The next hour passed quietly.
Ms. Hart guided them through a simple introductory exercise. Names, interests, expectations. Nothing demanding. Nothing invasive. Students wrote, paused, erased, rewrote.
Chris finished early and spent the rest of the time doodling faint shapes in the margin. Noah tapped his pen absentmindedly until Kai glanced at him, and he stopped.
Time moved without friction.
When the bell rang for the next period. The sound was sharp but familiar, already losing its edge.
Mr. Parker arrived shortly after, carrying a stack of papers under one arm. He introduced himself briefly, his tone calm, practical. Mathematics followed. Simple review problems. Nothing unexpected.
Tyler answered when called on. Once. Succinctly. Correct.
Science came next, a continuation of the same rhythm. Concepts outlined. No pressure. Just structure.
The hours blended together, distinct but unremarkable. Pens moved. Pages turned. Occasionally, someone whispered a question. It was answered and the room settled again.
By the time the final bell rang, the sound carried a different weight.
Lunch.
Chairs shifted. Bags were opened. The careful order of the morning loosened all at once.
Noah immediately reached into his bag. "I'm starving."
Chris stretched. "That took longer than I expected."
Aria packed her notebook neatly before standing. Luna did the same.
Tyler closed his notebook and slid it into his bag. The morning had passed without incident. Without disruption.
As students began to stand and talk more freely, he leaned back slightly, observing the room.
Chairs scraped back. Bags opened. The quiet order of the morning dissolved into overlapping sounds of zippers, plastic containers, and low voices rising all at once. The air changed too, filling with the faint smells of home cooked food carried in lunch boxes.
Noah was on his feet almost immediately, his lunch box already in hand as he moved toward Tyler's desk.
"So," he said, stopping beside him, "where are we eating?"
Tyler looked up, then past Noah, his gaze sweeping across the group without answering right away.
Chris had already twisted around in his seat. "Classroom's fine," he said. "Minimal effort."
"No," Noah said flatly. "Ground. I need air."
"Ground's noisy," Eris added calmly, closing her notebook before opening her bag. "Everyone will be there."
"That's the point," Noah replied.
Eris glanced toward Tyler instead of responding.
Tyler rested his palm briefly on the desk, thinking. "Terrace," he said.
The word landed cleanly.
Chris blinked. "Terrace?"
Noah's face lit up. "Oh. That's actually good."
"Way better," Chris agreed. "Quiet. Space. View."
Aria frowned slightly. "Are we even allowed upstairs?"
Tyler met her gaze. "She didn't mention in her rule book," he said evenly. "This means we can go."
There was a brief pause.
"That's not very comforting," Noah said.
"But it is convincing," Chris countered.
Eris studied Tyler for a moment, then nodded once. "If he's leading, it's fine."
Luna glanced between them, then smiled faintly. "Terrace sounds nice."
Amaya adjusted his shirt. "I don't mind."
That settled it.
Tyler reached into his bag and took out his lunch box. The motion seemed to trigger something. One by one, the others followed suit, standing, gathering their things, drifting naturally into a loose formation behind him.
Across the room, a few students who hadn't moved yet noticed.
"That's Tyler Brown's group," someone murmured.
"They formed fast," another whispered.
"Weren't they all talking earlier too?"
"Maybe they know each other already."
Near the back, Danny pushed his chair out with a rough scrape. He stood, slinging his bag over one shoulder. Miles rose a moment later, quieter, falling in behind him. Lucas and Evan followed without discussion.
As both groups reached the door, Danny angled his shoulder slightly, clearly aiming to brush past Tyler.
Tyler saw it coming.
He shifted back just enough to let the space open, avoiding contact entirely. There was no reaction on his face, no pause in his movement. He simply stepped aside and gestured lightly.
"Go ahead."
Danny glanced at him once, then walked past. Miles followed, eyes flicking briefly toward Tyler before moving on. Lucas and Evan went after them.
Chris leaned closer. "That's not going to work, you know."
Kai nodded once in agreement. Noah frowned, confused.
Tyler turned his head back toward them, smiling faintly. "It's the first day," he said. "Just wait."
Chris's grin returned. Kai's expression softened with understanding.
Noah looked between them. "Wait for what?"
Amaya shrugged. "I don't know either."
Behind them, Luna leaned closer to Aria and Eris. "These boys are up to something."
Eris smiled slightly. "It'll be fun."
"That's not like you," Aria whispered.
"People change," Eris replied quietly. Her eyes moved briefly to Tyler's back. "And he's changing too."
Ahead, Tyler paused. "Are you talking about me?"
Luna laughed softly. "Nothing. You did good. Let's go to the terrace."
Tyler smiled. "Let's go."
They filed out together, the classroom door swinging shut behind them.
The room felt larger without them.
Sofia leaned back in her chair, watching the door for a moment longer than necessary. "That was quick."
"They're already moving like a unit," Mira said, thoughtful.
Emily Parker tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Tyler Brown, right? He was the last name."
"Yes," Aaron Foster replied. "He made an impression."
Caleb glanced at the empty aisle. "Chris is loud, Eris is calm, and Tyler's in the middle of it."
"Not the middle," Mira corrected. "The front."
Clara listened quietly, her lunch box still unopened. "They seem comfortable together," she said politely.
Sofia nodded. "I noticed that too."
Clara's gaze drifted toward the door again, lingering for a heartbeat before she looked back down at her desk.
The room settled into smaller conversations, curiosity shifting elsewhere, but the impression remained.
The hallway outside Class 1-A was louder than the classroom. Voices overlapped, footsteps echoed, and the air carried the faint smell of food as students moved in loose directions, some toward the playground, others settling along corridors.
Tyler led the way without hurrying, his lunch box tucked under one arm.
"So," Noah said, walking just behind him, "terrace lunch on the first day. That's kind of bold."
"Bold?" Chris repeated. "It's genius. Nobody goes there."
"That's exactly why I'm nervous," Amaya said quietly.
Kai glanced ahead, already spotting the stairwell. "It's fine. Worst case, we just turn back."
Aria adjusted her grip on her lunch box. "I still don't know if we're allowed up there."
Tyler didn't turn around. "We'll find out."
"That's not reassuring," Noah muttered, though he kept walking.
Eris followed calmly, her expression neutral, while Luna walked beside Aria, listening without adding much.
The stairwell was empty, sunlight spilling in from the high windows as they climbed. By the time they reached the terrace door, the noise of the school felt distant, muted by concrete and height.
Tyler reached for the handle and pushed.
The door opened.
The terrace was wide, open to the sky, bordered by low walls. But it wasn't empty.
Four, maybe six older students sat scattered near the center, lunch boxes open, laughing loudly. Their uniforms were worn more loosely, movements confident in a way that came from familiarity.
Kai stopped short. "Looks like this place is already booked."
Eris scanned the space. "It's big enough to share."
Noah frowned. "There's nowhere to sit. And I'm not eating on the floor."
Chris shrugged. "Floor builds character."
Before anyone could reply, one of the second-year students noticed them.
He nudged the boy beside him. "Hey. Newbies."
A taller student lounging near the wall smirked. "Looks like they don't know."
Another, sitting cross-legged with his back to the sun, chuckled. "Sunny, tell them."
Sunny looked over slowly, eyes sharp, amused. "This place belongs to us, right guys?"
One of the second-years stood up, cracking his knuckles exaggeratedly. "I'll send them back. They won't come again."
Sunny waved him off casually. "Go on."
The boy started walking toward Tyler's group, a grin already on his face.
Amaya's voice dropped. "Let's… let's go back."
Kai's jaw tightened. "Too late. He's coming."
Chris rolled his shoulders. "Then we fight."
Noah nodded eagerly. "Yeah."
Kai shot them both a look. "On the first day? A fight? Seriously?"
Noah scoffed. "Didn't Elijah say we have to bang it up this year?"
Kai replied flatly, "He didn't say start a war on day one."
Aria clutched her lunch box tighter. "What do we do?"
Tyler didn't answer immediately.
He handed his lunch box to Eris. "Hold this."
She blinked. "Ty—"
"Just a moment," he said calmly.
He stepped forward.
"No," Eris said quietly.
"It's fine," Chris replied, already following Tyler. "Trust him."
Kai and Noah moved up beside them instinctively. Luna, Aria, Amaya, and Eris stayed back.
"That's not normal," Aria whispered.
Eris watched Tyler's back closely. "No," she agreed. "It's not."
The second-year stopped a few steps away from Tyler, looking him up and down.
"This place is ours," he said. "Go back before I beat you up."
Noah stepped forward. "We just want to eat here."
The boy snorted. "Then you're asking for a beating."
He swung his fist toward Noah.
Noah raised his arms, bracing—
But the punch never landed.
Tyler's hand snapped up and caught the fist mid-air, stopping it effortlessly.
The terrace went silent.
The second-year froze, eyes wide.
Behind him, Sunny stood up abruptly, his lunch box clattering shut as he stared.
Tyler released the fist gently.
"We didn't come here to fight," he said evenly.
Sunny started walking toward them, anger written across his face. Tyler turned his gaze to him.
For a brief moment, white-silver sparkles shifted faintly within Tyler's blue eyes, catching the light.
"We're eating here from now on," Tyler said, his tone light. "Right, Sunny?"
Sunny stopped.
He blinked once. Twice.
"…Yeah," he said slowly. "You're right."
The other second-years turned to him in shock.
Sunny straightened. "They're our juniors. They're new. Let them have fun."
One of the boys protested. "But—"
Sunny's expression hardened. "Pack your lunch. Or I'll beat you up myself."
That did it.
Lunch boxes snapped shut immediately. The second-year near Tyler grabbed his things and hurried back. The group moved toward the door, casting wary glances at Tyler's group as they passed.
Sunny paused. "If you need anything," he said with a smile, "tell us."
Then he turned and left with his group, heading downstairs.
The terrace was quiet again.
Aria broke the silence. "Well… that wasn't what I expected."
Noah stared at Tyler. "Do you know that senior?"
Tyler shook his head. "Nope."
Chris narrowed his eyes. "That's not convincing."
"He seems like a good senior," Tyler added. "We should be like that too."
Eris crossed her arms. "That explanation doesn't work."
Noah suddenly leaned in, eyes wide. "Tyler. When did you learn to fight? That block was insane."
Kai studied him. "You're good at hiding things. First soccer. Now this."
Chris bumped Tyler's shoulder. "What else are you hiding?"
Tyler looked genuinely confused. "I don't hide things."
They all stared at him.
He smiled innocently. "The place is empty now. Let's eat."
Noah jumped back dramatically. "That face are you really Tyler? Get out of his body, evil spirit!"
Laughter broke the tension.
As they moved toward the open space to sit, Eris watched Tyler carefully, a thoughtful expression on her face.
People change, she thought. And today, everyone felt it.
The stairwell echoed as the second-year group moved downward, their footsteps uneven, irritation bubbling just beneath the surface.
One of them broke the silence first. "Sunny… what was that back there?"
Another scoffed. "Yeah, seriously. Since when do we get pushed around by juniors?"
"That wasn't even a push," a third added. "We could've taken them. Half of them were girls. There were, what, five boys at most and one was already standing behind girls?"
They laughed, but it sounded forced.