The morning after the storm, the Engineering faculty was covered in a thin mist. The air was cool, but the atmosphere in the freshman assembly hall was suffocating. Wave hadn't slept a wink. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the ghost of Pete's arms around his waist and the harsh, stinging words that followed.
Wave sat in the back row, his eyes scanning the entrance. When Pete finally walked in, leading the team of hazers, Wave's breath hitched. Pete looked impeccable—his hazing vest sharp, his face a mask of cold authority.
As Pete walked past the rows of students to give instructions, Wave waited for a glance, a scolding, or even a flicker of recognition. But as Pete approached his row, something strange happened. Pete's gaze swept across every student, but the moment it reached Wave, his eyes skipped over him as if Wave were invisible. It wasn't just a coincidence; it was a deliberate, calculated erasure.
"Attention, Freshmen!" Pete's voice boomed, echoing off the walls. "Today's training will test your endurance. If you can't handle the heat, leave now."
Throughout the session, Wave tried everything to get Pete's attention. He worked twice as hard, he stood perfectly straight, and he even volunteered for the most difficult tasks. But Pete continued to treat him like a ghost. He would correct the posture of the student right next to Wave, but never Wave. He would bark orders at everyone else, but for Wave, there was only a chilling silence.
In the break, Kao approached Wave, handing him a bottle of water. "He's doing it on purpose, Wave. Ignoring someone is a more powerful weapon than shouting at them. He's trying to break you."
"But why?" Wave whispered, his voice trembling. "Yesterday... for a second, I saw it. He looked at me like he knew me. Why is he building this wall now?"
Wave didn't realize that across the hall, Pete was struggling just as much. Pete's hands were clenched behind his back, his knuckles white. Every fiber of his being was aware of Wave's presence. He could feel Wave's eyes on him, pleading for a connection.
'I can't look at him,' Pete thought, his jaw tightening. 'If I look into those eyes, the 10-year-old memory will come flooding back. I'm a Head Hazer; I can't be that weak boy in the rain again.' For Pete, ignoring Wave was a survival mechanism. He was afraid that if he acknowledged Wave's existence, his carefully constructed walls of discipline and coldness would crumble. He hated how Wave's scent still lingered in his mind, and he hated how his heart had raced during that collision in the rain.
Just then, Gao and James walked over. James, as usual, was complaining about the heat, while Gao was silently fanning him with a notebook.
"Hey, Wave! Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" James asked, wiping sweat from his forehead. "If it's because of Pete, just ignore him back! Look at Gao—he ignores everyone except me, and it works perfectly!"
Gao gave a rare, small nod towards Wave. "Silence is a choice, Wave. Sometimes people stay silent not because they don't care, but because they care too much and don't know how to handle it."
Wave looked at Gao, startled by his insight. Was Pete afraid? The thought seemed impossible. Pete was the king of the faculty.
As the afternoon training resumed, the heat became unbearable. During a particularly grueling drill, Wave tripped over a stray piece of equipment. He didn't fall, but he let out a small gasp of pain as he twisted his ankle.
Every hazer turned to look. Pete turned too. For a split second, their eyes locked. Pete's mask cracked; his eyes filled with a sudden, sharp panic as he moved half a step toward Wave. But then, he caught himself. He saw the other students watching.
Pete took a deep breath, his face turning back into stone. Instead of helping, he looked away. "If you're clumsy, stay in the back," he said coldly to the air, not even looking at Wave. "Don't slow down the rest of the group."
He turned his back on Wave and walked away, his heart feeling like it was being squeezed by a cold hand.
Wave stood there, the pain in his ankle nothing compared to the ache in his chest. He realized then that this was going to be a long war. Pete wasn't just a senior; he was a fortress. And until Episode 10, Wave would have to fight through this silence to find the boy who once tied a white thread on his wrist.
"I won't disappear, Pete," Wave whispered, standing tall despite the pain. "You can look away, but I'm still here."