The next morning.
"Raha — are you ready?"
She didn't answer.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing, hands folded in her lap.
"Raha."
Shawn crouched in front of her and shook her gently.
She startled.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.
She didn't sign anything.
Didn't write anything.
Just sat there — heavy, quiet, somewhere far away.
Shawn moved to sit beside her.
He reached up and smoothed her hair back gently.
"Raha. Listen to me. What happened — it can't be changed. But—"
The door opened.
Amon Dela Cruz stepped in.
"Hey. Raha." His voice was calm. Direct. "You're not going to school?"
Raha shook her head slowly.
Amon looked at her for a moment.
Then — "You know your accident wasn't an accident."
Raha's eyes filled.
She looked at him.
And nodded.
"Do you know who did it?"
She shook her head.
Shawn reached for her hand. "You didn't see anyone that day?"
She shook her head again.
Amon's voice stayed level. "Do you suspect anyone?"
Raha didn't answer immediately.
She looked at Shawn instead.
Shawn understood without being told.
He squeezed her hand.
"You have to go to school," he said quietly. "Rabina. Grace. Bella. You need to face them. You need to make them pay."
Something shifted inside Raha's chest.
Something hardened.
She stood up.
Shawn was already outside with his bike when she came through the door.
"Sit behind me."
Raha climbed on.
Held on.
"Do you like speed?" he asked.
She nodded — small, almost shy.
Shawn smiled.
And then he took off — fast, wind cutting through everything — and for a few seconds the world blurred and the weight on Raha's chest lifted just slightly and she held on tighter and closed her eyes.
School.
Rohan was already there.
Sitting in his seat.
Eyes on the door.
Waiting — without admitting to himself that he was waiting.
Rabina, Bella, and Grace arrived together.
And then — Subin.
"Subin?" Rabina's face lit up immediately. She moved toward him. "Hey! Babe — how are you?"
Subin walked past her.
Sat down without a word.
Rabina stopped mid-step.
"Subin—" Her voice sharpened. "I asked you something."
The whole class looked.
Subin didn't.
He stared at the desk in front of him — and the only thing in his head was that night. The rain. Rohan's hand on Raha's face. The medicine on the ground.
His chest burned.
Rabina sat down, jaw tight, muttering under her breath.
Rohan looked at Subin carefully.
"You're not even a student here," he said quietly. "Why did you come?"
Subin's voice came out heavy. "Your father asked me to."
A pause.
He wiped his eyes — quickly, like he was angry at himself for needing to.
"How long," he said quietly, "have you been dating Raha?"
The room went still.
Students turned.
Rabina's head snapped up.
Grace's mouth opened.
"What?" Rohan said.
Subin said nothing more.
He looked back down at the desk.
And went quiet.
Bella leaned toward Rabina.
"Want to hear something fresh?"
"Forget that — is Rohan actually dating Raha?" Rabina hissed.
Grace frowned. "But Subin — doesn't he—"
"Love her?" Rabina cut her off. "No. He just wanted her attention. That's all."
"Maybe," Grace said.
"Rohan kissed her."
Bella said it like it was nothing.
Rabina and Grace both turned to stare at her.
"What?"
They said it at the same time — too loud.
The whole class turned.
The door opened.
Shawn walked in.
Raha behind him.
Rabina's chest filled with something hot and immediate the moment she saw her.
Rohan was on his feet before he realized it.
"Raha—"
Raha's face was blank.
Completely, carefully blank.
She looked at Subin.
Subin looked at her — and then slowly, deliberately, looked down.
The class watched her.
Every single person.
A girl near the front spoke first. "Raha — are you okay?"
No reaction.
Nothing.
Raha stood in the middle of all those staring eyes and felt absolutely none of them.
The class started whispering — low, overlapping, relentless.
Rohan and Subin both turned toward her at the same moment.
Both opened their mouths.
"Sorry, Raha."
At the exact same time.
Raha blinked.
Looked at one.
Then the other.
Subin glared sideways at Rohan.
Rohan ignored him.
"That night," Rohan said. "I'm sorry. For what I did."
Shawn went completely still.
The class erupted in whispers.
"Which night?" Grace said.
"None of your business," Rohan said flatly.
Rabina smiled slowly.
"The night you kissed Raha?"
The three of them — Rohan, Subin, Raha — all turned to look at her at the same moment.
Shawn stood frozen.
The class exploded.
Rabina stood.
Started walking toward Raha — slow, deliberate, like she owned every step.
Raha watched her come.
And walked forward to meet her.
Head up.
Eyes steady.
She nodded — once — confirming it without flinching.
Yes.
Rabina's hand shot out and grabbed her collar.
"How dare you."
The words barely left her mouth.
Raha's hand moved faster.
The slap landed hard — clean — the sound cutting through every whisper in that room like a blade.
Rabina stumbled back.
Hand flying to her cheek.
Eyes wide.
Completely unprepared.
The class went absolutely silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Raha stood exactly where she was.
Expression unchanged.
Eyes cold.