The day already felt wrong.
It started when their homeroom teacher walked in with a clipboard and an unusually serious expression.
"We'll be changing seats today," she announced.
A collective groan filled the classroom.
Ita froze.
Beside him, Kiel muttered, "No. Absolutely not."
The teacher ignored the protests and began calling out names one by one, rearranging everyone like chess pieces.
"Ita, last row. Near the window."
Ita blinked.
"Alone."
His fingers tightened slightly around his pen.
Kiel straightened. "Ma'am-"
"Kiel, third row. Next to-" she checked the list, "Mina."
A soft gasp came from the girl two seats ahead.
Mina.
Pretty Popular. Known for having a very obvious crush on Kiel.
She looked like she might faint from happiness.
Kiel looked like he might faint from betrayal.
"You've got to be kidding me" he muttered.
"Seats are final." the teacher said firmly.
Ita quietly gathered his things and moved to the back without complaint.
He was used to being alone.
Still, as he sat down and glanced forward
He saw Mina already leaning slightly toward Kiel, face red, hands fidgeting.
Kiel looked over his shoulder at Ita helplessly.
Ita raised one eyebrow.
"Deal with it."
Kiel mouthed dramatically," Save me."
Ita looked away and opened his book.
He told himself it didn't matter.
It shouldn't matter.
Halfway through the lesson, the classroom door opened.
A hush fell instantly.
The teacher cleared her throat. "We have a new transfer student joining us today."
All eyes turned toward the door.
And then,
He stepped in.
Red hair.
Not bright orange deep red, like wine under sunlight.
Blue eyes.
Sharp and striking.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Confident posture.
The entire classroom went silent for three full seconds.
Then the whispering started.
"Oh my God-"
"He's so handsome.."
"Is he a model?"
Even some of the boys looked annoyed.
Because the new student was undeniably good-looking.
On Kiel's level.
Maybe even sharper in a different way.
Kiel leaned back slightly, squinting at him.
"…Competition?" he muttered under his breath.
The new student gave a small polite bow.
"My name is Noah," he said smoothly. "Nice to meet you."
His voice was calm. Deep. Controlled.
Several girls nearly melted on the spot.
Mina forgot Kiel existed for a moment.
The teacher smiled. "You can take the empty seat in the back."
That seat,
Was next to Ita.
Ita didn't even look up at first.
He was reading.
He didn't care about handsome transfer students.
He didn't care about whispers.
He just wanted the day to pass.
Noah walked down the aisle slowly.
Every step felt deliberate.
Measured.
He wasn't smiling widely.
Just observing.
Taking everything in.
When he reached the back row,
He stopped.
Because what he saw made his expression change.
Behind Ita,
Something dark.
Huge.
Not visible to normal eyes.
But Noah wasn't normal.
He couldn't see ghosts.
Not directly.
But he could sense things.
Auras.
Energy.
And wrapped around Ita's back,
Was something black.
Thick.
Coiling.
Like smoke made solid.
It clung to Ita's shoulders.
Curled around his neck.
Not choking.
But claiming.
Possessive.
Evil.
Noah's eyes darkened slightly.
Interesting.
He had sensed people like this before.
People who could see.
People who were connected to the other side.
Most of them didn't last long.
Most of them died.
Ita, however,
Was still here.
Alive.
That alone made Noah curious.
He pulled out the chair and sat down quietly.
Ita finally glanced sideways briefly,
Just a quick look.
Blue eyes met grey.
Then Ita looked back at his book without a word.
No reaction..
No whispering.
Noah smiled faintly.
Everyone else was staring at him.
But this boy,
Wasn't.
The black aura behind Ita shifted slightly, like it noticed Noah too.
Noah's interest deepened.
He leaned back casually in his chair.
"You're not going to introduce yourself?" Noah asked softly.
Ita didn't look up.
"You just introduced yourself."
Noah's smile widened slightly.
"And you are?"
Silence.
Then,
"Ita."
Short.
Simple.
No extra effort.
Noah studied him.
Calm exterior.
But something heavy underneath.
"You don't seem surprised," Noah observed.
"About what?"
"Me."
Ita turned a page.
"Should I be?"
Noah let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
The dark aura behind Ita curled tighter.
Almost protective.
Almost territorial.
Noah's gaze sharpened for just a second.
Yes.
This was interesting.
Very interesting.
He leaned slightly closer.
"You know," Noah said smoothly, lowering his voice just enough so only Ita could hear, "you feel different."
Ita's fingers paused on the page.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Then continued.
"You're weird," Ita replied calmly.
Noah chuckled.
"Maybe."
The bell rang shortly after.
Students immediately swarmed toward Noah, especially the girls, bombarding him with questions.
He answered politely.
But his eyes,
Kept drifting back to the quiet boy in the last row.
The one with something dark wrapped around him.
The one who didn't react.
The one who felt like he was standing between two worlds.
And Noah smiled again.
Because he had finally found something interesting in this boring school.
And his attention,
Was now fully on Ita.