The bell rang, echoing through the cafeteria, signaling the end of lunch.

Just like that, it was time to head back to class.

Alan and I shuffled out with the rest of the students, the weight of the role I was playing settling deeper into my chest.

"Alright, class, we have a test today!"

The teacher’s voice was far too cheerful for the bomb she just dropped.

"I hope you all studied because this will determine a large portion of your grade!"

A collective groan rippled through the room.

I glanced up at the teacher. She had long, flowing brown hair—similar to Rebecca’s—but softer, more composed. A delicate flower clip rested just above her ear. Her blue eyes carried a kind of warmth, her voice smooth and calm. She already seemed better than any teacher I ever had.

As I approached her desk, she handed me my test, then gave me a knowing look.

"Kael," she said softly. "I know you didn’t study." She sighed, tilting her head. "Just… don’t copy off Alan, alright? He does a lot for you. More than you probably realize. And he doesn’t deserve that—especially without his consent."

Her voice was sweet, but her words hit harder than I expected.

I hesitated. What did this version of me do to Alan? And why was he still my friend after it?

A wave of guilt settled in my stomach. Even though this wasn’t really me, I still felt responsible. This Kael sounded like an asshole.

I swallowed and muttered, "I won’t. And… I’m sorry. For anything I’ve done. To you, to Alan—just… yeah."

She blinked, clearly surprised. "O-oh… I wasn’t expecting you to say that, but… thank you, Kael. I appreciate it."

Then, to my shock, she smiled. "Tell you what—whatever grade you get, I’ll add five extra points. Just this once." She winked playfully.

I nodded, not sure how to react, and headed back to my seat.

I flipped over the test, and immediately, my brain short-circuited.

"Where is Madagascar on the map?"

The hell kind of question was that? Wasn’t it, like… near Africa? Or South America? No, wait—definitely Africa. Probably.

My eyes scanned the rest of the page.

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"What year did the Byzantine Empire fall?"

"Solve for X in the equation: 3(2x - 5) = 21."

…Yeah, I was doomed.

The clock ticked, each second pressing down on me harder than the last. My thoughts swirled—about the test, about Rebecca, about why the hell I was here.

Then, I saw her.

Rebecca sat a few rows ahead, her presence impossible to ignore. Of course she’s in my class. The Overseer had to make this even harder for me.

I clenched my jaw. This is so stupid. Why did I even agree to this?

…Right. Because I wanted a second chance. Because my old life was a mess, and I thought maybe—just maybe—I could fix things.

Pathetic.

"Five more minutes, everyone!" the teacher announced.

Panic shot through me. Shit. I was so lost in my head I forgot about the test.

Frantically, I grabbed my pencil and started guessing.

"Psst. Hey, bro!" Alan whispered.

I glanced over. He smirked, silently chuckling at my desperation.

"You look like you need a little help, man."

I hesitated, remembering what the teacher said.

She told me not to copy off Alan… but she didn’t say I couldn’t if I had his consent.

I smirked back. "Yeah, bro, I need help. You mind?"

Alan grinned. "Of course, but hurry up. We’ve only got three minutes left."

I copied as much as I could before the teacher called out: "Pencils down, eyes up here, please!"

I dropped my pencil and let out a heavy sigh, sinking into my chair.

As I stood to turn in my test, Rebecca passed by, shooting me a glare so sharp it could cut steel. She smelled like strawberries.

"Okay, thank you for turning these in!" the teacher chirped.

I rubbed my temple, my headache pulsing stronger than before. "Yeah… no problem."

Sinking back into my seat, I closed my eyes for a moment.

At least I got through that.

I glanced at Alan, who was still grinning like an idiot.

I guess I really am lucky to have him as a friend.

The other Kael—this prideful Kael—should’ve been grateful too.

But from the way things were looking, he never was.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Chairs scraped against the floor as students hurried to leave, eager to escape the confines of the classroom.

"Hey dude, we’re still gaming tonight, right? You promised."

Alan stood beside my desk, looking at me with hopeful anticipation.

I smiled. "Yeah, of course. What time are you coming over?"

"Five o’clock sharp!" he declared proudly.

I chuckled. "Alright, I’ll be waiting."

With a satisfied grin, Alan strolled out of the classroom, whistling to himself.

I exhaled, feeling a small sense of relief. At least I had him.

And yet… that relief was short-lived.

The moment he left, the weight returned—the weight of who I used to be, of everything I had done in my own world. No matter what, I was still pathetic. Just like the Overseer said. And the worst part? He was right.

"Hey, idiot."

A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up. Rebecca.

I blinked in surprise. Why is she talking to me? Hell, why is she even acknowledging my existence?

"Oh, hey, Rebecca. What’s up? Also, sorr—"

"Look," she interrupted, arms crossed, eyes narrowing. "I don’t know if I’m imagining things, but… you’ve changed a little."

For a split second, I felt something unexpected—hope. I hadn’t even done anything to earn it, but somehow, she noticed.

Maybe this wasn’t going to be as hard as I thought.

And then—

She scoffed. "Still…"

A pause. Just long enough for a spark of hope to flicker inside me.

"Go fuck yourself, asshole."

The spark died instantly. My stomach twisted, a cold weight settling in my chest.

"Just because you’re acting a little happier doesn’t mean shit." Her voice was sharp, eyes burning with fury.

And just like that, whatever sliver of hope I had? Gone.

She turned on her heel and walked away, her strawberry scent lingering in the air like a mocking reminder of my failure.

I let out a slow, exhausted sigh.

Yeah. This is gonna be a long game.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my bag and left the classroom.

It was finally time to go home.