chapter two: New friends

I reached home, but home didn’t feel like home anymore.

The note.

Gawin.

Elvan.

Everything kept replaying in my mind like a broken record.

I tossed my bag onto the chair and collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe if I closed my eyes, the memories would stop.

They didn’t.

Elvan’s expression flashed through my mind again—the way he looked right through me, as if I was invisible. As if I had imagined every conversation, every glance, every moment that had convinced me I mattered.

My chest tightened.

Why was I even thinking about him?

I hated him.

At least, that’s what I told myself.

Then there was Gawin.

Unlike Elvan, he left questions instead of answers. Every word he spoke felt like it was hiding something underneath, something I couldn’t quite understand.

And that stupid note…

I pulled it out again.

For the hundredth time.

The paper was already creased from how many times I had unfolded it.

Maybe I was overthinking.

Or maybe this was the beginning of something I wasn’t ready for.

A sudden notification lit up my phone.My heart skipped.

Unknown Number.

One new message.

“Stop looking for answers, Nancy.”

I stared at it.

A prank.

It had to be a prank.

I locked my phone and threw it aside, forcing myself to ignore it.

And then—

A loud noise shattered the silence.

BANG!

I shot upright.

My breathing stopped.

“Ahhh!! Who is there? Mom, are you alright?” I shouted.

No reply.

The house felt too quiet after that sound… like it had swallowed everything.

It was already 12 at night.

My heart was racing now, not from thoughts—but from fear.

I slowly got up and walked downstairs.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

“Mom?” I called again.

Silence.

And then I saw it.

A cake.

On the dining table.

Decorated. Fresh. Beautiful.

I froze.

“Mom… are you okay?” I asked, confused and worried.

“I’m alright,” she replied from the kitchen.

“Then what was that noise? I thought something happened.”

“It’s just… I got surprised,” she said, coming out slowly. “It’s midnight and suddenly I received a box… and no one was around. I got scared.”

“A box?”

She pointed at the cake.

“It’s from your dad.”

I blinked.

“My dad?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “Today is our engagement anniversary.”

She smiled… then suddenly her expression changed.

“And this letter…” she added, holding a small envelope. Her voice trembled. “I don’t know… it made me emotional.”

I watched her carefully.

She was smiling and crying at the same time.

I sighed under my breath.

Typical mom.

Always dramatic over small things… but in a way that made everything feel important.

“Yeah… I know,” I said quietly.

But as I looked at the cake, the letter, the late-night surprise…

I couldn’t shake the feeling.

Something about tonight felt… connected.

Like the universe wasn’t just random anymore.

Like everything was quietly aligning toward something I didn’t understand yet.

And somewhere deep inside me—

I felt it again.

That same uneasiness.

Like I was being watched.

I went upstairs and tried my best to sleep.

Tomorrow was still waiting for me—maybe it would be better than today, I thought.

And somehow, I drifted off.

“Nancy… Nancy!”

My mom’s voice broke through my sleep.

“It’s already 8! Get up!”

For a moment, I didn’t even hear the alarm. My sleep felt heavy… like yesterday had drained something out of me completely.

“I’m up,” I replied, still half-asleep.

I dragged myself to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and freshened up.

Then I changed into my clothes.

A grey T-shirt.

My favorite one.

The one I used to wear in high school trips.

Something about it felt comforting today.

I quickly went downstairs.

“Nancy, baby, why are you always late?” my mom said, pretending to be annoyed.

“Mom, nothing,” I replied casually.

“Are you alright?” she asked again, softer this time.

“Yes, I am,” I said.

She came closer and hugged me suddenly.

“Baby, if there’s anything… you know you can tell me.”

“I know, mom. Don’t worry,” I replied, trying my best to sound normal.

“Have breakfast.”

We both sat and ate together.

For a moment, everything felt… normal.

Too normal.

And just as I was about to get up—

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

“Nana, open the door,” my mom called out.

Nana—our oldest helper—opened the door. She was like a grandmother to me now.

“Who are you?” Nana asked from the entrance.

And then I heard a familiar voice.

“I’m here for Nancy.”

My mom looked up from inside.

“Who is it, Nana?” she asked.

The voice echoed again, clearer this time.

“It’s Chloe aunty… Chloe,” she said.

My mom blinked in surprise.

“Chloe dear? You… now what happened?” my mom asked, walking closer.

“Aunty, I just thought I’d pick Nancy up since we live nearby and go to the same class,” Chloe replied politely.

“Oh darling, you’re so sweet,” my mom smiled. “Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes, aunty,” Chloe replied.

I finally walked toward the door.

“Chloe… suddenly?” I said, surprised. “You came to pick me?”

“Yes,” she smiled. “We’re friends, right? And we live close… so why not go together?”

Before my mom could add anything else, I grabbed Chloe’s hand lightly and stepped outside.

“Bye, mom!” I called.

“Bye bye! Take care, Nancy—and Chloe, you too dear!” she replied warmly.

Once we sat in Chloe's car, I still couldn't digest what was happening.

"You're awfully quiet," Chloe said as she started the engine.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Something felt off.

"You know, Nancy, I'm so happy we're all going together today," Chloe said excitedly.

"We all?" I asked. "It's just the two of us."

"Well... we are, but..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced nervously through the windshield.

My frown deepened.

Then I looked outside.

The house in front of us looked familiar.

Too familiar.

And the person walking toward the car was someone I definitely didn't want to see first thing in the morning.

Elvan.

"Elvan?" I turned sharply toward Chloe. "Are you serious right now? What is happening? Why is he coming with us?"

Chloe immediately looked guilty.

"I just thought it would be nice if we all became friends," she said, trying her best to act innocent.

Friends.

Right.

As if she didn't know exactly what had happened between us.

I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms, deciding it was safer to ignore both of them than start an argument.

"Hey, Elvan!" Chloe greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," Elvan replied.

His eyes landed on me for a brief moment.

Not on my face.

On my grey T-shirt.

The one that used to be my favorite from high school.

Then he looked away without saying a word.

For some reason, that irritated me even more.

Elvan opened the passenger door and sat beside the driver.

"Thanks for joining us," Chloe said. "I'm really happy. Feels like a high school reunion."

I tried my best not to show how annoyed I was.

"Chloe asked," Elvan replied casually. "How could I say no?"

I looked out the window.

So he knew I was coming.

And he still agreed.

Wonderful.

The rest of the ride was painfully quiet.

Chloe attempted to start conversations every few minutes, but neither of us seemed interested.

By the time we reached college, I had already exhausted every bit of patience I had for the day.

The moment the car stopped, I grabbed my bag.

Before Chloe or Elvan could say anything, I stepped out and headed toward the entrance.

"Nancy!" Chloe called from behind.

I pretended not to hear.

Right now, distance felt like the safest option.

Present Day (Opening Scene)

I took a deep breath.

Please… just today, no threats. No strange messages.

I stepped toward the college entrance, trying to feel normal again.

But before I could even enter—

Someone pushed past me, making his way through the crowd like I didn’t exist.

I stumbled slightly, frowning.

Of course.

How could I forget where I studied?

And how could I forget him?

Gawin.

He turned just enough to glance at me, a lazy smirk forming on his face.

“The entrance isn’t for standing,” he said casually. “It’s for people who actually come and go.”

I stared at him for a second.

Then calmly replied, “I know.”

And without waiting another moment, I pushed past him and walked forward.

“As if you’re the only one allowed to pass,” I added, not turning back. “The entrance isn’t for standing and having conversations either—it’s for entering and exiting.

I kept walking, letting a small smirk form on my face.

For once, I didn’t feel like backing down.

But as I moved ahead—

I heard it.

A laugh.

Low. Confident. Familiar.

I didn’t need to turn back to know.

Gawin was laughing.

And somehow…

That made everything worse.

Gawin's laugh still echoed in my head as I walked toward the classroom.

I tried to ignore it.

Tried to focus on anything else.

But before I could enter the classroom, someone tapped my shoulder.

For some reason, I was so sure it was Gawin that I turned around immediately.

"Gawin—"

The word left my mouth before I could stop it.

But the face in front of me wasn't Gawin.

It was Elvan.

I froze.

For a brief moment, Elvan looked surprised too.

Almost as if he had been about to say something.

Something important.

But the second he heard Gawin's name, whatever it was disappeared.

His expression became unreadable.

"Move," he said calmly. "You're blocking the entrance."

That was it.

Just those few words.

Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that he had wanted to say something else.

Something he decided not to.

I opened my mouth.

"Elvan, I—"

Before I could finish, another voice interrupted.

"Wow."

A familiar smirk appeared beside us.

Gawin.

"I think you really enjoy standing in people's way."

I rolled my eyes immediately.

Gawin leaned against the door frame.

"Seriously, Nancy. The entrance is for entering classrooms, not for decorating them."

A small laugh escaped him.

"Why are you always standing in the middle of someone's path?"

I wanted to argue.

The annoying part was...

He wasn't entirely wrong.

My thoughts always moved faster than my body.

Sometimes I got so caught up in my own head that the world around me seemed to pause.

Unfortunately, everyone else kept moving.

Without replying, I walked past both of them and entered the classroom.

I sat down quietly.

Maybe if I ignored everything, today would become normal.

At least that was the plan.

It lasted less than five minutes.

Tap.

My bench moved slightly.

I ignored it.

Tap.

Again.

I looked down.

A shoe.

Gawin's shoe.

I didn't even need to turn around.

Tap.

This time harder.

When I finally glanced back, Gawin was looking directly at me.

Not speaking.

Just watching.

Like he was trying to figure something out.

As if he could tell something was wrong.

I quickly mouthed, "Stop."

Instead of stopping, he grinned.

Of course he did.

Then my eyes drifted to the other side of the room.

Elvan.

He wasn't looking at the teacher.

Wasn't looking at the board.

His gaze kept drifting toward me.

Or more specifically—

Toward my grey T-shirt.

The same T-shirt I used to wear during our high school trip.

The trip where things had been different.

Where we had been different.

For a second, I wondered if he remembered it too.

If the shirt reminded him of those days.

Of our friendship.

Of us.

But I immediately pushed the thought away.

No.

If he cared about those memories, things wouldn't be like this now.

Right?

I looked back at Gawin and mouthed another warning.

"Stop. Or else."

The grin on his face only grew wider.

And somehow...

That worried me more than if he had actually listened.

The rest of the classes passed by surprisingly fast.

Before I knew it, the final bell rang.

Students immediately began packing their bags and rushing out of the classroom.

Finally.

Freedom.

I grabbed my bag and stood up, only for Chloe to instantly hook her arm around mine.

"Come on!" she said excitedly.

"Chloe, I'm literally right here. I'm not going to disappear," I muttered.

"You never know," she replied dramatically.

I rolled my eyes but let her drag me along.

As we stepped out of the classroom, I noticed Gawin and Elvan walking beside us.

Great.

Just what I needed.

A dinner with the two most complicated people in my life.

Chloe, however, seemed completely unaware of the tension.

Or maybe she was ignoring it on purpose.

"You remember our high school sports day?" she asked suddenly.

Without waiting for an answer, she continued.

"And that time Nancy almost fell off the stage during the annual function?"

"What?" I immediately protested.

"I did not!"

"You did!" Chloe laughed.

"I saved you."

"You pushed me!"

"I guided you."

"You pushed me."

Gawin chuckled quietly.

I glared at Chloe.

Traitor.

Meanwhile, Chloe continued talking nonstop.

One memory after another.

The school trip.

The farewell.

The teachers we hated.

The classmates we loved.

I mostly nodded along, only half listening.

My thoughts were somewhere else.

Every now and then, I could feel Gawin glancing at me.

Not long enough to be obvious.

Just enough to make me notice.

And whenever I accidentally looked his way, he'd immediately look ahead as if nothing had happened.

Then there was Elvan.

Walking silently beside us.

Saying almost nothing.

Yet somehow his silence felt louder than Chloe's endless stories.

For a brief moment, Chloe mentioned our high school trip.

I saw Elvan's expression change.

Just slightly.

So slight that anyone else would have missed it.

But I noticed.

And for some reason, he looked at me.

Not directly.

Just a quick glance.

A memory.

A question.

A regret.

I couldn't tell.

So I looked away first.

The evening sun painted the campus in shades of gold as we walked toward the parking lot.

Chloe was still talking.

Gawin was still pretending not to watch me.

Elvan was still pretending not to care.

And I...

I was pretending everything was normal.

Even though deep down, I knew it wasn't.​

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