----
The silence hung over the school's rooftop like a heavy cloud.
Meanwhile, Lavinia stood before Rocky inside the empty classroom—empty except for the two of them.
Sunlight slipped through the back window and reflected in Rocky's eyes, making them shine…
As if his heart were about to burst out of his chest while he waited for her answer.
He swallowed hard and stepped closer.
"Lavinia… do you agree?"
His voice sounded calm, but its tremble betrayed him.
Lavinia stood still, holding her breath in her chest.
Then she said, with a confidence faked to hide the shattering inside her:
"Rocky… actually, I'm sorry… but… I can't date you."
The words fell like stones on his chest.
His eyelids trembled, and his eyes widened in wounded surprise.
He hadn't expected this… he hadn't even imagined the possibility of rejection.
"W–why?" he asked in a defeated, broken voice.
Behind the wall, Michael stood with half his body hidden, a faint smile resting on his lips.
He was hearing everything… and for some reason, he felt relieved.
Lavinia picked up her bag, trying to escape the situation:
"I can't tell you the reason… I'm just sorry."
Rocky took a step toward her, his eyes heartbreakingly sad:
"Do… do you not like me? Or… or do you not love me? Or… is there someone else?"
Lavinia froze.
She had no answer. And she wasn't allowed to have one.
She lifted her gaze to him and whispered, "I'm sorry…" then turned away.
She left the classroom, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.
The place was so quiet that even her own breath became an echo.
And while she walked farther away from him, Michael headed comfortably toward the basketball court.
A wide smile spread across his lips, as if he had won a battle no one had declared.
The sun was leaning toward sunset as Lavinia approached the school gate.
She was about to leave, but something stopped her.
A girl.
A girl standing at the gate, her wavy blond hair falling over her shoulders in a light that resembled liquid gold.
Her features were stunningly beautiful, as if she had stepped out of a skilled painter's canvas, her eyes wide and green,
carrying something… familiar.
Lavinia shivered. Do I know her…? From where?
Their eyes met for a moment, and a strange coldness washed over Lavinia's body.
The girl stared at her, then smiled lightly… a cold smile hiding something.
She stepped toward her… one step… then another…
But she didn't stop at her.
She passed her.
And headed straight for Rocky.
In a single moment… she threw herself into his arms.
Time froze around Lavinia.
The air, the sounds, the people… everything melted into the background.
She turned slowly, her eyes widening, her body trembling.
The girl was holding Rocky…
and Rocky looked completely shocked, stepping away from her as he said in panic:
"Lavinia!! It's not what you think!"
The blonde girl turned toward Lavinia while still holding onto Rocky,
and said in a voice pretending innocence:
"My love… why do you look so shocked? It's not like this is the first time I hug you."
She spoke her words with striking clarity… aimed directly at Lavinia.
Lavinia stepped back. Then again. Then she turned her back.
Rocky tried to run after her: "Lavinia!! Wait!!"
But the blonde girl grabbed his hand tightly. "Why are you acting like this?"
Rocky yanked his hand away harshly, then grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her toward him, his expression angry.
"Why did you come here?!"
She smiled mysteriously: "I came to see you."
He shouted at her: "Go back to your place! Leave!" and shoved her away violently.
The girl screamed: "Why are you doing this to me?! You know I love you!"
Rocky let out a bitter laugh, placing his hand on his head:
"Love? You love me? Stop being ridiculous… I'm leaving."
She stood in place watching him walk away.
Her eyes stretched into a thread of anger, as if something inside her was igniting.
She muttered in a trembling voice: "You're mine… and you won't belong to anyone else."
On the way, Lavinia was boiling with anger.
Cursing, mumbling, waving her hands in the air like a madwoman.
"Of course!! Her!! The same damn girl!! The one he's going to cheat on me with in the future!! Wow, I didn't expect him to know her this early!!"
"What idiots!! Good thing I rejected him… even though I…"
She stopped suddenly and bit her lip:
"Even though I… felt something for him."
She kicked the air, then the ground… then a scream burst out of her.
People on the street began turning toward her in confusion.
A woman whispered to her daughter: "Look at that girl… what's wrong with her?"
Her daughter, in a soft voice: "She looks like someone who lost her mind, Mom…"
And Lavinia kept rambling.
---
When she got home, the place was quiet.
She threw her bag aside and found a note on the table. A short message from her mother:
I went to visit your aunt for two days.
"And what about me?!" she yelled as she tore the paper apart, "Damn it… I hate being alone!"
She went upstairs to her room, grumbling… but something made her stop.
There… a strong light was leaking from under her bedroom door.
Her hand trembled as she slowly opened the door.
She felt as if the air inside the room wasn't normal air… but a pulse.
The light's source was… the album.
The album floated in the air, rising toward the ceiling, a white aura around it, flickering like sparks.
Her eyes widened. "What… is this…?"
And suddenly—
The album fell to the floor with a muffled thud.
She approached with heavy steps, bent down, opened it…
And froze.
Everything… everything in the future had changed.
There were no longer any photos showing a relationship between her and Rocky.
No kisses, no flirting, no romance… Just a shallow connection.
In some photos… she appeared with the same blonde girl.
Wearing their school uniform.
"What? She'll join our school?! Impossible… that never happened!!"
Her heart began pounding violently.
She flipped through the pages until she reached the end.
Then…
Her hand stopped.
A picture appeared… of herself. Dead. Suicided.
She gasped… her fingers trembled…
Cause of death: abuse by her husband… Rocky.
Her lips quivered.
She slammed the album shut, tears gathering in her eyes.
She collapsed to the floor, whispering:
"Why?… Why can't I be happy in my future? Why…?"
---
Night fell.
And Lavinia tried to prepare dinner. And because her cooking skills were disastrous… the pan caught on fire.
She screamed, pulled the pan away, slipped, and the entire kitchen fell into chaos.
While she was cleaning the mess, she heard a knock on the door.
She opened it…
And found Michael standing there, holding a large dish in his hands.
He looked at her… then at her swollen eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" he said in a worried tone, then added as he smelled the smoke,
"And that smell… haha… you burned the kitchen?"
She quickly wiped her tears: "Yes… you know I'm terrible at cooking."
Michael stepped inside, placed the dish on the table, then looked at the messy kitchen with pity.
He sat on the chair and looked at her with a calm, warm gaze, as if he understood more than he said.
"I brought you some food… for you to eat."
----