The first day of the semester had arrived.
The classroom buzzed with a low, drowsy hum—rustling backpacks, yawns hidden behind hands, and the quiet tapping of keyboards. Some students stared blankly at the whiteboard, others still hadn't fully accepted that break was over.
Then the door creaked open.
Silence fell like a dropped curtain. The professor entered, composed and calm, her presence drawing every eye.
"I hope you all had a restful break," she said, her voice warm but firm. "Before we begin, I have a small announcement."
She paused just long enough to let curiosity bloom.
"You have a new classmate joining us this semester. Please welcome her kindly. Ms. Asfault, come in."
The door opened again—and it was as if the lights in the room got brighter.
Zafire Asfault stepped in, her every movement brimming with cheerful energy. Her long hair, glossy and wild like a river of black silk, bounced with every step. Her skin was as pale as porcelain, but her expression sparkled with life.
"Good morning, everyone!" she beamed. "I'm Zafire Asfault—but my friends call me Fire! And I really hope you'll be my friends!"
She bowed with enthusiasm—almost too enthusiastically. The entire room was instantly lighter.
Her smile could've powered the school for a week. It wasn't just warm—it was alive, magnetic in a way that made people want to smile back.
The professor smiled faintly. "Ms. Asfault, you're seated next to Mr. Atlas."
Zafire glanced at the chart, then made her way across the classroom with a cheerful bounce in her step, scanning for her mystery seatmate.
And there he was.
Sitting perfectly still at his desk. Back straight. Eyes on the board. Not even a twitch when she approached. His hair fell in neat layers around a sharp jawline, his expression unreadable.
He didn't look up as she slid into the seat beside him.
She sat down, peeked at him again. Nothing.She wasn't used to silence. Or to being ignored.
Especially not on purpose.
The professor began the lesson. "Today, we'll be learning how to cook recipes from various cultures. The goal is not just to cook, but to understand their traditions."
Zafire slouched with a sigh. This would've been fascinating—if she weren't sleep-deprived and sitting beside a human wall.
She tried to pay attention, but her body was in protest. Her legs bounced under the desk. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against her notebook. Her brain—still half in a different time zone—drifted in and out of the lecture.
She had flown in from Gangnam just hours ago. Two hours of sleep, max. Not ideal.
She yawned.
Then glanced at her seatmate again.
Still no reaction. Not even a blink?!
She leaned toward him slightly.
"Hey there! I'm Fire!" she whispered, her voice chipper and bright like a morning TV host. "What's your name?"
She extended her hand in an overly friendly shake. A few students turned their heads.
He didn't move. She blinked. Did he seriously just ignore her?
Her expression twisted into disbelief. She pulled her hand back slowly, as if she'd touched something cold. Rude.
But she wasn't giving up.
Zafire Asfault didn't not get responses. This was new. This was... interesting.
She tapped the edge of his desk with her pinky. "Psst! Hello? Mister I'm-too-cool-for-words? Are you always this quiet, or is it just me?" she said with a playful grin.
Still nothing.
She sighed dramatically, then leaned her cheek on one hand, pouting like a bored kid in detention. He didn't flinch.
She narrowed her eyes at him. He wasn't ignoring her out of shyness—no, this was intentional. Like a cat watching a bird and pretending not to care.
"Okay. Be mysterious. See if I care." She crossed her arms, muttering to herself. "But I will get you to talk. One way or another."
The boy finally turned. Just for a second.
His eyes, a clear and distant gray, met hers—and something flickered there. Amusement?
A tiny smirk played at the corner of his lips.
And then, just like that, he looked away again. He wasn't ignoring her because he disliked her.
Was he playing hard to get? Or just… uninterested?
Either way, he had her attention now.
And whether he liked it or not, she wasn't going to let this go.
She didn't come here to stand out for her modeling career. She wanted a fresh start, a quieter life. But maybe… making one friend wouldn't hurt.
Especially if that friend was the quiet mystery sitting next to her.