The morning sunlight shone through Ria's bedroom window, waking her up for another day.
She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Then, she suddenly remembered what happened yesterday.
The alley.
The girl they rescued.
The two men.
And the strange moment when everything stopped moving.
Ria slowly looked at her hand.
"...What was that?"
She clearly remembered reaching out to save the girl. Then, everything became quiet. The wind stopped blowing. The leaves stopped falling. Even the two men didn't move.
It only lasted for a second.
Or at least, that's what it felt like.
Ria shook her head.
"No... Maybe I was just imagining it."
She took a deep breath and got out of bed.
"I shouldn't think too much about it."
After changing into her school uniform, she quietly walked downstairs.
Her aunt was already sitting at the dining table, drinking a cup of coffee while reading the morning newspaper.
"Good morning, Aunt," Ria greeted politely.
Her aunt didn't even look up.
"...Morning."
The table was quiet.
Ria silently prepared a simple breakfast for herself before sitting down to eat.
Neither of them spoke another word.
The silence inside the house had become something Ria was already used to.
After washing her plate, she picked up her school bag.
"I'm leaving for school."
Her aunt simply gave a small nod without taking her eyes off the newspaper.
Ria smiled faintly before stepping outside.
The cool morning breeze greeted her as she walked toward their usual meeting place.
Not long after, she saw Lily and Jas waiting for her.
"Good morning, Ria!" Lily greeted happily.
"Morning!" Jas added with a wave.
"Good morning," Ria replied with a smile.
The three started walking to school together.
"So..." Jas said. "Can you believe what happened yesterday?"
Lily laughed.
"I still can't believe we actually helped someone."
Jas crossed her arms proudly.
"I was ready to fight those guys."
Lily looked at her and laughed.
"Really? I remember someone hiding behind Akira."
"W-What? I wasn't hiding! I was just... waiting for the right moment."
The girls laughed.
"You always have an excuse," Ria teased.
As they continued talking, they reached the school gate.
There, they saw Akira standing quietly near the entrance.
Lily waved at him.
"Good morning, Akira!"
Akira looked at them and gave a small nod.
"...Morning."
"Let's go together," Jas said.
Akira nodded once again, and the four walked toward their classroom.
As they entered the school building, Ria glanced at Akira for a brief moment.
He happened to look at her too.
They quickly looked away.
Neither of them said anything.
But deep inside, they were both thinking about the same thing.
The strange thing that happened yesterday.
Soon, the school bell rang, and the class settled down for the morning lessons.
The teacher discussed the lesson while everyone listened and took notes. Every now and then, Lily would whisper something to Jas, making her quietly laugh. Ria simply smiled and continued writing.
Meanwhile, Akira couldn't help but think back to yesterday.
The wind stopped...
The leaves froze...
And for just a second... time itself stood still.
He quietly glanced at Ria.
What exactly happened...?
Before long, the morning lessons came to an end.
After a short break, their adviser entered the classroom once again.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, ma'am," the class greeted.
The teacher smiled before placing her books on the table.
"Before we start today's lesson, I have someone I'd like you all to meet."
The classroom instantly became quiet.
Several students looked at each other curiously.
"Please come in."
The classroom door slowly opened.
The moment the girl stepped inside, Ria, Lily, Jas, and Akira's eyes widened.
"...It's her," Lily whispered.
It was the same girl they had rescued yesterday.
The girl looked around the classroom before her eyes landed on the four of them.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
"...It's really you."
The teacher looked at them with a puzzled expression.
"You already know each other?"
Lily laughed awkwardly.
"We kind of met yesterday, ma'am."
"I see," the teacher replied with a smile. "Then I suppose you'll help her settle into the class."
"Of course, ma'am," Lily answered.
The teacher turned back to the new student.
"Please introduce yourself."
The girl gave a small bow.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Akiraka Vega Skyler."
"My family recently moved here, so I transferred to this school. I hope we can all get along."
The class welcomed her with applause.
One student suddenly raised his hand.
"Ma'am... isn't her name similar to Akira's?"
The classroom burst into soft laughter.
Even Lily couldn't help but smile.
"It really does."
Akira let out a quiet sigh.
"...It's just a coincidence."
The teacher smiled.
"Alright, that's enough teasing."
She looked around the classroom before pointing toward an empty seat near the window behind Akira.
"Akiraka, you may sit there."
"Yes, ma'am."
Akiraka walked to her seat and placed her bag beside her desk.
Before sitting down, she looked at Ria and the others once again.
She smiled softly, as if she had finally found familiar faces in a place she had never been before.
At that moment, none of them realized that fate had quietly connected their paths once again.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments