They heard a whistle as the sports staff arrived.
The teacher scolded them, "How many times have you been problematic already?"
Everyone stared at each other before looking at Ren.
The four of them stood there, completely drenched and cautious, knowing they were in trouble.
The teacher pointed at one boy and said, "Nyx, you are always a troublemaker."
Ren smirked at Nyx.
Nyx glared at him but remained silent.
(Ren and Nyx were best friends. They had been very close since childhood and were also neighbors.)
The teacher continued, "Nyx, apologize."
Nyx didn't respond.
Yuna noticed the scattered bike spare parts on the floor.
"Sir, it's not my fault!" Nyx said defensively. "They are the ones who pushed it!"
Yuna frowned, frustrated with the situation.
The teacher said, "Whoever did it, go to class. This is your last warning—all of you!"
Still dripping wet from the incident, the group exchanged glances before slowly making their way inside, knowing they had no choice.
Suddenly, Yuna and Iris gasped.
Nyx said, "It's not my fault! I wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't been in the way."
Yuna replied, "You shouldn't ride a bike like that!"
Nyx smirked. "Oh, really? Are you scared?"
Yuna glared at him.
Iris interjected, "No way! But why should we agree with boys like you?"
Iris sighed. "Yuna, just leave it. These boys are impossible."
Yuna nodded. "Fine, I'll be okay."
Both Iris and Nyx brushed off their mistakes, only to start arguing again.
Ren told Nyx, "Leave it. Come on, we have to go to class."
The teacher stepped forward and said, "Enough! Both of you, stop."
Nyx and Ren turned back and looked into Yuna's eyes.
Yuna also said, "Yeah."
Both Nyx and Ren said, "It's not our fault! You both have to take responsibility for this mistake."
Iris replied seriously, "Okay…."
Yuna and Iris entered the class. A girl who had been bullied by others approached Iris and said, "Thank you so much, and sorry! It's because of me that you fell into the lake. Sorry to both of you!"
The girl hesitated, but Iris shook her head. "It's okay, no problem. We are classmates, so it's no big deal."
"Cool," the girl smiled. "I'm Eira."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Iris, and this is Yuna," Iris said.
"Yeah, I already knew. This morning, you introduced yourselves. I remember," Eira replied.
"I sit at the front desk. You two are new here. If you need anything or any help, just ask me."
Iris and Yuna smiled at Eira.
The teacher entered the class. Shortly after, Nyx and Ren walked in late.
Yuna and Iris were shocked to see them.
The teacher scolded them. "Always late for school! You two have already skipped three periods. This is not good! Nyx and Ren, don't be like last year. Every year, you are the same!"
"I've known you for eight years, but neither of you ever listens," the teacher sighed.
Ren apologized to the teacher, while Nyx simply stood there.
After giving them a warning, the teacher asked them to go inside.
As they walked in, both boys glanced at Iris and Yuna before heading to the last desk, which happened to be next to Yuna's.
Yuna glanced at Nyx's seat.
Both Yuna and Nyx simply looked at each other.
The teacher started the lesson, but they were not paying attention.
While the lesson was going on, both the boys and the girls kept glancing at each other.
It was lunchtime. After the bell rang, the teacher left the class. Yuna and Iris started packing their things for lunch.
Eira said, "You two are new here, so come with me. I'll show you a place to eat."
Yuna didn't bring rice, so she decided to go to the canteen.
While they were eating, suddenly, all the girls started murmuring.
One girl randomly said, "How cute they are!"
Another added, "How handsome they both are!"
Iris and Yuna overheard them and were confused about why the girls were talking like that.
Hearing these comments, the boys turned toward Nyx and Ren.
Ren was wearing glasses, which made him look even cuter and more attractive.
Girls were commenting, "That cute boy with glasses!"
"They're handsome and have so many fans," another girl said.
Yuna and Iris turned back and continued eating.
After lunch, they returned to class. The teachers were there.
After finishing the lesson, the teacher asked, "Who are the new students?"
The new students stood up—three girls and one boy.
The teacher said, "New students, you need to come to the teacher's office for additional details. Your class teachers have not yet been appointed, so things are incomplete. Come, I will help."
The teacher continued, "Tomorrow, your class will have a new class teacher. For now, come with me to the teacher's room to fill in the necessary details."
The teacher left the class, and the new students followed.
In the teachers' cabin, forms were given to the students to fill out with their details.
Each student took a form and filled it out.
When it was Iris's turn, she glanced at the other students' profiles.
She noticed the details of Ren and Nyx.
Both Ren and Nyx had impressive academic records. Ren was always ranked first, while Nyx was consistently in the top three.
When Yuna and Iris saw this, Yuna said, "I thought they were dumb, but they got full marks in the academic tests."
Now, they were officially classmates.
In the evening, Yuna and Iris slipped away from school without seeing Ren and Nyx.
They knew that if Ren and Nyx saw them, they would demand payment for the bike damage.
---
The next day was the inauguration event.
Games were arranged for the freshers.
One of the activities was a group selection game for new students.
A bowl was placed, and one of the new students picked a paper from it.
The paper had Yuna's name on it.
Ken, the senior head boy, announced, "Yuna will sing."
Iris said excitedly, "Let's hear it!"
Yuna stood up and walked to the stage, looking nervous.
Ken reassured her, "No problem, just take your time."
When she started, the stage lights turned on.
It was a school rule to perform, so she couldn't refuse.
She didn't know how to sing well, but she had no choice.
The hall fell silent as she started singing.
The song was about loneliness.
But throughout the entire performance, Yuna only looked at Nyx.
She didn't look at anyone else.
Everyone listened in silence.
When the song ended, the hall remained still for a moment before applause filled the room.
After that, the school event continued.
Yuna became famous because of her song. Everyone kept looking at her from time to time. When the program finally ended, Iris walked up to her and said, "Hey, singer! The program is over. We need to leave before Ren and Nyx do… or they'll make us pay."
Yuna frowned. "I feel bad. Should we pay for the damage?"
Iris shook her head. "No, it was their mistake too. Anyway, whatever—just come fast." She grabbed Yuna's hand and dragged her outside.
Iris's car was already waiting for her. She got in, while Yuna walked toward her bicycle.
Outside the gate, as Yuna was walking with her cycle, a motorcycle suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She flinched, her heart skipping a beat. For a second, she thought it was Nyx.
The rider stopped and took off his helmet.
It was Ken—her school senior.
Yuna just stared at him in surprise.
Ken looked at her and asked, "Are you going home? Can I keep you company?"
Yuna refused and continued walking. But Ken, undeterred, started walking alongside her.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Yuna, do you have a boyfriend?"
Yuna glanced at him and replied, "No."
Ken smiled. "Okay, no problem."
Something about his response didn't sit right with Yuna. She had a feeling this wasn't just a casual conversation..