Kaizer's POV
The school felt louder than usual.
Not because of voices...
but because of thoughts.
They brushed past my mind as I walked through the corridor beside Lux, overlapping, colliding, refusing to stop.
*I didn't finish my homework…
Why is she ignoring me…
I'm so tired…*
Noise.
Endless noise.
"I'm going to the library," I said, exhaling slowly.
Lux glanced at me. "Again? Bro, you just came back and you're already acting like a topper."
"I just need quiet."
He shrugged and followed anyway. "Fine. I'll come. Maybe I'll accidentally become intelligent too."
We turned toward the staircase,
And then I saw her.
She was walking ahead, her pace steady, expression calm as always.
But something felt… different.
My gaze lowered slightly,
and stopped.
A thin tube was taped to the back of her hand.
A drip needle.
My steps slowed without me realizing.
Lux noticed it too and frowned. "Wait… isn't that Sister Iris?"
I didn't respond.
"She's seriously walking around like that? Shouldn't she be resting or something?"
His voice faded into the background.
Because my focus stayed on her.
She didn't look weak.
Didn't look like someone who needed help.
She was just walking… as if nothing was wrong.
And for some reason,
that felt more unsettling than anything else.
She turned the corner and disappeared from view.
The moment she was gone,
the noise returned.
Louder than before.
---
The library was almost empty.
The air inside was still, carrying that faint smell of paper and dust.
Quiet.
Finally.
I sat near the window, letting the silence settle around me while Lux dropped into the chair beside me, already scrolling through his phone.
"Study," I said without looking at him.
"I am studying," he replied instantly.
I didn't bother.
I opened a book in front of me, but the words blurred together.
My thoughts kept drifting back.
To the corridor.
To her hand.
Why would she need a drip?
She didn't look sick.
Then why?
I closed the book.
Annoyed.
Why was this even bothering me?
I stood up.
"Now what?" Lux asked.
"I need another book."
He gave me a look but didn't stop me.
I walked through the shelves slowly this time, actually reading the titles.
Not randomly.
I was searching.
For something I couldn't exactly name.
Until one book caught my attention.
Human Psychology: Learn to Read Minds
A faint smirk appeared on my face.
"Learn to read minds…"
I picked it up, flipping a few pages.
As if.
I didn't need a book for that.
I already heard everything people never said aloud.
Their fears. Their lies. Their pointless thoughts.
Nothing stayed hidden.
But then,
a thought interrupted that confidence.
Her.
Iris.
No noise.
No fragments.
No thoughts.
Just silence.
My smirk faded slowly.
"…Why?"
That was the real question.
Not how to read minds...
But why I couldn't read hers.
For the first time,
something existed that I didn't understand.
And that…
was new.
I closed the book.
And took it with me.
---
Time passed quietly.
Too quietly.
When I finally looked up, the sunlight had faded, replaced by a dim evening glow filtering through the windows.
"…What time is it?" Lux muttered.
"Seven."
He sat up instantly. "Seven?! Bro, the school is empty now!"
We packed up quickly and stepped out.
The corridors echoed faintly with our footsteps.
No students.
No noise.
Just silence.
Outside, the air was cooler, carrying a faint breeze.
Lux stretched his arms. "I'm heading this way. See you tomorrow."
I nodded.
He paused, then added casually, "And don't think too much about random stuff, okay?"
I didn't reply.
He waved and left.
---
I walked toward the bus stop.
The sky had darkened into a deep shade of blue, streetlights flickering on one by one.
And then,
I saw her.
Standing alone under a dim streetlight.
Iris.
The soft yellow light fell around her, casting faint shadows on the ground. The evening breeze moved gently, brushing against her hair as she stood there, still, waiting.
No phone.
No distraction.
Just… quiet.
Without realizing,
I walked closer.
Step by step.
Until I stopped beside her.
Not too close.
Not too far.
Close enough to feel her presence...
Far enough not to disturb it.
The world around me softened.
The faint rustle of leaves, distant footsteps, the low hum of passing vehicles,
everything felt distant.
Because inside my head..
there was nothing.
No noise.
No thoughts.
Just silence.
I glanced at her slightly.
She hadn't turned.
But I knew,
she was aware.
For a moment, I almost tried again.
To listen.
To hear something.
Anything.
But,
nothing came.
And for the first time,
I didn't mind.
---
Iris's POV
I felt it.
That quiet presence.
Before I even saw him.
My body stiffened for a second,
and then,
a strange calm washed over me.
Warm.
Gentle.
Familiar.
I didn't need to turn.
I knew it was him.
Standing beside me.
Not speaking.
Not moving closer.
Just… there.
A small smile formed on my lips.
Every time I felt low…
every time my thoughts became too heavy—
somehow, in some way...
he was there.
And today,
he actually was.
Beside me.
Like a silent support I never asked for…
but always needed.
People passed by occasionally.
A couple glanced at us briefly.
Maybe they thought we were together.
Maybe they thought we were waiting for each other.
I didn't know.
And for once,
I didn't care.
---
The bus arrived with a soft screech.
We stepped in.
Silently.
I took a seat by the window.
And even without turning,
I knew.
He was behind me.
The bus moved slowly through the quiet streets, lights flickering past the glass.
For once,
my mind was calm.
---
We got down at the same stop.
Like always.
I walked ahead.
He followed behind.
A few steps apart.
Not close.
Not distant.
Just… connected in a way I couldn't explain.
---
When I reached home, I went straight to my room.
My eyes moved to the wall.
The hanging.
Dozens of small paper pieces hung there, each one carrying a memory, a feeling, a moment I wanted to keep.
I hadn't added a single one after Mom and Dad…
Not even once.
Because nothing felt worth remembering.
Nothing felt light enough to hold onto.
Until,
him.
Slowly, I picked up a piece of paper.
Folded it carefully into a small hanging.
For a moment, I just stared at it.
Then wrote,
"You just stand… and I will be flying."
My fingers trembled slightly as I added it to the wall.
It swayed gently, settling among the others.
A soft smile stayed on my lips.
---
Kaizer's POV
The room was quiet.
Completely quiet.
I sat down, opening the book in front of me.
For a moment,
I paused.
Something felt… different.
Light.
I hadn't noticed it before.
But my lips,
curved slightly.
A faint smile.
Unintentional.
I looked back at the page.
And for once,
the words made sense.
No interruptions.
No noise.
No drifting thoughts.
Just focus.
I turned the page slowly.
And continued reading.