Morning. School.
I hate noise.
It drowns out thought. Distracts from the internal flow. So when I stepped into the new classroom and heard the familiar buzz of students chatting, it felt unpleasant. Not because of fear or anxiety — those emotions are foreign to me. It was simply… irritating.
Everything looked the same. Boring walls. Tired faces. Fake smiles.
Just another school, no different from the last.
I stood by the door. The teacher noticed me and nodded:
— Kaoru, your seat is by the window. Sit next to Yuzuki.
I turned my eyes in that direction. A girl. Light hair, big eyes, and… an expression I didn't expect. Not a polite mask, but something warm. Sincere. It unsettled me immediately.
I walked over and sat down beside her. Didn't look at her. I had no intention of starting a conversation. I didn't need it. People are noise. They interfere.
But she spoke.
— Hi! — Her voice was lively. Not forced. — I'm Yuzuki! And you are...?
I glanced at her briefly. She was still smiling.
— Kaoru, — I replied curtly. No emotion. No interest.
I hoped that would end it. But she kept talking. About the school. The rain. How hard it is to adjust to new people. She spoke like we had known each other for a long time. And I listened. Silently. Not out of politeness — out of observation.
I'm used to analyzing. Words. Tone. Expression.
Yuzuki was... oddly genuine.
— You're not the type to open up easily, are you? — she asked, suddenly.
I looked at her. Directly.
— People are just data points on a graph. All predictable. All chasing the same things. There's nothing interesting about them.
My voice was flat. Cold. Emotionless.
She paused. I thought that was the end of it. But...
— Even if they're points, — she said softly, — doesn't mean they don't feel. Maybe you're just scared to connect with them?
I turned toward the window.
— Don't waste your time.
Days passed. She still sat next to me. Still spoke. Sometimes, she just sat in silence. I didn't respond. But... something was shifting inside me. Slowly. Subtly.
I found myself... waiting for her words.
Not because they mattered.
But because they were alive.
And I hadn't felt anything alive in a long time.