Wrong Source
That night, I reread Adrian's message over and over.
"Rina, are you okay?
I saw your latest video… you looked pressured."
Oh God.
Oh Mom.
Oh beautiful universe.
Adrian.
The super calm Adrian.
The Adrian I've only admired from afar.
The Adrian whose breathing alone at the cafeteria could already send my heart into a marathon.
He.
Messaged.
Me.
I rolled around on my bed like a stranded fish—but a happy one.
"ELI, ELI!" I texted my best friend.
"ADRIAN ASKED IF I'M OKAYYYYY!!"
Eli replied with a cowboy emoji.
"WEAR YOUR NEATEST UNIFORM AND YOUR BEST PERFUME TOMORROW. THIS IS MOMENTUM."
And sure enough…
The next morning, I woke up with 3000% life enthusiasm.
I showered fast, neatly combed my hair, ironed my uniform, sprayed perfume on my shoes, and my mood?
On fire.
I even ate my toast while smiling widely, like a vitamin C commercial.
Mom looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"My child… finally cheerful again. Your boyfriend must be treating you well."
I choked on my water.
"MOOOM, DON'T JINX IT!!"
🏫 School — Rina Shines Again (For the Wrong Reason)
As soon as I walked through the school gate, everything felt like slow motion.
Bright sunshine.
A gentle breeze.
Even the birds seemed to be singing.
I walked lightly, like I was about to win a student council election.
And just as I stepped into the courtyard—
"HEYYYY, LOOOOK!!! RINA'S BACK AT SCHOOL!!!"
That voice…
Anto.
Oh no.
I wasn't ready.
Anto and his gang immediately ran toward me like a herd of goats escaping their pen.
"RINAAAA!!"
Tey waved his phone around.
Kane jumped excitedly.
Tian somehow already had a tripod ready.
Juke wore sunglasses like a budget bodyguard.
Anto stopped right in front of me, out of breath but smiling widely.
"YOU'RE BACK!! YOU DRO—uh, I mean—YOU'RE BACK!!"
He smacked his own head.
I glared at him.
"Why are you guys so dramatic?!"
Tey shouted,
"WE WERE WORRIEDDD! WE THOUGHT YOU CRIED FOR THREE DAYS STRAIGHT!"
Kane added,
"We were ready to make a 'Welcome Back, Rina' banner!"
Tian held up a rushed poster that said WELCOME BACK RINA 💗—with one word spelled backward.
Anto looked at me seriously.
"…I'm really happy you came back."
I froze for a moment.
My heart…
Didn't move at all.
No.
Not because of Anto.
Because I thought of Adrian.
But those idiots misunderstood completely.
Tey whispered to Kane,
"Look at Rina's face! She's so cheerful! Must be because of us!"
I wanted to send all of them into orbit.
🤣 That Morning's Chaos
Without warning, they started causing chaos:
Tey went live-streaming
Kane kept taking photos
Tian spun around singing a random song
Juke suddenly threw plastic confetti from nowhere
Anto stood next to me like a bodyguard with a crush
I covered my face.
"GUYSSSS!! STOP IT! THIS IS EMBARRASSING!!"
But they only got louder.
"RINA'S BACK! RINA'S BACK! RINA'S BACK!"
Kane yelled like a soccer commentator.
People started watching.
Some clapped.
Some laughed.
I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
Anto turned to me with an innocent face.
"Rin… are you really okay now? I'm… really happy you're energetic again."
I could only stare at him, my mind in total conflict.
If I said:
"It's because of Adrian."
The world would explode.
So I took a breath, smiled slightly, and—
"Quiet, To."
"But you're smiling?"
Anto raised his eyebrows proudly.
I punched his arm.
"THAT SMILE IS NOT FOR YOU!"
Anto immediately sulked.
Tey burst out laughing.
"BOOOOM! THIS MORNING DRAMA IS TOP-TIER!!"
And that morning continued with one undeniable fact:
That gang was 100% wrong.
They thought Rina was cheerful again because of Anto.
When in reality…
the real reason also started with the letter A.
But: Adrian.