kael

It was a Monday morning. The teacher opened the classroom door accompanied by a new student. Conversations paused for a moment as everyone watched her with curiosity.

“Guys, she’s your new classmate. I hope you make her feel welcome.”

After introducing her, the professor scanned the room looking for an empty seat.

“There’s only one desk left… next to Kael.”

As soon as they heard that name, several students began to whisper among themselves.

“Poor new girl”

“He got paired with Kael…”

“He doesn’t even talk to anyone.”

Kael remained completely oblivious to everything. Sitting by the window, he kept his head slightly bowed as he stared at his notebook. His bangs partially obscured his eyes, and his glasses barely revealed a tired expression. He held a pencil between his fingers, but he hadn't written a single word in several minutes. Small graphite marks dotted one corner of the page, as if he had been repeatedly erasing the same thing.

The murmur in the room continued, but Kael didn't react. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, with a quiet sadness that was noticeable even without looking directly at him. He didn't look up when someone took the seat next to him. He simply continued staring at his notebook in complete silence, as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist.