"Moody Monday"

Sydney raised her eyebrow, [Are you serious?]

"It's a serious question!"

Sydney thought about it for a while. She liked how Lenoir led them on the whole trip, but at the same time, she appreciated that Matt went with them even though he was unfamiliar with so many things.

She shook her head and wrote, [Lenoir-1, Matt-1]. Then she went upstairs to change into her pajamas.

Sydney browsed her mobile phone to look at their photos that day. They had a photo inside the train, in the arcade, as well as in the busy streets of Akino Electric Town. She had a really good time with those two guys, and she found it amusing when they were bickering and had some nonsensical, random chats.

A smile formed on her face, but it eventually fell when she looked at the calendar. She realized that in two days, she would be going to school again. She wanted to be absent for a long while, but she knew it would be hard for her to catch up if she did.

Having no appetite for dinner, she turned off the lights and laid down on her soft bed, hoping that if she went to sleep, she would wake up and have her voice back again.

But destiny wasn't in her control. She woke up without her voice, and she felt depressed. She'd like to listen to music, but it would only make her feel worse.

Should she quit the Music Club? Why would she stay there as a member if she couldn't sing anymore?

As she stayed there on her bed, she stared at the bright window. Birds chirped outside as they descended to a strong branch, and they were music to Sydney's ears. She placed her hands on her ears trying to block any nice sounds as she cried.

Music, which was once her happiness, had become her sadness.

And then just like that, Monday came.

Snider insisted that he'd bring Sydney to school on Mondays before he goes back to his apartment near his university. He was very worried about what his sister was going through.

"Ask Olivet or anyone to call me if anything comes up," Snider said as he peeked through the window of his car, "Or just send me a text message. Take care!"

As soon as Snider's car accelerated, Sydney stared at the school gate.

'Kasumi International High…'

Should she just stop studying, or should she change schools?

"Sydney, good morning," Olivet, who just got out of her family's car, greeted her best friend, "Let's go together-"

[Good morning!]

Upon seeing the magnetic drawing board, Olivet looked at her best friend and felt pity for her. She was already missing her lively voice every morning, and her noisiness whenever she's in orc mode. She linked her arms with her and they walked to the classroom together.

Sydney noticed the cold stares of some students as they passed by. 'Maybe they watched the inter-school concert,' she thought. She tried to ignore it and continued walking with Olivet until they reached the classroom.

"Sydney!" Matt called as soon as he saw her coming inside, and approached her.

"You're going to take my bestie away from me again?" Olivet told Matt jokingly.

"I am her best friend, too," he responded, then gazed at Sydney's eyes, "Or maybe, her future boyfriend?" and he winked at her!

Juana stood at the side of the classroom, gritting her teeth in anger. She glared at the blushing Sydney.

The moment she heard about Sydney's weakness in the bathroom weeks ago, she didn't hesitate to do a step to make her miserable. She took an effort to prepare the cookies and the ginger tea, to give them to her before the concert. She hoped that Matt would stop liking her if she became voiceless. After all, Juana thought that her voice was the only good thing about her. And now even without it, she could not understand why he's still talking to her as if nothing happened.

The class president approached the three and crossed her arms, "Go back to your seats, the teacher will be here, soon."

The news about Sydney going to school being voiceless had spread like wildfire. Some students pitied her, but some thought that she was just pretending.

While some teachers thought about letting her stop going to school for a while, Miss Elle refused, "I think preventing her from going to school will only make her feel more miserable."

"No, Elle. Sydney will become depressed if she continues going to school," Miss Aira uttered, "Think about it, how will she interact with her fellow classmates if she can't speak? And she was once a very good singer. Won't she be an outcast in the Music Club?"

"Aira is right, Elle," Mr. Marx Andrews, the school principal, said as he entered the faculty room. "Things will be harder for Sydney in her condition. According to her parents, she will be better in the coming days as long as she follows the doctor's advice, so how about we wait for it, 'til then?"

Elle couldn't defend her opinion in front of the principal anymore. She lowered her head, and as she saw the class president inside the room, she called her, "Juana, come here for a while."

Juana approached the teachers, "What is it, ma'am?"

"I want to ask for your opinion. What do you think? Should Sydney continue to come to school? Or will it be better if she doesn't come to school for a while?"

Juana was surprised to hear the question. She just came there to the faculty room to pass the assignments, but she didn't expect that the teachers were talking about Sydney. Plus, the principal was there, too, so it should be a serious matter.

"Well, I… I think Sydney should…" Juana stuttered as she tried to voice out her thoughts. In her mind was a myriad of words, and found it hard to choose from them as she tried to hide her ill intentions towards her voiceless classmate.

"Don't be shy," Principal Marx said, "As a Class President, you should know what's best for your classmate."

A subtle smile formed on her lips, and eventually, she told them,

"I think Sydney should transfer schools."