As the class finally settled, the buzz around Rowan's transfer hadn't completely died down. Whispered conversations still echoed at the back, soft enough to seem private, loud enough for Lynette to know they were about her.
She tried her best to ignore it. But it didn't help that Rowan, sitting just inches away, kept glancing at her. Not once. Not twice. Repeatedly. And every time she felt his gaze, her ears went a little red, her neck stiffened, and she pretended to suddenly be very interested in flipping through her textbook pages at hyperspeed.
Rowan noticed. And smiled to himself.
She's pretending like she doesn't know I'm looking.
He leaned his head to the side slightly, watching her panic-flip the same page for the third time. Adorable, he thought.
Meanwhile, in the back row, Divitia, Yelena, and Seena sat frozen with their mouths slightly open, like statues witnessing a miracle.
"There's really… nothing going on between them, right?" Divitia whispered with a stunned face.
Seena said nothing. Her eyes were fixed on Rowan, analyzing every movement like she was decoding a puzzle she somehow missed.
The moment the teacher stepped out of the class, Lynette turned toward Rowan with a sigh.
"Okay, Seriously. Is there something on my face? Or do I look weird today?" she asked, flustered.
Without a word, Rowan leaned in, suddenly closing the distance between them, his face inches from hers. His smile widened, and his eyes crinkled slightly with amusement.
Lynette's heart skipped a beat. Her whole body jolted like someone had just splashed cold water on her. She turned her head away.
"What… what are you doing?!" she muttered under her breath.
Rowan leaned back with a soft chuckle and pointed at her book.
"I didn't understand that last question. Thought I would ask my desk partner."
Lynette gave him a suspicious side-eye. "You could've just said that," she muttered, trying to calm down.
Still, she leaned toward his textbook, explaining the concept. But instead of focusing, Rowan's eyes were on her face, on the way her lips moved when she talked, the way her eyes lit up when she got to the part she really understood.
"Rowan," she said, catching him staring. "You're not Rowan. He doesn't smile like this. Who are you, and what did you do with the real one?"
Rowan laughed quietly. "You told me to smile more, didn't you?" he said, almost too softly for anyone else to hear.
Lynette blinked. She did say that. Weeks ago. At the village.
He remembered.
Her cheeks warmed again, but she crossed her arms, suddenly serious.
"And why didn't you tell me you were transferring? What happened to your school?"
Rowan tilted his head, clearly enjoying the game. "I just wanted to see your reaction," he said with a small grin. "And… there were some issues at my old school, so I had to transfer. Nothing big."
Lynette frowned a little.
He's lying. Or… not telling the full truth.
"You weren't being bullied, were you?" she thought quietly, but didn't say anything.
Before she could press further, Divitia leaned over from behind.
"You two seem pretty close. How do you know each other?"
Lynette replied quickly, "Oh, we go to the same church."
Seena perked up. "Wait, what?! I've never seen him there."
Rowan turned to her and answered smoothly, "But I saw you. You live right across the street from the church, right? I saw you watering the plants."
Seena's jaw practically dropped. Her face turned pink. She mumbled something and turned away while muttering, "Why didn't I notice him before?!"
Around them, the whispering in the class picked up again, this time more focused, more pointed. Eyes darted between Rowan and Lynette. And at the far corner of the room, one more pair of eyes hadn't left them.
Ael.
His usual distant, unreadable stare held something new, quiet tension, a small spark of something unfamiliar. Jealousy, maybe. Or confusion. Either way, the softness in his eyes was gone.
Lynette didn't notice. But Rowan did.
He gave Ael a slow glance.
The bell rang, echoing across the halls like a signal for chaos to begin. Chairs screeched, laughter burst, and the entire class moved like a tide toward the cafeteria. Lynette stood up alongside Divitia, Yelena, and Seena, slightly limping still, though trying her best to hide it.
Just then, Rowan's voice cut through the chatter."Lynette, sit down. I'll go get your lunch."
She paused. "It's okay, I'm fine. I don't want to trouble you," she said awkwardly.
Rowan's eyes softened. "It's not a trouble. Mom told me to take care of you." His voice dropped lower, just for her. "Your leg might look healed, but you still have to be careful."
Lynette blinked, caught a little off guard. Divitia, Yelena, and Seena stood frozen, exchanging wide-eyed glances.
"Are we watching a movie right now?" Divitia said under her breath with sarcastic disbelief.
Lynette gave in with a sigh. "Okay, fine. But I still have to walk to the bench where we always eat. No argument."
Rowan nodded and walked closely beside her, shielding her from the crowd like some casual bodyguard. The way he moved, cautious and aware, made her feel weirdly safe. Protected.
In the cafeteria, the line was long and winding, students chatting loudly over the clatter of trays. While Divitia was busy plotting who would grab what, Rowan turned toward them with genuine concern in his voice."What does Lynette like? What should I get her?"
The girls all stared at him like he had grown another head.
"Uh… today's menu is soup dumplings and potato pancakes," Divitia finally said. "She loves both, so maybe..."
But she didn't get to finish. From a few spots up the line, a small group of girls noticed Rowan.
"Oh my gosh, is that the new guy?!""Look at his jawline!""Do you want a drink? You look thirsty!"
The cafeteria line practically parted like the Red Sea. People insisted he go first, offering up their spots like he was royalty.
As they left the counter, Divitia burst out laughing. "We got a VIP pass."
"Rowan's aura is doing charity work," Yelena added with a grin.
Meanwhile, Lynette was already at their usual bench beneath the tree, sunlight flickering through the leaves. The soft summer breeze danced around her, brushing her hair and clothes. It was warm, but not hot, and the wind kept everything gentle, like the weather had decided to be kind today.
Sitting there alone, her fingers absentmindedly picked at the edge of the table. She felt a little guilty letting the others handle lunch while she just sat.
But more than that, her mind began to wander again.
Was Rowan really bullied in his old school? Is that why he always had bruises on his face before?Wait… before, in the old timeline, Rowan never transferred to my school.And we were never this close…
Her eyes widened just a little.
So this wasn't supposed to happen… but it is. That means things can change. I can change them.
The realization hit her like a breeze through a window cracked just enough for hope to slip in. She smiled to herself, soft, thoughtful, and just a little bit brave.
That was when the others finally returned, arms full of lunch trays.
"You're back early," Lynette said, surprised. "Wasn't the line long?"
Divitia let out a theatrical sigh. "There was a line. But we didn't have to wait in it."
"Why not?"
"Because…" Yelena pointed at Rowan like he was a plot twist. "We had a celebrity with us."
Rowan didn't say a word. He simply sat down beside Lynette and gently placed her lunch tray in front of her.
Lynette looked at him with disbelief, half amused.
Then Rowan turned her face gently by the cheeks so she would stop staring at him.
"Eyes on the food," he said, lips curled in a mischievous grin.
Lynette gasped as her gaze landed on the dumplings. "Soup dumplings!" she said happily.
She grabbed her spoon and dove in like she hadn't eaten in days. The first bite burned her tongue, but she kept eating.
"Careful, it's hot," Rowan chuckled and reached over to dab the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
She looked up at him, cheeks full, eyes gleaming.
"Food makes her that happy?" Rowan thought. He smiled to himself, his heart doing that thing again, it fluttered.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Divitia set her spoon down with a thud. "Why do I feel like I'm just the audience in someone else's romance movie?"
Yelena nodded. "I didn't get to choose this seat. I was assigned by fate."
But Seena just stared, a little too quietly. Her face didn't match the teasing of her friends. The way she had imagined her "fated connection" with the mysterious new transfer student, it shattered the moment Rowan wiped soup off Lynette's lips.
She picked her food, lips pressed in a thin line.
Rowan didn't notice. Or maybe he didn't care.
Because as Lynette took another bite and beamed at him, everything else in the world faded into the background for Rowan.
After lunch, Rowan excused himself to head to the teachers' office, as he still had some paperwork left from the transfer process. Seena had also disappeared without a word. Nobody knew where she went.
Divitia and Yelena, on the other hand, were now fully immersed in their games, yelling, "Nooo!" like their lives depended on it.
"I'm going to the washroom," Lynette told them as she got up, but they were too distracted to even respond.
The hallway was quieter than usual, with most students either in their classrooms or still hanging out in the cafeteria. Lynette walked slowly, her footsteps soft.
In the washroom, a group of girls were already chatting near the sink. As Lynette approached to wash her hands, their voices lowered, just enough to seem subtle but not quiet enough to go unheard.
"That's her…""She isn't even that pretty.""Yeah, she got really lucky.""First, she's getting that award. Then Kyren, who everyone's terrified of, suddenly starts acting like her guard dog.""And now the new guy? The handsome transfer student? He's already under her palm.""She must've seduced them or something.""Some girls are just born with that kind of manipulative talent."
Lynette froze for a brief second as the water ran over her fingers. The sting wasn't from the temperature; it was from the words slicing right through her. Her lips stretched into a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Don't show it. Don't react. Just breathe.
She wiped her hands slowly, turned, and walked out of the washroom. But each step felt heavier than the last.
Isn't this too much already?I just want it all to calm down. I just want to breathe freely.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Kyren sat with his head down, spinning a pen slowly between his fingers. His friends sat around him, exchanging glances. The atmosphere was thick.
"Hey," one of the guys said casually, nudging another, "did you hear about the new guy? He's already super close with Lynette."
Kyren's head snapped up. The guy didn't notice; he kept going.
"I mean, he literally asked the teacher to sit beside her, right? And apparently, they have been hanging out outside of school, too. Some were saying that they're secretly dating."
He chuckled lightly, but the laugh didn't last.
Kyren stood up, slowly, deliberately, and grabbed the guy by the collar.
In one swift motion, he slammed him against the wall.
"Say that again," Kyren growled, eyes dark and burning with rage. "Who's dating?"
The guy's eyes went wide. His voice dropped to a terrified whisper. "I...I just heard people saying it. I didn't mean anything..."
"Be careful what you say from now on," Kyren said, his voice low but sharp as a blade. He shoved him to the ground and turned away, storming out of the classroom without another word.
Silence fell like a heavy fog. No one moved. No one dared say a word.
Some avoided looking at Kyren entirely.
Others whispered to each other, barely above a breath.
"He's terrifying.""Don't get involved.""Just stay out of it."
Kyren didn't care. He walked down the corridor, fists clenched, jaw tight, heart pounding.
He didn't want anyone else to be with Lynette like that.
Especially not him.
As Lynette walked slowly down the corridor toward her class, the voices behind her followed like shadows. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, they pierced through her skin like invisible thorns.
Lynette walked as if she hadn't heard a thing, her face calm, her steps even, but inside, she was trying not to crumble. Her fingers trembled as she tightened her grip, her lips pressed in a tight.
Today had already been too much.
And in the chaos, she had completely forgotten...
Suddenly, Lynette stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she slapped a hand over her mouth in realization. "Neven…" she whispered to herself. "I totally forgot about Neven! Like this, how am I ever supposed to become close to him?"
She leaned one hand against the wall, lightly kicking her feet behind her like a frustrated child. "Okay… first step. Library. That's where he usually goes."
She smiled to herself, her eyes brightening for a moment as she imagined a silly but hopeful plan coming together in her head. But just as she turned around, she bumped straight into someone.
A chill ran down her spine.
"Hi, Lynette," the voice said, soft… too soft.
The smile dropped from Lynette's face. Her breath became heavy. Her heartbeat slowed, not in the way it did when she was happy, but in the way it does when you see something you thought was long gone come back to haunt you.
The colour drained from her face. Her body stiffened.
It can't be…
She stepped back instinctively, her hands shaking slightly as if her muscles remembered a pain her brain was still trying to reject.
"What's wrong, Lynette?" the girl asked sweetly, reaching for her arm.
Lynette pushed away.
That voice, so pleasant on the outside, but sharp like glass beneath.
"…Amelia," Lynette whispered, almost as if saying the name would summon her past demons.
Amelia tilted her head and smiled widely. "Oh, you know my name? That makes me so happy."
Amelia had been a senior once, kind and popular on the surface. But behind that smile, she was someone who enjoyed watching others fall apart, especially Lynette. In the past timeline, she was the source of Lynette's pain, the puppet master who pulled the strings of cruel laughter, whispers, and silent torment.
And standing behind her like a ghost was Charlie. Her head was bowed, her expression unreadable.
Charlie...
Suddenly, the memories flooded back, sickening waves of helplessness and shame. Her knees buckled slightly. Her vision swirled, distorted. She couldn't breathe.
Amelia leaned in, brushing back a strand of Lynette's hair with a soft, terrifying laugh. "Let's hang out after school, what do you think?"
Lynette's legs finally gave out.
But before she hit the ground, someone caught her.
"Lynette! Are you okay?" Rowan's voice was urgent, his arms wrapped around her gently but firmly. Her breathing was shallow, and her fingers were trembling against his shirt.
She looked up at him with tear-filled, ocean eyes, too overwhelmed to speak. She wasn't just scared, she was breaking.
Rowan felt the shift instantly. He could see it in her eyes. She wasn't just dizzy. She was terrified.
"Let's go," he said quietly, leaning closer. "Hold my hand, okay?"
Lynette nodded weakly. She held onto him as they walked slowly down the hallway, leaving Amelia standing behind them, smiling to herself.
"Strange…" Amelia murmured.
They reached the classroom just as Kyren stepped out. His eyes widened the moment he saw Lynette.
"Lynette! What happened?" he rushed forward. "Are you hurt? Let me help..."
"…not again…" she just whispered, but Rowan heard it.
But before he could touch her, Rowan stepped between them, brushing Kyren's hand away.
"What's your problem?" Kyren snapped.
Rowan helped Lynette steady herself and gently whispered, "Can you stand here for just a second?"
She nodded, eyes dazed, still not fully back from the moment.
Rowan turned back to Kyren, his calm smile was now gone.
His voice dropped.
"She doesn't need your help."
The sweet, smiling boy everyone had met earlier. In his place stood someone darker, more grounded. His gaze didn't waver, didn't flinch. The pressure of his presence was enough to make the nearby students stop talking mid-sentence.
The tension between Rowan and Kyren was electric, dangerous. Neither of them backed down. It wasn't loud. It didn't have to be. The way they stared into each other was louder than any shout could've been.
Meanwhile, Lynette stood behind Rowan, swaying. Her body couldn't hold up any longer. Her eyes blurred again.
And just as her knees gave way, Rowan turned around and caught her in his arms.
"Lynette! Hey...Lynette, look at me...stay with me," he called out, his voice urgent, panicked.
She didn't respond.
His eyes scanned her pale face, her trembling fingers, and all he could do was whisper her name over and over like a prayer.
Lynette...Lynette!!!