who'd care?

The classroom was eerily quiet as Ritu made his way back through the dimly lit hallway. He had forgotten his notebook after the last class—a habit he was sure annoyed the teachers, but he never really cared. It wasn't like anyone expected much from him. His life was a constant blur of indifference, where school felt more like a series of chores than a place to grow.

As he approached the classroom door, he heard faint voices inside. It was late; most of the students had already gone home, and the janitor had begun his rounds. Curious, Ritu stopped just outside the door and peeked through the small glass pane.

His eyes widened as he saw Mr. Dek, the young, well-dressed math teacher, leaning against the desk with Ms. Lorin, the strict and elegant literature teacher, standing impossibly close. Her hand rested on his chest, and their faces were inches apart.

The classroom was eerily quiet as Ritu made his way back through the dimly lit hallway. He had forgotten his notebook after the last class—a habit he was sure annoyed the teachers, but he never really cared. It wasn't like anyone expected much from him. His life was a constant blur of indifference, where school felt more like a series of chores than a place to grow.

As he approached the classroom door, he heard faint voices inside. It was late; most of the students had already gone home, and the janitor had begun his rounds. Curious, Ritu stopped just outside the door and peeked through the small glass pane.

His eyes widened as he saw Mr. Dek, the young, well-dressed math teacher, leaning against the desk with Ms. Lorin, the strict and elegant literature teacher, standing impossibly close. Her hand rested on his chest, and their faces were inches apart.

"I told you this is too risky," Ms. Lorin whispered, though her tone lacked conviction.

"You worry too much," Mr. Dek replied with a smirk, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face. "No one's here. It's fine."

Before Ritu could process what he was seeing, they kissed-deeply, passionately, as if the world outside the classroom didn't exist.

Ritu froze, unsure of what to do. His heart raced, not out of embarrassment but out of sheer disbelief. He had always thought of teachers as untouchable, robotic beings who existed solely to lecture and grade papers. Seeing them like this—human, flawed, tangled in secrets-shattered that illusion.

But as he tried to step back, his foot hit a loose piece of wood on the floor, making

a sharp creak.

The two teachers pulled apart instantly, their heads snapping toward the door.

Ritu panicked, his pulse hammering in his ears. He quickly ducked into the nearby bathroom, pressing himself against the wall inside a stall.

"Did you hear that?" Ms. Lorin asked, her voice tense.

"Relax," Mr. Dek said, though his tone betrayed his own nervousness. "It was probably nothing."

Their voices faded as they left the class-room, their hurried footsteps echoing down the hall. Ritu stayed hidden for several minutes, his breathing shallow, before he finally worked up the courage to leave the stall. He slipped into the classroom, grabbed his notebook, and bolted.

The cold air outside hit him like a slap as he walked home, his thoughts spiraling.

The image of Mr. Dek and Ms. Lorin burned in his mind, not because he cared about their affair, but because it felt like another reminder of how distant and disconnected he was from everyone around him. They had each other, even if it was messy and wrong. What did he have?

As he walked down the street, his chest tightened as a memory surfaced. His father, red-faced and angry, yelling at his mother. She was crying, clutching a broken plate in her hands. Ritu remembered the way his father stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving a deafening silence in his wake.

That was the first time Ritu understood what it meant to be alone.

He found himself wandering to the small bridge next to the soccer field, a place he often went to clear his mind. The soft hum of the nearby streetlights and the distant sound of kids playing soccer usually helped drown out his thoughts, but tonight felt different.

Leaning against the railing, he stared at the water below, trying to make sense of the whirlwind in his head. That's when he noticed her.

She was standing at the other end of the bridge, her long black hair catching the faint glow of the lights. She was tall, with a striking figure, and her eyes shimmered even from a distance. Ritu thought she looked like someone out of a dream, but there was something off. Her shoulders were hunched, and though she wasn't making a sound, he could tell she was crying.

For a while, he ignored her, unsure of what to do. He wasn't good with people, let alone strangers. But something about the way she stood there, so quiet and alone, made him hesitate.

Without thinking too much, Ritu reached into his bag and pulled out a box of Pocky chocolate sticks. He approached her slowly, his steps hesitant, until he was standing a few feet away.

"Uh, here," he mumbled, holding out the box.

She turned to him, her tear-streaked face showing a mix of confusion and surprise.

"What?"

"It's... chocolate," he said awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. "You look like you need it."

For a moment, she just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, with a faint smile, she took the box. "Thanks. That's... unexpected."

They stood in silence for a while, leaning against the railing and watching the water. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable, but Ritu could feel his nerves building.

He wasn't used to this-being near someone, especially someone as striking as her.

"What's your name?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"R-Ritu," he stammered, his palms sweaty.

She gave him a small, almost playful smile. "I'm Alonie.'

Ritu nodded, unsure of what to say.

Alonie seemed to sense his unease and didn't press him. After a while, she straightened up and turned to leave.

"Thanks for the chocolate, Ritu," she said, her voice soft. "Maybe I'll see you around."

And just like that, she was gone, leaving him alone on the bridge.

The next day at school, Ritu kept his head down as usual, blending into the background. After class, he went to the teacher's office to hand in some late homework. As he stepped inside, he froze.

Mr. Dek was standing near the desk, speaking to someone. Ritu's heart sank as he recognized her-Alonie.

She was smiling at Mr. Dek, her posture relaxed, as if they'd known each other for years. Ritu's mind raced. She wasn't a student. She wasn't a teacher either, at least not one he'd ever seen.

Could it be that they were together?

Ritu's chest tightened as a sick feeling washed over him. The warmth he'd felt last night on the bridge evaporated, replaced by a heavy sense of dread.

Who was she, really? And why did it feel like everything around him was unraveling?