The first day at Hillton's didn't feel real. It felt like I had stepped into something already in motion. Everyone moved like they knew exactly where they were going, while I was still trying to figure out which building matched the code on my schedule. Boarding life wasn't new to me, but adjusting again after everything felt off. I took a wrong turn, doubled back, checked my paper twice, and by the time I finally found my classroom, the lesson had already started.
I knocked once and pushed the door open. Every head turned. The teacher paused and gave me that look—the one that already decided you were a problem. I scratched the back of my head.
"Sorry, I'm new."
He sighed and pointed inside.
"You're late. Take the last available seat."
I nodded and stepped in, scanning the room.
Shenji was already seated a few rows ahead, calm, composed, like he had always been here. Then I saw her. Same girl from before. Same stillness. The only empty seat left was right beside her.
Of course.
I walked over and sat down, dropping my bag beside the desk. She didn't look at me. Didn't acknowledge me. Just stared ahead like the rest of the class didn't exist. The teacher resumed talking, but I barely paid attention. I leaned back slightly.
"Guess I got the last seat."
No response.
I smirked faintly. "Lucky me."
Still nothing.
I tapped my pen lightly against the desk, then lowered my voice. "You're new too, right?".
"…Yeah."
I nodded. "Same here."
The class dragged on. I tried once or twice more—small comments, nothing serious—but she shut every door without even trying. Not rude, not aggressive. Just… cold. Like she had already decided I wasn't worth the energy.
When the bell rang, the room shifted instantly. Chairs scraped, voices rose, people moved. I stretched slightly and glanced toward Shenji. He packed his things without looking back, already heading out with the flow. I clicked my tongue. "Guy hasn't changed."
I turned back. She was already standing.
"Next class?" I asked casually.
"…Yeah."
"Same direction?"
No answer.
She walked off.
I stared after her for a second, then grabbed my bag and followed the general crowd. Turns out we did have the same class. I walked in this time before the teacher, so no dramatic entrance. I scanned the room again.
Same situation.
Same empty seat.
Right beside her.
I dropped into it with a small exhale. "Well, this is starting to feel intentional."
She didn't even look at me.
The lesson started. Different teacher, same structure. I leaned back, trying to focus, but my attention kept drifting. Not just to her—though yeah, mostly to her—but to the whole setup. Shenji in front. Her beside me. Me stuck in the middle like I walked into something I didn't understand.
Halfway through, I tried again. "You always this quiet?"
A pause.
"…Depends."
"On?"
No answer.
I let out a quiet breath through my nose. "Alright."
The bell rang again. Another shift. Another wave of movement. Same pattern repeated for the next class. And the next. Same seat. Same silence. Same cold responses that weren't even responses most of the time.
By lunch, I leaned back in my chair and shook my head slightly. "You know, most people at least pretend to be friendly on the first day."
Nothing.
I glanced sideways.
She didn't even react.
Just sat there, staring ahead like I wasn't there.
I exhaled slowly, resting my chin on my hand. "…Tough crowd."
Still nothing.
I smirked faintly despite myself.
___________________________________
Lunch hit harder than I expected. By the time the bell rang, I was already out of my seat, stretching like I hadn't just sat through hours of introductions and rules. Boarding school was different. Everything felt structured, timed, controlled. Even the way people moved through the halls had rhythm to it. I didn't like it yet, but I figured I'd get used to it.
I found Shenji easily. He was seated at one of the tables near the windows, already unpacking his food like he'd been here his whole life. I grabbed a tray, barely paying attention to what I picked, and dropped into the seat across from him.
"You move fast," I said.
He shrugged. "You move slow."
"Blame the system, not me."
Before he could respond, I noticed someone approaching from the corner of my eye. I didn't even need to look properly to know who it was. She stopped at the edge of the table for a second, like she was deciding whether this was a mistake, then sat down quietly.
No greeting. No hesitation. Just… there.
Shenji looked up first. "Hey."
She gave a small nod.
"I didn't get to talk to you earlier," he continued, calm as ever. "I'm Shenji."
She hesitated briefly, thenspoke.
"Yeah I know you, I'm Amaryllis,"
"I'm Theo," I added, leaning slightly forward. "We're in the same class. I'm the guy who stole the last seat."
She glanced at me for a second. No reaction. Then she looked away.
Shenji didn't seem bothered. If anything, he leaned into it. "First day's always like this," he said. "You'll get used to it."
She didn't respond, but she didn't leave either.
That counted for something.
Shenji reached into his bag and pulled out a small container. "I made toast earlier," he said, opening it. "Didn't feel like cafeteria food today."
Of course he did.
He broke a piece and held it out toward her first.
She looked at it, then at him, like she was weighing something in her head. After a second, she took it. "Thanks."
He handed me a piece next. I took it immediately. "See, this is why I stick with you."
"It's just toast."
"It's elite toast."
For the first time, I thought I saw the faintest shift in her expression. Not quite a smile. But close enough.
We ate in relative quiet for a bit, then Shenji spoke again. "You were at the funeral."
It wasn't a question.
She stiffened slightly but nodded.
"I figured," he said. "You looked familiar."
A pause.
Then she spoke. "I knew your brother."
Straight to the point.
Shenji's expression softened just a little. "Yeah."
And just like that, the conversation shifted.
They started talking about him. About Sanchi.
Small things at first. School. Habits. The kind of details only people close to someone would remember. Shenji filled in the gaps from his side. She added pieces from hers. It was… natural. Too natural.
I sat there, chewing slowly, listening as the two of them built this shared understanding around someone who wasn't there anymore.
And somehow, I wasn't part of it.
I leaned back slightly, letting my eyes drift around the cafeteria, but my ears stayed locked on their voices. Shenji was more open than I'd seen him in days. Talking without forcing it. Responding without hesitation.
And her… she wasn't cold anymore.
Not completely.
Still quiet. Still controlled. But there was something underneath it now. Something real.
I tapped my fingers lightly against the table, half-listening, half-thinking.
Weird.
First day, and things were already… connecting.
Just not with me.
I took another bite of the toast and exhaled slowly.
Yeah.
This was going to be interesting.