International High School – 11th Grade, First Day..

The first day of the new academic year dawned brightly over Starlight International High School. Golden sunlight falled across the gates, washing the white-and-blue buildings in a soft glow. It looked peaceful—serene even—but the hallways would soon tremble with teenage chaos, gossip, and the occasional high-pitched scream of someone forgetting their homework.

Somewhere across town, Luna Mateo was already running ten minutes late. Again.

“Muffin, move!” she shouted, stumbling over her cat for the third time that morning. Her shoelace was still untied, toothpaste foamed at the corner of her mouth, and one sock was suspiciously missing. She ran around like a tiny hurricane, grabbing her backpack, her math notebook, and a squished sandwich from the fridge, all while humming an off-key version of a pop song.

She was a disaster. A cute one, but a disaster nonetheless.

Despite the chaos, her voice when she sang—even by accident—had the clarity of spring water. That was Luna. A living contradiction. Clumsy feet. Angelic voice.

At exactly 7:38 a.m., Liya James—her best friend since diapers—rang the doorbell. Liya stood there in perfect uniform, hair brushed, books aligned in her bag with annoying precision..

“Are you wearing two different shoes?” Liya asked, raising one eyebrow.

Luna looked down.

“Oh, God!—just walk and don’t look down,” she muttered as she grabbed Liya’s arm and dragged her along.

They had been inseparable since childhood, and even though their families weren’t close anymore, the girls still clung to each other like life jackets in a teenage ocean.

Today felt different. Maybe it was the breeze or the way the clouds floated just a little too perfectly. Maybe it was destiny. Or maybe it was the fact that two new students—both boys—were transferring into Class 11A.

Alan Bryce stepped through the school gates like he owned the air around him.

He was tall. Too tall. His black hair fell over his forehead in a messy-but-expensive kind of way, and his headphones rested around his neck like a shield. He didn’t look up. Didn’t make eye contact. His bag was light, and so was his expression—blank, unreadable.

Students turned. Girls whispered. Even teachers glanced.

Right behind him strolled Edwin Hector, who was, in every way, Alan’s opposite. He wore the top two buttons of his shirt open, sunglasses on his head despite it being 8 a.m., and had a thousand-watt grin that could melt ice cream from ten feet away.

“Dude, you’re causing a storm already,” Edwin nudged Alan. “This school has zero chill.”

Alan just sighed. He didn’t do ‘chill.’ Or talking. Or attention.

Luna, still panting from their sprint to the school gate, crashed headfirst into her destiny. Literally.

She turned a corner too fast and slammed right into Alan’s chest, sending her books and sandwich flying like tragic confetti.

“Oh no!” she gasped, squatting down in a flurry to gather her things. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t—”

Alan bent down silently, picking up her math notebook before she could.

She looked up.

Time froze.

His eyes were dark, unreadable. Her heart tried to do the macarena.

He handed her the notebook.

“Be careful,” he said quietly.

Then he walked away like he hadn’t just stepped out of a K-drama scene.

Behind her, Liya muttered, “Did you just have a main-character moment?”

“I think I did,” Luna whispered, stunned. “And my sandwich is on the floor.”

In the classroom, the seats were shuffled, students buzzing with the thrill of change.

The class teacher, Ms. Sophia, entered like a gentle breeze. Young, pretty, and unusually understanding, she smiled warmly as she scanned the room.

“Class, we have two new students joining us today,” she announced. “Please welcome Alan Bryce and Edwin Hector.”

The polite applause was immediate.

Alan gave a short nod. Edwin winked at three girls in a row.

In the back of the room, Ethan Charles rolled his eyes and went back to solving math problems in his notebook. The class never noticed him. No one did. Not really.

Well… except Ms. Sophia. Her eyes lingered on him a second longer.

At lunch, the seating drama reached its peak. Luna and Liya sat together, laughing over their childhood memories and speculating about the new boys.

Liya leaned closer. “You know, if I had to pick—Edwin has the kind of face that makes you text your ex ‘I’m fine’ just to make them jealous.”

Luna giggled. “Alan looks like he reads poetry and watches the rain.”

“Girl, he looks like he is the rain.”

Across the cafeteria, Edwin—true to form—had already made friends with half the class. Alan? He sat under a tree, earbuds in, eyes closed, world shut out.

Except when he opened them—and noticed Luna staring.

She yelped and dropped her spoon.

Later that day, Ms. Sophia made an announcement that would unknowingly set the gears of fate in motion.

“The school music club is holding auditions tomorrow. Singers, instrumentalists, composers—everyone’s welcome.”

Luna’s hands trembled. Her heart leapt.

Liya nudged her. “You have to do it.”

“I don’t sing in front of people.”

“You sing to your cat.”

“My cat doesn’t judge!”

From across the room, Alan glanced at the poster. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

That night, Luna lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, humming softly. She thought about the boy with the quiet eyes, about the song she never dared to sing aloud, and about how, maybe, this school year wouldn’t be ordinary after all.

Maybe, just maybe, everything was about to change.

     ______________________________________________________

Luna couldn’t sleep.

She twisted in her bed, eyes wide open as moonlight painted her ceiling in silver. In just a few hours, she’d be standing on the small stage in the music room, trying not to trip over a mic stand while singing in front of half the school.

What if her voice cracked?

What if she fell off the stage?

What if Alan was watching?

That last thought caused her pillow to become a muffler for her scream.

By morning, her nerves had tangled themselves into a full-blown storm. Even her cat Muffin looked worried. Still, Luna pulled herself together, pinned her lucky music note brooch to her bag, and walked to school with Liya, who was practically skipping with excitement.

"You’ve got this,” Liya grinned. “You’re gonna blow their ears off."

"Um, I think you mean ‘blow their minds’?"

"Same thing," Liya shrugged. “And guess what? Edwin’s auditioning too. He’s apparently playing guitar.”

Luna nearly choked on her own breath.

“What?!”

“Yup. Mr. Flirt and Mr. Moody Piano might actually be in the same room. Pray for balance.”

The music room buzzed with nervous energy. Students milled around—tuning instruments, doing vocal warmups, or pretending to be cool about their trembling hands.

Alan was already there, sitting quietly at the piano. His fingers brushed the keys absentmindedly, playing a soft, familiar tune that made Luna’s heart flip like a pancake.

He hadn’t looked at anyone. But when Luna walked in, his fingers paused for half a beat before continuing.

Luna's turn came.

She stepped onto the stage, knees made of jelly and hands colder than ice cream.

She closed her eyes. Took a breath.

Then she sang.

Her voice started small, hesitant—but as the first notes filled the room, something magical happened. The anxiety melted away. Her soul slipped into the melody, and the whole room quieted. No whispers. No snickers. Just… Luna and her song.

And Alan, watching.

When she finished, the silence was thick. Then applause burst out like fireworks. Even Ethan, the eternal ghost of the classroom, clapped once, genuinely.

From the corner, Edwin grinned. “Well damn,” he whispered to Liya. “She’s got lungs.”

Liya beamed with pride. “Told you.”

Next came Alan.

No introductions. No flair.

He sat at the piano, head low, fingers poised.

Then—music.

Rich. Deep. Moving. It didn’t need lyrics. His notes spoke. They danced with hers in the air, even though their performances were separate.

When it ended, there was silence again—but the stunned kind. Ms. Sophia’s eyes shimmered. Liya had goosebumps. Luna couldn’t breathe.

Alan stood, nodded once, and walked out.

Later, outside under the big oak tree, Luna sat with Liya, legs swinging off the bench, heart still somewhere in the clouds.

“Do you think he even noticed me singing?” she asked softly.

Liya gave her a smug look. “He noticed. Trust me. He was watching like you were a Netflix series”

Luna buried her face in her hands.

Meanwhile, across the school yard, Edwin cornered Alan near the vending machine.

“So,” Edwin said with a smirk. “You and Clumsy Girl. What’s the vibe?”

Alan gave him a deadpan look. “There’s no vibe.”

“Sure,” Edwin chuckled. “That’s why you watched her like she was the last song you’d ever hear.”

Alan opened his drink, didn’t answer.

But Edwin caught the faint smile before it disappeared.

That afternoon, the club results were pinned to the board. Luna, Alan, Edwin, and—to everyone’s shock—Ethan had all made it.

Ethan walked past the crowd, pretending not to care, but a corner of his lips twitched up as he walked away.

Ms. Sophia, watching from her classroom window, smiled to herself.

As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows through the school grounds, Luna found herself walking past the music room again.

She heard the piano.

She peeked inside.

Alan was playing—soft, slow, something unfinished.

She opened the door without thinking.

“Was that… the same tune you played during my song?”

He looked up. Didn’t smile, but didn’t seem annoyed either.

“Sort of,” he said. “It matched.”

Luna blinked. “You changed your tune to match mine?”

He looked away. “It sounded better that way.”

Luna's heart tripped over its shoelaces.

Maybe—just maybe—this year wasn’t just about classes and chaos.

Maybe it was the start of something she never saw coming.

         _____________________________________________________________

There was something in the air at Starlight International the next morning—something electric. The music club list had changed everything. People who never talked before were now exchanging shy glances and awkward smiles.

Luna had barely survived brushing her hair when her phone buzzed.

Liya: “Practice today after school. No excuses. Wear something that doesn’t trip you this time.”

Luna: “I have a talent for tripping. Respect the art.”

By the time she arrived at school, her heart was already skipping. Not just for the club, or for singing—but for a pair of unreadable eyes and a piano that somehow remembered her voice.

In class, Ms. Sophia entered with her usual grace. Her eyes scanned the room—students gossiping, doodling, or pretending to be alert. But her gaze lingered a second longer on Ethan, who sat near the window, chin resting on his palm.

The boy was quiet, yes. But his sharpness—the way he observed, calculated—was almost unsettling.

"Alright class,” Ms. Sophia began, “you’ll be working in music pairs this week. We’re exploring emotional expression through sound.”

A collective groan filled the room, except from Luna, who bounced in her seat.

Ms. Sophia smiled. “The pairs have already been decided.”

And then came the twist.

“Luna Mateo and Alan Bryce.”

Luna’s soul left her body.

Alan looked up slowly. No reaction. But Liya, from beside her, smirked like a satisfied fortune teller.

Then…

“Liya James and Edwin Hector.”

Edwin let out a loud “Yes!” and threw a dramatic wink across the room. Liya rolled her eyes, but her cheeks had turned just a shade pink.

“And lastly… Ethan Charles,” Ms. Sophia continued, “you’ll be working independently… unless someone wants to volunteer to join him.”

Silence.

No one moved. No one even looked his way.

Ms. Sophia’s voice was gentle but firm. “Alright then.”

But even as she turned back to the board, she noticed the faintest flicker in Ethan’s expression. A twinge of loneliness, expertly masked.

After school, the music room buzzed again.

Luna entered to find Alan already at the piano. Always one step ahead. Always alone.

“Hey,” she greeted, clutching her lyric sheet like a lifeline.

He nodded. “I thought you’d bail.”

“I considered it,” she admitted. “Then I remembered I actually like you—I mean, your music—I mean…”

Alan raised an eyebrow.

She groaned. “I’m gonna sing now before I dig deeper.”

As she sang, Alan played—without missing a beat. It was as if their sounds were meant to blend. Her melody found his chords effortlessly. And when it ended, the silence felt... full.

"You did great," he said quietly, still not meeting her eyes.

Luna blinked. “Did you just compliment me?”

Alan stood. “Don’t get used to it.”

But the corner of his lips curved. Just slightly.

Meanwhile, across the room, Edwin and Liya’s session was chaos.

“Stop strumming like you're in a rock concert,” Liya snapped.

“I’m expressing passion,” Edwin replied with a flourish. “Try it sometime.”

“You’re expressing volume.”

He leaned in. “Admit it. You’d miss this if I wasn’t your partner.”

Liya turned away, arms crossed—but the tiniest smile escaped. “You’re so annoying.”

“I know. It’s part of my charm.”

In the teacher’s lounge, Ms. Sophia sat quietly grading papers, sipping coffee that had gone cold an hour ago. Her thoughts drifted to Ethan. And… to a name she hadn’t heard in a while.

Lucas Mateo.

Luna’s older brother. A name once scribbled on tech blogs and gaming forums, now whispered across school grounds as the famously unavailable older sibling.

The same man who had—three years ago—sat next to her at a teacher’s seminar and argued about game algorithms and classical music for forty-five straight minutes.

She hadn’t forgotten the spark.

That evening, a sleek black car pulled up in front of the school. Lucas Mateo, dressed in a crisp button-up and jeans, stepped out like he had walked off a magazine cover.

He was here to pick up Luna, who had apparently left her school ID and lunchbox in the music room.

Ms. Sophia happened to be walking by.

Their eyes met.

A pause.

Then Lucas, ever the gentleman, gave a polite nod. “Ms. Sophia.”

She blinked. “Lucas Mateo. I see fame hasn’t made you punctual.”

He smirked. “And you’re still correcting people in one sentence or less.”

Luna watched from the door, wide-eyed. “Do you guys… know each other?”

Lucas and Sophia both spoke at the same time.

“Briefly.”

“Unfortunately.”

They turned to each other again.

Silence.

Then, laughter.

Unknown to them, Ethan, standing nearby with his bag slung over his shoulder, noticed something curious—how Ms. Sophia’s usual calm seemed to crack when Lucas spoke.

And for the first time… Ethan smiled.

_________________________________________________________