Liana sat at her desk, pulling out her books.
She glanced behind her—Rayan's seat was empty.
"Rayan… still not here?" she muttered.
She looked to the side.
Nate's seat—empty.
Soren's seat—empty.
Even Evan's seat was empty.
Liana frowned.
"Where did they all go? Those weirdos."
Students started entering the class, but the four seats remained completely empty.
Liana sighed and opened her notebook, though her mind wandered.
Meanwhile at Rayan's House – Earlier
Rayan stepped out of his room, hair still wet, adjusting his shirt.
He froze.
Someone was in his living room.
Two someones.
Nate was eating bread like he owned the place.
Soren was lying on the couch hugging a pillow.
Rayan blinked.
"…Why are you two here?"
Nate pointed at the clock while chewing.
"You're always late. We're helping. Humanity project."
Soren nodded earnestly.
"Our morning charity work: saving your academic future."
Rayan covered his face.
"You two are literally later than me every single day."
Nate stood up proudly.
"Not today."
Soren added,
"Today, we are responsible adults."
Rayan sighed.
"Fine, fine… let me get my bag."
Outside the House
Rayan locked his door.
"Okay, we take the bus?"
Nate nodded. "Yep."
They walked casually toward the bus stop, chatting about yesterday's basketball mess.
And then—
A bus zoomed past them.
Slow motion.
Nate gasped.
"THE BUS—!!!"
The bus kept going.
Soren: "CHASE IT!!!"
Rayan: "OH COME ON— FINE!!"
They all took off sprinting along the sidewalk, bags bouncing wildly.
Nate almost crashed into a lamp post.
Soren tripped over his shoelace.
Rayan yelled at the bus driver:
"STOP!! WAAAIIIT!!"
Evan's car stopped at a red light.
He turned down the music… then blinked.
On the sidewalk—
Three idiots sprinted like their lives depended on it.
Evan stared.
"…Are they serious?"
Soren stumbled over a tiny rock and nearly somersaulted.
Nate grabbed his hoodie to yank him upright.
Rayan waved both arms at the bus, screaming desperately.
Evan dragged his hand down his face.
"They're… unbelievably strange."
He slowly drove forward, passing them.
Evan lowered his window.
"WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?!"
Rayan, still running:
"MISSED! THE! BUS!!"
Nate:
"DON'T TALK ABOUT IT!!!"
Evan sighed deeply and shook his head.
The bus was long gone.
Nate bent over, hands on knees.
"I… can't… feel… my lungs…"
Soren sat on the curb dramatically.
"Just… leave me here…"
Rayan stared helplessly at the empty street.
"Great. We're dead. We're REALLY dead."
A soft beep sounded behind them.
They turned.
A sleek black car slowed to a stop beside them.
The window rolled down.
Evan leaned slightly toward the opening, expression calm and annoyingly composed.
"If you keep running like that," he said,
"you'll pass out before first period."
Nate clicked his tongue.
"Wow, look who's fancy."
Soren pointed accusingly.
"You're judging us while sitting in an AIR-CONDITIONED car?!"
Evan blinked.
"No. I'm offering you a ride."
Three seconds of silence.
A gentle breeze passed.
Then—
Rayan, Nate, Soren (in perfect synchronization):
"YES PLEASE!!!"
Without hesitation, they sprinted to the car doors.
Evan tried to add, "Just sit calmly, don't—"
THUD!
Nate climbed in.
THUD!
Soren jumped into the back seat like a lost cat.
THUD!
Rayan nearly knocked over a water bottle in the cup holder.
Evan sighed long and deep.
"…sit like normal people."
The car glided onto the main road.
Inside, the air conditioner hummed softly.
The boys looked like three dehydrated animals experiencing heaven for the first time.
Nate: "Dude… your car smells AMAZING."
Soren: "These seats… they're illegally soft."
Rayan: "Can I live here?"
Evan: "No."
But he was trying not to smile.
A few minutes later — school gate
Evan parked and the boys stumbled out, hair messy but spirits high.
Evan followed them with his bag over his shoulder.
At the classroom door, Liana stood hugging her books.
She froze when she saw them arrive together—like some weird squad.
Her expression: pure confusion.
"…What happened to all of you?"
Rayan avoided eye contact.
"DON'T. ASK."
Soren: "We just survived a life challenge."
Nate: "Evan saved us today."
Liana looked at Evan.
He simply smiled politely.
"They… missed the bus."
Liana covered her face with one hand.
"Of course they did."