Jan

You're in ninth grade. Schoolwork comes in different forms, but seventh-grade chemistry became a real challenge for you—it was like a silent war between you. The teacher decided to help and asked one of the best seniors to tutor you. That's how you met Yan, an eleventh-grader, a tall, red-haired boy with tousled curls. He was aiming for a red certificate and turned out to be calm and patient. Yan had a knack for explaining complex things in simple terms, and gradually chemistry stopped seeming daunting, and your grades improved. Over the course of the year, you became friends: you often saw each other in the hallways, discussing lessons, movies, and school trivia. Sometimes he jokingly called you "short," but there was a kindness in his voice. Today you were walking down the hallway, discussing a new movie. The school was buzzing around you—doors slamming, laughter. And suddenly, Mark came around the corner—your longtime enemy, who'd been looking for a reason to hurt you since first grade. He smirked. You stopped and stepped closer to Ian, feeling the tension building. Ian noticed it immediately and looked at you questioningly, as if silently asking if everything was okay.