The excitement in Class 2-A began long before the first bell rang.
Everywhere I looked, students were already talking about only one thing.
Study partners.
The moment I stepped inside the classroom, the usual sleepy atmosphere had completely disappeared.
Desks were surrounded by small groups of students.
Some were already making promises.
Some were negotiating.
Some were shamelessly trying to convince the top students to choose them.
“…Rubi!”
Emmi hurried toward me before I could even reach my seat.
“You already know we’re partners, right?”
I laughed softly.
“You decided that before asking me?”
“Of course.”
She folded her arms proudly.
“That’s what best friends do.”
Before I could answer, Yuri appeared beside us with his usual calm expression.
“I’m afraid that won’t happen.”
Emmi blinked.
“…Why not?”
Yuri adjusted his glasses.
“Mrs.
Sharma said the purpose is to improve everyone’s performance.”
“So?”
“So Rubi ranked first in the quiz.”
Emmi’s smile slowly disappeared.
“…Meaning?”
“Meaning she’ll probably have to study with someone who actually needs help.”
Emmi dramatically placed a hand over her heart.
“…I have officially been rejected.”
“I didn’t reject you,” I quickly said.
“You did.”
“I didn’t.”
“You thought about it.”
“I didn’t!”
Yuri couldn’t help smiling.
“You two haven’t even been assigned yet.”
Emmi sighed dramatically.
“My dreams…”
“…destroyed before breakfast.”
The three of us laughed.
For a moment…
The pressure of the exams didn’t feel so overwhelming.
Across the classroom…
Nesmin was already causing trouble.
He climbed onto his chair and clapped loudly.
“Attention everyone!”
Several students looked toward him.
“If anyone is looking for a hardworking, handsome and extremely intelligent study partner…”
He pointed proudly at himself.
“…applications are now open.”
Someone immediately shouted from the back,
“Do you offer refunds?”
The classroom burst into laughter.
Nesmin pretended to look offended.
“My intelligence deserves respect.”
Stevan walked past him carrying two books.
“You copied half your homework yesterday.”
“That was teamwork.”
“It was plagiarism.”
“It was friendship.”
Stevan didn’t even slow down.
“No.”
“It was laziness.”
Another wave of laughter spread through the room.
Even Mrs.
Sharma, who had just entered, shook her head with a helpless smile.
“You people have enough energy to joke.”
“I hope you saved some for studying.”
Everyone hurried back to their seats.
The classroom slowly became quiet.
As always…
My eyes drifted toward the window seat.
Takoru had arrived sometime during all the commotion.
He wasn’t sleeping today.
He simply sat there…
Looking outside.
The morning breeze gently moved the curtain beside him.
His black helmet rested on the corner of his desk.
His notebook remained closed.
Around him…
No one stopped.
No one spoke to him.
Students walked past his desk as if there were an invisible line separating his corner from the rest of the classroom.
It felt…
Strange.
Mrs.
Sharma placed her attendance register on the table before speaking.
“As I announced yesterday…”
Instant silence filled the room.
“Today each of you will choose one study partner.”
Excited whispers immediately returned.
“You may choose anyone from this class.”
“But remember…”
“This isn’t a popularity contest.”
“It’s an opportunity to help each other prepare for the monthly exams.”
She smiled gently.
“You have five minutes.”
The classroom instantly exploded into movement.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
Friends called each other’s names.
Some students hurried toward the top-ranked classmates.
Others formed groups before anyone else could.
“Rubi!”
Emmi grabbed my sleeve again.
“I’m asking officially this time.”
“Will you—”
Before she could finish…
Mrs.
Sharma interrupted.
“Only pairs.”
“No groups.”
“…My life gets harder every minute.”
Yuri laughed quietly.
Within moments…
Almost every student had found someone.
The classroom became filled with conversations about study schedules, libraries and weekend plans.
I looked around.
Every desk seemed to have two students standing beside it.
Every corner of the room felt occupied.
Except…
The last row beside the window.
Takoru hadn’t moved.
Not once.
He wasn’t looking around.
He wasn’t asking anyone.
He wasn’t waiting for someone either.
He simply sat there…
Watching the clouds outside.
For a brief second…
Our eyes met.
Neither of us spoke.
He calmly looked away again…
As if none of this had anything to do with him.
Yet…
For reasons I couldn’t explain…
Something inside my chest felt unexpectedly heavy.
Five minutes.
That was all Mrs.
Sharma had given us.
But somehow…
The classroom became louder than the cafeteria during lunch break.
“I’m choosing you!”
“No!
I asked her first!”
“You’re only choosing him because he ranked third!”
“You literally bribed him with chocolate!”
Laughter echoed across the room.
Emmi dramatically grabbed Yuri’s sleeve before anyone else could.
“I don’t care what the rules say.”
“You are not escaping me.”
Yuri looked completely helpless.
“Emmi…”
“Hm?”
“You just announced that to the entire classroom.”
“I know.”
She smiled proudly.
“So nobody else will steal you.”
Several classmates burst into laughter.
One of the boys from the back shouted,
“Poor Yuri doesn’t even get voting rights.”
Even Yuri couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
Across the classroom…
Nesmin had already started another performance.
He stood on his chair again.
“Attention everyone!”
Stevan didn’t even look up from his book.
“This is going to be embarrassing.”
“It always is.”
Nesmin ignored him.
“I would like to officially announce that I am accepting applications for the position of Best Study Partner.”
A girl near the window raised her hand.
“What are your qualifications?”
Nesmin proudly puffed out his chest.
“I motivate people.”
“How?”
“I remind them that failure exists.”
The classroom exploded with laughter.
Stevan quietly closed his book.
“You also copy homework.”
“I call it teamwork.”
“You copied my chemistry assignment.”
“I admired it academically.”
Mrs.
Sharma crossed her arms.
“Mr.
Nesmin.”
“…Yes, Ma’am?”
“If you’re finished advertising yourself…”
“Almost.”
“…Sit down.”
“Immediately.”
He smiled awkwardly before dropping back into his chair.
“Advertisement cancelled.”
Even Mrs.
Sharma couldn’t hide a small smile.
Slowly…
The excitement settled.
Students returned to their seats beside the partners they had chosen.
Some immediately began discussing study schedules.
Others compared notebooks.
The room felt warm…
Comfortable…
Alive.
I quietly looked around.
Emmi and Yuri were already arguing over where they should study.
“My house.”
“No.”
“The library.”
“Too quiet.”
“That’s the point.”
“It scares me.”
Yuri sighed.
“We’ll discuss it later.”
Nearby…
Nesmin finally looked toward Stevan.
“So…”
Stevan raised an eyebrow.
“So?”
“We’ve survived another year.”
“…Unfortunately.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Stevan shook his head.
“I never said yes.”
“…You’re impossible.”
“And yet…”
Nesmin grinned.
“…you’re still my partner.”
Stevan looked away, pretending to be annoyed.
“…I need someone to stop you from failing.”
“See?”
Nesmin pointed proudly at him.
“That’s friendship.”
Watching them…
I couldn’t stop smiling.
Everyone had someone.
Everyone…
Except one person.
Almost without realizing it…
My eyes drifted toward the last row beside the window.
Takoru hadn’t moved.
Not once.
His chair remained exactly where it had been since morning.
His notebook was closed.
His helmet rested beside him.
He quietly watched the clouds outside…
As if none of the conversations around him belonged to his world.
Nobody had walked over.
Nobody had asked him.
Nobody had even looked in his direction.
It wasn’t because they hated him.
It was almost worse than that.
They had simply…
Forgotten him.
A strange ache settled inside my chest.
How long had this been happening?
How many times had everyone formed groups while he remained alone?
Did he expect it now?
Or…
Had he stopped expecting anything at all?
Mrs.
Sharma picked up her clipboard.
“Has everyone found a partner?”
One by one…
Voices answered.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Here.”
“We’re together.”
She checked each name carefully.
Then…
Her eyes reached the bottom of the list.
The classroom became unexpectedly quiet.
“Takoru Ryuzaki.”
Silence.
He slowly shifted his gaze from the window toward the teacher.
“…Yes?”
“Your study partner?”
Takoru looked at the empty desk beside him.
Then back at Mrs.
Sharma.
“I don’t have one.”
His voice carried no embarrassment.
No disappointment.
Only quiet acceptance.
Mrs.
Sharma frowned slightly.
“You didn’t choose anyone?”
“No.”
“And no one chose you?”
Takoru simply shrugged.
“I’m fine studying alone.”
The room fell silent.
Even Nesmin stopped smiling.
For a brief second…
Nobody knew what to say.
Mrs.
Sharma looked at him for a long moment before quietly closing her attendance register.
“…Very well.”
“We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”
She didn’t force the issue.
Not today.
The bell rang.
Students immediately gathered their bags and hurried toward the door.
Conversations filled the hallway once again.
Inside the classroom…
Only one desk remained occupied.
I stood near the doorway, adjusting my backpack.
Something made me turn around.
Takoru was still sitting beside the window.
The golden evening sunlight reflected against the glass behind him.
For just a moment…
He looked impossibly alone.
Not because nobody was around him.
But because…
Nobody had thought to stand beside him.
I quietly followed Yuri and Emmi out of the classroom.
Yet all the way home…
One thought refused to leave my mind.
Sometimes…
the loneliest person isn’t the one who stands alone.
It’s the one everyone forgets to choose.
To be continued….
welcome to part 15!
Thank you for reading!
Being alone and being left behind are two very different things.
Sometimes, the strongest people don’t ask anyone to stay…
because they’ve become used to watching everyone walk away.
Not every empty seat means someone is lonely.
But sometimes…
it means no one ever thought to sit there.
What do you think?
Was Takoru really okay with being alone…
or had he simply stopped expecting anyone to choose him?
See you in the next chapter.