Her Trace

The announcement of the upcoming school event created a buzz in the school.

Posters were scattered all over the campus, clubs started setting up their booths, and students were already talking about what they were going to sign up for.

I wasn't overly excited about it, but seeing Alexa and the others hyped up kind of made me want to get involved—just a little.

I sighed as I walked down the hallway, holding a flyer for the Photography Club. I meant what I said earlier. I really did want to get back into photography, something that felt like mine, something I could control.

Unlike journalism, where I had to chase stories, photography let me capture memories-silent, still, and real.

I glanced toward the school courtyard, where the club booths were being set up. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Zerref leaning against a tree, reading another book. Again.

I had to admit, he was consistent. The only time I ever saw him without a book was when he was in class.

Lisanna's words rang in my head.

"You still can't remember them?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. Things will go back to how they were once."

Memories huh... .. .

But what if I didn't want them?

I shook the thought away and refocused on the present. I wasn't going to waste my time dwelling on supposedly forgotten things.

Just as I turned to leave, I noticed something odd.

Zerref wasn't just reading. His eyes weren't moving across the page like they usually did. He was staring at a single line, completely still. His hands were gripping the book a little too tightly.

I frowned. Something's off.

I hesitated for a moment. Pero bahala na.

"Hey," I greeted, keeping my voice casual.

His head lifted slightly, his dark eyes meeting mine. I waited for him to say something else, but as usual, he didn't.

I nodded toward the book in his hands. "What are you reading this time?"

He blinked and looked at the cover, as if just realizing he was holding it. "Nothing important."

He probably doesn't want to tell me.

I sat down on the bench across from him, setting my flyer on my lap. "You looked... deep in thought."

For a moment, I thought he was going to ignore me again. But then, he exhaled and closed the book.

"You ever feel like you're supposed to remember something, but you just... can't?" he asked quietly. He looked at me intently as if observing me.

The question caught me off guard. My fingers unconsciously tightened around the paper in my lap.

I swallowed. "Yeah. I do."

Liar

His eyes flickered toward me, studying me. "And? Do you try to remember?"

I let out a small, humorless laugh. "Sometimes. But most of the time, I wonder if it's worth remembering."

Liar

Silence. A long, heavy silence that wasn't awkward but wasn't comfortable either. I'm not sure why but It felt like I am standing on the edge—of something important.