The morning air was still cold, wrapping the small street in front of the house with a thin layer of mist that hadn't yet evaporated. Alvano walked briskly along the narrow sidewalk, trying to make up for lost time without drawing anyone's attention.
He didn't like crowds—and fortunately, the road to school was still fairly quiet. Only one or two students from the same school passed by, but none of them exchanged greetings. That was how Alvano preferred it—walking alone, no small talk, no distractions.
He arrived at the school gate around 7:02 a.m. There was still time before the bell. Without glancing around, he stepped through the gate and walked down the corridor toward his classroom.
Halfway there, he met the only person who could be considered his friend.
"Morning," came a soft voice from his right.
Alvano turned slightly. "Yo, Theo."
Theo strolled beside him, hands in his pockets. "Even the model student can be late, huh?"
"Huh, just a bit later than usual," Alvano replied curtly.
Theo gave a small nod and said nothing more. They rarely talked much—not because it was awkward, but because that was simply how their friendship worked: quiet, simple, and without meddling too much in each other's business. Though sometimes, it could be the opposite.
From afar, other students' voices echoed—laughing, chatting, talking about trivial things like homework, games, or pointless gossip. But Alvano and Theo kept walking silently, unfazed by the noise around them.
When they reached the classroom, Theo opened the door first. Some students were already seated, some chatting quietly, others staring at their phone screens.
Alvano headed to his usual seat by the window. He had chosen that spot since the start of the semester—not for the view, but because it was far from the center of attention.
Theo sat right behind him, tossing his bag lazily onto the desk. He stretched his arms and yawned.
"As always, nothing interesting in the morning," he muttered under his breath.
Alvano only gave a faint nod, gazing out the window without replying. The sky was bright now, yet something still lingered in his mind—not about his dream earlier, but rather a strange feeling he couldn't explain.
He didn't mention it. Didn't intend to.
A few minutes later, the sound of slow footsteps echoed from outside the room. A middle-aged man in neat attire, with slightly graying hair, entered—their homeroom teacher.
"Good morning," he said briefly, placing a few sheets of paper on the desk.
"Good morning, sir," some students replied lazily, their voices uneven.
Alvano only bowed his head slightly—just enough to be polite.
Mr. Daejin, their homeroom teacher and the instructor for the first class that day, scanned the room before opening the attendance book. The class grew a bit quieter, though faint whispers still drifted through the corners.
Beside Alvano, Theo leaned forward a little and whispered softly, just loud enough for Alvano to hear.
"I heard Mr. Daejin used to live in Japan. No wonder he teaches Japanese."
Alvano gave a slight nod, still staring ahead. "Even his accent sounds different."
"Yeah… at least his class doesn't make me sleepy," Theo continued. "Unlike that German class yesterday—Mr. Müller sounds like the Grim Reaper every time he opens his mouth."
Alvano sighed lightly. "Keep talking like that and your test score will reflect it."
Theo just grinned. "Doesn't matter. At least today isn't Müller's turn."
Alvano ignored the comment and lowered his gaze when Mr. Daejin began calling names for attendance.
Then, all of a sudden, Alvano froze—his gaze empty, fixed on the desk in front of him. For some reason, his thoughts seemed to sink into a void—silent and distant, as the classroom sounds faded into nothing. He didn't notice that he was slowly slipping into a subconscious state, drawn by something unseen.
Meanwhile, Theo sat casually behind him, holding up a book to cover his face—a classic trick to make it look like he was reading when in fact his eyes were half-closed.
"If anyone asks, I'm reading a dialogue," he whispered faintly.
But Alvano didn't respond. He didn't move at all.
Theo peeked from behind his book, realizing his friend wasn't reacting.
"…Oi, Van?" he muttered, nudging him lightly.
No response.
Alvano remained still, his eyes blank—as if his mind were somewhere far away, not in the classroom, not in reality.
At first, Theo didn't think much of it. Maybe Alvano was just tired or not in the mood to talk. Seeing nothing strange, he leaned back again, the book still open before his face. Within minutes, his eyes closed completely, drifting into a light nap unnoticed by anyone.
Meanwhile, Alvano remained motionless. His body still, his eyes lifeless—like a statue that lived without a soul.
At the front, Mr. Daejin continued teaching calmly, his Japanese sentences flowing smoothly, occasionally emphasizing certain tones. He then closed his book for a moment and looked toward the class.
"Alright, let's open page seventeen. We'll practice reading the long dialogue," he said, glancing at the attendance sheet.
His eyes stopped on one name.
"Alvano, you start from the first line."
Silence.
Mr. Daejin looked up toward Alvano's seat.
"Alvano?"
Still no response.
A few students began turning their heads toward him. Soft murmurs spread across the room.
Mr. Daejin frowned and stepped closer, his shoes clicking softly on the floor—the only sound in the suddenly quiet classroom.
Theo woke up from his light nap as he heard the footsteps approaching. Feeling the tense air, he quickly straightened up and lowered the book from his face.
"…Huh?"
His eyes widened at the sight of Alvano—still sitting there, motionless, expressionless, silent.
Mr. Daejin was now standing right beside their desks, his brow raised in suspicion.
"Alvano, what's wrong with you?"
But Alvano didn't respond. It was as if he couldn't hear a thing.