am walked in, holding her register with calm authority. She was known for her graceful presence and sharp eyes. She looked around the room with a quick scan, her gaze steady.
"Good morning, class," she said in her soft but firm voice.
"Good morning, Ma'am," the class chorused.
She opened her register and began calling out names for attendance.
"Eira."
"Present, Ma'am."
"Juno."
"Here."
"Nyx."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Yuna."
"Present."
"Iris."
"…Present, Ma'am."
Once the list was done, Jensy Ma'am put the register aside and picked up a textbook.
"Alright, today is English period," she said, her voice now warmer. "We're going to begin a new poem today. Turn to page seventy-four."
There was the soft rustling of pages as everyone opened their books.
Jensy Ma'am stood in front of the class with grace and began, "This is a beautiful poem. It speaks about life, change, and emotions that we all experience but cannot always explain."
Her voice had a rhythm as she read the first stanza aloud. The class grew quiet, soaking in the words. The poem's lines danced gently in the air like whispers—soft, poetic, and thoughtful.
"Now," Ma'am said, looking around, "we'll read it together. Everyone, follow along and pay attention to pronunciation."
Heads bent over books. Pens tapped silently. Eyes focused.
But Iris…
She wasn't looking at the poem.
Her elbow rested on the desk, her chin placed lazily on her palm. Her eyes drifted toward the window. The sky outside was a soft blue, scattered with clouds. A bird passed by. The rustle of leaves outside looked more interesting than any poem in a book.
Jensy Ma'am noticed.
"Iris," she said calmly, but with that sharp tone that made the class turn.
Iris blinked and looked back. "Yes, Ma'am?"
"Read the next lines, please."
Iris's heart skipped. She had no idea what line they were on. Her eyes darted around the book. Nothing made sense. She turned her head slightly toward Yuna, almost pleading with her eyes.
Before Yuna could even whisper, Ma'am raised a finger.
"Yuna. Don't help. Everyone should listen."
Yuna froze. Iris panicked.
She then turned toward Ren, her last hope. But Ren hadn't seen her… or so she thought.
Without looking directly at her, Ren quietly slid his finger across his page and stopped it on the exact line she was supposed to read.
Iris caught it. A spark of relief lit her eyes.
She took a deep breath, found her voice, and began reading. Her words were a little slow, slightly uncertain, but she made it through.
Jensy Ma'am nodded. "Good. You may sit. Next time, please pay attention."
Iris sat down quickly, trying not to look embarrassed. Her eyes shifted toward Ren. He was already scribbling notes in his notebook.
She stared at him for a second.
His face was focused, calm, a little serious—but kind. There was something about the way he helped without making it obvious. She didn't know why, but it made her heart skip just a little.
He was cute. She knew it.
She just didn't want to show it.
She looked away, pretending to be bored, but her mind was still on that small gesture—the quiet way he saved her without needing words.
Meanwhile, Nyx, sitting across the room, glanced at Yuna. His eyes lingered on her for a moment. He didn't know why she hadn't spoken all morning. Something about her felt distant. Closed off.
But Yuna didn't look at him.
She had her head down, eyes on her book, pretending to listen to the lesson. But her mind was elsewhere. Her thoughts still echoed from yesterday. The hunger, the emptiness, the silence at home. She couldn't shake it off.
Nyx noticed. And it bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Eira, too, had her eyes elsewhere.
Her gaze kept drifting to Juno. His sleeves were rolled up, and his hair was slightly messy. He was writing notes so seriously, his lips slightly parted in concentration.
Eira's heart did a tiny flip every time she saw him like that. She leaned her chin on her hand, smiling to herself—but then quickly sat up straight when he shifted slightly.
Juno didn't notice. He was too absorbed in the lesson.
Too focused.
Too unreachable.
And yet, Eira still watched him with quiet hope.
In that silent classroom, so much was unspoken.
Books were open. Words were being read. Lessons were being taught.
But beneath the surface, hearts were speaking louder.