The wind on Our backs

11- Boss fight

March 20

Rachel sat in her lecture, mindlessly scribbling on the edges of her notebook as the professor's voice faded into the background. She had been feeling off lately—disconnected. She needed to talk to someone, but when the class ended and she stepped outside, the weight of her loneliness pressed in again. She spotted Krystal, who was laughing with a new group of friends.

As Rachel approached, Krystal glanced her way and waved her over, introducing her to the group. "Hey, guys, this is Rachel, my friend from Singapore."

That phrase again—from Singapore. It was like a label she couldn't shake. Rachel forced a smile, her heart sinking deeper. Why couldn't she just be introduced as a friend? Why did her nationality always have to come up? She swallowed the frustration, feeling like she was overreacting, but it was starting to wear her down. Instead of saying anything, she did what she always did.

"I'll catch you later, Krystal," Rachel said, offering an excuse to leave before the discomfort settled in too much.

She checked her phone, finding a text from Adrien.

Want to meet up at the park after your last lecture?

Rachel smiled slightly and typed back: Sure :)

After her final lecture, Rachel made her way to the park. Adrien was already there, sitting on their favorite bench, wearing a Luigi T-shirt paired with bright blue shorts. His playful outfits never failed to make her smile a little, and she appreciated how effortlessly comfortable he was in his own skin.

The sky above them was streaked with orange and pink as the sun began its slow descent. The vast field of grass before them stretched out like a peaceful canvas, and Rachel felt a small sense of calm as she joined him on the bench.

She took a deep breath, the words that had been sitting heavy on her chest finally spilling out. "I've been feeling more homesick lately," Rachel admitted, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "And... I'm starting to think Krystal might not be as good of a friend as I thought." She let out a soft, awkward laugh. "But it's stupid, right? I should be focused on my studies, not on this..."

Adrien listened quietly, his hands resting on his knees as he stared at the sky with her. After a moment, he spoke, his tone steady but thoughtful. "It's not stupid at all. It's normal to think about friendships, no matter how serious life gets and how old you get. And your feelings—they're never silly, Rachel. They're real. You don't have to push them away just because you think other things are more important."

Rachel glanced at him, feeling the conflict inside her. "I always try to avoid problems. It's easier that way. If someone upsets me, I don't confront them. I just... move on. Isn't that the best solution?"

Adrien turned toward her, a playful but serious glint in his eyes. "Let me put it this way," he began. "Think about it like a video game."

Rachel raised her brow, intrigued by where this was going.

"You go through every level, avoiding all the obstacles and not fighting any of the enemies. Sure, you make it to the next level, but when you get to the final boss and you're too scared to face it, what happens? You leave the game stuck at that level, and you never really win."

Rachel blinked, taken aback by the analogy. It was silly, sure, but it made sense in its own way. "So... you're saying I've been playing life on easy mode?"

Adrien chuckled softly. "Not easy mode, no. But maybe you're skipping the parts that matter. The parts that make you stronger. If you keep avoiding the boss fights, you'll never get past this level."

Rachel sat back, letting his words sink in. It was strange, hearing this from him. She had always thought it was smarter to just let things go—to move past issues without creating unnecessary drama. But here Adrien was, telling her that sometimes you needed to confront the uncomfortable parts of life in order to truly grow.

"Maybe," she murmured, glancing back at him. "Maybe you're right."

He smiled gently, his eyes softening as the last light of the sun dipped behind the horizon. "It's not about being right or wrong, Rachel. It's about facing the things that scare you—whether it's a friend who's not treating you well, or feelings you've been avoiding."

Rachel took in a slow breath, watching as the stars slowly began to twinkle in the darkening sky. Adrien had a way of making her feel seen, and not just for what was on the surface. For the first time, she wondered if maybe it was time to start facing the things she had been avoiding. Maybe, when the time was right.