Chapter 1 : The Transfer Student
Raindrops slid down her cheeks.
Her long wet hair lay loosely on the ground.
She can barely see.
Blood? She is bleeding, but it keeps washing away with rainwater.
"Giggling"-oh, a teacher nicely dressed in a suit and tie, but his face reflects a brutal smile even while witnessing someone's death, Ira.
"She couldn't make it either."
The words escaped his lips as his smile widened.
"Expose of her."
Darkness swallowed everything that night.
2 years later.
Sunlight spread across the city. The buildings slowly woke beneath the golden light. The alarm finally gave up, realizing its owner won't wake up in time again. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes, wide open.
"I'm late."
She jumped out of the bed. This is Makira.
"Oh no, I can't ruin my first day,"
babbling and wearing her tie. Her oversized blazer looked bigger than she was, the sleeves covering most of her fingers. With an apple between her teeth, she ran toward her dream school.
"O-oh, I forgot my bag!"
She finally reached the school, but who was going to tell that her bag was still unzipped?
7:55 AM.
"Guys, there's a new transfer!"
his cheeks bounced slightly as he shouted. Nobody minded. After all, Abeer could get away with almost anything.
"Again?"
"It happens every year, though." Class murmurs.
"If it's not a girl, then don't waste the time,"
says the boy from the last rows; he has a memorable face card, Ruhan.
"Uggh, here he goes again."
"She is a girl," yells back Abeer.
"Single or not? Come on, man, give me the full report!"
asks Ruhan grabbing Abeer's head and shaking the hell out of it. The head, this is the only thing Ruhan could reach; Abeer is short like a cute baby.
"Hey, I didn't even know she existed. Uh? Ayan?" Abeer murmured.
A tall boy entered class,
hands in pockets; his hair lay low through his thick eyebrows. He barely looks at Abeer.
Ruhan continues babbling.
"You don't really care, do you?" asks Abeer, sitting in front of Ayan.
"It's normal here," Ayan says without looking at Abeer.
Maybe he is used to it.
Ruhan's face goes empty now,
"You ignored me?"
Clap! Clap!
Someone clapped with his hands; the veins were visible through his skin, Reev.
"Everyone act together; the teacher's coming." Reev lowered his hand and brushed his long hair back.
The classroom immediately became quieter.
Some admire him. He is too perfect.
While others simply find him annoying.
The classroom door slides open.
"Everyone, we have a new student!" announces the homeroom teacher.
A girl stepped inside behind the teacher.
The black oversized blazer hanging from her shoulders almost reached her knees.
Her short dark hair was messy, strands sticking to her face as if she had run all the way to school.
Her bright smile made the room forget to breathe for a moment.
"Introduce yourself."
"Hello everyone, I am Makira. Nice to meet you. Hope you all will take good care of me."
"Man, she's gorgeous like a princess that walked out of a castle!" Ruhan's eyes glitter as he blushes.
Soon everyone starts to talk among themselves.
"Doesn't she look familiar?"
"I don't know, but I love her fashion sense!"
For the first time, Ayan looked up.
His eyes rested on Makira, "Interesting."
"Take your seat, Makira."
Makira sat beside a boy whose long bangs covered most of his face;
he was looking down and sweating.
It was hard to believe anyone had ever seen his full face.
Makira was about to say hi, looking down to see what he's into, actually.
"E-eh, you're into gambling, I see. Good luck," she gives an awkward smile.
Bell Ringing.
"Well enough for today." The teacher leaves.
Some gathered at Makira's desk;
they talked, and laughter slowly spread around her desk.
Somehow, Makira had already become a part of the class.
Teacher's Room.
Two sheets of paper lying on the teacher's desk.
The homeroom teacher rubs her temples as she stares at them,
"What should we do? Something isn't right."
"Maybe you're overthinking?" confronts another teacher.
Break Time.
"Hey, want to join us?" Meher asks, adjusting her round transparent glasses.
"Can I?" Makira asks politely.
"Of course." Meher smiled warmly.
"What about asking my permission?!" Rhea shouted from behind.
Unfortunately, she was ignored-just like Ruhan.
Ruhan holding a mirror and fixing his neatly styled hair. Makira walked past him.
"Hel--"
He stopped before he could finish.
"Maybe she forgot to notice me," sighs Ruhan.
Cafeteria.
Everyone is busy eating. Makira, Meher, and Rhea, the three of them, entered chit-chatting,
but Rhea didn't look interested in Makira. She talks less and barely smiles almost like a cold fish.
At the corner table, Ayan and Abeer are eating peacefully. Beside them was Serin, quietly eating while tucking her long, straight hair behind her ear.
Her long eyelashes made her calm eyes even harder to ignore.
Unlike the others, every button of her blazer was neatly fastened, and the expensive net stockings peeking beneath her skirt only made her look more elegant.
Meher asks pissed, "Why did you all leave us alone?"
Abeer is saying something, but it's vague, as his mouth is loaded with food.
"Chubby was starving, so he flew me here ASAP," Ayan replied.
Abeer is known as Chubby among his friends.
"Still, it's not nice to leave behind your friends!" says Meher arrogantly.
"But we held the seats for you guys, o-oh Makira?"
"That's already enough for us, thank you." Makira gives a friendly smile.
"Let's dig in!"
Abeer whispers to Ayan, "Hey, have we become friends with that new girl?"
"Who knows? Why are you blushing though?"
"She is so nice." Abeer is trying to hide his smile.
Ayan quietly watches him.
"So where did you transfer from?" asks Serin.
"It's a bit complicated... I moved around a lot."
"I knew it; something about her feels wrong," Rhea whispers quietly, lowering her eyes.
"Helloo, Guys!"
Everyone looked at the hello guy; it's Ruhan.
"Long time no see."
Most of them look disappointed.
"Oh, this seat seems empty. I'm going to sit here. Thank you for saving one for me too." Ruhan has been babbling since then, almost like talking to himself as no one cares.
"Who said we saved one for you?" Serin murmurs.
"Wait! Didn't you steal my fo-"
Abeer was about to say something. But Ruhan grabbed a large burger and put the whole into his mouth.
"Haha, you shouldn't talk when you're eating." Ruhan laughs awkwardly.
"Did I just hear you stole something?"
Makira asks with a genuine shocked face.
"Forget it, just friends things."
"Since when we are friends?" says Meher.
Makira can't stop laughing at their childish behavior.
Teacher's Room.
A teacher entered the room,
black glasses resting on his face.
The neatly pressed suit.
The calm smile.
The same teacher from two years ago,
"You look worried."
"Oh, sir Could you take a look at these?" she asks.
He picked up the two sheets of paper;
one belonged to Ira, who disappeared 2 years ago,
and another belonged to Makira.
"Sir, don't they have similar names?" asks the teacher.
He remained silent.
No reaction.
No answer.
Then after a while, he slowly looks at the window, the blue sky,
something seemed to pass through his mind.
Meanwhile,
the cafeteria was filled with laughter.
Everyone is joking and eating,
and Makira is no exception.
But for a moment,
she looks outside through the window, watching the calm sky.
"Let's play again." Makira whispers.
