Tears at the Fountain
The courtyard was unusually empty that afternoon. Most of the students were in the dormitories or training halls. Only the wind carried the sound of the fountain across the stone.
Marion had wandered there aimlessly out of boredom.
And then he saw her.
Jenny.
She sat on the edge of the fountain, her legs pulled tightly together, her hands clenched in her lap. Her head was lowered, a strand of hair falling across her face.
And then Marion saw it—
Tears. Real, heavy tears running down her cheeks, smearing her makeup.
His heart tightened.
Jenny… the girl who always seemed as if she wanted to captivate the entire world — crying.
Hesitantly, he stepped closer.
"Is… is everything okay?"
She flinched, quickly looking away, wiping her face with her hand.
"Leave me."
Marion still didn't move. He didn't even know why.
"If… if you want to talk. I won't tell anyone."
A moment of silence.
Then it poured out of her — quiet, broken, her voice trembling.
"They have… pictures. Of me."
Marion blinked. "Pictures?"
Jenny pressed her lips together as if forcing herself to continue.
"A guy… from the upper class. I… I was stupid. I liked him. He said he just needed a few… nice pictures. For himself." Her voice cracked. "But he screwed me over. He's selling them. To anyone who pays."
Marion felt his stomach twist.
She continued, almost feverish:
"He told me if I didn't… sleep with him, he'd spread them everywhere. I couldn't. I… I just couldn't." She sniffed, pulling her knees closer. "And now… now everyone will see. Everyone. That one of my breasts is just a little bigger than the other. They'll laugh. All of them."
Marion slowly sat down beside her, heart pounding.
"Jenny… that doesn't matter. Everyone has something. Nobody's perfect."
She shook her head violently. "For me…" She broke off again, tears falling.
Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're… you're still the most beautiful girl in the class. Nobody sees what you see. They only see… you."
She breathed heavily, finally looking at him. Her eyes were red — but still beautiful.
"You… really mean that?"
He nodded quickly, throat dry.
"Yes. I do."
She turned away again, wiping her tears.
"It's over. Everything's over."
Marion swallowed. So close… Jenny, more real than I've ever seen her.
And at the same time, another thought crept in — dirty, unwelcome:
Those pictures… if I had one. Just one. Then I'd have something she never meant for anyone to see. Something of her. Just for me.
His heart pounded harder.
While he murmured aloud, "It'll be okay," he was thinking:
I have to get one of those pictures.
Jenny eventually stood up, shoulders drawn in, eyes red.
"Thank you… Marion. Really. But please… don't tell anyone."
He nodded eagerly.
"Never."
She walked away toward the dormitories.
Marion remained by the fountain, hands trembling, mind filled with images he had never seen — and yet desperately wanted.
Rumors and Proof
Marion barely slept that night.
Again and again he saw Jenny's tears, heard her trembling voice — and at the same time felt that burning in his mind:
The pictures. I need one.
The next morning he sat between Tobia and Manuel in the cafeteria, the porridge in front of him growing cold. The noise around him was a constant hum — but he caught fragments:
"Upper class… selling again…"
"Did you hear? Jenny. Yeah, Jenny."
"He wants two silver coins per picture — and people are paying."
Marion's heart pounded. He lowered his head, pretending to eat.
So it's true. They're already circulating.
During break he wandered the courtyard alone, hands in his pockets. He watched the older students, listened for whispers, searched for clues. But he was invisible. No one would offer him something like that.
"Bro?" A hand slapped his shoulder. Manuel. "Why do you look so tense?"
"Nothing," Marion muttered.
But Tobia appeared too — with a grin that looked suspiciously proud.
"I know what he's looking for."
"Oh yeah?" Manuel raised an eyebrow.
Tobia pulled them aside into a narrow space between the dorm and the workshop.
"You've heard about the pictures, right?"
Marion felt his heart stop. "P-pictures?"
Manuel grinned. "Sure. Everyone's talking. But no one's actually seen any."
Tobia's grin widened triumphantly.
"Well… not exactly no one."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few thin sheets of parchment, slightly folded. He glanced around — then opened one.
Marion gasped.
It was blurry, hastily captured with a crystal device — but unmistakably Jenny.
On a bed. Her robe half open, hair falling over her shoulder. Her face partly in shadow — but her body clearly visible.
Manuel let out a whistle. "Damn! You actually got some!"
Tobia laughed proudly. "Spent a few silvers. Worth it. The upperclass guys know how to do business."
Marion stared at the image. His head buzzed, heart hammering.
So that's what she looks like… so vulnerable. So close.
A burning sensation rose in his throat — a mixture of shame and hunger.
"Crazy," Manuel muttered. "No wonder they're getting rich."
Tobia nodded smugly. "It's gold. Everyone wants to see — nobody wants to admit it."
Marion felt something tearing inside him.
Jenny at the fountain. Crying. Begging for her secret.
And Tobia — his friend — now showing those images like trophies.
"Can… can we keep them?" Marion stammered, voice thin.
Tobia laughed. "Forget it. I paid for them. But you can look. Just look."
He folded the parchment carefully and tucked it away.
"And not a word. Or the source dries up."
The bell rang, calling them back to class. Manuel jumped up, still grinning.
"Bro, highlight of the week."
Tobia clapped Marion on the shoulder.
"Be glad you've got friends. Without me, you'd never have seen something like that."
They walked ahead, laughing.
Marion stayed behind for a moment, hands trembling in his pockets.
His heart pounded. His thoughts were chaos.
I wanted to comfort her.
And at the same time…
I wanted exactly this.
Search
The day began like any other. Morning bell, dull shuffling into classrooms, exhaustion hanging heavy in everyone's bones. Marion trudged across the courtyard with Tobia and Manuel. Tobia was still grinning broadly, as if he carried a secret in his pocket that made him bigger somehow.
"Did you see?" he whispered proudly. "They're all looking at me, but none of them know I've got something they all want."
Manuel snickered. "Until you screw up and the school confiscates your pictures."
Marion stayed silent, but his heart pounded. If Tobia can get more pictures… I have to get one.
Even on the way to class, Marion felt something was wrong. Teachers stood in small groups, faces grim. Students whispered, falling silent when someone approached.
When they entered the classroom, Magister Kalber was already there, accompanied by two other teachers. The door closed behind them.
"We are aware that indecent materials are circulating," Kalber began, his voice hard. "And we will not tolerate this filth in our academy."
A murmur ran through the class. Marion's heart skipped. He glanced at Tobia — and saw the grin freeze on his face.
"Bags on the table," Kalber ordered.
Reluctantly, the students obeyed. Marion laid out his chalk, his notebook, a piece of bread. Manuel did the same, smirking as if he had nothing to hide.
Tobia hesitated. His hands trembled as he opened his bag.
One of the teachers stepped forward, reached inside — and pulled out folded parchment sheets between two fingers.
The murmur swelled, then laughter broke out. "Caught!" someone shouted. "The pictures!"
Tobia turned deathly pale. "That… that's not… I… I just…" His voice broke, tears filling his eyes. "I only…"
Kalber slammed his fist on the desk. "Enough! Shamelessness has no place here. This will be confiscated immediately."
Tobia collapsed like a house of cards. His shoulders shook, silent sobs tearing out of him. "Please… please…"
Manuel stared in disbelief, trying for a weak smile. "Bro… pull yourself together."
But Tobia only whimpered. "Everything's gone… everything…"
The teachers left with the parchments in hand, faces rigid. Behind them remained a classroom roaring with laughter.
"The loser bought them!"
"Tobia, you pervert!"
"No wonder he's always sweating!"
Marion sat in silence, watching. His gaze clung to Tobia, who wiped at his eyes and slumped in his chair like a broken heap.
The pictures are gone, Marion thought, heart racing. But if someone sold them, there are more. Somewhere.
At the same time, he saw his friend shaking, crying, exposed — and felt how quickly the academy devoured someone.
Lukas and Basti
The bell had just rung for break when Tobia staggered out of the classroom. His eyes were red, shoulders sagging. Marion and Manuel walked close beside him, trying to shield him from the stares. It was useless.
Lukas and Basti were already there — the duo who were always together, always laughing, always the loudest.
"He-he-he-heee!" Basti cackled. "Tobiaaa! Treated yourself to some nice little pictures, huh?"
"Heheheh… totally!" Lukas bent over laughing. "The little loser bought Jenny on paper!"
Tobia froze, face bright red. He opened his mouth — no sound came out.
They continued, shrill as crows.
"And you know the best part?" Lukas shouted so everyone could hear. "Jenny's got uneven breasts! Hehehehehe!"
Basti slapped his thighs, giggling wildly. "Yeah! One big, one small! Höhöhöhö!"
A ripple moved through the hallway. Some students laughed, others stood silent — but everyone listened.
Jenny, standing at the end of the corridor with two friends, went rigid. The color drained from her face.
"No wonder she drowns herself in deodorant!" Basti cackled. "So no one notices she's crooked!"
"Miss Perfect, only half-built!" Lukas howled with laughter.
The hallway exploded in noise.
Jenny pressed her lips together, tears welling in her eyes. For a moment it looked like she might shout, protest — but instead she turned abruptly and ran down the corridor, disappearing toward the bathrooms.
Silence fell for a heartbeat — then scattered laughter resumed.
Tobia stared at the floor as if trying to vanish. Marion felt his heart racing. Now it's out. Everyone knows.
Leon stood at the side, face serious, but said nothing.
"Two breasts — but not equal!" Lukas and Basti nearly danced with laughter. "Who'd pay for that?!"
Marion clenched his fists, wanted to shout something — but stayed silent. His mouth was dry. Manuel laughed uncertainly along, just to avoid becoming the next target.
Tobia remained in the middle of the corridor — humiliated, ridiculed.
Jenny was gone.
And in Marion's mind it echoed:
She cried at the fountain. She trusted me… and now the whole school knows.
He knew he couldn't do anything.
But a thought gnawed at him:
If I just had one of those pictures… then she would be only mine. Not for everyone. Not for Lukas and Basti. Just for me.
And that thought warmed him more than any sympathy.
Punishments
The next morning the air felt heavy. As soon as the bell rang, the lower-year students were summoned to the great hall.
Magister Kalber stood at the front, voice iron-hard.
"We have evidence. Images were traded. Shameless, disrespectful images of a student. Anyone who believes they can run a marketplace of filth within this academy is gravely mistaken."
A murmur spread.
"The guilty are known," Kalber continued. "They will no longer be part of this community."
Two teachers led in three older students. Marion immediately recognized one — tall, confident, with a cold grin. The one who had deceived Jenny.
"They're the dealers!"
"They spread it!"
Kalber raised his hand. "They are expelled. Immediately. Their belongings confiscated. Their families notified. We tolerate no market for obscenity."
Silence. Only the sound of boots as the three were led away.
But it did not end there.
Kalber scanned the rows. "And all who purchased this filth should know: we have lists. We know who bought the images."
Marion's heart skipped again. He glanced at Tobia — who turned pale.
"The buyers will be punished," Kalber said. "Minor offenses with labor. Severe cases — with public humiliation."
Tobia began to tremble.
Later that day, two supervisors entered the classroom.
"Tobia. Come with us."
The class murmured. Tobia stood on shaking legs and left.
Minutes later, they heard crying outside. Tobia did not return.
That evening in the dormitory, he finally appeared — collapsed, eyes swollen from crying.
"They took everything," he whimpered. "They searched everything. And… and they screamed at me in front of everyone." His voice broke. "I… I've got nothing left."
He buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
Manuel stood nearby, uncertain. "Bro… that's it for your image."
Tobia only cried.
Marion watched in silence.
And inside him, a thought began to grow:
Tobia is finished.
Comfort in the Shadows
That evening the courtyard was empty. Only the chirping of birds and the soft murmur of the fountain could be heard. Marion had been on his way back to the dormitory when he heard voices — low, hushed, almost like whispers.
He stopped in the shadow of the arcade.
On the bench beneath the old tree sat Jenny. Her makeup was smeared, her eyes swollen from crying. Beside her: Leon, speaking calmly, his hands resting loosely on his knees in a steady, grounding way.
"I didn't want this," Jenny sobbed. "For them to throw him out. He… he was stupid, yes, but I loved him. Somehow."
Leon nodded slowly. "It's not your fault, Jenny. He betrayed you. And the teachers made that decision. Not you."
She wiped her nose, her expression full of despair. "But now… everyone knows. Everyone has seen it. I can't go back to class. I can't."
Leon shifted closer, his voice gentle. "You can. You're stronger than you think. And the ones laughing at you aren't worth it."
Jenny looked at him, a faint, broken smile on her lips. "You're so kind, Leon… always so kind. No wonder everyone likes you."
She reached into her bag, hesitated, then pulled out a single sheet of parchment. With trembling fingers, she held it out to him.
"Here. I… I wanted at least one person to get it from me. Not out of spite. Out of… love. Or something."
From the shadows, Marion immediately recognized what it was: one of the pictures.
Leon froze. His brow furrowed as he looked at her seriously. "No, Jenny. Keep it. That's not the way. You don't have to give yourself away like that just to be liked."
Jenny sobbed again, looking away. "But… maybe then you'd really see me. Truly see me."
Leon gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I already see you. Without all of that. Just as Jenny."
Her eyes filled with tears again. The parchment slipped lower in her hand. Then she leaned into him, wrapped her arms around him, and cried against his chest.
Marion stood frozen in the shadows. His heart hammered, a sharp pain shooting through him.
She gives him what I want more than anything… and he refuses it. And she still holds him.
In his stomach burned a bitter mix of longing and jealousy. Leon, who wanted nothing, received her closeness. And he — Marion — who would have given everything for a single look, stood alone in the dark.
He clenched his fists, helpless. All he could do was watch Jenny and Leon sitting close together in the twilight, while the world once again left him unseen.
The Reckoning
The classroom buzzed with murmurs. Jenny arrived late, her eyes still red, her gaze lowered. Her robe was neat, her hair brushed, but everyone could see she hadn't slept.
As soon as she sat down, the snickering began. Lukas nudged Basti; both grinned as always.
"Hehehehe… look at the crybaby goat."
"Höhöhö… careful, she might fall apart — left bigger than right!"
The laughter spread like wildfire. Some students pretended to write; others laughed openly. Jenny clenched her teeth and stared at her notebook as if she could disappear into it.
Marion felt his heart race. Not again… not in front of everyone. But he remained silent, trapped between shame and longing.
Then suddenly a chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Rico stood up.
His face was dark red, his hands clenched into fists. "You two little worms," he growled, loud enough for the entire class. "You think you're funny? You're pathetic."
Silence spread.
Lukas blinked, then grinned widely. "Heheheh, ohhh, the knight arrives!"
Basti giggled shrilly. "Yeah, Rico protects big Jenny! Want a little picture too, huh?"
Rico stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Be honest: you bought them yourselves. Otherwise you wouldn't even know what's on them."
That hit.
For a moment the two froze. The giggling stopped. A murmur rippled through the room.
"Am I right?" Rico continued, his voice sharp. "You cry into your pillows at night because you'll never have a woman, so you pay silver to stare in secret. And now you act like you're better. You're not better. You're children."
The words hung heavy in the air. A few students laughed nervously; others glanced uneasily at Jenny. Even the Magister raised an eyebrow but let it continue.
Lukas's face turned bright red. Basti hissed, "Shut up, Rico."
But Rico gave a cold smile. "Why? You started it. I'm just saying what everyone knows: without your silver coins, you'd never have seen anything. So stop acting superior."
Jenny slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were still wet — but now not only with shame. There was relief there. For the first time, someone had said aloud that she was the victim, not the punchline.
Rico breathed heavily but sat back down, slamming his chair into place. "There. Done."
Silence lingered.
Then the Magister cleared his throat, opened his book, and continued as if nothing had happened. But everyone knew something had shifted.
Marion sat rigid.
Jealousy burned inside him.
It should have been me. I should have defended her.
Instead, Rico had acted — loud, raw, but effective. And Jenny… Jenny had looked at Rico with that unmistakable glance of gratitude.
Marion's fists trembled beneath the desk.
Why do the others always get her closeness? Leon. Rico. Everyone.
And I stay invisible.