Old SoulsThe bustling school hallway felt both familiar and foreign. Arima kept his gaze low, his thoughts swirling. He'd been the "new kid" too many times to count, and he knew the drill—avoid eye contact, stay silent, keep to yourself. He preferred the solitude of his sketchbook anyway, a sanctuary from the noise and the chaos of others' lives.But today, as he found his seat in the classroom, he noticed a familiar figure seated a few rows ahead. It was the girl from the park—the one who'd complimented his drawing. She turned, as if sensing his gaze, and offered a gentle smile, one that seemed to acknowledge him in a way he wasn't used to. He offered a small nod in return, feeling a strange comfort in her presence.
"Hey, you're new, right?" A voice broke into his thoughts.
Beside him stood Riol, a boy with an easy grin and an unmistakable aura of extroversion.
"I'm Riol. And you are…?
""Arima," he replied,
almost reluctantly."Nice to meet you, Arima. Looks like you've already met Kaori, huh?" Riol nodded toward the girl from the park, now chatting with someone at the front of the room.Arima felt his cheeks flush slightly.
"I guess."Riol laughed.
"She's something, isn't she?
Kind of has a way of bringing people out of their shell. Just wait, you'll see."Arima only half-listened, his eyes drifting back to Kaori. There was something about her presence that intrigued him, a quiet understanding in her gaze that seemed to look past the walls he kept around himself. And though he couldn't put it into words, he sensed that this year might be different—that perhaps, for the first time, he wouldn't have to keep to himself.