Scene 3
The sun was dipping low when Kael turned down a familiar street—at least, familiar on paper. His mind registered the turns, the crosswalks, the pace of his steps… all without emotion. His hands were tucked in his pockets. His expression was blank.
He wasn't thinking about anything.
Not until he accidentally bumped into someone.
Her books scattered across the pavement. Papers fluttered like startled birds.
He glanced down.
Then walked on.
No pause, no apology. His gaze stayed forward as if the encounter hadn't happened at all.
Behind him, the girl froze mid-kneel, halfway through picking up her things. She stared at his retreating figure, her mouth open.
"…Kael?"
She blinked.
That was Kael, wasn't it?
He had the same silver hair that always got in his eyes, the same tall but slightly hunched posture. Same uniform, same lazy walk. But something was off. No spark, no reaction. He hadn't even looked at her.
> "Wait… did he just ignore me?"
She narrowed her eyes.
> "Was he trying to mess with me? Kael loves dumb jokes, but this is weird even for him."
Her grip tightened around her notes.
She stood up, brushed herself off, and jogged after him.
"Hey!" she called out. "You borrowed my notes last week, remember? I want them back."
He turned, slowly.
His face was unreadable.
"I don't remember doing that."
There was no teasing in his tone. No sarcasm. Just cold, flat honesty.
She raised an eyebrow. "Hah. Very funny. Is this one of your pranks again?"
Kael tilted his head slightly, like he was analyzing her reaction.
"No. I'm not joking."
The air between them shifted.
Her smile faded.
"…You're serious?"
He nodded once. "Yes. I don't remember anything from before yesterday."
She blinked.
> "Wait… what?"
She stared at him for a beat too long.
Then: "Why?"
Kael looked at her for a second, his gaze level. Then shrugged.
"I don't know."
The honesty of it hit her harder than it should have.
For a while, she didn't speak. Her eyes flicked down, then away.
> "So… that must be why he's acting strange in class. Why he actually stood up to that bully without flinching. Why he looked like a stranger while doing it."
> "He really doesn't remember anything. Or anyone. Not even me."
There was a flicker of pain in her chest—but then it passed, and something else settled in.
Something… unexpected.
> "He doesn't remember the Kael I knew. Which means maybe—just maybe—I can get to know this version first. No baggage. No teasing. No weird walls between us."
Her lips twitched slightly.
She looked back up at him. His face was still neutral. Like he didn't know he'd just dropped a boulder into her world.
She gave a small nod. "Alright. I'll get those notes back from someone else."
He said nothing. Just waited. Like a machine that had finished responding.
She turned and walked away—but not before casting one last glance over her shoulder.
> "Maybe I won't tell anyone."
> "This… might be a better start than I expected."
And she smiled, just faintly.