Mornings were never Ammie's favorite.
The alarm clock screamed like it was punishing her for dreaming too sweetly. She groaned, rolled over, and buried her face into the pillow, clinging to sleep like it owed her a second chance.
"Five more minutes," she mumbled to no one but herself.
From the kitchen, her mom's voice rang out.
"Ammie! You're going to be late again!"
Ammie sat up reluctantly, her hair a tangled mess, her eyes still heavy. Another Monday. Another boring day at school. Nothing exciting, nothing new. Just the same subjects, the same routine, the same perfectly predictable life.
School wasn't something she hated—it just wasn't something she cared for. She wasn't the ambitious type, nor the top of the class. She was somewhere in the middle, content to float. Happy-go-lucky. A daydreamer. The kind of girl who'd rather sketch on the margins of her notebook than solve equations.
She brushed her hair into a loose ponytail, threw on her uniform, and headed out the door with toast in hand. The bus ride was the usual — headphones in, world out.
But that day, the air at school felt... different.
---
"Ammie, scoot over a bit," her classmate whispered as she settled into her seat.
The teacher entered moments later with someone trailing behind — a boy Ammie had never seen before.
"Class," the teacher announced, "we have a new student joining us today. This is Jayden Lee. He transferred here from Seoul."
A wave of whispers spread across the room. New students always drew attention — especially ones with sharp features, messy dark hair, and a quiet, observant gaze.
The teacher's eyes scanned the room briefly.
"Jayden, you may take the empty seat next to Ammie," she said. "She doesn't have a partner this term."
Ammie blinked. Me?
Jayden walked over, gave a polite nod, and sat down without a word. He quietly opened his notebook, and his pen tapped softly in rhythm on the desk.
Jayden gave a polite nod before sitting down beside her. He didn't say much. Just pulled out his books and stared ahead. Quiet. Focused.
But Ammie couldn't focus at all.
There was something about him. Maybe it was the way his fingers tapped lightly on his desk, in rhythm with some tune only he could hear. Or the way he looked at the board like he wasn't really here, like his mind was miles away.
He was different. Not in a loud, look-at-me way — but in the kind of way that made her curious. And Ammie had never really been curious about anyone at school before.
---
At lunch, she caught herself glancing at him again — watching him sit quietly across the courtyard, eating alone. Nancy, the class topper and all-round golden girl, walked up to him with her tray and a smile. Ammie watched them talk — or rather, watched Nancy talk and Jayden nod.
Something tugged at her chest. She wasn't sure what.
And for the first time in a long time, she found herself looking forward to the next school day.
Not for the classes. Not for the friends.
But because Jayden would be there — sitting right next to her.
---
The next morning, something strange happened.
Ammie woke up before her alarm.
No groaning. No complaining.
Just a quiet smile as she looked out the window.
Maybe Mondays weren't so bad after all.
---