Kei was the sort of person who existed in the margins. Preferring the silence of her own thoughts to the hum of the classroom, she sat tucked away in the back corner, her gaze fixed on the world beyond the window. Eventually, the steady rhythm of the distant trees swaying in the wind lulled her into a daze. She lowered her head onto the cool surface of her desk and let sleep take over.

The door creaked open, and the atmosphere shifted instantly. Fay arrived like a burst of morning light, her long brown hair swaying as she moved. She was the heart of the class, greeting everyone with a radiant smile and a cheerful "hello." Yet, as her eyes landed on the quiet figure in the corner, her confident stride faltered.

Nervousness flickered across Fay's face. She hesitated, glancing back at her friends for reassurance. Angel and Len gave her a knowing look, gesturing for her to go for it. Taking a steadying breath, Fay leaned in, her movement slow and deliberate. She bent down until she was inches away, the scent of her perfume mingling with the stale classroom air.

"Good morning," Fay whispered directly into Kei's ear.

Kei's eyes fluttered open. She shifted upward, only to find Fay's face startlingly close to her own. For a long, suspended heartbeat, neither moved. They remained locked in a silent gaze, the rest of the room fading into a blur until the sharp click of the teacher's heels snapped the tension.

"Alright class, take your seats," the teacher announced, dropping a stack of papers onto the podium. "Let's begin the lecture."

Fay scrambled back to her desk, her face turning a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato. Try as she might to focus on the chalkboard, her eyes kept drifting back to Kei, tracing the profile of the girl who always preferred to be alone.

In the afternoon 

The following afternoon, the air was thick with the chatter of lunchtime gossip. Fay, Angel, and Len were huddled together, the conversation turning as it often did to the topic of "types."

"My type is definitely someone TDH," Angel declared, leaning back with a confident smirk.

"TDH?" Len and Fay asked in unison.

"Tall, Dark, and Handsome," Angel clarified, counting the traits on her fingers.

Len chuckled, looking thoughtful. "Well, my type is actually quite simple. I like girls."

The admission hung in the air for a moment. Fay and Angel's eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa, really?" Fay breathed, her curiosity piqued. "Do we know her?"

Len simply offered a mysterious smile, refusing to budge. Instead, she turned the tables. "What about you, Fay? What's your type?"

Fay's smile turned shy, but before she could utter a word, Angel and Len exchanged a mischievous glance. A shared grin spread across their faces.

"Oh, we already know," Angel teased, leaning in close. "It's Kei, isn't it? Yieee!"

"What are you even saying?!" Fay exploded, her face instantly blooming into a deep crimson. "It's not like I like her or anything! Don't be ridiculous!"

"So you hate her then?" Angel asked, her grin widening into a predator's smirk.

"NO!" Fay stammered, her hands flying to her hot cheeks. "It's just... it's just..."

"Just what? Hmm?"

Len stepped in, though her eyes danced with amusement. "Maybe she just wants to get to know Kei better... as a friend."

"Yes! That's exactly it!" Fay huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. "It's not like I have feelings for her. Hmph."

Len and Angel didn't say another word, but the look they shared said everything. To them, it wasn't just a crush it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The next day

The following morning, Fay stood in the school hallway, surrounded by the usual chatter of her friends. When the clock struck 6:30 AM, a rhythmic click of footsteps began to echo through the corridor a sound so familiar it seemed to tug at Fay's very soul.

She turned, and time seemed to snag.

A girl was walking toward them. The first thing Fay noticed was her face: framed by a sweep of long, dark lashes, her eyes were like polished onyx deep, mesmerizing and impossible to look away from. Her nose was elegantly pointed and her lips were curved into a soft, inviting line. Even in a simple P.E. uniform, she carried an effortless cool that turned the hallway into a runway. To Fay, it felt as though the world had shifted into slow motion. While the rest of the school moved at a frantic pace, Fay's heart beat a heavy, thunderous rhythm against her ribs.

As Kei drew level with her, Fay's throat tightened. The words she wanted to say remained locked behind her teeth. Without a word, Kei walked right past her, leaving a trail of quiet confidence in her wake.

"Good morning," Fay finally whispered in a low, breathless tone, a small, hopeful smile dancing on her lips long after Kei had disappeared around the corner.

Later, in the classroom, the atmosphere was buzzing. Their teacher stood at the front, clapping her hands for attention. "Alright, everyone, we have a new activity. Pair up in twos!"

Immediately, Len and Angel locked eyes and moved toward each other. Fay watched them, her jaw dropping in mock-horror. "Oh? So that's how it is, huh?" she muttered, feeling the sting of a playful betrayal.

Len and Angel didn't look guilty; instead, they shot Fay a pair of wide, mischievous grins. It was clear they were plotting something.

"Oh no!" Len shouted, her voice dripping with exaggerated pity. "Fay doesn't have a partner! Kei, why don't you partner up with her?"

Kei blinked, then pushed off her desk and walked toward Fay. "Fay," she said, her expression neutral but focused. "Let's be together."

Fay's face erupted in a crimson flush. "Be be be what?" she stammered, her heart doing a somersault.

Kei tilted her head, a look of genuine confusion crossing her features. Being a bit of an airhead, she hadn't realized how her phrasing might be interpreted. "I said," she repeated slowly, "let's be together?"

Fay squeezed her eyes shut for a second, realizing she'd jumped to a romantic conclusion. "Yeah… yeah, let's be partners," she corrected, trying to regain her composure.

"Now," the teacher interrupted, her expression turning teasingly stern, "once you've settled on your partners, I want you to design a poster. It's due tomorrow. And please spare me the cliché of two hands holding a globe. I've seen it every year for a decade, and I'm quite sick of it!"

A chorus of "Yes, ma'am!" rang out through the room.

Once class dismissed, Kei approached Fay, who was still lingering with her friends.

"Where should we work on the poster?" Kei asked.

"Let's do it at my house," Fay suggested, her pulse quickening at the thought.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, the deadline is tomorrow, after all."

Len suddenly chimed in, leaning into their space. "Can we come, too? We're going to do….."

Before Len could finish her sentence, Angel's hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Angel hauled Len back, offering Fay and Kei a bright, albeit slightly terrifying, smile. "Don't mind this dork. We have plenty of our own work to do, so we'll be heading out now!"

As Angel dragged a struggling, muffled Len away, Fay and Kei watched in stunned silence. Angel looked like a literal angel, but the aura radiating from her was nothing short of menacing.

Fay and Kei didn't dare ask questions. They simply watched with pity as Len disappeared down the hall, her protests lost behind Angel's palm.

After Angel finished dragging a protesting Len out of sight, Fay and Kei stood in the sudden quiet of the hallway. They exchanged numbers, their fingers brushing slightly as they traded phones.

"I'll text you my address and the time later," Fay said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her racing heart.

"Okay," Kei replied simply.

A sleek white car pulled up to the school's entrance, Fay's ride home. As Fay turned to leave, Kei offered a small, rare wave. "Bye. Be safe."

The words acted like a spark. On a sudden, bold impulse, Fay reached out and caught Kei's hand. Before Kei could process what was happening, Fay gently but firmly pulled her toward the open car door.

"Fay? Why?" Kei asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm taking you home," Fay insisted, ushering her into the backseat.

"But why?"

Fay settled beside her, her face flushed but her expression determined. "Because I care. No more questions."

A soft, appreciative smile tugged at the corners of Kei's lips. "Thank you," she whispered.

When the car finally pulled up to Kei's house, Kei stepped out and offered one last look back. "Thank you again."

"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Fay called out, waving until the car pulled away.

As Kei approached her front door, the heavy silence of the neighborhood was shattered by the muffled sound of shouting. Inside, her parents were locked in another bitter argument, the air thick with accusations about her father's affair.

Kei pushed the door open. Her parents glanced at her for a split second before returning to their screaming match as if she were a ghost. With a practiced, nonchalant expression, Kei walked past them. Her eyes looked lifeless, heavy with a fatigue that sleep couldn't fix.

She retreated to her room, shutting the door with a sharp thud that drowned out the noise for a moment. She tossed her bag onto the bed and sank into the darkest corner of the room. Staring up at the ceiling, she felt the familiar weight of cynicism. Love is just another word for pain, she thought. Life is just a cycle of the same gray days.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, the screen cutting through the darkness like a beacon. She reached for it and frowned at the notification.

Fay: hdhdgebebwjdjqk

Kei stared at the gibberish, a small, genuine laugh escaping her lips. "What? Haha," she murmured to herself, her thumb hovering over the screen.

On the other side of town, Fay was in a state of absolute catastrophe. She had spent the last hour staring at the message box, drafting and deleting a dozen perfect greetings. In a fit of nervous panic, her thumb had slipped, sending the frantic keyboard-smash to Kei.

"Oh my god, no!" Fay groaned, slamming her head onto her desk. She quickly typed a follow-up.

Fay: Oh! That was a typo. I meant... how are you?

She buried her face in her hands, her skin hot enough to cook an egg. How are you? Really, Fay? she scolded herself. You sound like a worried aunt. So cringe. She clenched her fists, kicking her legs against the floor in embarrassment.

A moment later, her phone chimed.

Kei: I'm okay. Thank you for asking. How about you? :)

Fay's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She let out a muffled shriek of joy, throwing herself onto her bed and rolling frantically from side to side. "How about you?" she mimicked in a high-pitched, dreamy voice. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me, darling! Wahhhhh!"

She kicked her feet in the air, the sheer giddiness of a girl in love overflowing as she grabbed her phone to screenshot the message. She immediately sent it to her group chat with Len and Angel.

Fay: GIRLS LOOK. SHE ASKED HOW I AM.

Len: Girl, that is literally a sign. She's obsessed.

Angel: You two look so good together already. It's destiny.

As her friends continued to feed her delusions with a flurry of heart emojis and wedding jokes, Kei sat in her dark room, her eyes fixed on the glowing screen. For the first time that day, the shadows didn't feel quite so heavy. She waited, a small smile lingering on her face, hoping for the phone to light up one more time.