A new academic year had begun.

I was not particularly happy, nor was I sad. If anything, I simply wanted time to pass quickly so I could finally graduate.

As expected, the first day was chaotic. The campus was packed with students trying to find their classrooms. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going except me. I wandered through the crowded hallways, scanning every posted class list until I finally found my name.

Mia Flores

Section A. Room 301.

By the time I reached my classroom, I was already exhausted.

Inside, my classmates were busy sweeping the floor, arranging chairs, and wiping the windows. I barely paid attention. The seats had already been assigned alphabetically, so I simply looked for my surname and dropped my bag onto the chair.

My seat was in between two boys.

Neither of them spoke.

Quiet, I thought. This school year might actually be peaceful.

I could not have been more wrong.

It took less than an hour for the silence to disappear.

The boy on my right introduced himself as John Villanueva. He had an effortless sense of humor and the kind of imagination that could turn the most ordinary moment into something ridiculous.

"Arf... arf..."

He suddenly barked in the middle of class while pretending to hold an invisible leash.

"Excuse my dog, please."

His expression remained completely serious.

I could not help but laugh.

"You look so stupid," I whispered between giggles.

He only grinned, looking rather proud of himself.

Unfortunately, our teacher noticed.

She shot us a single glare.

That one look was enough to silence our entire row.

For a while, the classroom became quiet again.

As the orientation continued, my attention drifted toward the left side of the room.

Then I noticed a familiar face.

Him.

My childhood crush.

He was sitting just a few rows away from me.

Nicolas Fernandez.

He still had the same clean-cut features I remembered, along with an effortlessly warm smile. He had always been smart, playful, and somehow good at almost everything.

Without realizing it, I found myself staring.

As if sensing my gaze, he looked in my direction.

Our eyes met.

For a brief second, time seemed to pause.

I smiled.

He smiled back.

My heart skipped a beat.

I quickly looked away and pretended to pay attention to whatever John was doing beside me.

When the lunch bell rang, the entire class practically raced toward the canteen.

The hallway became a sea of students.

Buying snacks on the first day felt more like surviving a battlefield.

"I'll save us the trouble," John said confidently. "What do you want?"

"Anything's fine. Just make sure I don't starve."

He gave me a mock salute before disappearing into the crowd.

"Wish me luck."

"I'll pray for your survival."

I laughed as I watched him vanish among the students.

Since every table was occupied, I managed to find one empty table near the corner and waited for John.

A moment later, someone pulled out the chair across from me.

I looked up.

Nicolas.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Go ahead."

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he broke the silence.

"Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head.

"Not yet. I'm waiting for my friend. He's probably still fighting for his life in the canteen."

He chuckled.

"I don't blame him. It looked impossible over there."

I smiled.

The conversation was simple, yet oddly comfortable.

It had been years since we last talked, but somehow it didn't feel awkward.

I glanced toward the canteen entrance and finally spotted John weaving through the crowd, carefully balancing two sandwiches and three juice boxes.

He looked as though he'd just survived a natural disaster.

I stood and waved both hands.

"John! Over here!"

John looked up, spotted me, and hurried over.

"This better be worth risking my life," he complained dramatically as he reached the table.

I laughed.

"John, this is Nicolas Fernandez."

John shifted the food into one hand before offering the other.

"Nice to meet you."

Nicolas returned the handshake with a polite smile.

"Likewise."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nicolas glanced at the clock.

"I should get going. My friends are waiting for me."

"It was nice seeing you again," he said, looking at me.

"You too."

With one last smile, he walked away.

John watched him until he disappeared into the crowd.

Then he slowly turned to me, one eyebrow raised.

"So..." he began.

"Who was that?"

I shrugged casually, pretending it was no big deal.

"An old friend."

John narrowed his eyes.

"Really?" he said with a teasing grin. "Because the way he was looking at you... that definitely didn't seem like he was just an old friend."

I nearly choked on my juice.

He laughed.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you didn't notice."

I rolled my eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice the warmth creeping onto my cheeks.