The next morning, the sky looked too peaceful for what Ami felt inside.
She stared out the car window as the school gates came into view - same cracked sidewalks, same rows of cherry trees lined up like plastic decor.
"Back here again."
"Back where it all began."
She stepped onto the campus, her bag slung neatly on her shoulder, her steps steady.
Inside, the hallways buzzed with students.
And then-
"Ammiiiii~!"
A voice shrieked with fake sweetness.
Ami turned, already knowing who it was.
Nyra.
Her so-called best friend. The one who used to braid her hair and sleep over… and then helped stab her in the back when the time came.
Nyra hugged her too tightly.
"You okay now? You looked totally pale yesterday~ I was sooo worried, bestie!"
Ami smiled faintly.
"Yeah. Just a little headache. But your concern? So touching I could cry."
Nyra didn't catch the sarcasm. She never did.
[Later that day, the music room door was cracked open. A small group of students had gathered near the piano]
A girl — Soha — stood near the front, nervously clutching a paper with lyrics.
"I… I wanted to try singing for the upcoming cultural event…"
(Ami's pov: Huh? Isn't that Soha Whitmore? The so-called popular singer in the future.
She looks quite young now.)
Nyra, leaning against a desk, crossed her arms with a smirk.
"Uhm. Soha… maybe don't, yeah?"
The room went still.
Soha blinked.
"H-Huh?"
Nyra stepped forward, arms folded tightly.
"Look, it's good you tried… but seriously? Singing? You sound like you're being strangled by a pillow."
The girls nearby giggled, louder this time. One even whispered, "Oof, she's right though."
Soha's ears turned red. She clutched her paper tighter, eyes glistening.
"Honestly, do you not hear yourself?" Nyra continued, voice high and innocent.
"Some people just weren't made to be on stage, you know? It's not a crime to know your limits."
Another chuckle came from the back.
Soha looked down, trying not to cry.
Ami had seen this moment before.
Years ago, she stayed quiet.
But this time?
She stepped forward, slow and deliberate. Her eyes glittered like ice.
"Wow, Nyra," Ami said sweetly.
"Did you choke on glitter this morning or are you just naturally this shiny and bitter?"
Nyra blinked. "What—?"
"Because tearing people down with a smile?" Ami shrugged. "That's talent. You should try that for the cultural event."
A few students laughed awkwardly. Soha looked up in surprise.
Nyra's lips twitched.
"I was just being honest."
"Right," Ami said, tilting her head. "Like you were being honest to my face and fake behind my back. That kind of honest?"
Nyra's eyes widened for a moment.
But Ami just turned to Soha and smiled softly.
"Sing, Soha. You don't need anyone's permission to exist."
[Meanwhile, outside the classroom]
Dio, walking past with his guitar case strapped to his back, paused.
The hallway was loud, but he'd caught it.
That voice again.
He peeked slightly through the glass pane in the door.
"The girl from the nurse's room?"
He watched Ami for a moment. Her calm face. The slight venom under her soft words.
She wasn't just defending someone. She was cutting down poison with a prettier blade.
"Hmm…"
He smirked slightly.
"Quite interesting."
Then he walked away...