The classroom felt different that morning.
Not louder.
Not quieter.
Just… tense.
Everyone knew what day it was.
The day the teachers would announce the honors list for the quarter.
Some students were excited. Others were nervous. A few pretended not to care at all, even though they secretly did.
Papers shuffled across desks. Chairs scraped softly against the floor. Conversations happened in low whispers as everyone waited for their adviser to arrive.
Caelum sat quietly in his seat, flipping through the pages of his notebook.
Glenn leaned back in his chair beside him.
"I swear if I fail math, I'm disappearing from this school."
River chuckled from the other side.
"You say that every grading period."
"And yet the fear remains."
Caelum barely listened.
His mind wasn't focused on grades.
It was focused on the same thing it always drifted back to.
Furschia.
She sat near the window again, her head slightly lowered as she looked at something on her desk.
She didn't seem nervous like the others.
But she didn't seem relaxed either.
Something about her expression looked… thoughtful.
Caelum quickly looked away before anyone noticed him staring.
The classroom door opened.
Their adviser stepped inside carrying a folder.
The entire room instantly became quiet.
Even Glenn sat up straight.
"Good morning, class," the teacher said.
"Good morning," the students replied in uneven voices.
The teacher placed the folder on the desk.
"Today we'll be announcing the honors for this quarter."
Some students shifted nervously.
Others looked confident.
Glenn leaned closer to Caelum.
"If I survive this, I'm buying snacks later."
River smirked.
"Survive?"
"It's dramatic."
"Clearly."
The teacher began reading names.
"Students with Honors…"
The list started.
One by one, names were called.
Students stood briefly as their names were announced, some smiling, some looking relieved.
Then—
"Furschia."
Caelum's head lifted slightly.
Furschia stood from her seat.
"Student with Honors."
A few classmates clapped softly.
Furschia gave a small nod before sitting back down.
But Caelum noticed something.
Her smile looked… forced.
Like she wasn't completely happy.
The teacher continued.
"Glenn."
Glenn immediately stood.
"Yes!"
The class laughed quietly.
"With Honors."
Glenn bowed dramatically before sitting again.
River shook his head.
"You're embarrassing."
Next—
"River."
River stood calmly.
"With Honors."
More clapping.
River simply nodded and sat down.
Then the teacher flipped the page.
"And finally…"
The room grew slightly quieter.
"Highest Honors…"
A few students whispered to each other.
Caelum didn't expect anything.
He rarely thought about recognition.
He just studied because it felt easier than dealing with conversations.
Then the teacher said his name.
"Caelum."
For a moment, he thought he heard it wrong.
Glenn nudged him hard.
"Stand up!"
Caelum slowly stood.
"Highest Honors," the teacher announced.
The class clapped.
Some students looked impressed.
Others looked surprised.
Caelum felt his face warming slightly.
Recognition always made him uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, he sat back down.
Glenn whispered loudly.
"Highest Honors, huh?"
River smiled.
"Not surprised."
Caelum rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing."
"You literally got the highest grade in the class," Glenn added.
"Relax."
But Caelum's attention drifted again.
Toward the window.
Toward Furschia.
She was looking down at her desk again.
Her expression hadn't changed much.
Still quiet.
Still thoughtful.
But now it looked more like disappointment.
---
After the announcements ended, the teacher continued speaking.
"Congratulations to everyone who made the honors list."
The class clapped again.
"But remember, grades are not everything. They simply reflect effort and improvement."
The teacher paused.
"Now, I also want students to help each other improve."
Some students groaned softly.
Group study rarely sounded appealing.
Then the teacher looked around the classroom.
Her eyes stopped on Caelum.
"Caelum."
His head lifted again.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"You did very well this quarter."
"…Thank you."
The teacher nodded.
"I noticed that some students may benefit from extra help with certain subjects."
Then she glanced toward the window.
Toward Furschia.
"Furschia."
Furschia looked up.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"You did well, but I believe you can aim even higher."
Furschia nodded quietly.
"Yes, ma'am."
Then the teacher said something that made Caelum's brain freeze.
"Maybe Caelum can help you study sometimes."
The classroom went silent for half a second.
Glenn turned slowly.
River turned slowly.
Both of them stared directly at Caelum.
Caelum felt like someone had unplugged his brain.
Teach… her?
Study… together?
Furschia looked slightly surprised too.
"Oh…"
She glanced briefly toward Caelum.
That small glance felt like a spotlight.
The teacher smiled.
"It could help both of you."
Furschia nodded politely.
"Okay, ma'am."
Caelum sat there completely still.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't move.
Inside his head, however—
Absolute chaos.
---
The bell rang a few minutes later.
Students immediately started talking again.
Glenn leaned across the desk.
"Well."
River folded his arms.
"Well."
Caelum buried his face in his hands.
Glenn grinned.
"Congratulations."
"This is worse than the partner activity."
River laughed.
"You're literally supposed to teach your crush."
"I'm not teaching anyone."
"The teacher literally said you should."
"That doesn't mean it's going to happen."
Glenn leaned closer.
"You realize she agreed, right?"
Caelum froze.
"She did?"
River nodded.
"She said okay."
Glenn smiled mischievously.
"Looks like you're stuck."
Caelum stared at his desk.
This was impossible.
He could barely say normal sentences around her.
How was he supposed to explain lessons?
What if he stuttered?
What if he forgot everything he knew?
What if he embarrassed himself completely?
Glenn suddenly pointed toward the window.
"Uh… problem approaching."
Caelum slowly looked up.
Furschia was walking toward their desks.
His heart skipped.
Glenn whispered dramatically.
"Stay calm."
River smirked.
"Don't faint."
Furschia stopped beside their desk.
"Um… Caelum?"
His brain tried to respond.
"…Yeah?"
Her voice was gentle.
"About what ma'am said earlier…"
Caelum felt every neuron in his body panic.
She continued.
"If it's okay with you… maybe you could help me with math sometime?"
The question sounded simple.
Normal.
Reasonable.
But to Caelum, it felt like someone had handed him a situation he had no idea how to handle.
Glenn and River were watching him like spectators at a sports match.
Waiting.
Caelum swallowed.
"…Sure."
The word escaped before he could stop it.
Furschia smiled slightly.
"Thank you."
Then she added softly,
"I'm really bad at math."
Glenn muttered quietly,
"You picked the wrong victim."
River elbowed him.
Furschia didn't seem to hear them.
She gave Caelum a small grateful nod.
"Maybe during recess sometime?"
Caelum nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
She smiled again before walking back to her seat.
Glenn immediately grabbed Caelum's shoulders.
"You did it."
River laughed.
"You're officially a tutor now."
Caelum stared at his desk.
What did I just agree to?
He didn't know how to teach someone.
He barely knew how to talk to people.
And now he had somehow agreed to study with the girl he had been silently admiring since the start of eighth grade.
Glenn grinned.
"Highest Honors comes with responsibilities."
River added calmly,
"Like helping your crush pass math."
Caelum sighed deeply.
This was going to be the most stressful study session of his life.
And it hadn't even started yet.
Caelum spent the rest of the morning in a strange state of quiet panic.
The classroom sounded the same as it always did—chairs scraping the floor, students whispering during activities, the faint scratching of pencils across notebooks—but to him, everything felt slightly distant.
Like he was hearing the room from underwater.
Because every few seconds, the same thought returned to his mind.
He agreed.
He actually agreed.
He had said yes to helping Furschia study.
Glenn noticed immediately that Caelum had stopped paying attention again.
"You've been staring at the same page for five minutes," Glenn whispered.
River glanced at the notebook.
"You didn't even solve the problem."
Caelum blinked.
"Oh."
He quickly wrote something down, though he wasn't entirely sure it was the correct answer.
Glenn leaned closer.
"You look like someone just told you the world is ending."
River smirked.
"Technically it might be."
Caelum lowered his voice.
"I don't know how to teach someone."
"You literally got Highest Honors," Glenn replied.
"That doesn't mean I know how to explain things."
River shrugged.
"Just explain it the way you understand it."
"That sounds easy when you say it."
Glenn grinned.
"And she asked you nicely."
Caelum looked down again.
That part made everything worse.
Because Furschia had sounded hopeful.
Not demanding.
Not awkward.
Just… trusting.
And now the idea of disappointing her made him even more nervous.
By the time recess arrived, the classroom slowly began emptying.
Students rushed toward the canteen, laughing and talking loudly in the hallway.
Glenn stretched.
"Food."
River stood up.
"Same."
Then Glenn looked at Caelum.
"Study session today?"
Caelum hesitated.
"I don't know."
"You already said yes."
"That doesn't mean today."
River leaned on the desk.
"You're overthinking again."
Before Caelum could reply, someone approached their desk.
Furschia.
His heart immediately jumped again.
She held her notebook in her hands, looking slightly hesitant.
"Um… Caelum?"
Glenn and River immediately exchanged looks.
Glenn whispered dramatically, "We'll leave you to your destiny."
River grabbed Glenn's arm.
"Before you embarrass him."
The two of them walked away toward the door.
Caelum suddenly felt like he had been abandoned in the middle of something he wasn't prepared for.
Furschia stood beside his desk.
"Are you free during recess?"
Her voice sounded careful, like she didn't want to pressure him.
Caelum swallowed.
"…Yeah."
"Really?"
He nodded slowly.
"Okay."
She placed her notebook on the desk.
"I don't understand yesterday's lesson."
Caelum looked at the page.
Math equations.
Something he normally solved without thinking too much.
But now that Furschia was standing beside him, even the numbers looked unfamiliar.
He picked up his pen.
"Which part?"
She pointed to a problem.
"This one."
Caelum leaned closer to look at the equation.
Their shoulders were closer than he expected.
For a second, he froze.
Focus.
Just explain the problem.
"That part is… um…"
His brain scrambled to organize the explanation.
"You solve this first."
He pointed to the first part of the equation.
"Then you move the variable to the other side."
Furschia watched carefully.
"Oh."
"Like this."
He wrote the steps slowly.
Normally he would finish problems quickly, but now he tried to write clearly so she could follow.
Furschia leaned closer.
"I see."
Her voice sounded genuinely interested.
"You're good at explaining."
Caelum blinked.
"…I am?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. My tutor before just solved everything without explaining."
Caelum wasn't sure what to say to that.
He had never been called good at explaining before.
Usually he just solved things quietly for himself.
But hearing that made him feel slightly less nervous.
They continued working through the problem.
Furschia tried solving the next one herself.
She frowned at the page.
"I think I did something wrong."
Caelum looked.
"You forgot to move the variable."
"Oh."
She laughed softly.
"That's my problem. I always miss small steps."
Caelum shook his head.
"It's okay."
She corrected the mistake.
Then her eyes widened slightly.
"It worked."
"Yeah."
A small smile appeared on her face.
Not the polite smile she gave during announcements.
A real one.
And somehow that small moment made Caelum feel oddly proud.
---
A few minutes later, Glenn and River returned with snacks.
Glenn stopped when he saw them studying together.
"Oh wow."
River smiled quietly.
"It's actually happening."
Furschia looked up.
"Oh, hi."
Glenn waved.
"Hi."
River nodded politely.
"Hello."
They sat down across the desk.
Glenn whispered to Caelum,
"You look like a real teacher."
"Stop."
River looked at the notebook.
"Did she understand the lesson?"
Furschia nodded.
"Yeah. Caelum explains it really clearly."
Glenn immediately grinned.
"You hear that? Highest Honors teacher."
Caelum wanted to disappear.
But Furschia just laughed softly.
"Thank you for helping me."
Her voice sounded sincere.
And somehow that simple thank you felt more meaningful than the applause during the honors announcement earlier.
---
When the bell rang again, students began returning to their seats.
Furschia gathered her notebook.
"I think I understand it now."
"That's good."
She hesitated for a second before speaking again.
"Maybe you could help me again next time?"
Caelum nodded.
"…Sure."
Her smile returned.
"Thanks, Caelum."
Then she walked back to her seat by the window.
Glenn leaned across the desk again.
"Well."
River smiled.
"You survived."
Caelum exhaled slowly.
He hadn't even realized how tense he had been.
But now something felt different.
Before today, Furschia had only been someone he admired quietly from afar.
Someone he watched during class.
Someone he overthought about constantly.
But now—
They had actually talked.
Worked on something together.
Shared a normal conversation.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't romantic.
It was just studying.
Yet somehow, it felt like the distance between them had quietly changed again.
Not completely.
Not suddenly.
But enough that Caelum noticed it.
And for the first time since eighth grade began…
Talking to Furschia didn't feel completely impossible anymore.
The next afternoon, Caelum sat at his desk in his room, staring at the open notebook in front of him. The pages were blank except for the title he had written at the top: "Reviewer for Furschia."
He had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes.
His pencil tapped lightly on the table as he thought about what to write next.
"Why is this so hard?" he muttered to himself.
Making a reviewer wasn't the problem. Caelum loved studying and organizing notes. He had done it many times before. But this time felt different. This reviewer wasn't just for himself or for Glenn and River.
It was for Furschia.
Every time he tried to write something, he suddenly imagined her reading it. Then his brain would freeze.
"What if it's too complicated?" he thought.
"What if she thinks it's boring?"
"What if she thinks I'm weird?"
Caelum sighed and leaned back in his chair.
He covered his face with both hands.
"Why am I overthinking this so much…"
After a few seconds, he sat up again and looked at the notebook.
"Okay. Just write normally," he told himself.
Slowly, he began writing again.
He organized the reviewer into simple sections, writing short explanations and examples. He tried to make the notes clear and easy to understand.
After some time, the blank pages were finally filled with neat handwriting.
Caelum looked at the notebook and nodded a little.
"Okay… this should be fine."
But then another problem appeared in his mind.
"How am I going to give this to her?"
He froze again.
He imagined walking up to her desk.
"Uh… here's the reviewer."
No.
That sounded awkward.
What if he stuttered?
What if he accidentally dropped the notebook?
What if she asked him something and he didn't know what to say?
His thoughts kept running in circles.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Glenn in their group chat.
Glenn:
Did you start the reviewer yet?
River:
Yeah genius, the whole class knows you're tutoring someone now.
Caelum stared at the screen.
He slowly typed.
Caelum:
I finished it.
Almost instantly, Glenn replied.
Glenn:
WHAT? Already?
River:
Of course he did. This guy studies for fun.
Caelum rolled his eyes slightly.
Caelum:
The problem is giving it to her.
There was a short pause.
Then Glenn sent a message.
Glenn:
Bro.
River:
Just hand it to her.
Caelum sighed.
Caelum:
It's not that easy.
Glenn sent another message.
Glenn:
You literally have the highest honor in the class and you're scared to talk.
River:
The real final boss is social interaction.
Caelum stared at their messages with a tired expression.
They weren't helping.
A few seconds later, River sent another message.
River:
Just think of it like helping a classmate.
Caelum read the message again.
Helping a classmate.
That sounded simpler.
Maybe he was really just overthinking everything.
He placed his phone down and looked at the notebook again.
"Okay," he whispered.
"I'll give it to her tomorrow."
The next morning, Caelum arrived at school earlier than usual.
The notebook was inside his bag.
He could feel its presence the whole time, like it was heavier than all his other books combined.
Glenn and River were already in the classroom.
Glenn immediately noticed Caelum's serious face.
"Why do you look like you're about to take a board exam?" Glenn asked.
River looked at Caelum's bag.
"You brought the reviewer, didn't you?"
Caelum nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Glenn grinned.
"Today's the day."
Caelum sat down quietly.
His eyes slowly moved toward the other side of the classroom.
Furschia had just entered.
She walked to her seat and placed her bag down.
As usual, she greeted a few of her friends and smiled.
Caelum quickly looked away.
His heart started beating faster again.
River noticed.
"Go now," River whispered.
"What?" Caelum whispered back.
"She just arrived. Perfect timing."
Caelum shook his head quickly.
"No."
Glenn leaned closer.
"If you don't do it now, you're going to overthink it for the next three hours."
Caelum knew Glenn was right.
But standing up suddenly felt impossible.
His hands felt colder.
His brain began creating scenarios again.
"What if she's busy?"
"What if she doesn't want help?"
"What if—"
River suddenly pushed the notebook slightly out of Caelum's bag.
"Go."
Caelum stared at the notebook.
He slowly picked it up.
His legs felt stiff as he stood up from his chair.
Glenn and River watched him like it was a dramatic moment in a movie.
Caelum took one step.
Then another.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
He stopped halfway.
"Why am I doing this…" he thought.
But turning back now would be even more embarrassing.
So he continued walking.
Finally, he reached her desk.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Furschia looked up from her notebook.
"Oh, hi," she said casually.
Caelum froze for half a second.
Then he quickly held out the notebook.
"U-um… I made a reviewer… for the subjects you said were difficult."
His voice was quieter than usual.
Furschia blinked in surprise
.
"For me?"
Caelum nodded slightly.
"Yes."
She took the notebook and opened it.
Her eyes scanned the neat pages.
There were explanations, examples, and even small notes to make things easier to understand.
Furschia looked genuinely impressed.
"Wait… you made all of this?"
Caelum rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yeah… I thought it might help."
Furschia smiled.
"Thank you."
The smile caught Caelum off guard.
It was simple, but it made his brain stop working again.
"This is really helpful," she added.
Caelum nodded.
"Um… if you have questions… you can ask."
He immediately regretted how awkward that sounded.
But Furschia didn't seem to mind.
"Okay," she said.
Then she looked at the reviewer again.
"You explained this part really clearly."
Caelum felt a small sense of relief.
At least she didn't think it was weird.
For a moment, there was a short silence.
Caelum's brain tried to think of something else to say.
But nothing came out.
So he simply nodded again.
"I'll go back to my seat," he said quietly.
"Thanks again," Furschia replied.
Caelum returned to his desk.
The moment he sat down, Glenn leaned forward.
"Well?"
River also leaned closer.
"What happened?"
Caelum placed his bag down.
"I gave it to her."
Glenn stared at him.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
River laughed quietly.
"You survived."
Caelum sighed.
"I feel like I just finished a marathon."
Glenn shook his head.
"You're unbelievable."
But deep inside, Caelum felt something different.
For the first time, talking to Furschia didn't end in complete disaster.
It was short.
It was awkward.
But it happened.
And somehow, that small moment felt like a very big step.
He didn't realize it yet, but this simple act of helping her would slowly change the way things were between them.
And maybe…
Just maybe…
It was the beginning of something he never expected.
The final bell had already rung almost twenty minutes ago, but the noise of the school still lingered in the hallways.
Students were walking in groups, laughing, comparing grades, and talking excitedly about their honors. Some were planning where to eat after school, while others were rushing home to show their parents the results.
Caelum quietly slipped out of the classroom.
His bag felt heavier than usual, even though nothing inside it had changed.
Glenn and River had already left earlier. Glenn needed to catch a ride with his older brother, while River had soccer practice.
So for once, Caelum was alone.
Not that he minded.
Actually, he preferred it.
Walking alone meant he could think.
Although sometimes… that was exactly the problem.
He stepped out of the school gate, the warm afternoon air brushing against his face. The sky was slowly turning softer in color as the sun began lowering in the distance.
It should have felt like a good day.
Highest Honors.
Most students would be celebrating right now.
His parents would definitely be proud when he told them later.
But instead of feeling proud, Caelum kept replaying the same moment in his head.
His teacher's voice.
"Maybe you could help tutor her, Caelum."
And then the way everyone had looked at him.
And the way he hadn't moved.
He sighed.
Why was talking to people so difficult?
Especially her.
He kicked a small pebble on the sidewalk as he walked.
His mind drifted back to the classroom earlier.
Furschia standing near the window.
Her polite smile.
The way she looked slightly disappointed even though she had With Honors.
Most people would still be happy about that.
But maybe she had expected more.
Maybe she had studied really hard.
Maybe she felt like she failed.
Caelum frowned slightly.
He knew that feeling.
Not failing exactly… but feeling like you should have done better.
He remembered how nervous he had been before the announcement earlier that morning.
Even though his grades were good, there was always that small fear that something could go wrong.
But now that it was over…
It felt strangely quiet.
He stopped briefly at the corner of the street before continuing the walk toward his house.
His thoughts returned to the tutoring idea.
What if she actually needed help?
What if she wanted help but didn't know who to ask?
Maybe she was embarrassed.
Caelum scratched the back of his neck.
Then again…
Maybe she already had someone helping her.
Maybe her friends were good at the subjects she struggled with.
Maybe she didn't need him at all.
Maybe—
He groaned quietly.
"There I go again."
Overthinking.
River always said that about him.
"You turn one small thought into a whole movie in your head."
And honestly… River wasn't wrong.
Caelum continued walking, passing by small houses and quiet streets.
The afternoon sun made long shadows across the road.
He imagined what would have happened if he had actually walked up to her earlier.
Maybe the conversation would have gone like this.
"Hey… um… Furschia."
He mentally cringed.
No.
Too awkward.
Maybe something more natural.
"Teacher said I could help you study if you want."
That sounded slightly better.
But then what if she responded with something like:
"Oh… thanks, but I already have someone helping me."
That would be embarrassing.
Or worse.
"Why would I need help from you?"
Caelum shook his head quickly.
"She wouldn't say that."
At least… he hoped not.
From everything he had observed throughout the year, Furschia didn't seem like a mean person.
She laughed with her friends.
She helped classmates sometimes.
Once, he even saw her lend a pen to someone who forgot theirs.
Still…
That didn't mean she would want to talk to him.
He was quiet.
Too quiet.
Most people in class probably barely noticed him.
Except Glenn and River.
And teachers.
Teachers always noticed the quiet ones.
He reached another corner of the street and slowed down.
There were fewer people here now.
Just the distant sound of a motorcycle and a dog barking somewhere nearby.
His thoughts slowly returned to something else.
The gift.
The one he still hadn't given her.
It was still inside the drawer of his desk at home.
Wrapped neatly.
Untouched.
He had planned to give it weeks ago.
But every time he had the chance… he lost his courage.
And now the school year was almost over.
He exhaled slowly.
"Maybe I should just forget about it."
That would be easier.
Less stressful.
He could just focus on school.
Focus on grades.
Focus on his friends.
Forget about all this complicated stuff.
But deep down…
He knew he probably wouldn't.
Because every time he saw her in class, his brain automatically noticed.
Even when he tried not to look.
Even when he told himself not to think about it.
She was just… there.
And somehow that was enough to send his thoughts running wild.
Caelum reached his street.
The familiar sight of his house came into view.
The quiet gate.
The small front yard.
The window where the afternoon sunlight usually reflected.
He stopped at the gate for a moment before opening it.
His hand rested briefly on the metal handle.
Tomorrow.
He would see her again tomorrow.
Another normal school day.
Another chance to say something.
Or another chance to stay silent.
He wasn't sure which one would happen.
Probably the second one.
He pushed the gate open and walked inside.
The house was quiet.
His parents were probably still at work.
He placed his bag down on the table and stretched his shoulders.
The silence of the house felt calming.
But his thoughts still hadn't completely stopped.
He walked to his room and opened the drawer of his desk.
The small wrapped gift was still there.
Exactly where he had left it.
Caelum picked it up.
The paper was slightly crinkled from the many times he had taken it out and put it back.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then he placed it back inside the drawer.
And slowly closed it.
"Maybe tomorrow," he muttered quietly.
But even as he said it…
He wasn't sure if he believed himself.
Caelum sat down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow would come.
And with it…
Another chance.
Or another missed one.