It all started where it—absolutely—should not have begun.

In our high school, with the end of our time there drawing closer with each passing day, he and I faced each other, with the entire length of the quad between us.

It was an unusual moment as he gazed at me intently, and for the first time, I met his gaze with equal intensity.

He eventually noticed my unwavering stare and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. It should have been my cue to shift my gaze, but I couldn't seem to look away.

Our encounters had always followed a familiar pattern—brief eye contact, a subtle greeting with raised eyebrows, and then a quick diversion of our gazes, a needless end to our song and dance. It was never long before our eyes connected again like they were magnetized.

I know that, largely due to my inability to avert my eyes, we found ourselves on a journey not meant for us. I truly do. However, that day was different.

I felt different.

No one warned me that a single look was all it took for you to become rooted to your spot. No one prepared me for the fact that one look had the power to take your breath away. It's as if you're resurfacing from the waters a few seconds before you would've drowned. I held my breath, struggling to break away from that invisible hold that captivated me.

I only lost eye contact with him when a few classmates corralled me and led me through the empty cafeteria. I'd only eaten there a few times at the start of the school year, but then it got silly eating at a whole table by myself. I resigned to eating at my desk, which is why I was surprised when we stopped at a secluded table under a pergola overlooking the gym.

With an empty cafeteria as a backdrop and a view of a small cliff with greenery and trees, it seemed like a perfect place to be alone with my thoughts. Perhaps when the day is over, I could stay there for a bit before heading home. I looked around for a way down the cliff, thinking it could be a shortcut to the school's exit gate.

These thoughts kept me so preoccupied that I missed the beginning portion of Sera's tirade. Well, that, and I wasn't expecting a tirade. I thought they brought me there to welcome me into their group of friends.

Wishful thinking. How preposterous.

If they had any interest in being my friend, they would've taken my offer when school started. Back then, I had shiny-new-toy status as the only transfer student. Now, though, what reason could they possibly have for bringing me there?

"I'm sorry," I said. "Can you repeat that?"

"I asked you if you know me," Sera snapped. "Because I sure as heck don't know you beyond your loner status. How dare you pretend to know me and gossip about my business?"

"Um, I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Quit lying. Everyone knows that it was you who started the rumors going around."

"What rumors?"

"'What rumors?' You told people that my relationship is fake!"

"What? No. I don't know what you're talking about, Sera."

"You even said he was with someone else during the school fair."

Ah, that blasted school fair.

Sera continued berating me, which, scary aside, helped me put some pieces together. Her boyfriend was one of my cousin's friends. I came to know that her boyfriend only asked her out as a dare, but the girl he truly liked was the one he met secretly at the fair. And I told...the only person I told this to was Kimiko.

It was only an offhand response made to decline her matchmaking efforts. I used Sera's relationship as an example of why boys are more trouble than they're worth. Kimiko ignored this and spent time weeding through the crowd for a match. In the end, she found a crush for herself instead.

That's Kimiko for you. She's the only friend who understands my short attention span and doesn't blame me. We're similar in that way. So, no. She couldn't have gossiped. It would be more likely that she'd forgotten what I said. Even if she didn't; she wouldn't share that type of problematic information.

"I think there's been a huge misunderstanding about this."

"Did you or did you not tell people that my boyfriend is fooling around?"

"I-I only said that he was—"

In retrospect, I could've started that sentence differently. Since I chose those words, I could only understand Sera's assumptions and the actions she and her friends took in the name of justice.

I was poked and prodded, nudged and pushed, from all directions. Five teenage girls could sure do a lot of damage, but I still think, to this day, that they didn't intend for things to escalate to that extent.

It was too late for me to protect my head. At least I thought about tucking in my arms and holding on to the sides of my school uniform dress. Propriety, am I right? What a funny thing to worry about as I rolled down a small cliff. Although it made sense considering the innocence of that time.

It wasn't until after I'd landed on the bottom of the cliff and rolled to a stop next to his feet that I would entertain other thoughts. Such as the caramel brown color of his eyes, illuminated by the sun in a mesmerizing way. His voice, simultaneously sweet and commanding, suddenly seemed more captivating than ever. At that moment, I realized that had I not survived, I would have missed experiencing these beautiful details. I would have regretted not looking at him a moment longer and not talking to him at all.

"Kaisa, can you open your eyes for me?"

There was no way I could turn down a request made with that voice. I slowly opened my eyes and squinted up at him.

"Good. Good. That's great. Keep them open for me, please."

"It's too bright," I croaked.

He adjusted his position to block the sun from shining directly on my face. "Better?"

Debatable since the color of his eyes changed, but now I had a full view of his face, so I said, "Yes, thank you."

"I'm going to place my handkerchief on your forehead. Tell me if it hurts."

"Okay."

"Is this okay? Am I hurting you?"

"It stings. It doesn't hurt as much as my elbow though."

"Your elbow? Let me see."

As he gently lifted my arm and inspected my elbow, his careful touch sent a shiver down my spine. It was reminiscent of the intense eye contact we shared earlier, and I found myself instinctively holding my breath. Unlike our fleeting gazes, his hand lingered on my arm, the warmth of his touch providing a stark contrast to the cold, grimy concrete beneath me. It felt as though he was cradling my elbow to shield it from the harsh surface. Meanwhile, I had to gasp in the air, cough, and wince—as if I needed to make myself look any worse in front of him—all from holding my breath longer.

"I'm sorry. I was going to brush off the sticks and stones, but you have a," he paused. "Don't freak out, okay? You're going to be okay. There's an open wound, so I want to wait until we get to the clinic and have sterile instruments to take care of this. Can you still bear with it?"

"I think so."

"Good. They should be here soon."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to respond to him. "Mm," was all I could say. I couldn't help but think that if I had just averted my gaze earlier, he wouldn't have followed me to the cafeteria. He wouldn't have witnessed what happened. His hand wouldn't be supporting my arm, and I wouldn't have had the chance to feel his touch.

Then none of it would've happened, and we might have been all the better for it. But there we were. Helpless participants in life's events that only unfold as consequences of our actions.

"Liam," a familiar voice called. It had to be Ryuhei, Kimiko's cousin. He had that warm timbre in his voice even when he sounded annoyed, which I could tell he was. "Let the girls help her onto the stretcher, and then we'll carry her to the clinic."

I panicked when he mentioned the girls. Certainly not any of the girls from our senior class. I couldn't think of anyone who would help someone Sera's group disliked. And I was right since all the girls were from Kimiko's sophomore class. Three of them were on the volleyball team and chided me for my efforts to lessen their load.

"It'd be easier for us to move you if you just stayed still," one of them said frustratingly when I ended up half in and half out of the stretcher. I relaxed my body and let them situate me properly. Then, they placed a blanket over the lower half of my body and left.

Ryuhei moved by my feet and signaled at Liam to lift me. That's when I became dizzy and nauseated. And I must've looked it too because he asked Liam to walk slower and more steadily.

"How's this?" Liam asked.

"Better," Ryuhei responded for me. "Keep your eyes open, Kai."

"I'm not gonna go into a coma from a small fall, Ryu. I need to close my eyes because it's so bright in here."

"Can't you keep them open for my peace of mind at least? Don't pay attention to the lights. Focus on me."

"I would if I could, but you're just a blurry figure right now. It's giving me a headache."

"Just try. Please."

Before I could protest some more, I heard Liam clear his throat. "We're almost there."

"How about when I put this omamori right in front of you, can you see it?" Kimiko placed her good luck charm at my eye level.

"I can, but..." I trailed off, too tired to argue, and closed my eyes.

I awoke to a small yet intense debate about who could stay with me while I was treated in the clinic. Liam was careful not to speak in assuming terms, but the gist of his story heavily alluded to some bullying. Worried that Kimiko wouldn't be able to protect me from people who'd dare to push me off a cliff, he was adamant about not backing down.

"Wow, Liam. I had no idea you had this macho side to you. You almost have me impressed. But don't you think Kaisa prefers a female companion anyway? You must know that it's uncomfortable for you to be here."

"I have some medical training. I can help my aunt."

"That wouldn't be proper, Liam," his aunt, Nurse Ong, said sternly.

"Auntie, didn't you say there are no genders in medicine? We treat anyone who needs it."

"Oh look, Miss Adamson has woken up. See? Nothing major to be worried about. I can manage her wounds myself. Go back to your classroom. Both of you."

"But Nurse Ong," Kimiko resisted. "Don't you think I should stay to help with her other wounds? Like emotionally, I should stay to let her know she's not alone, right? That she has a best friend who's got her back."

"Okay. You may stay. Liam, go back. No buts from you."

To my surprise, Liam obliged his aunt this time around. After one last worried glance at me, he turned around and left the room.

Eventually, Kimiko had to return to class while I stayed behind to get some more rest. Once all classes were over, Nurse Ong came to check on me again. She offered me the option to either head home or continue resting until she completed some of her tasks. I decided to stay and rest a little while longer.

As we stepped out of the clinic, I realized that I would have to make my way home alone. Normally, I would wait for my classmates and follow them to the main road where I could hail a tricycle home. I was certain that everyone had already left. However, as I walked outside, I saw Liam leaning against the wall next to the clinic door.

Liam was tall, handsome, and always a true gentleman. He asked if he could escort me home, and suddenly, I felt a sense of security wash over me. It was as if, from that point on, there was nothing to fear—not the school bullies or any strangers in dark alleys.

I found myself nodding in agreement, and that's how our story began.