Rosalie and I entered the classroom together, still holding hands.
Neither of us seemed to notice at first.
We had both been too nervous during the walk back, and somehow, neither of us had thought to let go.
The moment we stepped inside, however, we caught everyone’s attention.
A few of Rosalie’s classmates exchanged glances.
Then the teasing started.
“Ooooooh!”
“Rosalie!”
“Look who’s holding hands!”
“Are you two dating now?”
Rosalie’s face turned bright red.
I finally realized that I was still holding her hand and quickly let go.
“Ah…”
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
The entire classroom erupted in laughter.
I tried my best to ignore them and walked toward Edmund’s teacher.
I pulled the excuse letter Mom had prepared that morning from my bag and handed it to her.
“Ma’am, my brother is still sick.
His fever is gone, but he’s still recovering from chickenpox, so my mother asked me to bring his excuse letter.”
She took the letter and read through it.
In the Philippines, students who were absent were generally expected to present a parent-signed excuse letter when they returned.
Since Edmund was still recovering at home, I had come to his classroom to submit his for him.
The teacher nodded.
“All right.
I’ll accept this.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
I was about to leave when she suddenly looked at me, then at Rosalie.
“Are you two dating?”
I froze.
So did Rosalie.
I knew this teacher well enough to know exactly where this was going.
She was strict, especially when it came to relationships.
She often reminded us that we were still students and should focus on our studies instead of getting distracted by dating.
She hadn’t changed at all.
“No, Ma’am,” I quickly replied.
“We just know each other.”
The teacher raised an eyebrow.
“Then why were you both holding hands?”
“Eh?!”
I glanced at Rosalie.
Her face was now even redder than before.
The teacher sighed.
“Listen.
You’re still young.
You should be focusing on your studies first.
There will be plenty of time for relationships later.
Don’t let these things distract you from your education.”
I listened politely, doing my best not to laugh.
This was exactly how I remembered her.
Some things really hadn’t changed.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Good.”
She handed the excuse letter back after making a note of Edmund’s absence.
I gave her a small bow.
“Then I’ll be going, Ma’am.”
I turned toward the door, but before stepping outside, I glanced back at Rosalie one more time.
Our eyes met.
I gave her a small smile.
She immediately looked away.
I couldn’t help smiling to myself before finally leaving the classroom.
Moments like this seemed almost destined to happen between Rosalie and me.
Even in my previous life, we were constantly crossing paths.
We’d meet in the hallway, pass each other near the school gate, or somehow end up in the same place during lunch.
And every time, I would simply smile at her.
Back then, I had been too afraid to do anything more.
This time, I didn’t want to rush things.
Of course, a part of me desperately wanted to make the first move.
I wanted to tell her that I liked her.
I wanted to ask her to spend more time with me.
I wanted to do all the things I had been too afraid to do in my first life.
But I decided to let things happen naturally.
The right chance would come.
I believed that.
And when it did, I wouldn’t run away.
As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait very long.
Around lunchtime, Jessa, Rosalie’s best friend, approached me.
“Rafael.”
I looked up.
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
She smiled.
“Could you walk Rosalie home after school?”
For a moment, I just stared at her.
I remembered this exact moment.
The same classroom.
The same girl.
The same request.
In my first life, I had immediately started making excuses.
I had said I needed to go somewhere.
Then I mentioned my family.
Eventually, I found some other reason to avoid walking home with Rosalie.
I had been afraid.
Afraid that she would notice my worn-out shoes.
Afraid that she would see how poor my family was.
Afraid that someone like her could never really choose someone like me.
But I wasn’t that fourteen-year-old boy anymore.
At least, not on the inside.
This time, I smiled.
“Sure.
But it might take me some time since we’re in charge of cleaning today.”
Jessa smiled.
“Ah, we’re also in charge of cleaning today, so that’s okay.”
“All right.”
She returned to Rosalie, who was waiting nearby.
The moment Jessa reached her, she whispered something into her ear.
Rosalie’s face immediately turned red.
I couldn’t help smiling.
So this was finally happening.
When the final bell rang, everyone began packing their things and leaving the classroom.
I stayed behind to help with the cleaning duties.
Rosalie and Jessa were doing the same.
Once we finished, I headed toward the school gate and waited.
A few minutes later, Rosalie appeared.
She adjusted the strap of her bag when she saw me.
“Sorry for making you wait.”
“It’s fine.”
We started walking.
For the first few minutes, neither of us said anything.
It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but there was definitely some awkwardness between us.
I understood why.
To Rosalie, this was probably the first time she had ever walked home alone with the boy she liked.
For me, it was the second time I had been given the chance to experience something I had lost in my previous life.
But I wasn’t really fourteen anymore.
My body was fourteen.
My mind wasn’t.
I cleared my throat.
“So…
how was your day?”
Rosalie looked at me.
“It was okay.”
“Did you have fun?”
She thought for a moment.
“A little.”
“That’s good.”
The silence returned.
I almost laughed at myself.
I could explain complicated scientific concepts from memory.
I could design machines in my head.
I had once helped develop weapons capable of fighting an alien civilization.
Yet somehow, I was struggling to think of something to say to Rosalie.
“So, what do you usually do after school?” I asked.
“Nothing much.
Sometimes I help my mother at home.”
“That’s nice.”
“What about you?”
“I usually help my parents too.”
Little by little, the conversation became easier.
We talked about our classes, our teachers, our classmates, and the upcoming school activities.
Nothing important.
Nothing extraordinary.
And yet I enjoyed every second of it.
I had spent decades remembering moments like this.
Now I was finally living them.
We passed a small street stall near the school gate.
The vendor had several metal trays filled with fish balls, squid balls, kwek-kwek, and other snacks.
I slowed down.
“Do you want something to eat?”
Rosalie quickly shook her head.
“No, it’s okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes lingered on the food for a moment before she looked away.
I pretended not to notice.
“What about fish balls?”
“I said it’s okay.”
“Then I’ll buy some for myself.”
I stepped toward the stall.
Rosalie hesitated before following me.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.
I want to.”
I ordered two servings and handed one to her.
She stared at the small paper cup in her hands.
“But I said I didn’t want any.”
“And I bought it anyway.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.
I wanted fish balls, but eating alone is boring.”
Rosalie looked at me for a moment before quietly accepting the wooden skewer.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We continued walking, sharing the simple snack as we made our way through the familiar streets.
For me, the whole moment felt almost absurdly ordinary.
There were no alarms.
No collapsing buildings.
No crimson sky.
No alien creatures tearing through cities.
Just the sound of tricycles passing by, children calling to one another, and Rosalie walking beside me while carefully blowing on a hot fish ball.
I had once crossed battlefields where every step could have been my last.
Yet somehow, this simple walk home felt more precious than many of the victories I had achieved in my previous life.
Maybe that was because I had never truly understood how valuable ordinary days were until they were gone.
“So,” Rosalie said after a while, “do you always walk this way?”
“Most days.”
“Alone?”
“Usually.”
She nodded and looked down at the road.
I waited.
I had learned patience through war, research, and years of failure.
There was no reason to rush her.
Besides, I knew Rosalie.
She was shy.
If there was something she wanted to say, she would probably need a little time to gather the courage.
After a few seconds, she finally spoke.
“Are you really good at singing?”
I nearly choked on the last piece of fish ball.
“Where did that come from?”
“You sang in our classroom.”
“That was just a requirement to submit Edmund’s report.”
“But you were good.”
“Was I?”
Rosalie nodded.
“Very good.”
Her voice was soft, but there was no hesitation in her answer.
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
She looked away again.
“Do you sing often?”
“Not really.
I only sing when someone forces me to.”
“Then teacher should force you more often.”
I laughed.
“I’ll remember that.”
Rosalie smiled, and this time she didn’t try to hide it.
We continued walking together until we reached the road where we would eventually have to separate.
I knew this place well.
“Your house is this way, right?” I asked.
Rosalie nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’ll walk you there.”
She looked surprised.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
“Your house is in the other direction.”
“I’m aware of that too.”
Rosalie tilted her head.
“Then why?”
I considered making a joke, but decided against it.
“Because I want to.”
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she gave a small nod.
“Okay.”
So I walked her home.
It wasn’t a grand confession.
I didn’t declare my love or promise her the future.
I simply stayed beside her, carrying my schoolbag over one shoulder while she talked about her classes, her friends, and the things she wanted to do during the upcoming weekend.
I listened.
Really listened.
When we reached her house, Rosalie stopped by the gate.
“Thank you for walking me home,” she said.
“You’re welcome.”
“And for the fish balls.”
“That too.”
She held the strap of her bag with both hands.
“Will you…
walk with me again tomorrow?”
For a moment, my heart gave an embarrassing little jump.
I had faced death without flinching.
Apparently, one shy question from Rosalie was enough to defeat me.
“Of course,” I replied.
“If you want me to.”
“I do.”
The answer was quiet, but I heard it perfectly.
I always would.
Rosalie smiled before entering through the gate.
Just before she disappeared inside, she turned around and waved.
I waved back.
Only after she was gone did I finally turn toward home.
A simple walk.
A small snack.
A few ordinary conversations.
In my first life, I would have dismissed them as insignificant.
Now, I understood that these were exactly the kinds of moments I had once wished for when everything else had already been taken from me.
I walked home with a smile on my face.
Then, halfway down the street, my expression slowly faded.
Across the road, near the corner of a sari-sari store, Dante was standing with two of his friends.
The school bully was watching me.
Our eyes met for a brief moment.
Dante didn’t look away.
Neither did I.
After a few seconds, he turned and walked off with his friends.
I continued toward home, but my thoughts were no longer focused on the pleasant afternoon.
I remembered Dante.
Not because he had been particularly important in my first life, but because I remembered the kind of person he was.
He had been pursuing Rosalie since Grade 7.
He had bought her snacks, offered to carry her books, and waited outside her classroom more than once.
Rosalie had always been polite to him, but she had never shown any real interest.
Dante had convinced himself that she was simply shy.
In my previous life, our paths had barely crossed.
This time, however, things were already changing.
I had changed.
Rosalie had changed.
Even the smallest decisions could push the future onto a different path.
I had no intention of allowing my second chance to become another chain of regrets.
I tightened my grip on my schoolbag and continued home.
I had no idea that Dante had already started making plans.
The next morning, I noticed him again.
Dante was standing near the other side of the courtyard with several of his friends.
At first, I didn’t think much of it.
Then I noticed that he was looking directly at me.
One of the boys beside him said something.
Dante leaned closer to hear him.
They exchanged a few words.
I couldn’t make out what they were saying from where I stood, but whatever it was, Dante kept glancing in my direction.
Then he looked toward the classroom where Rosalie was standing with Jessa.
His expression changed.
There was something in his face that I recognized immediately.
Jealousy.
I had seen it countless times during my first life.
People who believed they were entitled to something they didn’t have.
People who became angry when reality refused to follow the story they had created in their heads.
Dante said something else to his friends.
One of them looked at him with surprise.
Dante simply shook his head and continued watching me.
I didn’t think much of it at the time.
I had survived wars and fought a lot of monsters.
A school bully didn’t exactly seem like a serious threat to me.
Besides, I was more interested in the fact that Rosalie had just noticed me.
She gave me a small smile.
I smiled back.
But as I turned toward our classroom, I caught one last glimpse of Dante.
He was still watching.
And this time, he wasn’t alone.
There were more boys gathered around him than before.
Something was being planned.
I just didn’t know what.
Yet.