Chapter 1
Chapter 1 — The Boy Who Sat Beside Her
Rain tapped gently against the classroom windows while students filled the room with loud conversations and laughter.
Kity Sharma sat quietly near the back, sketching tiny stars along the edge of her notebook while soft music played through one earbud. She liked staying invisible. Invisible people were rarely disappointed.
“Did you hear?” a girl whispered excitedly. “We’re getting a new student today.”
“They said he came from another country.”
“No, my cousin said he’s rich.”
Kity barely looked up.
The classroom door opened.
And suddenly, the room fell silent.
A tall boy stepped inside wearing a dark hoodie, his messy black hair falling slightly over tired eyes. There was something strangely familiar about him—something impossible to ignore.
The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly.
“This is Max Carter. He’ll be joining our class for a few months.”
Whispers instantly exploded across the room.
“Wait… Max Carter?”
“The singer?!”
“No way.”
Max avoided everyone’s eyes like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
The teacher pointed toward the empty seat beside Kity.
“You can sit there.”
Max walked over quietly and dropped into the chair next to her.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
His eyes didn’t look cold like people online described.
They looked exhausted.
Kity offered a small smile.
“Hi.”
Max seemed surprised by how normal she sounded.
“…Hey.”
And somehow, that simple moment felt like the beginning of something neither of them understood yet.
