The usual chilly vibe that Sids carried with him through the halls of AU had disappeared like mist fading under the sun.

Now… he had a slight shine to him.

Not real light—no—but something softer. There was a bounce in his step, and a smile lingered on his face longer than it normally did. He didn’t even realize it.

But everyone else did.

“Did Sids just smile? ”

“He… actually said hi to me? And he didn’t sound like he was miserable? ”

“Who’s that guy next to him? The one who looks so gentle? ”

Soft voices floated around classrooms and hallways. Even teachers stopped talking for a moment when Sids, usually serious and scary, showed a small smile during homeroom. Not just a smirk—an actual, almost-embarrassed smile.

Epoy sat next to him again that morning.

He was still shy, pulling at his sleeves and blinking quickly when others looked his way—but near Sids, he seemed much more at ease.

He pushed his packed lunch forward. Rice balls, a few cuts of chicken adobo, fried eggplant and potatoes, also a bottled water and Milo drink.

“I added some bento designs. I hope it doesn’t look too silly…” he said quietly, sliding it over.

Sids blinked.

The rice ball had cat ears.

“. . . It’s cute,” Sids mumbled, covering part of his face with his hand. His lips curved slightly upward against his will.

Epoy looked up and smiled shyly.

At that moment, Sids was glad he was facing the window. If anyone saw how red he was, he knew he’d never hear the end of it.

During breaks, they sat together under the acacia tree in the backfield. It became their quiet routine.

Sids stole looks, noticing how Epoy would hum a little while eating or smile softly at the nearby birds. He had a soothing presence. Like something precious.

It confused Sids.

But it brought him a sense of calm he didn’t realize he needed.

In the classroom…

“Sids,” Rowden, one of his friends leaned over. “You okay, man? You’ve been… kinda cheerful lately. ”

Sids turned to him. “What do you mean? ”

“I mean, you usually look like you’re ready to snap at someone. But now… you look like you just adopted a puppy and found happiness. ”

“Shut up,” Sids grumbled, but he didn’t argue.

The rest of the group laughed, but not in a mean way.

They liked this new side of him.

Even some classmates who used to steer clear of him began to greet him more casually.

And the biggest difference?

He greeted them back.

Later that day, in the hallway, a group of boys walked by Epoy.

They slowed down, glanced at him, and one of them nudged the other.

“Hey, pretty boy. Are you a girl or what? ”

Epoy froze.

Before he could respond, Sids’ voice cut through the air with authority.

“Say that again, and I’ll make sure you can’t speak for a week. ”

The boys looked scared, paled.

Sids moved in front of them and Epoy. “Get lost. ”

They hurried away. Epoy watched Sids’ back, heart racing.

“You don’t need to do that all the time,” he said softly when they were by themselves.

Sids turned to him, his eyes warm. “Yes, I really do. ”

Epoy’s mouth opened, not knowing what to say.

“You’re… really special to me,” Sids continued, almost in a whisper.

Epoy’s breath caught in his throat. He looked away quickly, his face flushing.

“…So am I,” he stammered.

From afar, the moon appeared to shine a bit brighter that afternoon.

And for just a moment, in the glass window’s reflection, two ancient figures were seen where they sat—one wrapped in stardust, the other in a gentle shadow.

But only the breeze took notice.

And it murmured, “They are reminiscing. ”