Six months had passed since Leo opened his eyes in the dark hospital room, and now, it was finally discharge day. During his stay in the hospital, he had many therapy sessions. Leo showed significant recovery for a post-coma patient, which was unusual for someone who slept for seven years. Nevertheless, he was able to catch up to the new world, even if only slightly.
It was fall 2037, and trees painted streets with orange and red. Leo was in his parents' car, head against the window, amazed by how the city had become since. Still amidst the awe, he felt his chest tight. What if I don't fit? What if I get bullied? What if something bad happens? I can feel it…
Leo was already set to start school next week. His parents had finished all the paperwork. Tenth grade; where he should have been if he'd never fallen asleep. He managed to cram seven years of learning in six months of tutoring sessions, and he passed. Barely.
Home.
The same scent, the same sight, the same nostalgic feeling.
He was back.
"Your room… w- we tried to keep it exactly as it was. Since you… since that day." His mother said, opening the door to his room. His toys, his drawings, his bed, everything was still the same as he remembers. A rush of memories washed gently over him, reminding him of the times he used to spend here with… with… his friends?
"Mom! Why did you let him in? He doesn't belong here." Alex grunted from outside the room, and Leo snapped back to reality.
"Alex!" Yuki scolded him. "Cut him some slack! He just came from the hospital."
Even though his relationship with Alex didn't become brotherly as he hoped, he still believed that someday they could get along. They had to. He had to.
First day of school came unwelcomed. Leo hadn't slept. Every time he closed his eyes, the questions came: Will they judge me? What if they figure out what happened to me? What would their reaction be? Would I make any friends? Would anybody want to talk to me?
"Leo, we're here." His mom's voice cut through the moment. They were already at school.
"Don't worry, honey." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "You'll do just fine."
But her words weren't reaching him. His heart hammered against his ribs. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He tried to gather the courage to step outside the car, but he left it all before he fell asleep. Yet, something was pulling him. The same spark he felt when he first woke up, as if it was calling for him.
And before he knew it, he found himself outside. His mom watched him disappear into the building, her heart sinking seeing her baby in such state.
"Class 1-B… class 1-B…" Leo muttered, scanning the hallway signs. He found it there, at the end of the hall, near the old restrooms. He stood before the door. His hand hovered over the handle, shaking.
I can't do this.
His head spun with thoughts and emotions.
Suddenly, the door swung open. A teacher stood there with a warm smile. "You must be Leo Silva! Come in, come in."
Leo stepped in, gaze down, backpack hanging over one shoulder. He could feel their eyes on him, judging him. Murmurs filled the room.
"Who's that?"
"New kid?"
"He looks…"
Heat flooded Leo's face. Oh crap! It's my first day and I already screwed up.
"Attention, class." The teacher announced. "This is our new transfer student. His name is Leo Silva. Please make him feel welcomed."
Transfer student?? I am not a transfer. What—
"You can take that seat there." The teacher gestured to an empty desk near the window. Leo shuffled between the rows, hyper-aware of every eye tracking his movement. He sank into the chair, sandwiched between a tall boy on his left and a girl with long blonde hair on his right.
Something about them tugged him.
Do I know them?
But he couldn't place it.
Should I say something?
He could feel their eyes on him. They were suspicious, like they were trying to figure out who, or what he really was. He couldn't stop glancing at them. The boy caught him looking once and raised an eyebrow. The girl whispered something to the boy.
Stop looking. They're going to think you're weird.
But he couldn't help it.
Time passed in a blur. Class after class. Teachers' voices blended together. Leo copied notes he didn't understand, nodded when he should, stayed silent. Everything felt too much. Too fast.
Lunch break finally came. The cafeteria was chaos; trays clattering, voices overlapping. Leo found a table in the corner, as far from everyone as possible. He pulled out his lunch, keeping his head down. Just blend in. Don't draw attention. Or he tried to.
Movement in his peripheral vision. The same tall boy and pretty girl from class were walking toward him. His heartbeat quickened, but he tried to ignore it. They sat down on either side of him, trapping him.
"Okay. What was that back there?" The girl demanded.
"Wh- What?" Leo's voice came out smaller than he intended.
Oh no… don't tell me they noticed. They know something's wrong.
"You kept staring at us in class. And when the teacher said your name, you looked at us like you knew us."
"Beatrice, relax." The guy said calmly. "You're freaking him out."
Beatrice… It feels weirdly familiar…
Beatrice took a breath, then crossed her arms. "Okay, fine. But who are you? Really?"
"I- I am Leo Silva—"
"Don't lie!" Beatrice's voice cracked.
Leo flinched. Why is she so angry? What did I do?
"I am not lying…"
The boy leaned forward, eyes searching Leo's face. "Look, we're not trying to give you a hard time. But we knew someone with that exact name. He was our best friend."
"Was?" Leo swallowed hard.
"He disappeared," Beatrice said quietly, all the anger gone from her voice. "Seven years ago. One day he just… stopped coming to school. We never found out what happened."
"So you can see why hearing your name—"
"—feels like a bad joke," Beatrice finished.
Leo stared at them for a moment, then something clicked in his mind. Like a puzzle piece finally snapping into place. He could see their faces. In the playground, where they dug up dirt to build tunnels. In his old bedroom, where they huddled while rain drummed on the window. They were his friends… Beatrice… and Liam…
It's them. It's really them. My childhood friends. He's Liam, and she's—
"Betty…" It came out barely a whisper, but loud enough. Beatrice's hands flew to her mouths, her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Only…" her voice cracked. "Only Leo was allowed to call me Betty." She stared, tears spilling over.
"So you're really… you're really him."
Beatrice jumped and pulled Leo into a tight hug, tears streaming down her cheeks. Leo froze. Then, slowly, his arms came up around her.
"We missed you, man." Liam's voice was thick. He put his hand on Leo's shoulder, squeezing once. "What happened to you?"
"I- uh- it's a long story..."
Leo's chest tightened. They were hugging him. But were they really?
Am I really the one they missed?
"Don't ever disappear on us again, okay?" Beatrice whimpered through her tears.
Leo didn't answer immediately, because he wasn't sure if he could keep that promise. What if something happened again? He couldn't risk anything. He finally reunited with his old friends; he couldn't risk everything he went through since he woke up.
"I'll try." His answer was vague, and he knew it.
He stared at his hands, thinking of every possible way things could go wrong.
…
Days passed. Then weeks.
Their bond grew closer. They had lunch together every day. Walked home together. Old inside jokes resurfaced again. Leo started to feel normal for the first time since waking up.
He cherished every second, holding onto it like something sacred. Liam's terrible jokes. Beatrice's kindness. The way they made him feel seen. Every laugh, every shared glance, every moment of belonging.
All of them had changed since their childhood. Liam had shot up; easily the tallest one in their grade. Captain of the basketball team, always moving, always laughing, pulling Leo and Betty into whatever chaos he'd cooked up. Beatrice had changed too. Taller, prettier, more confident in the way she carried herself. But inside, she was the same old Betty Leo remembers.
But something had shifted.
She started noticing things. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. How he listened — really listened — when she talked. The quiet strength in how he carried himself, despite everything he'd been through.
Every time he laughed, every time he helped her with something small, she found herself staring a bit too long.
Stop it.
He's just my childhood friend. I missed him, that's why.
Leo didn't notice anything. His mind was already overwhelmed by his surroundings. Every time he caught her glancing, he smiled, thinking about how much he missed them.