Chapter 8: Not-So-Normal School Life

Yuna's POV

I was staring blankly at the back of the classroom, trying to tune out Erika's voice.

She was rambling about something, but my mind was elsewhere, drifting in that familiar space where I didn't have to think too hard.

Sometimes, it felt like I could shut off my brain for a little while and just exist, even if it meant missing most of what was going on around me.

"Yuna!" Erika's voice cut through the haze like a sharp knife. I blinked, snapping back to reality, but I could tell from her teasing tone that I hadn't been paying attention. Again.

"Uh, yeah?" I turned toward her, offering a sheepish smile that probably looked more awkward than I intended.

"Sorry, I was... uh... thinking."

"Thinking? About what, the universe?" Erika smirked, clearly unimpressed.

"You zone out so often. How do you even function?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, not really knowing how to respond.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "It's just... I get distracted."

Erika rolled her eyes. "Yeah, obviously. You're lucky I put up with you, seriously."

I chuckled nervously. "You love me."

"Yeah, yeah, I do," she said with a dramatic eye roll, but I could hear the affection in her voice.

"But still, try listening for once. Anyway, did you notice Benjie has been looking at you a lot lately?"

Benjie? The name didn't quite register right away. Who? Oh. That guy. I shifted my gaze to the back of the room, scanning for him.

He was sitting quietly at his desk, his head down, scribbling something in his notebook, looking like he was lost in thought.

I glanced at Erika again, unsure. "Benjie? Like, the guy in the sweaters? I didn't even know he noticed me."

"Oh, he notices you, alright," Erika said, leaning in with a grin that was way too knowing.

"He's been looking at you like you're the only person in the room. You've seriously never noticed?"

I squinted toward him, still not quite understanding what Erika was implying.

Benjie wasn't someone who stood out to me, honestly. He was shy—like, really shy. He was the kind of person who always looked down, never made eye contact, and was pretty much invisible unless you were really looking.

"Uh... no, I haven't noticed," I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed for not picking up on something so obvious.

Erika gave me a look, like she couldn't believe I was this oblivious. "Yuna, you're hopeless," she said with a dramatic sigh.

"It's like he's in love with you or something. You're literally all he talks about."

I felt my face flush at the idea.

"What? No way," I laughed awkwardly, trying to shake off the embarrassment creeping up my neck.

"You're probably just messing with me. He's not like that."

"I'm not kidding, Yuna," Erika said, raising an eyebrow. "He's practically swooning over you."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. It was hard to imagine Benjie of all people having feelings like that for me. He was so... quiet. He never seemed to notice anyone—let alone me. Still, the thought lingered, and I couldn't help but feel a weird flutter in my chest, even though I didn't know why.

Before I could respond, I felt a presence behind me. I turned, and there he was—Benjie, standing a little too close, his glasses perched on the edge of his nose, his hands nervously clutching a pile of notebooks.

His face was flushed bright red, and he was clearly struggling to get his words out.

"Y-Yuna?" His voice was barely above a whisper. I could tell he was completely anxious, his gaze shifting between me and the floor like he was scared of making eye contact.

I blinked, feeling my stomach tighten. "Uh, yeah?"

Benjie took a deep breath, but it didn't seem to help. "I, uh... I've been meaning to... I wanted to tell you something... but I don't know how. And it's probably a bad time, but..."

He paused, looking so incredibly lost in his own nervousness that I felt my own anxiety bubble up.

"Benjie, it's okay," I said, trying to sound reassuring, though my voice came out shakier than I meant it to. What was happening? Why was he looking at me like this?

He took a few more seconds, fidgeting and avoiding my gaze, before finally blurting out

"I like you, Yuna. A lot. I think you're really cool. And, um... I just wanted you to know."

The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. I felt my face heat up, a mix of surprise and awkwardness flooding through me.

My mouth went dry as I stared at him, trying to figure out how to respond. Did he really just say that?

"Uh..." I started, but no words seemed to come out right. This was so unexpected. My mind was racing, but it felt like it was moving too slowly to keep up.

Benjie's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "I mean, I know this is... probably not the best time and everything, but I had to say it. I like you. And if you don't feel the same way, that's totally fine. I just... I just wanted you to know."

He finished his confession so quickly, his shoulders slumping like a deflated balloon. It was like he couldn't even bear to look at me anymore, his eyes cast down at the floor, refusing to meet mine.

I felt the weight of his words pressing down on me, and my heart started pounding in my chest.

This was way too much. I didn't know what to say, how to react. My throat felt tight, and I could hear the awkward silence stretching out between us.

"Benjie, I... I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling awful.

"I didn't know you felt that way. I'm just not... I don't really... I'm not looking for anything right now."

I could tell that crushed him. His posture sagged even more, his face turning even redder as he nodded stiffly.

"I understand. It's... it's fine. I just thought... I just thought you should know."

He gave a quick, awkward smile, like he was trying to make light of the situation, but it didn't reach his eyes. Before I could say anything else, he turned and hurried out of the room, his footsteps heavy and fast, as if he couldn't get away fast enough.

I watched him go, feeling this weird, heavy mix of guilt and confusion. My stomach was in knots, and the awkwardness of the moment felt like it was crushing me.

I didn't mean to hurt him, but I didn't know what else to do.

Erika, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, gave me a sympathetic look. "Well... that was... interesting."

I sighed, feeling my cheeks still burning. "I don't even know what just happened."

"You don't know what just happened? Yuna, that was literally the moment."

Erika snickered, but her smile faded when she saw my face. "Are you okay?"

I couldn't really answer. I just felt... awkward. Like everything was spinning out of control, and I didn't know how to make it stop.

After what felt like forever.

I sat down on the edge of my bed, still trying to shake off the tension from Benjie's confession.

The awkwardness of the moment was still hanging in the air, like a thick fog I couldn't escape. I tried to focus, but my mind kept drifting back to that confession. I felt a little embarrassed for Benjie, and for myself too, honestly.

Just as I was starting to process everything, my phone buzzed, startling me. It was my manager's ringtone, and I quickly answered it before it could ring again.

"Yuna! You there?" The familiar, energetic voice of my manager echoed through the speaker.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here," I said, trying to sound normal.

"Good! I've got some news for you!" my manager continued without missing a beat.

"Big project coming your way. You're going to be working with a huge celebrity, Ryo Ishikawa. Have you heard of him?"

Ryo Ishikawa. Of course, I had. He was everywhere—on TV, in magazines, and all over social media. The guy was a mega star, and now I was supposed to work with him? It was almost surreal.

"Uh, yeah. I know who he is," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

"What about him?"

"Well," my manager said, "Ryo's team contacted us, and they're looking for a songwriter to write a love song for him. And guess who they want? That's right, you. He wants something personal, emotional, a song that really connects with people. He's counting on you to deliver."

I felt my stomach drop. A love song? I had zero experience with romance—heck, I barely understood it! How was I supposed to write a love song that would satisfy Ryo Ishikawa, of all people?

"Wait, what? A love song?" I repeated, trying to wrap my head around it.

"I... I don't know if I'm the right person for that. I don't really have much experience in that area, you know?"

"Don't worry about it!" My manager was completely unfazed.

"It's not about your experience with romance, it's about capturing the feeling of love. You can do that, right? Think about what love feels like—the connection, the vulnerability. You don't need to be in a relationship to write about it, just get the emotions right, and you'll nail it. Trust me, you've got this!"

I wasn't so sure. But what choice did I have? This was a huge opportunity, and I couldn't back out now.

"Okay, I'll try my best," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"But I'm not sure where to start, honestly. I don't really know what Ryo's looking for in a song."

"That's okay," my manager said cheerfully.

"We'll set up a call with Ryo's team so you can talk to him directly. He'll explain what he's looking for, and you can ask all the questions you need. He's excited to work with you, so don't worry. You're the perfect person for the job."

"Alright," I said, still unsure but trying to stay positive.

"When will I be talking to them?"

"Ryo's people will be calling you soon. They want to get things started right away, so expect the call anytime. Just make sure you're ready to chat about the direction of the song."

I let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the situation sink in. I had to write a love song for Ryo Ishikawa.

"Okay, I'll be ready. Thanks for the heads up,"

I said, my mind already racing with nerves and questions about how on earth I was going to pull this off.

"No problem!" My manager was practically bouncing on the other end of the line.

"You'll do great, Yuna. Good luck!"

The call ended, and I sat there for a moment, trying to process everything. A love song. And I had to write it for a celebrity I could barely even imagine having a conversation with. I had no experience with romance, and now I was expected to create something about it?

Just as I was about to overthink everything, my phone buzzed again, and I jumped. It was a new number, and a name flashed on the screen: Ryo Ishikawa's Team.

I swallowed hard and answered the call, hoping I didn't sound as panicked as I felt.

"Hello?" I tried to sound casual, though I could feel my nerves getting the best of me.

"Hi, Yuna! This is Mia from Ryo Ishikawa's team. We wanted to set up a time to discuss the song. Ryo's really looking forward to collaborating with you."

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Yeah, of course. I'm looking forward to it too."

"Great! Ryo's free tomorrow afternoon if you're available. We'd love to talk to you about the vision he has for the song, and any questions you might have. Just get a feel for his ideas."

I nodded again, even though I was on the phone. "Tomorrow works for me. I'll be ready."

"Awesome! We'll send you the details, and we'll talk then. Thanks, Yuna!"

The call ended, and I was left staring at my phone again. Tomorrow, I was meeting with Ryo Ishikawa's team to discuss a love song. What was I even going to say?

I let out a sigh, collapsing back onto the bed. I had no idea how to do this, but I had to figure it out. There was no turning back now.

To be continued.