{ Best read in dark mode but it's ur choice !

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She sighed heavily as the vice principal rambled on. His words blurred together into an endless stream of noise. She nodded politely, but her eyelids grew heavier with every passing second.

To keep herself upright, she leaned against the wall, just in case sleep got the better of her (it had happened a few times before). Her mind wandered. What kind of challenges will I face next?

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice a pair of eyes watching her from across the hallway.

Someone from a different class.
Someone who could see her perfectly.

Her gaze snapped back to reality when the vice principal suddenly reappeared, his footsteps silent until the last second.

"Wah!" she yelped, nearly losing her balance. She flailed but caught herself with the help of the wall. "Oh my God! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—!"

He chuckled, a dry, half-hearted laugh. "Oh, uh… that’s fine."

With a polite smile, he adjusted his tie. "Now, young lady, I’ll leave everything to you. Enjoy your day." He gave a small bow before walking away.

She bowed back, whispering a soft, "Thank you."

Now alone, she took a deep breath. Her heart raced as she stared at the classroom door. You’ve got this.

Or at least she thought she did.

Her confidence drained the moment her hand touched the handle. A parade of imaginary whispers filled her head—What if they judge me? What if they don’t like me? What if they’re… mean?

She pushed the door open anyway, stepping into her new world.

The classroom quieted as the teacher spoke.

"Attention, everyone! This is (Name). She’ll be joining us from today onward."

The teacher smiled warmly before turning to her. "(Name), please introduce yourself."

Her nerves eased ever so slightly at the teacher’s encouragement. Taking a breath, she smiled back and bowed. "Hello, I’m (Name). I just moved here recently. Please be kind to me and guide me well."

When she stood upright, she dared to glance at her classmates.
They stared.

No one said a word.

Her smile faltered. Are they… judging me?

Before she could drown in her thoughts, the students all turned back to their conversations and notebooks as if nothing had happened.

"Yikes." She swallowed hard.

The teacher wasn’t having it. "Everyone! Introduce yourselves to her, one at a time!"

Groans filled the room, but introductions followed.

By the time the last student finished, she had memorized a few names—barely. Hours passed, and now she sat near the window, her chin resting in her palm. The teacher’s lesson droned on, and the words danced in her ears like a foreign melody.

'Three years of Duolingo did NOT prepare me for this.'

Her pencil tapped the desk rhythmically as she fought boredom. Her eyes wandered to the window, watching clouds drift lazily across the sky.

When is lunch again?

At last, salvation came—the lunch bell rang, a glorious symphony of freedom. Students packed up quickly, filling the air with chatter and laughter as they bolted for the hallways. Some stayed behind, pulling out bento boxes or heading for the cafeteria.

She watched them nervously, her stomach tightening.

"It’s okay, (Name). You’re their classmate now. Even if they ignore you, it’s fine. You’ll be fine."

She reached into her bag for her lunchbox, trying to keep herself calm.

Then—

A hand touched her shoulder.

"Hm?"

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Double update because I feel like writing today <3

End of chapter 4
" Classmate "