Cry a Thousand Tears.

CRY A THOUSAND TEARS

Chapter 1 — The Wrong Classroom

I wasn't supposed to be in this classroom.

That was the first thing I thought when I walked through the door.

The second thing I thought was:

I should've stayed home.

“Are you sure this is our room?” Kada asked beside me.

I looked at the piece of paper in my hand, then at the room number written above the door.

“Yes.”

Kada frowned.

“Then why does everyone look like we don't belong here?”

“Because we don't.”

She stared at me.

I stared back.

We both sighed.

Apparently, our teachers had decided that mixing up our specialization classes was a fantastic idea.

Instead of being with the classmates we were used to, Kada and I had somehow ended up in a completely different classroom.

I didn't know anyone.

Well...

Almost anyone.

“Just sit down,” Kada whispered. “Maybe they'll fix the room assignments later.”

“Hopefully.”

We walked inside.

I looked around, searching for an empty seat.

There were already students talking among themselves, some laughing, some scrolling through their phones, and others trying to finish assignments before the teacher arrived.

I felt like an outsider.

Then I found an empty seat.

“Here,” Kada said. “Let's sit here.”

I nodded and placed my bag down.

I sat down.

Kada took the seat beside me.

And that's when I noticed the boy sitting in front of me.

He was talking to the person beside him, occasionally laughing at something on his phone.

I didn't know his name.

I didn't care.

At least, not yet.

I opened my notebook and tried to make myself comfortable.

A few minutes later, the teacher entered.

“Good morning, everyone.”

The classroom quieted down.

“Since some of you were transferred here temporarily because of the specialization schedule, I want everyone to cooperate with each other.”

Kada leaned toward me.

“See? Temporarily.”

I whispered back.

“That's what they said.”

The teacher began taking attendance.

I wasn't really listening until I heard a name.

“Adrian?”

The boy in front of me raised his hand.

“Present.”

So that's his name.

Adrian.

I looked back down at my notebook.

Nothing special.

Just a name.

At least, that's what I thought.

---

By lunchtime, Kada and I were still trying to figure out where we were supposed to eat.

“Where do we go?” she asked.

“I don't know.”

“You're asking me?”

“You're the one who wanted to sit here.”

She laughed.

“Come on.”

We were about to leave when someone suddenly called out.

“Hey.”

I turned around.

Adrian.

He was standing behind us.

“You guys eating?”

I looked at Kada.

Kada looked at me.

“Yeah,” I answered.

He nodded.

“Can I come?”

I blinked.

“Why?”

He looked genuinely confused by the question.

“Because I'm hungry?”

Kada laughed.

I couldn't help laughing too.

“Fine.”

So somehow, the three of us ended up eating together.

It wasn't anything special.

We talked about school.

Complained about our teachers.

Made fun of our assignments.

And somehow, Adrian was already annoying me.

“Can I have some?”

He pointed at my food.

I immediately covered my lunchbox with my hand.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you have your own.”

“But yours looks better.”

“We have the same food.”

“Still.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You're not getting any.”

He looked at Kada.

“Kada.”

She immediately shook her head.

“Don't involve me.”

He looked back at me.

“Please?”

“No.”

“Just one.”

“No.”

He reached over.

I moved my lunchbox away.

“Adrian!”

He laughed.

“Okay, okay.”

I relaxed.

Then, while I was distracted talking to Kada, he quickly grabbed a piece.

I stared at him.

He was already chewing.

“You—”

He smiled.

“Thanks.”

Kada burst out laughing.

I couldn't believe him.

“You're unbelievable!”

“You said no.”

“Exactly!”

“I interpreted it as a challenge.”

I shook my head.

“I already hate this classroom.”

He laughed.

And somehow, despite myself...

I laughed too.

---

The next day, Adrian sat in front of me again.

Then the day after that.

And the day after that.

Eventually, I stopped thinking of him as the boy sitting in front of me.

He became Adrian.

The annoying boy who stole my food.

The boy who always turned around to ask for answers.

The boy who somehow found a reason to talk to me every day.

And without realizing it, I started looking forward to seeing him.

It was strange.

I hadn't even wanted to be in this classroom.

I hadn't wanted to meet new people.

I hadn't wanted my class to be mixed up in the first place.

Yet somehow, being placed in the wrong room gave me something I didn't know I needed.

A new friend.

A new routine.

And eventually...

a reason to believe in love.

But I didn't know that yet.

At that time, Adrian was just the boy sitting in front of me.

And honestly?

That was enough.