Chapter Text
I’m happy
Looking at the dark night sky
I remember your eyes
And I feel like sleeping
So I can meet you in my dreams
Wine blinked and read the note one more time. There was no signature. The handwriting was curved, almost slipping off the printed lines. Was this some kind of joke? She looked around. She had just come back from lunch, but the break wasn't over yet. The classroom was still empty. Whoever had left the paper on her desk must have done it after everyone had gone downstairs so they wouldn't risk getting caught.
Who was the culprit?
Looking at it more closely, Wine could only conclude that it had to be a joke. The poem had been written in blue ballpoint pen on an ordinary notebook sheet. It wasn't decorated enough for Wine to think it had come from one of the girls in her class, nor was it messy enough to seem like it had simply been torn out and tossed onto her desk. It had been carefully cut into the shape of a heart. The poem was centered neatly on the paper. Maybe some boy had left it on her desk by mistake. Maybe (and more likely) it was just a tasteless prank. Who would think she was foolish enough to fall for something like this? Especially with such a terrible verse, without a single rhyme. Wine would bet the author didn't have very high grades in literature. A small laugh escaped her throat. I feel like sleeping. Did this person mean that looking at her made them sleepy?
She had never received anything like this before. Wine never encouraged this sort of thing. She wasn't the type to attract attention. She was content inside her small, isolated bubble in the corner of the classroom. It was more than enough, everything she needed to achieve her goals. Her final year of high school was going by so fast she could barely keep up. Focus was what she needed. A prank from some mean classmates or, considering the less likely possibility, a secret admirer was the last thing she wanted to worry about right now.
Wine folded the heart-shaped paper in half. Maybe keeping it for a while would be a good idea if more notes appeared in the future. She could compare the handwriting, gather evidence, and figure out who it was.
"Huh."
A murmur from the doorway caught her attention. Standing there was Lallalin, the student from the class next door. Wine had never exchanged more than a few necessary words with her. Lal was exactly what came to mind whenever someone talked about the popular girls. She excelled at most sports and was always surrounded by the athletes during her free time. But that didn't mean she didn't talk to everyone else. Quite the opposite, actually. One of her greatest qualities was how effortlessly she fit in with any group. Lallalin was very charismatic, that was something Wine could never deny. Though she also thought Lal was annoying sometimes. Wine valued the quiet spaces she had managed to carve out for herself. But peace and quiet were hard to come by whenever Lal and her group were around.
"Khun Lal, do you need something?" Wine adjusted her glasses, watching Lal's smile widen until it showed almost all of her teeth.
"Huh, I..." she scratched the back of her neck with her fingers. "Huh, I just wanted to borrow Pakphoom's book for the next class."
Wine stared at her. Lal was still standing outside the classroom.
"Then come in and get it. The bell's about to ring."
Lal let out a quiet laugh.
"Right. I don't want to be late again," she said, taking a few short steps toward the desk in the row next to Wine's and quickly picking up the first book on top of it. "This is the one."
Wine glanced at the cover before her classmate tucked it against her chest. Botany Vol. 3.She had no idea biology classes for the other grades could be that advanced. Unless that wasn't the real reason Lal had come to her classroom. Her eyes narrowed behind her lenses.
"Botany?"
"P'Pak is helping me with a few things," Lal said quickly, her smile appearing once again. Her eyes drifted down to the desk before settling on Wine's closed hand resting at her side. Her expression seemed to freeze for a moment before she finally asked, "What's that?"
Wine looked down at the fingers of her right hand. The paper had already become slightly wrinkled from the pressure.
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure? I saw you laughing earlier."
"Were you watching me?"
Lal's eyes widened, and she took two steps back. Her grip on the book tightened.
"Of course not. I was just..." Lal looked around, avoiding Wine's gaze. Her dark blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, making it easy to see the pink tint spreading across her ears. "I was just... well, I was..."
Wine raised an eyebrow. She was actually enjoying this a little. Lallalin was usually so confident. Seeing her stumble over her own words was a rare occurrence. Luckily for Lal, the bell rang.
"I have to go. Sorry," Lal said before turning around and leaving without looking back.
Could Lal know who the sender was? Had one of her athlete friends asked for her help to get closer to Wine?
She finally slipped the paper between the pages of her notebook. If there were more, she would find out who it was.