Bright. That was the only word I could use to describe this girl.

Zari Mae Yu was very helpful and energetic. She has a pleasing personality and was always full of smiles. She sat beside me for the entire day and shared her books, notes, and other materials needed for the class. I could keep up with the pace of the class because of her.

It was already July when I joined the class. One month had already passed since class first started on June, and I had already missed a lot of lessons, but thanks to this girl, I was able to not feel so lost in class.

I’m in the faculty room right now with Za. I made orders for the required books through our homeroom teacher, Ms. Sanchez.

“It’s great that you had Yu helping you in class,” she said as she wrote down a list of books to fax to the supply department.

“Hehe,” Za made an embarrassed laugh as she scratched her cheeks. “It just so happened that he sat behind me. I’m sure the others would help him, too, if I didn’t make the first move.”

“Hmm… I’m not sure about that. As your homeroom teacher, I don’t want to say this but your class have that enclosed feel in it. The students tend to form small groups among themselves and shun others out. They don’t really extend a hand out of their already formed cliques.”

“They’re just probably shy.” Za stuck her tongue out as she said that.

I noticed it, too. Aside from Za, the other students didn’t really make any effort to talk to me. They only made small greetings out of politeness.

“Well, let’s leave it at that. I hope you make the most out of this, Lacson. Keep up the good work, and if there’s anything you need to say, come talk to me about it.” She looked and smiled at me warmly. I smiled back at her and nodded my head in affirmation.

We said our goodbyes and left the faculty room.

“Are you going home, now?” Za asked as we walked along the hallway.

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m in the volleyball club, and we have a meeting later.”

“I see. I’ll go ahead first.”

“Sorry.” She made an apologetic expression.

“There’s nothing you need to apologize about. See you tomorrow then.”

“Yep. Bye!” She dashed to the exit at the end of the hallway that leads to the club building. I heard a muffled voice yelling, “No running in the hallway!” followed by a “Sorry!”. I smiled at the scene.

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I left school and rode the bus home. While on the ride, I can’t help but think about Za.

She wasn’t the prettiest; her looks were above average. Her shoulder length hair tied in a ponytail and her slightly tanned skin emphasized her energetic personality. When she smiles, her protruding canines make her look cuter. She was a bit lacking in height, but she makes up for it with her slender and firm figure, a testament to her healthy and sporty lifestyle.

I looked at my reflection on the glass window. My hair was a bit messy since I cut it myself. Black-rimmed glasses compensated my poor eyesight since childhood. A body lacking in muscle size was instead slightly fat. I was far from being a good-looking person.

Zari Mae Yu was a really kind person to tend to someone like me.

Feeling slightly down, I got off the bus at the stop nearest my home. Suddenly, it started to rain. I made a run for the nearest shelter, a convenience store.

Once inside, I bought a cup of coffee and occupied one of the tables as I wait for the rain to stop. The morning weather news reported only a slight chance of rain this afternoon, and that was why I did not bring an umbrella. It didn’t look like it will last long, so there was no need to buy one right now.

As I was about to finish my cup, I saw a familiar figure by the table across mine. It was the other student sitting on the back row in class. He was tapping quickly on his phone.

He looked up and our eyes met. I forced an awkward smile and raised my hand to say hi, but he ignored me and returned to whatever he was doing on his phone.

I didn’t delve into the matter as I sipped the last of my coffee. Looking at his phone, I remembered Za and regretted not asking for her number and email. I guess I’ll have to ask her tomorrow.

The rain had finally stopped and I left the store. Feeling a gaze burning on my back, I looked back and saw him looking out the store’s window and staring at me. Increasing my pace, I hurriedly walked home.