The car rolled to a smooth stop right in front of the gates.
Hillton's High School.
I leaned forward slightly, peering through the glass like I hadn't seen a school before. Tall gates. Clean pavement. Students moving in and out like they actually had their lives together. It looked… expensive. Like one of those places where people either became geniuses or completely lost their minds trying.
"Try not to embarrass me," Edna said casually from beside me.
I scoffed. "You're the one walking in like you own the place."
"I practically do," she replied, adjusting her sunglasses before stepping out.
Of course she thought she did..
I followed her out, stretching a little as my shoes hit the ground. The air felt different here—sharp, organized, like even the breeze had rules.
"So this is it," I muttered.
Hillton's.
Not gonna lie… I liked it already.
We walked toward the entrance, people glancing at Edna more than me—which, yeah, made sense. She had that presence. The kind that made people assume she was important even if they didn't know why.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and kept moving.
"Stay close," she said.
"I'm not a kid."
"You act like one."
"Wow."
Inside, the place was even crazier. Polished floors, wide halls, students in neat uniforms, staff moving like everything ran on a schedule tighter than a military base.
"Application office?" I asked.
"Already handled," Edna replied. "We're just confirming and sorting final placement."
Of course she'd already handled it.
I should've known.
We turned a corner—and that's when I saw her.
She stood a few feet ahead with a man, talking to one of the school staff.
Brown hair. Slight frame. No question. She was the girl from the funeral..
Why was I even staring?
"Theo."
Edna's voice cut in sharply.
I turned. "Yeah?"
"Focus."
"Relax, I am."
She gave me a look but didn't press it.
Still…
I glanced back.
The girl was leaving.
We continued walking, stepping into the administrative office. Papers, signatures, formal talk—I barely paid attention. My mind kept drifting.
Back to her.
I didn't even know why.
"Everything's set," Edna said after a while. "He starts next week."
"Good," one of the staff members replied.
Next week.
So this was really happening.
New school. New environment.
New everything.
As we stepped back outside, I exhaled.
"Try not to get into trouble," Edna said.
"No promises."
She smirked slightly.
I shoved my hands into my pockets again, and told Edna I was going to the dorms to see Shenji. She nodded and dumped a wad on cash into my palm.
"Pick a cab home.", She said. "I have an important meeting to go to."
I nodded, stuffing the cash into my pocket. "Yeah, yeah. Don't miss me too much."
"Not a chance," Edna replied, already turning away as she pulled out her phone.
Typical.
I watched her walk off for a second before sighing and heading in the opposite direction. The campus was bigger than I expected. It wasn't just a school—it felt like a whole system. Different buildings, pathways, students moving around like they'd already mapped everything out in their heads.
I didn't bother asking for directions.
I'd figure it out.
"Dorms…" I muttered, scanning the signs.
After a bit of walking—and a wrong turn—I finally found it. The building stood slightly away from the main academic area, quieter, more contained. Made sense.
I stepped inside.
Cool air. Cleaner floors. Less noise.
A few students glanced at me, then looked away. No one cared.
Good.
I moved toward the front desk. "Uh, yeah. I'm looking for someone. Shenji Teru."
The lady behind the desk adjusted her glasses and glanced at a list. "Room 214. Upstairs, second hall to your right."
"Thanks."
I took the stairs two at a time.
For some reason, my chest felt… tight.
I hadn't seen him properly since the airport.
Since everything.
I reached the door.
Room 214
I paused.
Then knocked.
A few seconds passed.
Then the door creaked open.
Shenji stood there.
He looked thinner. Tired. Like sleep hadn't visited him in days.
"Theo."
"Shen."
I stepped inside without waiting, glancing around the room. It was neat. Too neat. Like he needed everything to stay in place. Just like when we shared a dorm in Japan.
"You got settled quick," I said.
"Yeah."
Silence.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "So… this is it, huh? Hillton's."
He nodded.
"I'm coming here too."
"You little copycat" Shenji sneered.
"Your speech at the funeral was good" I said
A small pause.
"…It was?"
"Yeah."
He looked away slightly. "I didn't plan most of it."
"I could tell."
I leaned against the wall and added. "You holding up?"
A longer pause this time.
"I don't know."
I nodded slowly. "Fair."
Silence settled for a while.
Then something clicked in my head.
"Hey," I said, straightening slightly. "That girl."
Shenji frowned. "What girl?"
"From the funeral. Brown hair. Quiet. Looked like she'd rather be anywhere else."
He froze.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
"…Why?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Saw her here too. Just now. With some guy."
Shenji didn't respond immediately.
Then he sighed softly and sat on the edge of his bed.
"Hmm that's Amaryllis."
The name settled.
Amaryllis.
"You know her?" I asked.
"Friend of my brother. He told me a lot about her that I recognised her immediately at the funeral.".
"Oh that girl," I said
"And she is coming here too." Shenji mumbled
"Small world," I muttered.
Shenji didn't reply.
"Well, I better be going! Save a spot for me in the next room and make sure no one moves there. I'll be joining you next week!"