Chapter 9 - Chapter 8

During recess...

A student burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, did you see her face?" The mere memory of the incident was enough to leave them in hysterics.

Yuna's friends had gathered to tease her about her recent embarrassing moment with Mr. Daniel. Yuna, sitting nearby, felt her face flush with embarrassment as she struggled to make sense of what had happened.

Ana, one of her friends, approached her and asked, "By the way, why were you so lost in thought?" This question prompted Yuna to reflect on her earlier distraction. She realized that her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of someone in particular.

Yuna responded with a questioning tone, "You're right, why was I so lost in thought?" as if trying to introspect.

Then, seemingly eager to move on, she said, "Never mind." Yuna stood up from her chair, heaving a sigh and shaking her head as if to clear her mind.

"I'm going to get something to drink" she informed her friends.

Layla, her friend with two ponytails, enthusiastically raised her hands and said, "I want to come with!" Yuna agreed with a simple "Okay."

"Oh, can you grab a cola drink on your way?" Ana requested.

"And I want...ermm... Bubble gum sprouts!"

The others started requesting their desired drinks and snacks.

"Got it, so that's cola for Ana, bubble gum sprouts for Lucy, bread for Kale, water for Samantha and Rachel, and soda for Kae." With that, Layla hooked her arm with Yuna's, and they led the way out of the classroom.

As they reached the entrance, the security guard halted them. "Yuna Pearce?" he asked, his tone inquiring.

Yuna confirmed "Yes. That's me." Both Yuna and Layla exchanged perplexed glances.

The guard continued, "You have a visitor." The news spread like wildfire, leaving Yuna's friends and the entire class in disbelief. Visitors were a rarity for Yuna, except for parent-teacher conferences.

"A visitor?" Yuna echoed, her confusion evident.

"A caretaker" the guard clarified.

The whispers began, "Why would she need a caretaker at her age?" Yuna's peers wondered aloud, their curiosity piqued.

Initially, Yuna was puzzled by the term "caretaker," but as she thought twice, she quickly realized who it might be.

...

A few hours prior...

After preparing breakfast and packing Yuna's lunch, Kaida went to meet her, but Yuna rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

Kaida was left standing alone at the dining table, feeling puzzled and concerned that Yuna might have a habit of leaving abruptly or "shutting the door" on people.

She turned to gaze at the prepared breakfast, now likely to go to waste, and wondered what to do with it.