Liam dragged Rania along the back corridor of the school until he stopped in front of the boys' restroom. He pushed the door roughly. Inside, the floor looked damp, and on the floor near the sink stood a plastic bucket filled with water.
One of his friends glanced outside for a moment before closing the door.
Click.
The door was locked.
"Stand," Liam said coldly.
Rania had not even managed to steady herself when Liam shoved her shoulder hard. Her body fell to the floor with a dull thud.
"Ow-" Rania winced, trying to get up.
Liam clicked his tongue. "So weak."
He stepped closer, then grabbed Rania's hair and forced her head up.
"Look at me," he said sharply. "When I talk, you look at me."
Rania trembled, tears pooling in her eyes. "P-please… I didn't do anything…"
Liam gave a crooked smile. "That's exactly the problem."
He glanced at the bucket beside them. "You know? I waited for you for two days. Two days is a long time."
One of his friends chuckled. "Sounds like he missed her."
Liam laughed briefly, then without warning shoved Rania's head toward the bucket.
"Let's freshen you up a bit."
Rania tried to resist, but she was overpowered. Her head was forced into the water. Her body struggled, her hands clawing at the floor.
A few seconds later, Liam yanked her hair again and pulled her head up.
"Well," he said casually. "How does it feel?"
Rania coughed, her breath ragged. Her face was pale, her voice barely audible.
"Please…"
Liam leaned his face closer. "Oh, you don't know yet?"
He tapped the bucket lightly. "The water's special. Mixed it with socks earlier."
His friends burst into laughter.
"Crazy," one of them said while raising his phone. "This is good content."
Rania shook her head weakly. "Don't… don't…"
Liam straightened up. "Relax. It's just a lesson."
He grabbed Rania's hair again, ready to push her head down once more.
In that restroom, the sound of laughter was louder than the sound of pleas for help.
***
Sia's watch showed around two in the afternoon when she was already sitting in a bus seat in the middle row near the window. Her arms hugged the bag on her lap. The bus had not departed yet because it was still waiting for other passengers.
The bus door opened.
Someone got on.
The moment Sia saw the figure, her body tensed.
Rania.
Her steps were slow, her head lowered. Her eyes scanned the remaining seats.
Without thinking, Sia spoke.
"Rania."
Rania stopped. She turned slowly.
"I-I'm… here," Sia continued, shifting slightly and tapping the empty seat beside her. "If you want."
Rania looked hesitant. Her gaze shifted briefly to other seats, then back to Sia. After a few long seconds, she gave a small nod.
"Okay…"
She sat beside Sia carefully, keeping a small distance between them.
Soon after, several other students boarded. The bus doors closed, and the vehicle finally moved away from the school grounds.
The atmosphere inside the bus was filled with the sound of the engine and quiet chatter. But between Sia and Rania, it felt silent.
Rania looked down, her fingers gripping the strap of her backpack. Sia glanced at her occasionally, then took a soft breath.
"Um…" Sia began, trying to sound casual. "Are you… okay?"
Rania was silent for quite a while. Her shoulders rose and fell slightly.
"Yes," she finally answered, her voice small. "I'm… fine."
Sia nodded slowly. "Oh… that's good."
Silence again.
A few seconds later, Sia added, "The bus… is usually full at this hour, huh."
Rania nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes… you don't get a seat."
Sia glanced at her and gave a faint smile. "Good thing we still got one today."
Rania responded with a small nod. She didn't smile, but her face looked slightly more relaxed than before.
They sat side by side in silence again, watching the road.
***
Sia finally got off the bus and walked home. The sun was still high, but the heat was no longer as harsh as midday. Her steps were slow, her head lowered.
Her thoughts were still left behind at school.
About Rania.
About that frightened look.
About how everyone chose to stay silent.
It reminded her of something she had long wanted to bury.
Sia stopped in front of her boarding house door. She reached for the handle and opened it-
"BOO."
The figure appeared right in front of her with a wide grin.
"OH MY-!"
Sia was startled badly and reflexively stepped back until she lost her balance. Her body fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"HA-HAHAHAHA!"
Asher laughed loudly while bending over, clearly enjoying her reaction.
The children who had been playing marbles in front of the boarding house immediately went quiet. Some stared at Sia, others stared into the house with confused expressions.
Sia quickly got up, her face hot with embarrassment. Without saying anything, she went inside and slammed the door.
Click.
Locked.
Inside, Asher was already rolling on the floor laughing.
"That was the best expression today," he said while slapping the floor. "Seriously."
Sia looked at him coldly. "Do you realize? I fell in front of those kids."
Asher waved his hand casually. "Ah, they'll forget too."
"You embarrassed me."
"Fun, right?" he replied lightly. "So your life isn't so stiff."
Sia clenched her fists. "Get out."
"Why?" Asher sat up. "So angry."
Sia didn't answer. She walked straight to her room and shut the door hard.
Behind the door, she let out a long breath.
Why do I have to deal with a weird ghost like this?
She changed out of her uniform into a T-shirt and long pants. While hanging her uniform on a hanger-
"Still mad?"
The door opened.
Asher leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His expression was calmer this time.
"I was just joking," he said. "I was bored."
Sia glanced at him briefly. "Not my problem."
Asher let out a short sigh. "You're too serious."
At that moment, Asher suddenly narrowed his eyes. His gaze lowered, observing Sia from head to toe, a little too long.
Sia stopped moving. "What?"
Asher didn't answer immediately. "Today… who did you meet?"
Sia frowned. "Why are you asking that?"
Asher didn't respond. Sia clicked her tongue softly and walked to the bed, lying down while opening her phone.
"Weird," Sia muttered.
Asher turned his head. "You're close to her, huh."
Sia stopped scrolling. "Who?"
"That girl," Asher said flatly. "The one who's always bullied."
Sia straightened up. "You mean… Rania?"
Asher glanced at her briefly. "Yeah."
Sia stared at him sharply. "How do you know her name?"
Asher didn't smile. "Stay away from her."
"What?" Sia stood up. "Why?"
"Because she's not your business."
Sia let out a small disbelieving laugh. "Since when do you control my life?"
Asher didn't answer.
Sia clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked back at her phone. She scrolled absentmindedly until a video appeared on her feed.
The title was unclear.
Her hand stopped.
She opened it.
The next second, Sia's face went pale.
On the screen, Rania was visible. Her head was being forced into a bucket. Her hair was grabbed roughly by a boy.
Liam.
Laughter was heard. Someone was recording it.
Sia stood abruptly. "This-"
Her hand trembled. Her eyes widened, her breath caught.
"That… at school…"
Asher stayed where he was. Silent. Expressionless.
"How can this exist?" Sia's voice shook. "Why didn't anyone-"
She turned to Asher. "You knew about this, didn't you?"
Asher's expression turned flat, hard to read. His gaze hardened as he looked at the phone screen in Sia's hand.
"Stay away from her," he said softly, but firmly. "And don't get involved in her life."
Sia turned quickly. "What do you mean?"
"I'm serious," Asher continued. "You don't need to get involved any further."
Sia stood facing him, her brows furrowed. "Everyone else has already stayed away from her. You know that, right?"
Asher looked away for a moment. "Exactly because of that."
"Because of that?" Sia repeated, her voice rising. "She's alone, Asher. In class, in the cafeteria, everywhere. Everyone pretends not to see."
"That's not your business."
"Not my business?" Sia let out a short, bitter laugh. "She barely even has anyone just to talk to."
Asher looked back at her. "And you think one person can change everything?"
"I'm not saying I want to be a hero," Sia shot back quickly. "I just don't want to be someone who closes their eyes too."
Asher stepped closer. "You don't know what you're dealing with."
"You don't know what she's feeling either."
Asher fell silent.
Sia continued, her voice softer but full of emotion. "I can see it. The way she looks down, the way she speaks half afraid. She keeps everything to herself."
Asher clenched his fist. "That's exactly what makes it dangerous."
"Dangerous for who?" Sia asked. "For me? Or for her?"
Asher let out a long breath. "Sia… you're too kind for this."
"So now kindness is wrong?" Sia looked at him sharply. "You're just like them."
Asher was silent for quite a while.
"What do you mean?" he finally asked.
"You're telling me to stay away," Sia said. "Just like the others who choose to be safe for themselves."
Asher shook his head slowly. "This isn't about being safe."
"Then what is it about?"
Asher looked at her directly. "About you staying alive and normal."
Sia fell silent for a moment. "You're talking as if I'll be destroyed just because I befriend her."
"You could," Asher answered honestly.
Silence fell between them.
Sia lowered her gaze. "If everyone thinks like you… of course she's alone."
Asher closed his eyes briefly. "I'm warning you."
Sia bit her lip. "And if I don't listen?"
Asher opened his eyes. "I won't always be able to save you."
That sentence made Sia go quiet. Her chest felt tight.
A few seconds passed before Sia finally sat back down on the bed, her shoulders slightly lowered.
"…You win," she said softly. "For now."
Asher didn't smile. "Good."
Sia looked at her phone again. The video was still open.
"But I'm not promising," Sia added quietly.
Asher turned to her, his gaze sharp. But he didn't argue.