1: before the meeting

I have fallen in love with you under a starry sky.

I'm ready to go to school wearing my uniform with royal blue ribbon on its chest and pleated royal blue skirt that was knee-length. I also fixed my hair in half ponytail with this burgundy hair ribbon of mine that I've got ten years ago from someone.

I found her at the kitchen but I decided not to interrupt when I saw her talking to my dad. I can't fully hear what they were talking about but based on expressions shown in their face, it was something serious.

I just walked away and decided to bid my farewell from our door.

"Mom, I'm leaving!"

"Okay," Mom answered before I left.

I rode my bike after stepping out through our door. I do this everyday to go to school. My classes start at eight in the morning and ends at four in the afternoon.

It was a calm morning and the cold morning breeze was touching my skin and blowing my waist-length straight brown hair. I can feel it through my lungs as I breathe and it feels refreshing. Even the warmth from the sunlight just felt right. Riding a bike early in the morning was a relaxing thing to do, especially on a place like this that was quiet and peaceful.

Fifteen minutes was the estimated travel time from our home to school. I parked my bike at the motorcycle parking lot and put a chain on it. The school security guard allowed me inside the school immediately the moment he saw my ID. My classroom was only nearby so I arrived a bit earlier on time.

I noticed that they were still few after I enter the room. I went straight to my seat and had a big yawn the moment I sat on my chair. I really feel dozed off and I still want to sleep.

"Hey, Roma. Have you done our Math homework? Can I copy your answers?" I heard Jacob's voice who was sitting next to me.

I looked at him with my eyes half-opened. "Shut up. It's not my problem anymore if you haven't done our homework. You know me. I never share my answers."

Of course, it's something that I worked hard on. Why would I share it and why is it for free?

"Selfish brat. Am I not your friend?" he complained while pouting his lips.

I disgustingly looked at him. "Stop it. You're disgusting."

I heaved a sigh and rest my head on my desk. I really feel sleepy so I'll just take a nap while there's no teacher yet.

I just closed my eyes when I heard someone called me.

"Hey, Cassandra!"

I lifted my head with my forehead wrinkled and automatically shift my gaze to our door. Then I saw my friends standing right there. They belong to other sections and they're just going here to pay me a visit. I stood up from my seat and approached them.

"Hey, still want to sleep?" Josephine jested and I just nodded as a response.

"It's your birthday next week, right? What's our plan?" AJ blurted.

Yeah, right. I just realized that it was my 18th birthday next week. I just shrugged my shoulders as an answer because honestly, I don't celebrate my birthday. It's not really a special day for me. It's more like just an ordinary day when my age adds up, then it will just passed by like other normal days. As far as I can remember, the last time I celebrate was already ten years ago.

"What kind of reaction was that, Roma? You're turning eighteen. Are you not going to have a debut party just like what others do?" Josephine asked.

"I'm not interested in those things."

Besides, socializing was my weakness. Hosting a party isn't my thing and being surrounded by people stresses the hell out of me. Also, it's not a practical thing to do for people like us who's not that well-off. It will be just a waste of money.

"Stop watching porn and just sleep early," Evan suddenly interrupted. He was my friend since grade seven and Josephine's boyfriend.

I glared at him. "Stop projecting on me, you moron. So, is there a game?"

"I don't know. Captain haven't said anything."

We're talking about that online game called Defense of the Ancient, if you're familiar with it. We're members of an organization of players called Jutsu, and I am the vice-captain of our team.

"I'll just inform you if there's any," he stated.

I nodded. "Okay."

We're now on our eleventh grade in senior high school. I'm under STEM strand because that's what my parents want me to take even though HUMMS was the strand that I really want. Arts & Design was what AJ took. Jeyra went for HUMMS, Josephine was under TVL, and Evan also took STEM but he's on the other section.

They're just going here in my classroom every vacant time, break or lunch time, and after class like it was our meeting place.

--

From first subject to last, I haven't escaped from our teacher's slavery. I need to have a complete records on index cards in Language & Culture, checking homework in General Math, even checking notes in Reading & Writing. My classmates' laziness to take notes was even my problem.

This was really a long, tiring day.

After our class ended, I met AJ and Jeyra outside my room.

"Oh, where's Evan and Josephine?" I asked while were walking towards the exit gate.

"On the computer shop. I heard they have a game. Let's go there for Josephine. I'm sure she would feel out of place there," AJ stated.

That computer shop wasn't that far away from our school. It's just a couple of minutes away. But when we passed by a convenience store, I noticed Josephine standing right in front of it.

She's talking to a guy and Josephine seemed afraid and awkward. Without a doubt, I confronted the guy and pushed him away. Josephine and the guy looked surprised from what I've done.

"Roma!"

"What do you think you're doing to her, huh? Are you a pervert?" I fumed.

He's not wearing a uniform so I can't tell if this one was a student. But he looks like somewhat near our age.

"Relax, miss. I'm not doing anything to your friend," he responded.

I pointed my finger at him. "Hey, you. Do you think I didn't see you? You're simply touching her back."

I'm sure about what I saw. I won't go furious if not.

The guy went panic. "Miss, you're wrong."

"Dude."

All our attention shifted to that guy who just newly arrived at the scene.

"Bro, help me. These girls are accusing me of something that I didn't do," he told his friend.

Looks like they were together and this one wasn't wearing a uniform either. The newly arrived guy just looked at us while thinking of what he would do.

"Hey, you. Is he your friend?" I interrogated him.

"Y-Yeah. He's my friend."

"Give your friend some scolding, he's harassing my friend."

"N-No. This is just a misunderstanding," the first guy objected.

"I'm sorry. I'll take care of this. Sorry for the inconvenience."

His friend looked startled from what his friend had done.

"Let's go," I told my friends then we walked away from the scene to go to where Evan was.

"Are you okay, Josephine?" I queried.

We finally arrived at the computer shop.

"Yes, and thank you for what you've done, Roma. But you really didn't have to do that."

My forehead wrinkled. "What? But why?"

"Because he's not really a pervert."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"He just told me that there's a packaging tape stuck on my skirt. I felt shy and awkward because it's a guy who noticed," she explained.

I was speechless from what Josephine said.

--

After I arrived in our house, I quickly changed my uniform into my home clothes and went straight to my study table to start my task so I would be able to finish everything quick even though I feel lazy.

I'm home alone every weekday because I am the earliest to come home. All of them arrive at past five in the afternoon. My siblings, who are all younger than me were in school, my mom was at work as a housemaid at a Korean family, and my dad who works as an office staff.

I just finished recording at the index cards, and now I'm checking the homework papers in Math. I decided to pause for a while and exercise my hands a bit because I felt tired already.

That moment when I saw Mom and Dad discussing at the kitchen suddenly crossed my mind. I was curious what might be it was all about? What they're talking about before I left for school? It's really surprising that they talked without shouting and screaming at each other.

But what I saw earlier was they seemed fighting but they're just forcing themselves to lower their voices as much as they could like it's a top secret that they never wanted anyone to know.