The bell jingled, a jarring sound that shattered the classroom's relative calm atmosphere. Mr. Davies dismissed them with a wave of his hand, as the silent room suddenly erupted into a chaotic symphony of scraping chairs, slamming books, and a cacophony of chatters. Raphael gathered his things slowly, still feeling like a stranger in this seemingly natural environment.

"So, where are you headed?" Antonio suddenly appeared beside him, an arm slung over his shoulder in a gesture of forced familiarity. "Let me be your official tour guide. The Antonio Caballero Experience. First stop, the cafeteria. The mystery meat is to die for. Literally."

His goofy voice-over made Raphael chuckle at the sight of him. He is unhinged like a walking, talking clown.

"Perhaps, next time, I may need to go somewhere." Raphael politely declined Antonio's tour-guiding adventures. Although he wanted to join. He promised his uncle during lunch period that he would eat together with him. At least, the familiar figure could give him a breather from this newfound experience. Maybe next time indeed.

"Ah, I get it. Mr. Mysterious. I like it." Antonio's grin didn't falter.

"But hey, if you need anything, and I mean anything, you know who to find. I'm basically the human equivalent of the school's Wi-Fi. Always connected."

"Can you please stop harassing the new guy?" another voice approached, but this time, it was the same guy beside Antonio.

"Btw, meet my friend, Alexis Gates." Antonio introduced.

"Hi, sorry. He just talks a lot." Alexis, a timid and plain-looking guy with dark brown hair, apologized once more.

"Let's get going now before the cafeteria turns into chaos," he reminded Antonio once more.

"Alright... see ya, new guy!" he gave Raphael a final, hearty slap on the back before disappearing into the crowd of students flowing out into the hallway. Raphael smiled to himself. Antonio was a lot to take in, but there was something disarming about his relentless, goofy energy. He was a fresh sight compared to the carefully curated, almost sterile environment he was used to.

As he made his way through the crowded corridor, the whispers followed him. He could feel a bunch of eyes surveying him all over, a mix of curiosity and suspicion. His head was kept down, while his hand clutched tightly on the strap of his sling bag, and his eyes fixated on the worn tile floor beneath his feet. He just needed to get to the principal's office.

He turned a corner and collided with something soft. A girl stumbled back, her books flung all over, scattering across the floor. She was petite, with long dark hair and a face that could have been carved from porcelain. She blushed in deep red as she scrambled, trying to pick up the mess of books on the floor.

The sense of familiarity echoed through her features as he stared deeply into the set of dark green eyes. However, a wave of hesitation arose as he noticed several mismatched features in his memory: hair and skin.

"Ah! Oh no! " she exclaimed as she hurriedly picked up the books and papers, stashing them in a pile. Raphael knelt down beside her to help in arranging the pile.

"I am sorry about that," Raphael spoke up to apologize.

" I don't want to get into trouble," she cried out before looking back at the guy whom she bumped into. " You should watch-" her words were cut short as her eyes were awe-struck by the man in front of her.

" It's my fault... sorry," she sheepishly apologized and turned her gaze away shyly while her cheeks were still flushed red as a tomato.

"It's alright. Do you need help?" Raphael lent out his hand.

Before the girl could answer, another female figure from afar waved her hand and called out.

"Hey, Kim Hyeon-ju! Stop slacking off and hurry up!" another student, wearing a nameplate on her chest.

The girl beside Raphael excused herself as she hurriedly brought the pile of mess.

He could hear a faint scolding in the corridor, seemingly reprimanding her about the incident she had caused. Then, followed by a couple of apologies. The voices faded off into the distance as they walked off.

Raphael just turned around towards the principal's office for lunch.

As he arrived at his destination, the front of the office stood a tall wooden door designed with rows of glass panels. His eyes took a glance inside, checking for his uncle, Frederic.

He was quietly looking over the pile of papers on top of his desk and rubbing his chin, thinking thoroughly over the piece of paper.

Raphael knocked thrice on the door before he twisted the knob open.

"Ah, Raphael! I am delighted to see you," he expressed as he put the paper down on the table and stood up to greet him.

"So, how was your first day in school?" he started a conversation.

"Hmmm, it's an interesting experience. . . also overwhelming," he described in short as he approached.

"Oh, right. Let's have lunch over here, and we could talk about the experiences you have." he motioned him onto a table filled with fancy meals on the next wing of the office. Raphael followed him and sat together with him.

"So... tell me. Have you seen her yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet. I'm not even sure where to start," he confessed. "I also met this girl earlier. She looked familiar, but I can't put a finger on it," he recalled the girl he bumped into earlier.

"I see... well, just focus on your studies. I'll be pulling some strings for you to get the student records, but you'll be doing the search yourself," he said. "But please, be discreet about it."

Raphael simply nodded and continued to eat.

After all, the search has just begun.