The next morning, Ael arrived at school early, unusually early. He stood near the classroom door, rehearsing what he was going to say. Again and again, he practiced the lines in his head.
"Lynette, I've always liked you… I teased you because I didn't know how else to show it…"
He pictured how she would smile shyly, maybe blush, maybe nod. Maybe, finally, she would be his.
But time passed. And Lynette didn't come.
More students arrived. His friends passed by and nudged him, laughing.
"So? Did she become your girlfriend already, or are you still dreaming?" one of them joked.
Ael didn't respond. He kept glancing at the door, nervous and confused.
Then, finally, Lynette entered, but not alone. She walked in with Seena at her side, radiant and calm. There was a buzz in the school that morning, rumours were already swirling that someone was about to propose. Yet oddly, no one seemed to know who had started it.
"Strange," Lynette thought. "No one knew about this before. Something's changed?"
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well, if everyone wants a show... I'll give them one."
She stepped into the classroom, and a hush fell over the students. All eyes turned to her. Even Ael's face lit up the moment he saw her, hopeful, eager.
She walked slowly toward her seat, calm and composed. Ael suddenly stood up, blocking her path, clutching a paper flower he had made himself.
"Lynette… I thought you were coming early," he said nervously.
Lynette didn't reply.
Ael swallowed hard and continued, louder now for everyone to hear.
"Lynette… the thing I wanted to say is… I… I've liked you for a long time.
I know I teased you, but it's because I liked you.
You were quiet, shy… cute in your own way. The way you sat quietly in class made me curious… I just wanted to get close to you.
And I know you like me too, right?
That's why you're acting this way, pretending to be mad at me.
So… will you be my girlfriend?"
The classroom was dead silent.
Lynette stared at him. Her face didn't flinch, but her eyes burned cold.
She took a deep breath and spoke clearly, her voice slicing through the silence:
"What are you, a psychic? What makes you think that I like you?
Who do you think you are?
I've never liked you, and I never will."
Ael blinked in confusion. Whispers stirred around them.
But Lynette wasn't done.
"Look at your face, not a single girl in this entire school likes you.
You look as boring as a textbook, you know that, and your tiny brain seems to have stopped working altogether.
Oh wait, that's why your grades are scraping the bottom."
Gasps filled the room. Some students covered their mouths. Others stared wide-eyed.
"You think you looked cool just now? You looked like a complete joke.
Here's a little life advice.
Instead of wasting time with nonsense like this, try focusing on your studies.
Maybe,....maybe, then your grades might climb to average.
Save my words in that little brain of yours.
Now move. You're in my way."
With that, Lynette brushed past him, placed her bag down, and calmly walked out of the classroom.
But her hands… were shaking.
Back inside, Ael stood frozen, paper flower still in hand, face pale and eyes wide with disbelief. Laughter began to ripple through the class. Someone clapped. Others laughed harder. The crowd wasn't mocking her, they were praising her.
"Dang, that was cold, but iconic."
"I didn't know Lynette had that in her!"
From the hallway, Kyren, the school's infamous troublemaker, leaned against the door with a crooked smirk. "Interesting," he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, outside under the tree bench, Lynette took in a long breath of fresh air. She sat down, closed her eyes, and laughed softly.
"I did it," she whispered.
It was everything she had kept buried for years, all the shame, all the betrayal. And now, finally, she had said it to his face.
She didn't feel like a shadow anymore.
She felt free.
As Lynette sat under the tree, still catching her breath, Seena, Divitia, and Yelena rushed out, beaming with pride.
"We are so proud of you, Lynette!" Divitia said, practically clapping.
Everyone nodded, their eyes gleaming.
"Someone became the baddie queen today," Seena teased, nudging Lynette's shoulder.
They all burst into laughter, giggling like children who had just pulled off the perfect prank. Even Lynette couldn't hold back the wide smile spreading across her face. It felt good, no, it felt good to finally speak up for herself.
But then, Lynette's eyes caught Neven.
He was standing across the courtyard, near the corridor on the other side of the school. The late morning light made his soft brown skin glow warmly, and he was casually flipping through a book.
Lynette's heart skipped.
Without a word, she suddenly stood. "I… I need to use the washroom," she said.
Her friends gave her suspicious glances but let her go. She hurried toward the corridor where Neven stood. But the moment she was face-to-face with him, all her courage vanished.
She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.
Instead, she walked right past him, quietly, awkwardly. Her lips clenched in frustration, her thoughts screaming, Say something! Anything!
At the end of the corridor, she paused and stole one last glance at him over her shoulder. Neven hadn't noticed her.
Or… maybe he had?
The bell rang, snapping her back from her thoughts. Back in class, she sat at her desk, still wondering how to approach him without being completely weird. Her mind began spinning with possible scenarios. Should I compliment his watch? His haircut? His dog? Wait… does he even have a dog?
She was so deep in her imagination that she didn't hear the teacher calling her name.
"Lynette," Seena hissed and nudged her.
She blinked. Everyone was looking at her. The teacher sighed. "Miss Lynette, what did I just say?"
Caught off guard, she could only mumble, "I… I'm sorry."
She wasn't usually like this in class. The teacher looked at her, though a little annoyed, and just gave her a warning.
"Bring me the textbook from my office," he said sternly.
Lynette's eyes lit up.
The teacher's office was right above Neven's classroom.
"Yes!" she said far too energetically.
A few students turned to look at her, surprised. Seena stifled a laugh. Even the teacher raised a brow.
Lynette grabbed her hall pass and walked out, trying to look casual. But as she reached the hallway, she glanced inside her classroom.
At the very back, she saw Ael.
He sat alone, hunched over, head low. His expression was unreadable, quiet, and serious. He wasn't laughing with his friends, wasn't smirking like usual. It was… strange.
Lynette paused.
Was I too harsh?
…No. He deserved it.
And she walked on, humming quietly to herself.
As she approached the corridor near Neven's class, she slowed her pace, walked gracefully. Her fingers brushed her skirt as she pretended to look casual, all while her eyes subtly searched the windows.
There he was.
Neven, sitting by the window, the golden light catching the side of his face. He was listening carefully to the teacher, one hand resting beneath his chin. He looked peaceful. Thoughtful.
Lynette smiled softly.
She walked a little slower, savouring each step. Even if he didn't notice her today, there was something magical about this moment. The air smelled sweet. Her heart thumped, but not with fear, with hope.
But unknown to her, someone else was watching too.
From the far side of Neven's classroom, near the back window, Kyren leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on Lynette. His arms were crossed, a strange little grin curling on his lips.
He didn't blink.
Just watched.
"So… this is getting interesting."
For the next few days, Lynette tried countless times to approach Neven, but every single time, her confidence failed her. The moment he glanced her way, her breath caught in her throat, and she fled like a startled deer.
Meanwhile, someone else had started showing up a little too often.
"Hi, Lynette," Kyren said one afternoon, his voice unusually calm. "You were amazing back there… how you handled Ael? You gave that jerk exactly what he deserved."
Lynette raised an eyebrow, not sure what to say.
"Do you wanna go grab something after school?"
"Thanks… but I have to go home early. Sorry." She smiled politely, then walked away, her mind occupied entirely with Neven.
As she headed toward the washroom, two hands suddenly yanked her aside.
It was Seena and Divitia, both eyes wide open and suspicious.
"What did you talk about with him?" Seena asked, dead serious.
"Him? Who are you talking about?" Lynette asked, confused.
"You don't know who that is?" Divitia groaned, exchanging a glance with Seena. "That's Kyren. The school's number one psycho, A total troublemaker."
The name struck her like lightning. Kyren...
It rang a bell. Memories from her previous life came flooding in, whispers of a terrifying figure who made her life harder, even without them ever meeting. He had always been a looming presence. The kind people warned each other about.
"Wait… that Kyren?! That psycho Kyren?!"
Both girls nodded, sighing.
"What does he want from me? This wasn't supposed to happen," she muttered to herself. "I definitely changed something…"
Lynette explained how he had asked her out and how she had instinctively rejected the offer. Seena and Divitia warned her to stay far away from him at all costs.
The next day passed uneventfully. Regular classes, lunch. And still, Lynette couldn't make progress with Neven.
Meanwhile, Kyren waited outside her classroom during every break, watching, waiting. She ran away each time, her nerves worn thin. What did he want from her?
It was Friday, and Lynette had promised to attend the church youth meeting that evening after school to celebrate their victory in Khare village. All she had to do was survive a little longer.
During the final break, Lynette stepped out of the washroom and there he was again.
Kyren.
Leaning casually against the wall, just like always, staring. She turned on instinct and bolted.
He followed Lynette.
Her breath was short, legs burning, she ran through the hallway like a mouse fleeing a cat.
That's when she saw the library. Without thinking, she ran inside and shut the door behind her.
The air inside was cool and quiet.
Lynette leaned against the shelf, panting.
After a few deep breaths, she glanced around. "Huh... I've never been in here before."
Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The stillness calmed her. She began browsing and found herself reaching for a book on a high shelf. She stood on her tiptoes, stretched, even jumped a bit, but it was no use.
Just as she was about to give up, she felt a presence behind her.
A deep voice spoke.
"Need help with something?"
She turned around and froze.
Neven.
He stood there, calm, tall and composed, his hand already reaching for the book.
Lynette's brain scrambled. "I… I… I want…"
Her mouth wasn't cooperating.
"I wanted some books to help with my… um… history assignment!" she blurted out, too loudly.
Neven looked at her and pointed at the next shelf. "History books are over here."
She followed as he led the way.
"What are you doing here?" Lynette asked in a soft voice.
"I just volunteer at the library sometimes," he explained as he handed her a few relevant books.
The entire time, Lynette barely heard a word. She was too busy watching his lips move, too lost in the moment.
"Are you even listening?" Neven asked with a slight smirk.
Snapping back to reality, she stammered, "Y-yeah! You're just… really good at explaining, haha…"
He smiled slightly and brought out the library record book. "Name and student ID?"
Lynette sat across from him, practically glowing. She kicked her legs back and forth like a child, barely noticing what she was doing.
The bell rang.
"Oh! I'll just take these, thanks!" she said in a rush, grabbing the books and running out the door, leaving behind...her student ID.
Neven blinked, then picked it up, his eyes softening. He smiled as he looked at her picture. "Lynette, huh…"
Outside, the final bell of the day rang and school ended.
Lynette was glowing, walking on air from her Neven encounter. She didn't even realize she was blushing so hard until Seena teased her.
But when she glanced at the time, she panicked. I'll be late for church if I don't hurry!
She quickly said goodbye to her friends and ran out of class.
BAM!!
She collided with someone and tumbled to the floor.
"Are you okay?" asked a deep voice.
She looked up.
Neven.
He was holding out her ID card.
"I came to return this," he said. "Sorry, I knocked you over."
"I'm okay," Lynette mumbled, flustered.
"I can carry my bag…"
"It was my fault," he said calmly, picking it up anyway.
They walked together to the school gate. Lynette's heart felt light, her cheeks were pink. I wish this walk would last forever…
At the gate, she turned to him. "Thanks again… really."
Neven just nodded his head.
As she started to walk away, a commotion caught her eye.
A small child was chasing a ball across the street.
The car was coming fast. Without thinking, Lynette sprinted forward.
She grabbed the child and threw herself to the side.
Screech…Crash!!!
Metal slammed into pavement. A loud bang echoed across the street.
Everyone turned. People screamed. The child was safe. But Lynette…was lying still on the ground.
"Lynette!!!"