It was still exactly the same as I remembered - a rectangular room with all sorts and forms of oddities scattered about. Trinkets from Mrs Cho's travels, one and all. I stepped towards the little lounging set in the middle of the room. Motivational quotes had been carved into some parts of the furniture.

There was a simple one etched into an empty photo frame - one that stuck with me for quite some time; 'Love is a double-edged blade,'

Holding on to a cup of steaming tea, Mrs Cho called out to me, "Good morning, Xavier." She stood beside the window sill at the back of the office. Knowing her, she was taking in the sight of all the new students' faces. I had seen quite a bunch of them at the campus, and I was certain most of them attended Barton for their first time today.

The sun finally rose above the sports hall, the first rays of light beaming through the window. Her darkened eyes seemed to light up, shining brightly.

"M-Morning," I greeted back as she turned toward me. Mrs Cho came over, sitting down on the chair next to me. Her appearance was far more tired and senile than afore the summer break commenced. Her hand lightly trembled whilst she placed her cup on a coaster, then put both elbows atop the wood, locking her fingers together.

"So," said she, smiling softly, "A cup of tea and a biscuit for starters? Or would you like coffee instead, dear?"

I shook my head, fidgeting my fingers. The start of school had killed my appetite. I was by far too nervous to eat or drink anything. "No, thank you, Mrs Cho, I'm good."

She rose a brow, "It's your favourite, those small packs of twelve tea biscuits-"

Mrs Cho cut herself off when I shook my head once more, "Very well, then." She swirled her spoon around in her cup, a thin funnel of vapour rising from the liquid's surface. "Your mother contacted me last week. She is worried about you. Is it true you rarely went outside during the summer break?"

I looked away. I already suspected something of a topic alike would surface during the chat. However, I hadn't expected it to hit me so early on. I fixed my gaze upon a ceramic cat statue, waving about a raised paw.

Mrs Cho briefly followed my gaze; when she realised I had spotted her newest trinket, she chuckled. "It's called a Maneki-Neko, believed to grant fortune upon its owner," said she, "I've still not won the lottery, but the figurine is a worthwhile memento of my home town."

Such peculiar items had always piqued my interest, "Could you, uh, tell me more about it?"

Mrs Cho reclined in her chair, "I could, definitely could, in fact," she mumbled, "Although, that'll be when next we meet. Today's meeting is not centred around lucky cats, dear. It's all about you instead, so please, will you answer my question?"

"Mhm, I spent most of my free time on some hobbies."

"Still drawing, Xavier?"

I nodded, "Always," mumbling, "An amazing way to vent frustrations."

"I can't argue with that. Any form of artistic expression tends to be a great tool to restore some peace of mind. For me, it's when I'm writing for the local newspaper. I zone out soon as I'm a few hundred words in." A brief silence dropped before Mrs Cho resumed, "However, there is something that's much easier for some. Simply talk about what's been bothering you."

She was trying to pry through my unwillingness to talk. I knew she was only trying to help - After all, Mrs Cho was there the day everyone cut me out from their lives. And ever since, she has offered a listening ear in my times of need again and again. She, Jess and Mum were those I turned to whilst coping.

I sank down in my chair, slightly tilting my head with an overly-dramatic groan, "Fineee, have it your way."

Mrs Cho took a sip of her tea, the smug look in her dark eyes was plenty enough as a hint to make me continue.

"I've been feeling down the last couple of weeks. Jess wasn't in town for the majority of the summer. She was at an aunt's place in Austria - barely any telephone service, so messages were scarce. On top of that, Mum and Dad. They've been struggling. Dad's an absolute workaholic lately; he's at the construction site more often than not." I finished my quick rant, watching Mrs Cho scribble something down on a post-it note. It wasn't English, but it appeared elegant.

"I see. What about other people you interact with?"

"I only hang out with Jess nowadays; my other friends - at least, those who stuck with me, I met them online. But, unfortunately, they live all over the globe. So there's not really a way I can meet up with them."

"But you do talk, right?"

I rubbed the back of my head. After the events of late, I rather not spoke about my social connections - nor my willingness to interact with people. "We mostly just text," I tried to shrug her off, and Mrs Cho nodded along, seemingly accepting it as truth.

We continued talking for some time. Three bells had sung their ear-deafening songs. Shortly after that, a loud knock on the wooden door followed.

"Five minutes," shouted Mrs Cho, finishing up her notes. "So, I would like you to give Barton Highschool just two more weeks. Test the waters, and if nothing changes, I'll be waiting on your porch, ready to search for alternative education methods." Mrs Cho emphasised nearly every word with a slew of frantic hand gestures throughout the dialogue.

I considered the option briefly. Was it really just to judge the new school year based on the crowd near the entrance? It wasn't. As much as I wasn't feeling like experiencing last year's torment all over again, two weeks ought to be bearable. "That sounds like a fair agreement. You have a deal."

I extended my hand for the banter of it. Mrs Cho played her part, locking her hand into a firm handshake.

"Then that concludes our session for today, Xavier. I would like to see you next Friday, dear."Rising up, I slung my backpack back on and moved to the door. I left the room - and immediately, a cold chill raced down my spine, surging across every last fibre in my body.

It was him...

He stood there against the wall - reclining, eyes closed, and his head tilted towards the floor, lightly bopping. He hadn't noticed me. His earphones were likely drowning out all other sounds.

I looked away, swiftly passing him. I had nearly turned a corner when he called out, "...Xavier,"

His very voice had sent forth a cold shiver down my spine, flinching me in place. I was hesitant to look him in the eyes. "...Victor," I had blurted out his name in a sneering fashion. The hostile response had shaken him for a fleeting moment - then he relaxed.

Victor pulled his earphones out, stuffed them in his pocket, and then mumbled, "We need to talk."

I shook my head, psyching myself up to leave. I mustered up a soft-spoken retort, "There is nothing left for us to talk about."

One step- that was all I could do before Victor grabbed onto me.

He requested, "Please, Xave, a moment."

And with that, a tormenting silence fell upon the issued stalemate.

───「Yay, cliffhanger」───

- 07/07/'22