𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 1

Every morning was the same routine: dragging herself out of bed, throwing on something comfortable, grabbing her backpack, doing her makeup, brushing her blonde locks, and heading to school. The day moved in a familiar rhythm, each class blending into the next. First period was English, second was math, and after lunch came the other subjects-each one passing in a blur of half-listened-to lessons and scribbled notes.

Most people wouldn't call her shy, but she wasn't the loudest person either. Ambivert, maybe, a little bit of both depending on the day. Sometimes, she enjoyed hanging out with her friends during lunch, but there were also times when she preferred to sit back and observe, letting their conversations wash over her while her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Orchestra was one of those times. She played her instrument well enough, fingers moving across the keys with practiced ease, but it wasn't something she was passionate about. It was just a class-a space-filler between subjects she cared more about. She wasn't looking to stand out or be the first chair. She played her part, did what she needed to do, and moved on.

But seventh period was different. Seventh period was chemistry, and that meant Mr. Le.

The rest of the day was just a countdown to that one class. Not that she was obsessed, exactly, but there was something about Mr. Le that fascinated her. He always wore dark clothes, a mask covering the lower half of his face, and glasses that reflected the fluorescent lights of the classroom. It was hard to tell what he was thinking behind that mask, and maybe that's why she was so curious. There was a quiet mystery about him, like an unsolved chemical formula she couldn't help but want to figure out.

As the minutes passed, she found herself watching the clock, waiting for seventh period. Mr. Le wasn't like other teachers-he had a calm, almost unshakable presence that filled the room. Everytinw shed enter the class he always would mumble a raspy "hello" or a "hey". His voice never rose above a steady tone, but somehow, everyone listened. There was something about the way he carried himself, the way he controlled the classroom without ever needing to say much, that pulled her in.

When the time finally came, she slid into her usual seat in the back of the chemistry lab. It was the same every day. Mr. Le would be at the front, his dark clothes blending into the background, his mask and glasses making him seem even more distant, almost untouchable. But her eyes would follow every movement he made, the way his hand traced formulas onto the board with precise strokes, the way he spoke with quiet confidence.

She didn't say much in his class, preferring to observe from the background. Maybe he noticed, maybe he didn't. Either way, she was content with just being there, quietly watching, quietly waiting, and quietly wondering.