As they continued working on their props and rehearsing lines, the excitement for the upcoming school festival only grew.
Patricia and Luca went to ask their teacher for approval of their ambitious plan, and the teacher agreed to speak with the other competitors to ensure fairness in the competition. With that settled, they dove headfirst into preparations. The festival was just two weeks away, and they had no time to waste.
October had just begun, and the school granted them permission to start preparing for the festival which will be held at the end of October.
This gave them just enough time to work on both their play and their booth, though it meant staying late at school most days. Breaks and after-school hours were spent rehearsing, building props, and fine-tuning every detail.
Luca and Beatrice, the lead actors, were impressive in their ability to memorize lines and deliver powerful performances. Their dedication didn't go unnoticed.
One early morning, as they rehearsed, Justin couldn't help but comment, "Geez, you really can do anything, huh?"
Kenneth, leaning against a wall nearby, added with a grin, "If only you had been the lead last year, we might have actually won something."
Their second-year class had also chosen to do a play, but it hadn't gone as planned. Most of their classmates now were also their classmates last year. It was natural that what they chose this time would be the same as what they had chosen the year before.
Too many classes had chosen plays, and only a few did booths, which led the school to combine both categories for the competition.
Unfortunately, their props were damaged the day before the performance, and nerves got the best of the actors.
"We won with our booth last year, so it wasn't all bad," Luca replied smugly.
They had run a café booth, with Luca, Kenneth, Justin, and Gabriel acting as waiters. With their charm and popularity, it was no surprise that their class won.
"I mean, I figured we'd lose the play because of our props getting wrecked, but who would've thought we'd lose because our actors would freeze up on stage?" Justin laughed at the memory.
"The props got fixed just in time, but the actors…well, they didn't."
Luca chuckled, then glanced over at Harmony's empty seat. He had noticed her slipping out of the classroom as soon as the break started.
"I'm stepping out for a bit," he said to the group after checking the time before walking out.
The others exchanged glances.
"Where's he going?" Kenneth asked, watching Luca leave.
"To look for Miss Thomas," Justin replied with a shrug.
"He's been noticing her more and more lately, even though she tries her best not to be noticed."
Gabriel, as usual, remained silent, lost in his book.
...
"Wha-"
Luca headed to the garden behind the school building, a place Harmony often went to when she wanted to be alone. When he got there, he was baffled to find her lying on a bench with her eyes closed.
"Miss Thomas?" Luca called out cautiously as he approached her.
"Miss Thomas?"
Harmony frowned and opened her eyes, her sharp gaze locking onto him.
"Well, don't you think it's a bit too cold to be napping out here?" Luca asked uncertainly.
He had noticed she looked paler than usual over the past few days, and his concern had led him to follow her when she stepped out during the break. Now, seeing her asleep outside, he couldn't help but worry.
"It's fine," she muttered, turning her back to him.
"It's better out here than in that noisy classroom."
"You'll get sick at this rate," Luca said, lightly tapping her shoulder.
"I just want to rest. I won't get sick," she grumbled, clearly irritated by the interruption.
Luca hesitated, then asked, "Have you been doing this for the past few days?"
"What about it?" she replied flatly, sensing that he wouldn't leave until she answered.
"…"
Luca was quiet for a moment, thinking about what to do. Harmony, relieved by the silence, began to drift back to sleep.
But before she could fully relax, Luca suddenly grabbed her hand and gently pulled her up. Startled, Harmony glared at him until he let go.
"I know a better place where you can rest," Luca explained, raising his hands defensively.
"You've still got half an hour before the afternoon classes start."
Harmony narrowed her eyes, clearly annoyed, but Luca had already turned and started walking away. With a sigh, she got up and followed him, knowing that he would probably come back for her if she didn't.
'Irritating,' she thought, her mood darkening.
She had hoped for some peace, but now she was being dragged along by this persistent classmate. She only hoped this newfound attention would end after the school festival.
"We're here," Luca said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
They had walked through the back door of the school building, and it seemed like Luca knew exactly where he was going. They hadn't run into anyone else on their way here, which Harmony appreciated.
"Don't worry, come in," Luca gestured for her to follow him inside.
Reluctantly, Harmony stepped into the room. She was immediately greeted by a woman with a bob cut and warm brown eyes.
"Hi, Auntie!" Luca greeted the woman cheerfully.
Harmony raised an eyebrow. Auntie?
The woman gave Luca a suspicious look, "You only call me that in school when you want something."
Luca grinned sheepishly, then pointed at Harmony.
"She needed a quiet place to rest."
Harmony stared at Luca, wondering if he had lost his mind. He was talking to the school doctor, Larissa Young, who also happened to be his aunt.
Back in the garden didn't he just say she only had half an hour left of their break? Why was he asking for her to rest for the rest of the day?
'I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved with this guy,' Harmony thought with growing frustration.