STELLA NEARLY KNOCKED out cold on the dirt when her whole body slammed the rough field. 

She stumbled and rolled, her body cannot handle the inertia and the impact scratched her skin that she winced when she tried to stand up. She ignored the constant aching that she felt around her body as she wiped the dirt away from her clothes and her face.

"Still have that fight in you eh? If you listened to us properly like last time, we could avoid this mess, won't we?" Kai said, his face was smug and proud that he was actually able to 'teach' her in front of the whole crowd perched on the corridor.

Ever since Kai reigned the title of 'the most respectable' or 'head bully' after their senior finished primary school and went to the institute, he had people talking that he was not only 'the most respectable' but also 'the untouchable' because he apparently a high ranking noble relative which was rare in this part of the city.

But no matter high a person is in the eyes of society to Stella, if the person was a beggar with a heart of gold, that beggar was a lot more respectable compared to someone like her or Kai and his goony in this matter.

She had run as fast as she could muster, that her tights ached and her lungs expanded yet to compete in the race between the magic wielder and non-magic wielder was the same as when a mouse trapped in the same box with a cat.

When Pamela (the only girl of the three) caught the end of her hair, she was pulled mercilessly that she thought her scalp might be torn and that she was knocked the wind out of her when Pamela and El pinned her down on the cold floor, their hands hungry to get her shoes.

"Give back my shoes," Stella demanded. 

She eyed her shoes dangled on Pamela's shoulder still safe from becoming the trio special concoction even though the said concoction was inside the pail held by El, the smell wafted attacking every person near including those three bullies that they had to cover their nose.

Kai grinned. His eyes looked like a devil incarnate. "Tell me o' wise one, as to why... why?! Why we have to listen to your nonsense when you had followed our orders like a darling yesterday? Hm, dear Stella?"

To think Stella would feel intimidated by his voice and the way Kai's eyes leered at her, then it was a mistake for them because she is a person void of emotion and there was nothing else could make her move unless for the sake of those who had done so much for her.

"I want my shoes back."

'slaps!'

Stars.

She saw stars. Her ears buzzed. Her world started to lose its axis. Her cheek on fire. In that deafening moment, her eyes caught El and Pamela's twisted expression, Kai was shouting and his words were barely able registered in her mind. Everything seemed slow and exhausting.

Because of her almost none reaction to Kai's threat, he took it as a signal for him to punish her with his hand. Stella saw his hand moved. She should avoid it. If she stands there and took it again, no doubt that she would lose consciousness and definitely her shoes. Yet, her body froze still. Every nerve cramped and bind.

She was under a binder spell that kids their age should not know how to use but she was there, seconds away from receiving Kai's hand and she had no strength left to move.

Or so she thought.

The slap she was supposed to receive never lands on her face. Her body started to relax even.

"H—how?" she heard Kai trembling voice.

Then she saw a figure standing in front of her. His hand was holding Kai's hand. His hold was firm, maybe too strong for she saw the blood under the skin started to clot. Kai was writhing in pain, fell to his knees, and cried. His face had turned pale and his pupil shook.

"Let me go!" he begged. "It hurts damn it!"

But it seemed the more he begged to let go, the more the boy in front of her gripped Kai's hand then he slowly twisted it.

Kai screamed as if he might lose his hand though, from the looks of it, this boy who had come to save her was intending to do so.

Pamela and El fell to their knees too. Her shoes had been abandoned and the pail had spilled. Their faces were streaked with tears and their mouths trembled as they begged for Kai to be forgiven.

This was enough.

"Gitto," she called and that boy stopped.

It was nothing unfamiliar about that boy's back. She had always seen it since the first day Gitto became her desk mate and buddy. For the past week, She always at his back, trying to start a conversation with him and be his buddy. It was a failure obviously but from it, she learned about his hair colour, how he stands, or how his body smells like.

But what gave it away was that he had a tattoo peeked out from his shirt on his right shoulder that she sometimes saw by accident and she saw it again from his back. That black squiggle end was bare for her to see.

"That's enough," she said as she limped to her shoes. She had her suspicion on how Gitto arrived here so fast that she saw the answer right away.

Miss Ariel and the other teacher were standing not far from where she stood. Their face was a mixture of shocked, furious, and admiration? 

She remembered the day where Miss Ariel had introduced Gitto to them. She had said something about him being younger than they were and that sentence explained a lot.

Gitto is a genius.

Her eyes met with him. In that chaotic moment where the teacher snapped out of their dazed, some apparated and some came here running, she only saw him. It was a moment that she never knew that this day marked the day she finally had where someone other than her family came to help her. It was somewhat a peace that finally settled in her heart. 

It was magical.

"Thank you," she mouthed to him and her world turned black.

AMONG MANY HIGH places in Kawah Valley, she chose to be at their primary school bell tower. Even though according to her it was decided upon the wind's whim. 

It was the first time for them to have their late-night rendezvous at this place and to consider that this bell tower had finished its construction two years after they entered the institute. The bell tower was not as high nor as big as the one at the institute however it served the best scenery over the Chamberly side of the city with much privacy compared to Stella's house or other places.

"It would be nice if they have this tower when we were young," Stella said while her eyes scanned the place as best as she can provide with the light from the moon only. 

Effan eyed her nervously, feared for her safety as she walked along the ledge.

"Careful Stell," he warned her. His eyes never leaving her as she walked back and forth.

"I have you, don't I? You'll catch me if I fall," she replied as a matter of fact.

"What if I don't?"

She looked at him, her eyes were opened for him to see and it made his heart go wild. His cheeks burned and he was glad that there was only the moon to light their fortunately dim night. 

He loved her eyes. Those pairs that always sparkled when she thinks of something and how it astonished him that it almost mirrored the night sky full of stars. Like that woman's eyes.

The first time he saw her eyes, he thought that his world had stopped altogether and that he was dead. Because he chocked on his own breath.

The time itself had paused for the moment of revelation when everything was in disarray what's with the teacher blared at his ears to stop tormenting the pitiful Kai who had broken his arms or that the headteacher was scolding him for the misconduct of use of magic and promoted violence instead of setting a good example to other students or to received shouts of support for his actions in saving Stella from the students who had witnessed the fight.

All those were nothing compared to when Stella stood there with her eyes barely visible, enough for him to see and to let his heart got stolen. 

Before he knew it, he was running to her, desperate to catch Stella who had a blackout.

"You would definitely save me," she whispered and it brought Gitto back to his reality.

Suddenly he felt embarrassed by the sudden closeness nevertheless he kept his cool. Stella won't know what he was thinking or the way his heart went over-drive. "Let's seat," he said so that he can distract her with other things.

"These days, I kept reminded of our first meeting," Stella started when they had settled down on the ledge. She was looking at the stars and he did the same.

"Why? Was it because you miss me?" he asked jokingly. He knew Stella cannot produce any kind of emotions and his statement was more of a wish upon the stars.

"Was it? If you said so, then maybe I am."

That was unexpected.

"I remembered that you used to be a quiet kid and I always followed you around because Miss Ariel said you're my buddy."

Gitto pulled a faint smile. "Then you got bullied," he recounted.

"I got bullied," she repeated and looked at Gitto's face. "And you saved me when no one dared to step up. Everyone saw it too. That you flew out of the nurse's office and punished Kai.

Before, I never realized that I was searching for help because I was an Alexithymia and still am but at that moment, you saving me had become a moment that I found my peace. Do you remember what you said to me that evening when you bought me that tulip?"

His eyes trailed at Stella's hand that was holding his hand. Her hand motion was calm and poised, never uncertain yet gentle.

"I asked you to be my friend," he answered.

"Em, though more like you decided to be my friend and defined the word friend for me because I don't understand the concept of it," she corrected him and he can't help himself to grin elfishly at her comment.

"I did not decide it," he protested.

"Say what you want Gitt, we both know who was saying the truth. Regardless, you became my friend and if I have a word for all those years until now for what you had done for me it would be 'thank you'. Even when now we have to be apart and it's getting harder to be together, I hope you would still be my friend because no one can replace you," she confessed and gripped his hand tightly.

Gitto could felt that his lips were so light that those words might slip out of his mouth but he got better of himself and held it inside him. He had kept it for years and he will continue to do so. Those words were not befitting of someone like him and he has a job yet to fulfill. 

The only words that he deserved were, "me too Stell. You're my precious friend that until death does us otherwise."

Stella shook her head. "No."

"No?" he said bewildered.

Slowly Stella pulled Gitto's body closed to her and she hugged him. "Even when in death, we are still friends."

Hearing those words made his heart cry and clamped his teeth tight. He let out a shaky breath. "Yeah Stell. That sounds like a great plan. I... like it."

He pushed her body and stood up. He needed a breather. He can't let Stella feel how his body shook when he lied. She will freaking know it instantly. "Really Stell. Don't we have any other conversation material to talk about? I mean I saw Effan came to have dinner with your family. How was it?"

"Good," she answered.

"Good-good? Or Good-bad?" He laughed nervously when his question was met with a stare from Stella. She may not know how to be mad but she does know how ridiculous his question was when really he was just jealous that there was someone else who is close to her.

"Sorry. It's just that you never brought back any stranger for dinner except for me."

"You're no stranger. You're my friend," she refuted.

You don't need to remind me of that.

"Father was the one who invited him," she explained. "Just that... this week had been uncommon."

"You mean weird?"

"I can't relate to that word."

"Then what do you mean by uncommon? Was it because I wasn't always with you?" he jested hoping that it was right. How much his presence to Stella's life had impacted her to think so that it made her heart felt a little bit giddy yet at the same time worried him. Stella is a sharp girl. She noticed things when there was even a small change to the dent and if she made that kind of statement would be meant something either he likes it or not.

Stella sat there, lost in her thought. 

"I don't know Gitt," she said looking lost despite her unchanging expression and she never finished her sentences after that. She only looked at the starry night and the bright moon. 

He knew she was withholding her end of the story and he does not know why. She never acts that way. There was never a secret between them and he was scared for where this might lead in their relationship.