The morning sunlight seeped through the tall windows of Class 10-A, casting a gentle glow on the rows of desks. The class buzzed with quiet conversation as students prepared for the day’s lessons.

Htet glanced around the room, his eyes briefly catching Nimal’s as the new student offered a grin. The previous day’s interactions had already started to forge a bond, making the school feel a little less overwhelming.

Htet (Smiling): “What's this? A new student getting to class early? You already broke my record, Nimal.”

Nimal (Grinning): “Just gotta do my best for first impressions. Have to be diligent for the first week, hehe.”

The familiar click of heels echoed through the hallway before Ms. Saito entered the classroom, a neat stack of textbooks cradled in her arms.

Ms. Saito (calmly): [みなさん、おはようございます。] (Good morning, everyone.)

Class (in unison): [おはようございます、先生。](Good morning、 Sensei.)

She placed the books on her desk, her poised demeanor and welcoming smile setting the tone for the class.

The class goes with their usual morning routine and greetings.

Ms. Saito (cheerful): "Today, we’ll focus on enhancing your conversational skills in English. Remember, language is not just about grammar—it’s about expressing yourself and understanding others."

Hana raised her hand, her expression curious.

Hana (politely): "What will we be doing today, Sensei?"

Ms. Saito gestured toward the board, where she wrote in elegant strokes:

“Idioms and Their Usage”

---

Ms. Saito turned to face the class, her sharp gaze scanning the students.

Ms. Saito (encouraging): "Can anyone tell me what an idiom is?"

Elena’s hand shot up, her enthusiasm evident.

Elena (confidently): "An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning isn’t obvious from the literal words."

Ms. Saito (approvingly): "Excellent, Elena. An idiom conveys more than its individual words. For example, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs.’ What does that mean?"

Liam, seated at the back, raised his hand with a cheeky grin.

Liam (teasing): "It means a zoo’s falling out of the sky?"

The class erupted in laughter, and even Ms. Saito chuckled softly.

Ms. Saito (smiling): "Not quite, Liam. It means it’s raining heavily. Idioms often reflect culture and history, which is why understanding them can make you more fluent."

She began writing more examples on the board:

Break the ice

Piece of cake

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Hit the nail on the head

Under the weather

Ms. Saito (explaining): "Let’s break into pairs. I want you to come up with a short conversation using at least two idioms. Be creative!"

---

Htet found himself paired with Nimal, who seemed excited by the activity.

Nimal (grinning): "This is going to be fun. Back in Sri Lanka, we use idioms too, but I guess English ones are a bit different."

Htet (thoughtful): "Yeah, but they’re interesting. Let’s start with something simple."

They leaned over their desks, brainstorming a conversation. After a few moments, they settled on their script:

Nimal (acting dramatically): "Htet, I can’t believe we have another test tomorrow! I’m feeling under the weather already."

Htet (grinning): "Don’t worry. Studying will be a piece of cake if we start now."

Both laughed as they rehearsed, their camaraderie growing stronger with every passing moment.

---

~Presentation time~

Ms. Saito clapped her hands, signaling the end of the activity.

Ms. Saito (encouraging): "Alright, let’s hear what you’ve come up with. Who’d like to go first?"

Liam and Elena volunteered eagerly, their animated performance drawing laughter and applause from the class.

When it was Htet and Nimal’s turn, the two boys stood at the front of the room. Nimal, ever the performer, exaggerated his delivery, earning chuckles from their classmates.

Nimal (over-the-top): "Htet, I can’t believe we have another test tomorrow! I’m feeling under the weather already."

Htet (calmly): "Don’t worry. Studying will be a piece of cake if we start now."

Their lighthearted presentation earned them a round of applause, and even Ms. Saito seemed impressed.

Ms. Saito (praising): "Well done, Htet and Nimal. That was both accurate and entertaining."

---

~A Brief Cultural Exchange~

As the lesson continued, Ms. Saito encouraged students to share idioms or sayings from their native languages.

Hana (thoughtful): "In Korean, we have ‘고양이 목에 방울 달기,’ which means ‘putting a bell on a cat.’ It’s about discussing a plan that’s hard to implement."

The class murmured in appreciation, intrigued by the cultural insight.

Nimal (excited): "In Sinhala, we say ‘ගෙදර නැති උරුලෑව රටෙ ගෙනාවා,’ which translates to ‘bringing an empty pot to the market.’ It means you’ve come unprepared."

Htet smiled, realizing how these exchanges deepened his understanding of his classmates and their backgrounds.

---

Scene: The End of Class

As the bell rang, Ms. Saito dismissed the students with her usual grace.

Ms. Saito (smiling): "Great work today, everyone. Keep practicing, and you’ll find that idioms will become second nature."

Class (in unison): [ありがとうございました。] (Thank you very much.)

As they filed out of the room, Htet walked alongside Nimal, their conversation flowing effortlessly.

Nimal (playfully): "You think we’ll get through the day without more idioms popping up?"

Htet (grinning): "Not a chance. We’ve only scratched the surface."

—

Htet sat in the quiet corner of the dormitory's communal study area, his textbook open in front of him. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the room as he worked on his English idioms. His pencil scratched across the paper as he carefully wrote each phrase, trying to commit them to memory.

"To bite the bullet... to face something difficult," Htet muttered to himself, glancing at the next idiom. "To break the ice... to make people feel comfortable... Hmm."

He paused, staring at the list of phrases he'd been working on for hours. He had always been diligent with his studies, but there was something about learning idioms that made his mind feel like it was constantly juggling different meanings. The mixture of figurative and literal language was tricky, but he was determined to master it.

The sound of footsteps broke his concentration, and he looked up to see Liam and Nimal walking toward him, chatting and laughing as they approached.

"Yo, Htet!" Liam grinned, tossing his bag onto a chair. "What’s up? You still working on your English?"

"Yeah," Htet replied, offering a small smile. "Just trying to get these idioms right. They’re harder than I thought."

Nimal chuckled and dropped his backpack on the floor. "Don’t worry, man. Idioms are like little puzzles. But once you get them, they stick. Let’s give it a try together. It’ll be fun!"

The three of them sat down around the table, Htet showing them his notes. "Okay, let’s go over a few. How about 'burning the midnight oil'?"

Liam scratched his chin. "That one means staying up late to do work, right?"

"Exactly," Htet nodded. "Now, 'hit the nail on the head.'"

"To be exactly right," Nimal answered with a grin.

They continued practicing, laughing over some of the trickier idioms and testing each other’s knowledge. Eventually, the conversation shifted to something more lighthearted.

"Alright," Liam said, standing up and grabbing a small box from his bag, "let’s take a break. I brought my Yu-Gi-Oh! cards."

Nimal’s eyes lit up. "Yu-Gi-Oh!? I haven’t played in forever!"

"I’m in," Htet said, his smile widening as he pulled a deck of his own from his bag. It was a hobby the three had discovered they shared, and it was a fun way for them to bond outside of their schoolwork.

The 3 relocated back to htet’s room. The game started with the usual banter. Liam immediately played his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, grinning mischievously. "Prepare to face my dragon, Htet!"

Htet shook his head, holding up his cards. "Not so fast. I summon Dark Magician."

Nimal laughed. "Wow, you guys are getting serious. But this is where my strategy kicks in!"

For the next hour, the three of them were immersed in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, joking and challenging each other with various strategies. The tension of the game was lightened by their laughter, and as the final turn came around, Nimal played a risky card, attempting a dramatic comeback.

"Let’s see if I can 'turn the tables' on you guys," Nimal said with a grin, using another idiom they'd practiced earlier.

Htet shook his head in mock defeat. "You’re going to need more than a good card to turn the tables."

Liam smiled, looking at his friends. "You know, I think we’ve really gotten the hang of these idioms. And the game... well, it’s just another way to 'break the ice,' huh?"

"True," Htet agreed, feeling a warmth spread through him. "It’s great to have this time together."

As the evening wore on and the cards were finally put away, the three friends leaned back in their chairs, satisfied. The idioms, once a confusing jumble in Htet’s mind, now felt a little more familiar—just like the easy camaraderie between the three of them.

—(End of Chapter 17)---