The next morning felt… different. Not because anything had changed. But because something was about to. Liam walked into the classroom like he always did. Quiet. Unnoticed.
He sat down near the window, placing his bag beside his chair. Same routine. Same silence.
"…Just another day," he muttered. But something felt off. The classroom was louder than usual.
More energetic. More curious. "Hey, did you hear?" "They said we have a new classmate.""Transfer student, right?" Liam didn't pay much attention. It didn't matter to him.
Nothing really did lately. "Alright, settle down," the teacher said as she entered the room. The class slowly quieted.
"We have a new student joining us today." Murmurs spread instantly. Liam rested his chin on his hand, barely interested.
"Come in," the teacher said, gesturing toward the door. The classroom door slid open. Light from the hallway poured in for a moment.
And then. She stepped inside. A girl with long, slightly wavy hair. Calm eyes.
A gentle but confident presence. "Good morning," she said softly. Her voice was clear. Warm.
"My name is Sofia…" She paused for a brief moment. "…Sofia Reyes." The class reacted immediately.
"She's pretty." "Wow…" "Transfer students are always like this, huh?"
But Liam. Didn't react. Not yet. "Please take care of me," Sofia said with a small bow.
The teacher smiled.
"You can sit by the empty seat near the window." Near the window.
Right beside. Liam. "…Huh?" For the first time, he looked up properly. Sofia walked toward his direction.
Step by step. Calm. Unhurried. Then she stopped beside his desk. "…Excuse me," she said softly.
Liam blinked. Their eyes met. And in that moment. Something felt… familiar.
"…Can I sit here?" she asked. "…Yeah," Liam replied automatically.
She smiled. "Thank you." She placed her bag down and took her seat.
For a few seconds. Neither of them spoke. The class resumed like normal. But something had shifted.
Liam glanced at her slightly. "…Have we met before?" he thought. There was something about her.
Something he couldn't quite place. Then. "…You didn't recognize me." Liam froze.
"…What?" He turned toward her. Sofia was looking at him. Smiling. But not in a distant way.
In a familiar way. "…It's been a while, Liam." His eyes widened. "…Wait…" Memories started to surface.
A small classroom. A playground. A girl laughing beside him. "…Sofia?"
Her smile widened slightly. "Took you long enough." Liam stared at her in disbelief.
"…You…" "You still look the same," she said softly. "…You don't," he replied without thinking.
Then immediately looked away. "…I mean—" Sofia laughed quietly. "It's okay. I get that a lot."
Her laughter was light. Easy. And strangely. It made something in Liam feel… lighter too.
"…What are you doing here?" he asked. "I transferred," she replied simply.
"…Why?" She looked at him for a second. Then smiled. "…Maybe I just wanted to see someone again."
Liam blinked. "…What?" "Nothing," she said quickly, turning her attention back to the front.
But the small smile on her face didn't disappear. Liam stared at her for a moment longer.
"…She hasn't changed," he thought. Still straightforward. Still a little mysterious.
But more than that. She felt… easy to talk to. Something he hadn't felt in a while.
From across the room. Mandy watched everything. From the moment Sofia entered.
To the moment she sat beside Liam. To the moment. They started talking.
"…Who is she?" Mandy whispered. Her chest tightened slightly. "…And why…"
Her eyes stayed fixed on them. "…do they look so comfortable?" Beside her, Mark noticed too.
"…This is getting interesting," he muttered quietly. Because now. There was someone new in the story.
Someone who didn't belong to the past few days of tension. Someone who walked in.
And changed the atmosphere completely. Meanwhile. Liam leaned back slightly in his chair.
For the first time in days. His expression softened. Just a little. "…This is new," he thought.
Or maybe. Not new. Just something he had forgotten.