By the time Monday rolled around, the energy of the festival already felt like a distant memory. The school, which had been alive with music, colors, and laughter just a few nights ago, was back to its usual rhythm—students dragging their feet down the halls, stifling yawns, and swapping half-hearted greetings. The contrast was almost jarring, as if the weekend's magic had been packed away along with the stalls and lanterns.
Eli slipped into his seat just before the bell, dropping his books onto the desk with a soft thud. He rubbed his eyes, still heavy with sleep, and glanced around the classroom. Everyone looked the same—slouched postures, tired faces, some already dozing with their chins in their hands. It was oddly comforting, like the whole class had collectively agreed that Mondays were unbearable.
Their homeroom teacher entered a moment later, clapping her hands sharply to get their attention. "Alright, everyone, listen up." Her voice cut through the drowsy haze, and a few students straightened reluctantly. "Midterm exams are coming in two weeks," she announced, her tone leaving no room for complaint. "That means less fooling around and more reviewing. I expect all of you to take this seriously."
The room instantly filled with groans and mutters.
"Already?" someone muttered near the back.
"I swear the festival just ended…" another whined, resting their head dramatically on the desk.
The teacher's sharp gaze swept across the room, silencing some of the complaints. "Yes, already. So start preparing now. Form study groups if you need to. Don't wait until the night before."
Eli sighed and scribbled the exam dates into his notebook, his stomach twisting a little. He never liked exams. It wasn't just the pressure of grades—it was the way everything else suddenly dimmed in importance, like his whole world had to shrink down to textbooks and notes. He hated how suffocating it felt.
Beside him, Kai was already writing calmly, his pen gliding across the page as if exams were nothing more than another task on his list. His face was unreadable, focused in that steady way that made Eli feel both envious and restless. Their eyes met briefly, and Eli's chest jolted. He looked down immediately, pretending to be absorbed in his notes, though the words on the page blurred.
Around them, their friends grumbled about who would fail first, cracking jokes to ease the tension. The room buzzed with chatter again, but Eli's thoughts had already slipped elsewhere. Maybe it's better if I put some distance between us for now, he told himself. I need to focus. I need to get my head straight. Midterms come first.
But even as he tried to reason with himself, Eli couldn't ignore the faint awareness prickling at the edge of his senses—the quiet, steady way Kai's gaze seemed to linger on him. It wasn't obvious, not enough for anyone else to notice. But Eli felt it, like a soft weight pressing against the noise of the room.
And no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on his notebook, the memory of a single word from Friday night returned to him, stubborn and unshakable.
Always.