The next morning, outside the school gates…
Aisha stepped through the entrance, her bag slung over one shoulder, the crisp morning breeze tugging gently at her hair. Students passed by in small groups, chatting and laughing, but Aisha walked alone, her eyes focused on the path ahead.
"Aisha! Wait!"
A familiar voice called from behind. She turned around and saw Miya hurrying toward her, waving one hand as she jogged to catch up.
Once Miya reached her, she slowed down, slightly out of breath. "I'm really sorry about yesterday," she said, her eyes filled with guilt. "I told you I'd call, but something came up and I got busy. I didn't mean to ignore you, I promise."
Aisha blinked, then gave her a small smile. "It's okay. It's not a big deal."
Miya exhaled in relief. "Thank you. I thought you might be mad at me."
The two girls walked side by side across the school courtyard, their footsteps in sync as they made their way toward the classroom building. The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting soft patterns on the ground.
When they finally reached their classroom, Aisha reached for the handle and opened the door.
But the moment they stepped inside, Aisha paused.
From the doorway, she could clearly see someone sitting at her usual desk. The figure had his head down on the table, arms crossed over it, completely still as if asleep.
Miya looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Aisha pointed slightly. "There's someone… sitting at my bench."
Miya followed her gaze, then squinted at the figure. A moment later, her eyes widened in surprise.
"That's him," she said. "That's the boy who was absent yesterday."
Aisha nodded slowly, staring at the sleeping boy. His presence was unexpected. Silent. Almost mysterious.
Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.
And in that still moment, it felt like the day had taken an unexpected turn
Miya narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "Aisha, wait. I'll get him off your bench."
Before Aisha could respond, Miya grabbed her hand and led her toward the boy. The soft murmur of the classroom faded behind them as they approached the desk.
"Hey, you! Wake up!" Miya said firmly, standing right in front of him.
But the boy didn't move.
"Rio, wake up!" she said again, louder this time.
Aisha's eyes flickered at the name. Rio? So that's his name…
Still, the boy remained still, head resting on his folded arms.
Miya groaned in frustration and reached out to nudge his shoulder. "I said wake up!"
At last, the boy stirred. Slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. "What is it…? Why are you disturbing me?" he muttered in a low, groggy voice.
When he looked up and saw both girls standing in front of him, he showed no reaction no surprise, no embarrassment. Just a blank stare. As if their presence didn't matter.
"He's sitting on your seat," Miya hissed. "Move! This is her bench."
Rio leaned back lazily. "Why should I? I came here first. If it bothers you, find another seat."
Miya's eyebrows twitched with irritation. "What did you just say?!"
While Miya argued, Aisha remained quiet. Her gaze didn't leave Rio. Something about him felt… different. It wasn't just the rudeness. It was the way he looked at her as if she didn't exist. As if he couldn't see her at all.
She didn't understand why, but it stung a little.
Rio glanced at Aisha then, noticing her gaze. "What's with your friend? Why is she staring at me like that?" he asked, sounding more curious than annoyed.
Miya turned to Aisha. "Aisha? What's wrong?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Aisha blinked. "Nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head. Then she added softly, "Miya, it's okay. I'll just sit here. Don't make a fuss."
"But !" Miya protested.
"Please," Aisha said gently. "I don't want to start a fight over a seat. It's fine."
Miya clenched her fists but finally sighed. "Fine—for now."
She leaned closer to Rio and whispered sharply, "You got lucky today. But try this again, and I swear I'll make you regret it."
Rio raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Do whatever you want," he said calmly, then rested his head back on the desk, eyes closing once more.
Miya huffed and sat beside Aisha, still fuming. But Aisha remained quiet, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the sleeping boy.
For reasons she couldn't explain… she couldn't stop thinking about him.
Aisha quietly took the bench beside Rio's. Though they weren't sharing the same seat—since each bench was made for just one student—she could still sense his presence beside her. Rio hadn't moved at all, still resting his head on the desk, completely unaware of his surroundings.
Moments later, the classroom door opened, and their teacher stepped inside. The room instantly filled with the sound of chairs scraping and voices chiming in unison, "Good morning, Teacher!"
Everyone stood up—everyone except Rio.
Aisha glanced at him. He was still asleep.
The teacher's eyes landed on the sleeping boy. "Rio!" she called, frowning. "No sleeping in my class!"
Then she looked at the rest of the students. "Sit down."
Chairs shifted again as the class sat. Aisha stole another look at Rio. Still no reaction. It was as if her bench neighbor didn't even hear the teacher.
Class began, and the teacher started writing Basic Magic on the board. But when she turned around to face the class again, her eyes narrowed—Rio hadn't budged an inch.
Anger flared in her expression.
Without warning, she picked up a marker and flung it straight toward Rio at full speed.
Aisha gasped, watching the marker cut through the air like a bullet.
But just before it could hit him—without even lifting his head—Rio raised one hand and caught the marker with perfect timing.
The class fell silent. His head remained down. Eyes still closed.
Like nothing had happened at all.
He slowly lifted his head, finally opening his eyes. His gaze was calm… unreadable.
He turned slightly toward the teacher, holding the marker in his hand.
"Please don't throw things," he said, voice low but clear. "It's annoying."
The teacher crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "What should I throw next, Rio? A flower, maybe?" she said sarcastically.
The class burst into laughter, especially the students sitting near Aisha.
Aisha glanced sideways, unsure whether to laugh or stay quiet.
The teacher's voice turned serious again. "You came to school just to sleep? If this happens again, I'll be calling your parents. This is your final warning."
Then she pointed to the marker in his hand. "Now, come here and place that marker on my desk."
Rio slowly lifted his head, his expression unreadable. "Okay," he said quietly and stood up.
The classroom fell silent as he walked toward the front, all eyes on him.
He placed the marker gently on the teacher's desk, then turned around. Some students in the front were still chuckling.
Rio glanced at them, expression calm but sharp.
The moment their eyes met his, they stopped laughing and looked away.
He returned to the back of the classroom without a word and sat back down on his bench, as if nothing had happened.
Aisha, still watching him, couldn't help but feel… curious. There was something different about this boy.
Something she couldn't quite understand yet.
The bell rang, echoing through the hallways—signaling the start of lunch break. The teacher packed her things and exited the classroom, leaving the students to their own chaos.
Almost immediately, a group of students gathered around Aisha's desk with friendly smiles.
"Hey, let's be friends!"
"Come with us! Let's eat lunch together!"
Aisha blinked, a little overwhelmed by the sudden attention. Before she could reply, a familiar voice rang from the back.
"Move aside—she's my friend."
Miya strode in confidently, her usual boldness parting the crowd. She stopped beside Aisha and gave her a smile. "Come on. Let's go."
Aisha nodded, standing up. But her gaze shifted for a moment to the corner of the classroom where Rio still sat.
He was asleep again.
Even during lunch.
Miya noticed Aisha's lingering glance and frowned. "Why are you looking at that idiot?" she scoffed. "Come on, don't waste time. After lunch, we're going to the ground to learn our first magic spell, remember?"
That got Aisha's attention. She nodded again, and the two of them, along with a few others, headed to the canteen, chatting as they walked.
Meanwhile, back in the quiet classroom, Rio remained seated in the same position, fast asleep.
As if he didn't care about lunch, magic, or anything else at all.
After finishing lunch, Aisha, Miya, and the others returned to their classroom. As Aisha stepped inside, her eyes immediately landed on the same spot.
Rio was still there. Still asleep on the bench.
He hadn't even touched his lunch.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the break. One by one, students began filing back into the classroom, chatting excitedly as they took their seats.
"I heard this period we're going to the ground!" someone said with a huge grin.
"Really? I'm so happy! It'll be my first time using magic!" another chimed in.
The air buzzed with energy and anticipation.
Aisha sat quietly at her bench, her heart beating just a little faster than usual. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She had waited for this moment for years. Ever since she was twelve, she had dreamed of casting magic.
And now… finally, it was going to happen.