Adrian didn't expect to see her again so soon.
But the next day at school, she walked up to him like nothing had happened.
"You're here early," she said, stopping beside his desk.
Adrian looked up briefly, then back at his notebook.
"…So are you."
She pulled the chair in front of him slightly and sat on it backwards, resting her arms on the backrest.
"You always come early?" she asked.
Adrian shrugged.
"…It's quieter."
She nodded like that made sense.
"I get that."
Adrian didn't respond after that.
He wasn't ignoring her.
He just didn't know what else to say.
But she didn't leave.
That was starting to feel normal.
—
For a few minutes, she didn't ask anything.
She just sat there while Adrian wrote.
That was different from yesterday.
He noticed it.
After a while, he glanced up.
"…You're not going to ask anything?"
She looked at him.
"Do you want me to?"
Adrian paused.
"…I don't know."
She smiled slightly.
"Then I won't."
That made him frown a little.
"…You asked a lot yesterday."
"Yeah," she said. "And you didn't like it."
Adrian didn't deny it.
"…I didn't."
"So I'm not doing it again," she replied simply.
Adrian looked at her for a second.
"…Okay."
That should've ended it.
But instead, he said,
"…You noticed a lot."
She shrugged.
"I told you. I notice things."
Adrian tapped his pen lightly against the notebook.
"…Most people don't."
"They just don't say it," she said.
Adrian thought about that.
Maybe she was right.
—
The bell rang, and she stood up.
"See you later," she said.
Adrian nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
He watched her walk back to her seat.
Then looked down at his notebook again.
But he didn't write anything.
He was thinking.
Not about what she asked.
But about how she stopped asking.
That mattered more.
—
During lunch, she came again.
This time, she didn't sit immediately.
"You mind?" she asked, pointing to the empty seat across from him.
Adrian looked at Alessio briefly.
Alessio didn't react much.
So Adrian said,
"…No."
She sat down.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then she said,
"I'm Mira."
Adrian looked up.
"…Adrian."
"I know," she said.
That made him pause.
"…How?"
"You answer when teachers call your name," she replied.
Adrian nodded slowly.
"…Right."
Alessio watched quietly but didn't interrupt.
Mira glanced at him.
"You're his brother, right?"
Alessio nodded.
"Yeah."
"You walk in together every day," she said.
Alessio didn't respond much.
Just, "Yeah."
Mira looked back at Adrian.
"You don't talk much unless someone talks to you first."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"…You already said that."
"I'm just confirming," she said with a small smile.
Adrian didn't react.
But this time, he didn't feel the need to shut her down either.
—
After a moment, Mira said,
"I won't ask about the other things."
Adrian looked at her.
"…Why not?"
"Because you didn't want to talk about it," she said. "And I don't need to know."
That answer was simple.
And clear.
Adrian nodded.
"…Okay."
He went back to eating.
And for the first time—
It didn't feel uncomfortable having someone new there.
—
Later that day, something small happened.
But it mattered.
During class, a book fell off someone's desk.
The sound wasn't too loud.
But it was sudden.
Adrian felt it.
That quick reaction.
That tension in his shoulders.
That instinct to flinch.
But before it could fully take over—
He stopped it.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
He stayed still.
His breathing changed slightly, but he controlled it faster this time.
"…I'm fine," he said quietly under his breath.
Then he looked up.
The classroom was normal.
No one was reacting.
No one was watching him.
He relaxed.
Faster than before.
—
From across the room, Mira noticed.
She didn't say anything.
She just looked at him for a second.
Then looked away.
That mattered.
She noticed—
But she didn't make it a big thing.
—
After school, Adrian walked out with Alessio like usual.
But this time, Mira caught up with them.
"You guys always leave this fast?" she asked.
Alessio glanced at Adrian.
Adrian shrugged.
"…Yeah."
Mira walked beside them for a few steps.
"You live close?"
Adrian hesitated.
"…Not really."
Mira nodded.
"Same."
She didn't ask anything else.
Just walked with them until they reached the gate.
Then she stopped.
"See you tomorrow," she said.
Adrian nodded.
"…Yeah."
Alessio didn't say anything until they got into the car.
"You trust her?"
Adrian looked at him.
"…I don't know."
Alessio leaned back.
"That's fair."
Adrian looked out the window.
"…She stopped asking."
Alessio nodded.
"That's a good sign."
Adrian didn't reply.
But he agreed.
—
Back at the mansion, Adrian didn't think about it as much as he expected.
He went to the living room, sat down, and listened to Nico and Dante arguing about something random again.
It felt normal.
Simple.
But later that evening, when things got quiet, the thought came back.
Not heavy.
Just there.
He went to his room and sat at his desk, opening his notebook.
He stared at the page for a while.
Then wrote—
Her name is Mira
He paused.
Then added—
She didn't push
Another pause.
Then—
She stayed anyway
Adrian leaned back slightly.
Looking at the words.
He didn't feel uncomfortable writing them.
That was new.
Before, something like this would've felt like too much.
Too close.
Too personal.
But now—
It just felt like something that happened.
—
That night, Adrian didn't go to Alessio's room.
But he didn't feel alone either.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Thinking.
Not about the past this time.
About the present.
About school.
About conversations.
About people.
"…I'm getting used to this," he said quietly.
Not everything.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
And for once—
That didn't feel like something temporary.
It felt like something that could stay.
Adrian closed his eyes slowly.
And this time—
He didn't expect anything bad to follow.
Just sleep.
And that was enough.