Water continued flowing from the sink.
The steady stream splashed against the white ceramic basin, creating a quiet sound that echoed throughout the washroom. The room itself was nearly empty, with only the faint hum of the ventilation fan accompanying the sound of running water.
Tyler stood motionless in front of the mirror, his blue eyes fixed on his reflection. But he wasn't really seeing himself. Instead, he was seeing a fourteen-year-old idiot standing inside a crowded café. He was seeing Chris laughing, Noah nearly falling from his chair, and Clara covering her face before joining in the laughter.
The memory replayed over and over in his mind. Again. And again. And again.
Years had passed since that night. An entire chapter of his life had come and gone, yet somehow the embarrassment remained perfectly preserved, like a wound that refused to heal. The water continued running from the tap, splashing steadily into the sink while Tyler remained lost in the past, completely unaware of it.
"Senior."
No response.
The voice sounded distant, barely reaching his ears.
"Senior?"
Still nothing. The student frowned, wondering if Tyler was even aware of his surroundings.
"Senior, are you listening?"
The voice finally pulled him back to reality. Tyler blinked and focused on the mirror again before turning slightly.
"Huh?"
A first-year student stood nearby holding a water bottle. The boy looked confused and slightly concerned.
"You've been standing there for a while," he said. "I thought maybe something happened."
Tyler glanced downward and only then realized the tap was still running.
"Oh."
He quickly reached forward and closed it.
"Sorry."
The junior smiled awkwardly.
"It looked important."
Tyler stared at the sink for a second before letting out a quiet sigh.
"It was just..."
He paused, searching for words.
"...just something stupid."
The junior tilted his head.
"Are you having problems, Brother Tyler?"
Tyler looked at him with mild surprise.
"You know me?"
The boy's eyes immediately lit up.
"Of course!"
The sudden enthusiasm caught Tyler off guard.
"Everyone knows you."
"What?"
The junior nodded repeatedly.
"Last year you played against Madin Public School, right? I was there watching."
Tyler vaguely remembered the match. The boy, however, clearly remembered every detail.
"You were amazing."
Tyler raised an eyebrow.
"I was?"
"Absolutely!"
The junior's excitement grew with every sentence.
"You scored twice. Then near the end you blocked that counterattack when everyone thought they were going to equalize."
The boy shook his head in disbelief.
"And you kept playing hard until the final whistle. Most people would've slowed down near the end, but you never stopped pushing forward."
He looked genuinely impressed.
"I've never seen someone stay so calm under pressure."
Tyler wanted to point out that he was currently losing a battle against an embarrassing memory from his previous life.
But the junior continued.
"My brother still talks about that match. He says you're one of the best players Central Academy ever had."
Tyler nearly laughed.
The image in his head of a lovestruck fourteen-year-old making a fool of himself didn't exactly match that reputation.
The junior continued praising him without pause.
Tyler finally raised a hand.
"Alright, alright."
The boy immediately stopped talking.
"I understand."
The junior scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Sorry. I got carried away."
A brief silence followed.
Then the younger student looked at him again.
"Are you sure you're alright though?"
Tyler blinked.
"What?"
The boy hesitated before answering honestly.
"You look depressed."
Tyler stared at him.
Depressed?
Was it that obvious?
"Am I?"
The words escaped before he realized it.
Then he quietly muttered,
"Because I'm a fucking idiot."
"What?"
The junior looked confused.
"Did you say something?"
Tyler immediately shook his head.
"No."
He straightened his posture and forced a small smile.
"Anyway, I should get going. I still have some studying to do."
The boy nodded quickly.
"Good luck studying, Brother Tyler."
Tyler smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
The junior grinned.
"And we'll cheer for you in your next match."
Tyler simply nodded before walking toward the exit.
The washroom door closed behind him.
The hallway outside was almost empty. A few students walked between classrooms while others headed toward club activities. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor.
Tyler walked slowly.
Still trapped inside his thoughts.
Only if I had brought a guitar.
The memory surfaced again.
I could've played a song.
Anything.
Literally anything.
Instead I created the dumbest scene imaginable.
Idiot.
A complete idiot.
Tyler rubbed his forehead as he walked down the corridor.
Even after all these years, the memory still stung.
Not because he had been rejected.
Not because Clara had laughed.
But because he remembered exactly how genuine he had been.
There had been no act, no joke, no exaggeration.
Just honest feelings spoken out loud in front of his class.
And somehow, sincerity always made embarrassment hurt even more.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school building, three girls made their way through the corridor together.
The atmosphere between them was unusually quiet. Students passed by occasionally, but none of the three seemed interested in joining any conversations around them.
After several minutes, Clara suddenly broke the silence.
"Eris."
"Hm?"
Eris glanced toward her.
Clara hesitated before speaking again.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Eris looked confused.
"What?"
Clara lowered her gaze toward the floor.
"During these three years."
The question immediately caught both girls off guard.
Aria frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Clara sighed softly.
"I always tried helping people."
She continued walking while speaking.
"I always tried keeping everyone happy."
Her voice became quieter.
"I never intentionally hurt anyone."
A few seconds passed.
Then she asked,
"So why?"
Neither Eris nor Aria answered immediately.
Clara continued.
"Why does he always act strangely around me?"
The hallway suddenly felt quieter.
Eris frowned.
Clara laughed weakly.
"See?"
She pointed toward Eris.
"Even you don't know."
Her smile quickly faded.
"I don't know what I did."
The frustration she had been carrying for years finally began surfacing.
"I never met him before middle school."
She looked ahead while speaking.
"Yet from the very beginning he's acted differently whenever I'm around."
Aria immediately stepped in.
"Don't think too much about it."
Clara looked toward her.
"How can I not?"
Aria hesitated.
"Tyler is just..."
Clara raised an eyebrow.
"Strange?"
Aria sighed.
"A little."
Clara folded her arms.
"So should I do the same?"
"What?"
"Ignore him?"
She counted on her fingers.
"Talk coldly?"
"Act like he doesn't exist?"
Aria quickly shook her head.
"No, that's not what I meant."
Clara sighed again.
"He even turned down the gathering."
The disappointment in her voice was obvious.
"I just wanted everyone to have fun before exams."
They reached the stairs and began walking downward.
"This is probably the last time Class A will gather together."
Clara's voice softened.
"I don't know if everyone will get into Darsen High."
She smiled sadly.
"I wanted us to have one good memory."
Eris stopped midway down the stairs and folded her arms. She had listened to Clara blame herself for the last several minutes, and the more she listened, the more annoyed she became not at Clara, but at Tyler.
"You know what?" she suddenly said.
Clara blinked and looked up at her.
"What?"
Eris let out a long sigh before answering.
"You and Tyler are probably my two closest friends."
Both Clara and Aria looked surprised by the sudden declaration.
"And honestly," Eris continued, "I'm getting tired of watching this nonsense."
Aria immediately nodded in agreement.
"Fair."
Eris pointed toward Clara.
"You've spent three years wondering if you did something wrong."
Then she pointed vaguely toward the school building behind them.
"And Tyler has spent three years acting like a complete idiot whenever you're around."
"Eris..." Clara said helplessly.
"No, let me finish."
Eris shook her head.
"You didn't do anything wrong. I know you. If you had actually hurt someone, you'd be the first person to apologize."
Clara lowered her gaze slightly.
"So stop blaming yourself."
For a moment Clara didn't know what to say.
Then Eris declared confidently,
"And as for Tyler, I'm dragging him to that party whether he likes it or not."
Clara immediately shook her head.
"You don't have to do that."
"I absolutely do."
"He'll get angry."
Eris smirked.
"If he gets angry, then he gets angry."
"That's not a solution."
"It is for me."
Clara couldn't help smiling.
"Eris..."
The red-haired girl shrugged.
"What? If he starts being difficult, I'll just beat him up."
Clara stared at her for a second before bursting into laughter.
A genuine laugh.
Not the forced smile she had been wearing earlier.
Seeing that reaction, Aria started laughing too.
"Honestly," Aria said between laughs, "you're probably the only person in this school who can threaten Tyler and actually get away with it."
Eris placed a hand on her chest proudly.
"That's because he knows I'm right."
"Or because he's scared of you."
"Also true."
The three girls laughed together.
The tension that had been hanging around Clara all afternoon finally began to fade.
Eris noticed and smiled softly.
"Seriously, Clara."
She placed a reassuring hand on Clara's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it anymore."
"But—"
"No buts."
Eris interrupted immediately.
"We're going to that party."
"We're going to have fun."
"And we're going to make sure everyone remembers it."
Clara looked at her for a moment before finally nodding.
"Okay."
"Good."
Then, as if the emotional moment had lasted long enough, Aria suddenly poked Eris in the shoulder.
"By the way."
Eris immediately looked suspicious.
"What now?"
Aria narrowed her eyes dramatically.
"I'm still offended."
Eris groaned.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
Clara already knew where this was going.
Aria pointed at herself.
"You just said Clara and Tyler are your closest friends."
"I did."
"And where exactly do I fit into this?"
Eris rolled her eyes so hard it was almost impressive.
"Aria..."
"No, answer the question."
"You know what I meant."
Aria placed a hand over her chest as though deeply wounded.
"So I'm not important anymore?"
"You're impossible."
"So that's a yes."
"That's not a yes."
"Hurts my feelings."
Eris snorted.
"You don't have feelings."
Clara immediately burst into laughter again.
Aria gasped dramatically.
"Eris!"
"What?"
"That was incredibly rude."
"It was incredibly accurate."
Aria looked toward Clara.
"See? She's bullying me."
Clara could barely stop laughing.
"Maybe a little."
"Traitor."
The three continued down the stairs together, laughing as though the conversation from a few minutes ago had never happened, near the entrance hall, Eris overheard several first-year students talking excitedly.
"...and then Brother Tyler was in the washroom..."
"...he looked really serious..."
"...I talked to him..."
Eris slowed her steps and glanced toward the group of first-year students.
Aria noticed the conversation as well and listened for a moment.
The boys were excitedly talking about Tyler, repeating bits and pieces of their encounter with him in the washroom. Nothing they said was particularly important, but hearing his name was enough to remind Eris of the promise she had made only moments ago.
Tyler.
The moment his name crossed her mind, her expression shifted.
She looked toward Clara, who was still smiling from their earlier conversation.
Then she glanced down the hallway as if she could somehow spot Tyler through the crowd of students moving around the building.
A determined look slowly appeared on her face.
Enough was enough.
For three years those two had been acting strangely around each other, and she was tired of watching it happen.
Finally, she nodded to herself.
Decision made.
"Well."
Both Clara and Aria turned toward her.
"What?" Aria asked.
Eris folded her arms confidently.
"I'm talking to him today."
Clara blinked.
"Today?"
"Yes, today."
Eris pointed toward the school building.
"If I wait until tomorrow, he'll find another excuse to avoid everyone."
Aria immediately approved.
"Good."
Then a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"And if he doesn't listen, give him one slap from my side too."
She pointed dramatically toward Clara.
"And one from Clara as well."
Clara nearly choked on her own laughter.
"There is absolutely no need for that."
Eris smirked.
"We'll see."
"You're enjoying this way too much," Clara said.
"Maybe."
"Definitely," Aria corrected.
The three girls laughed together as they continued walking toward the school gate.
As they reached the entrance hall, Eris suddenly stopped.
Both Clara and Aria looked back at her.
"What now?" Aria asked.
Eris glanced toward the corridor leading deeper into the school.
"I'm serious."
"We know," Clara replied.
"No, I mean right now."
Before either of them could respond, Eris waved her hand.
"You two go ahead."
Clara frowned slightly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yep."
A confident grin appeared on Eris's face.
"I'll find that idiot and drag some answers out of him."
Aria laughed.
"Good luck."
"You'll need it," Clara added.
Eris rolled her eyes.
"Please. I've known him for years."
Then she turned and started walking back toward the academic building.
"See you later."
"Bye."
"Goodbye."
Clara and Aria watched her disappear down the hallway before continuing toward the school gate themselves.
Meanwhile, Eris headed deeper into the building with a single goal in mind.
Today she was finally going to talk to Tyler.
And whether he liked it or not, he wasn't escaping this conversation.