a flower that slowly bloomed

At the start of a new school year, Noah expects nothing to change. He keeps to the back of the classroom, avoids attention, and has learned to survive by taking up as little space as possible. New beginnings are for other people - not for him.

Then Elias chooses the empty seat beside him.

They don't talk much. Noah answers in nods and short words, and Elias never pushes. He simply stays - in class, during lunch, and even on the walk home. What begins as quiet companionship slowly becomes something Noah isn't used to: presence without demands.

When Noah realizes they live next door to each other, the day ends not with certainty, but with a fragile question. For the first time in a long while, Noah allows himself to wonder if this year might be different - if maybe, he doesn't have to be completely alone.