Catalyst of Wisdom (Part 2)

Part 2: New Beginnings and Unspoken Emotions (Page 1)

The morning sun filtered through the windows of St. Maria High School as the students settled into their seats. Mrs. Santos stood at the front of the class, a warm smile on her face.

"Good morning, everyone. Today, we have a new student joining us. Please welcome Arman Tanaka."

A tall boy with beautiful white hair and an easy smile stepped forward. "Hi, everyone. I'm Arman. Nice to meet you all."

The class murmured greetings, and Mrs. Santos continued, "To help Arman get settled, I'm assigning another group project. This time, you'll be working in groups of three. Your task is to collect a variety of flowers, focusing on their meanings and significance."

Mrs. Santos began assigning groups. "Hana Reyes, Renzo Takashi, and Arman Tanaka, you will be working together."

Hana and Renzo exchanged a glance, curiosity mixed with the familiarity of their partnership. As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Hana approached Arman with a friendly smile.

"Hey, Arman. Welcome to St. Maria. Want to join us at the park to start on the project?" Hana asked.

"Sure, sounds great," Arman replied, grateful for the friendly gesture.

The trio made their way to the park, a place that held special meaning for both Hana and Renzo. As they walked, they chatted about school and the project. Once they reached the park, Hana took charge.

"Okay, Renzo, I want you to pick at least two flowers that have a special meaning for you," Hana instructed.

Renzo, visibly annoyed by the task, sighed. "Fine."

As Renzo wandered off to find the flowers, Hana turned to Arman. "So, Arman, where did you go to school before transferring here?"

Arman smiled, relaxing into the conversation. "I was at a school in Manila. It was a bit bigger than this one, but I had to move because of my dad's job."

"Manila, huh? Must have been quite a change," Hana remarked.

"Yeah, it was. But I'm liking it here so far. The people seem really nice," Arman said, glancing around the park.

Their conversation flowed easily, and Hana found herself enjoying Arman's company. After a while, Renzo returned, holding two flowers: a delicate Cosmos and a vibrant Aster.

Hana looked at the flowers with interest. "Why did you pick these, Renzo?"

Renzo remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Hana asked again, her curiosity piqued. "Come on, Renzo, tell me why you chose these flowers."

Still, Renzo didn't answer.

Hana, determined to get a response, asked one final time, her tone serious. "Renzo, if you don't tell me, I promise I'll ignore you."