Chapter 1
I was never the kind of person who could deal with harsh weather, nor with people outside my close relatives and friends—or at least, that’s what I used to think until I met you.
Beep… beep… beep!
I wake up at 5 o’clock to the sound of my lovely alarm, reminding me that I have to wake up for school no matter what. I’m always late, so why would I even care? I close my eyes and sleep for another hour.
“Emil, sweetie, wake up… EMILIANO PÉREZ!!!”
I forgot about my mom. I didn’t want to get up from my bed, but if I stayed laying down for another minute, she would probably kick the hell out of me. My mom is a very calm person, but when it comes to school or family, she’s intense.
“Ma~ por fa, ¿puedo faltar a clases hoy?”
(Mom, can I skip school today, please?)
“Emiliano, ¿cómo vas a andar diciendo eso? ¡Hijo, tienes que ir quieras o no!”
(Emiliano, how can you say that? Son, you have to go whether you want to or not!)
She answers in a very passive-aggressive tone—the kind of voice moms use when they impose their authority without hesitation. I quickly run to the bathroom to take a quick shower, and a few minutes later she screams again.
“Emil, Luca is already here! Please hurry up!!! ¡AHORA!”
If there’s something I hate more than dogs and gym rats, it’s people telling me to hurry up. But in this case, it’s Luca—my best friend and swimming partner—who’s waiting for me. He’s mostly here for the food, more than for me.
“¡Ya voy~!” I respond almost immediately. I turn off the shower, get dressed, and walk downstairs. That’s when I see Luca peacefully chatting with my mother. His reddish hair and lightly tanned skin contrast with the kitchen, yet somehow fit perfectly. My mother’s sweet smile could make anyone feel welcome.
“Hey, Emil. We’re already eating breakfast. Hurry up and eat quickly, ’cause we only have like 20 minutes before first period starts—unless you want another penalty for being late, mhmm~?”
“Shut up! Go wait by the door so I can eat later. Mom, I’ll eat at school, so don’t worry. Bye~ Te amo.”
She waves at me, looking a little off today. I wonder why.
I turn my head toward Luca, who’s giving me a look that says, I know what’s up with you today. And honestly, he’s not wrong. There’s a reason I want to go to school today.
“Let me guess—Kaito’s sharing two classes with you, isn’t he~?”
“Yeah, and so what? What does that have to do with anything?”
“I don’t know… maybe the fact that he’s been your crush for more than two years? You can’t lie to me. Aren’t you at least a little bit E-X-C-I-T-E-D~?”
He says this while placing his arm over my shoulder.
He wasn’t lying. I was excited—to see a classmate who’s been my crush for over two years. Still, it’s not a big deal. Just a normal school interaction. Besides, I’ve already covered all my credit requirements. This is my last year, and soon I’ll be free from school—and from everyone, except my friends.
“Are you overanalyzing your future again, Emil?” Luca asks sarcastically.
“I’m not. By the way, we’re late.”
Luca smirks at me with an I don’t believe you face. Then he reaches into his pocket and checks his phone. The expression he makes is totally worth it. His relaxed face turns into pure horror.
You see, Luca is the most punctual, goody-two-shoes student—the teacher’s pet, the ‘definitely going to Harvard’ type. When he sees the time—8:15—his soul leaves his body.
“EMILIANO!!! WE HAVE TO HURRY UP!”
The only way to describe this is like an anime scene where the character gets a sudden power-up. Luca grabs my wrist and starts running faster than I’ve ever seen him move. His grip is firm—not painful, not enough to leave a mark—but still intense.
We arrive at the high school’s main entrance at 8:20. We’re not late, but we’re not early either. That’s not what matters, though. What matters is the person sharing a class with me.
I mean, I’m excited for psychology class. What kid my age isn’t interested in psychology, right?
…
I open the classroom door. The teacher greets me with a simple wave and starts taking attendance—I arrive at 8:21, so he’s just beginning. I take an empty seat near the door, and as I put my things down, I hear someone say:
“Hi, Emiliano.”
Kaito. His kind smile is enough to make my heart stop.
“KA–Kaito! What’s up, man? How are you? You good? Of course you are, hahaha. Is it weird that the only empty seat was yours? Hahahaha—”
I’m nervous. My extrovert side is running wild, and I’ve clearly dropped its leash.
“I’m okay,” he laughs. “What about you?”
“I’m good. How was your summer break? We haven’t seen each other since last year. Did you do anything interesting?”
“Well, I went to Japan to visit my mom’s side of the family. That’s probably why you didn’t see me.”
“Ooooo, for real? You went to Japan…” I whisper.
“Yeah. It’s nothing too big to overreact about.”
“You’re right, sorry. It’s just—you’re the first person I’ve met who’s said that, so I’m kinda excited.”
“Hey, you two—quiet down and pull out your notebooks. We’re starting notes today.”
Notes on the first day of school should be illegal. No teenager should start immediately with notes after vacation. Honestly, I could start a revolution against the school system—fix education, raise teachers’ salaries, because damn, they’re basically paid in peanuts.
Time passes. The class isn’t that interesting, but I get to look at Kaito’s face the entire period, which makes it completely worth it.
“Hey, Emiliano,” Kaito says. “Can I walk you to your next class?”
Maybe he’s shy—or maybe I’m just imagining things.
“Of course. My next class is art, so it’s a bit far.”
“That’s fine. My next class is on the second floor, right above art. No problem.”
He smirks, his cheeks glowing slightly, calm as always.
He walks me to art class. It’s only a two-minute walk, but we talk about random things—swimming techniques, breathing properly. I’ve never felt this happy over such a simple conversation. In a blink, we arrive.
“Thank you, Kaito.”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow at swim practice. And—you can call me Kai.”
“Okay, Kai.”
