The following morning, Fay stood in the school hallway, surrounded by the usual chatter of her friends. When the clock struck 6:30 AM, a rhythmic click of footsteps began to echo through the corridor a sound so familiar it seemed to tug at Fay's very soul.

She turned, and time seemed to snag.

A girl was walking toward them. The first thing Fay noticed was her face: framed by a sweep of long, dark lashes, her eyes were like polished onyx deep, mesmerizing and impossible to look away from. Her nose was elegantly pointed and her lips were curved into a soft, inviting line. Even in a simple P.E. uniform, she carried an effortless cool that turned the hallway into a runway. To Fay, it felt as though the world had shifted into slow motion. While the rest of the school moved at a frantic pace, Fay's heart beat a heavy, thunderous rhythm against her ribs.

As Kei drew level with her, Fay's throat tightened. The words she wanted to say remained locked behind her teeth. Without a word, Kei walked right past her, leaving a trail of quiet confidence in her wake.

"Good morning," Fay finally whispered in a low, breathless tone, a small, hopeful smile dancing on her lips long after Kei had disappeared around the corner.

Later, in the classroom, the atmosphere was buzzing. Their teacher stood at the front, clapping her hands for attention. "Alright, everyone, we have a new activity. Pair up in twos!"

Immediately, Len and Angel locked eyes and moved toward each other. Fay watched them, her jaw dropping in mock-horror. "Oh? So that's how it is, huh?" she muttered, feeling the sting of a playful betrayal.

Len and Angel didn't look guilty; instead, they shot Fay a pair of wide, mischievous grins. It was clear they were plotting something.

"Oh no!" Len shouted, her voice dripping with exaggerated pity. "Fay doesn't have a partner! Kei, why don't you partner up with her?"

Kei blinked, then pushed off her desk and walked toward Fay. "Fay," she said, her expression neutral but focused. "Let's be together."

Fay's face erupted in a crimson flush. "Be be be what?" she stammered, her heart doing a somersault.

Kei tilted her head, a look of genuine confusion crossing her features. Being a bit of an airhead, she hadn't realized how her phrasing might be interpreted. "I said," she repeated slowly, "let's be together?"

Fay squeezed her eyes shut for a second, realizing she'd jumped to a romantic conclusion. "Yeah… yeah, let's be partners," she corrected, trying to regain her composure.

"Now," the teacher interrupted, her expression turning teasingly stern, "once you've settled on your partners, I want you to design a poster. It's due tomorrow. And please spare me the cliché of two hands holding a globe. I've seen it every year for a decade, and I'm quite sick of it!"

A chorus of "Yes, ma'am!" rang out through the room.

Once class dismissed, Kei approached Fay, who was still lingering with her friends.

"Where should we work on the poster?" Kei asked.

"Let's do it at my house," Fay suggested, her pulse quickening at the thought.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, the deadline is tomorrow, after all."

Len suddenly chimed in, leaning into their space. "Can we come, too? We're going to do….."

Before Len could finish her sentence, Angel's hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Angel hauled Len back, offering Fay and Kei a bright, albeit slightly terrifying, smile. "Don't mind this dork. We have plenty of our own work to do, so we'll be heading out now!"

As Angel dragged a struggling, muffled Len away, Fay and Kei watched in stunned silence. Angel looked like a literal angel, but the aura radiating from her was nothing short of menacing.

Fay and Kei didn't dare ask questions. They simply watched with pity as Len disappeared down the hall, her protests lost behind Angel's palm.