Lost in your Constellation

Chapter 1: Between Virtual and Reality

Elora wasn't sure why she felt a pull toward a complete stranger she'd only met on a screen. It had all started with a random Zoom meeting, where she'd logged in with muted excitement and low expectations, ready to meet the people she'd be spending her elementary school months with since it was her last year.

A screen full of new faces, most from unfamiliar elementary schools to her, popped up. Her eyes skimmed the boxes, taking in all the new names and faces.

That's when she noticed him.

His name tag said "Miel." He had dark, short and straight hair and a quiet, thoughtful expression that made her curious. He wasn't speaking, just listening intently as the teacher went through the slides.

He didn't look like he was trying to stand out, but something about him did. Elora found her eyes drifting to his screen, watching the way his brows furrowed whenever the teacher said something important or how he'd look down, half-smiling, when someone made a joke.

It felt so... strange. To notice so much about a stranger she'd never met in real life. They hadn't attended the same elementary school, so Elora had no context for who he was but just a glimpse of someone in a virtual meeting.

When the Zoom session ended, she'd almost convinced herself that she'd forget about him. It was just a fleeting crush, an interest sparked by a face on a screen.

"eh I won't even remember him in the future, why bother?" she said as she tried to convince herself, at least.

But did she actually forget him? nope, she didn't forget and never will.

As time pass by, she couldn't quite understand why he stayed in her thoughts. They never even spoke to each other. He was nothing more than a passing face on a Zoom call.

-- 'He probably don't remember me or even know that I exist. why do I even bother wtf-?' she told herself.

But deep down, there was a small hope in her heart that maybe one day he would see her the way she saw him. Each time she remembered that soft look on his face, the way he seemed so completely in his own world, she felt a spark of curiosity, maybe even admiration.

She'd never experienced something like this, being drawn to someone she didn't even know. She doesn't even know what makes him stand out from the others

As the month go by, she tried to shake off her thoughts about him. She buried herself in her classes, get along with her friends, and even draw random things and play games all day to fill her time. But every now and then, especially on quiet evenings, she'd catch herself thinking of him.

"Miel.." she repeats his name in her mind, almost like a whispered secret.

-- 'What was he like? Did he even remember that days we did zoom meeting? Eh probably not. Was he just another student who knows literally nothing about anything around him?'

It was a strange feeling, holding onto an impression of someone who'd probably never even thought of her. She didn't know his voice, his laugh, or even his story.

He was just a shadow of a stranger in her mind, someone she thought she'd eventually forget. But the memory of him lingered, just enough to keep her wondering.

As the elementary school was about to end, Elora decided it was finally time to let go. It had been months since that zoom calls started, and her fixation on him felt more and more unrealistic with every passing day.

She told herself that liking someone she didn't even know was ridiculous and dumb. She could barely remember the details of his face by now, just the overall impression of warmth, quiet confidence, and something... unexplainable.

She wanted to meet someone real, someone she could talk to in the halls or see in her classes. And so, she tried to let Miel's memory fade, pushing herself to move on, to close this short-lived chapter.

But just when she thought she was finally free of him, she found out from her elementary friend, Trifosa, that they were both transferred to the same middle school.

Well it wasn't exactly the news she was expecting since.. she knows it from a different way. Her heart raced when she saw him walking through the crowd.

-- 'DAMN IT, WHY IS HE HERE- WHY WON'T THIS DAMN UNIVERSE LET ME MOVE ON-?' she told herself, this is not what she expected.

-- 'I guess it's my chance to get over him for real.' she thought as she was staring at him.

She clung to that thought, wanting to believe she could finally move forward. But somewhere deep down, her heart skipped, wondering if fate had other plans. As she thought about all the possibilities, Trifosa caught her attention in just a few seconds.

"hey look, that's the guy I'm dating, did I introduce you to him before?"

...

"What."