Echoes of Fractured Realities: The Convergence Beyond Worlds

Ep 7 : New Beginnings and Hidden Glances

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As I sat at my desk, still trying to shake off the unsettling thoughts about Miss Lavenoir, the door creaked open. A male student walked in, his dark brown hair slightly messy, as if he hadn't bothered much with it that morning. His brown eyes scanned the room before landing on me. For a moment, our eyes met, and he made a quick 'tch' sound, almost as if he was annoyed by my presence.

He wore the school uniform, but unlike everyone else, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing the base of his collarbone. A brown jacket was tied loosely around his waist, adding to his casual, almost careless appearance. Without saying a word, he walked to the back of the classroom, tossing a book onto a desk by the window. I watched as he slumped into his seat and promptly laid his head down, as if he were about to take a nap.

I couldn't help but stare a moment longer. Something about him screamed delinquent—the way he carried himself, the unbuttoned shirt, the dismissive attitude. I quickly pulled out my notebook, deciding to jot down what I had just witnessed, as if documenting the moment might help me make sense of it. Male student—dark brown hair, brown eyes, jacket around his waist, looks like a delinquent.

Just as I finished writing, I could hear the noise of more students filtering into the room. The energy shifted as voices filled the once-empty space, but my thoughts lingered on the boy who had walked in after me. He didn't fit in with the usual crowd. Something about him felt different—unpredictable.

Somehow, I must've dozed off at my desk. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out when I suddenly felt someone tapping my shoulder. Groggy, I turned around to see Toru standing there with Shoma by his side.

"I'm kinda surprised that we're going to share the same class," Toru said with a small grin.

"Yeah, I can't believe it! This is great! Now I actually like Thursdays," Shoma added enthusiastically, her voice filled with excitement.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little at her remark, the sound slipping out before I realized it. But as soon as I did, the room seemed to fall silent. Everyone paused, their conversations stopping as they turned to glance in my direction for a brief second.

The attention made my cheeks flush, and I quickly looked away, feeling embarrassment wash over me. As if on cue, the classroom returned to its usual buzz of chatter, but that moment still left me feeling a little awkward.

Toru and Shoma exchanged a look, and then Toru turned to me with a grin. "You have a beautiful voice, do you know that?"

The compliment sent a wave of heat rushing to my cheeks, and I felt my heart race. Embarrassment flooded over me like a tide, making me shrink down under the table in an attempt to hide from their gaze. Why do they have to say things like that? I thought, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.

As I buried my face in my hands, I was completely oblivious to a pair of eyes watching me from across the room. A mysterious presence lingered in the air, but I was too wrapped up in my own mortification to notice.