The Same Morning, Again

The Same Morning, Again

(Nathan’s POV)

The alarm clock blared at exactly 6:00 AM, just like every day.

I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before even moving. Mornings weren’t my thing — but neither was being late.

With a groan, I sat up and brushed the messy strands of hair out of my face. The sunlight spilling through the curtains made my room look warmer than it actually felt. I reached for my phone, checked the time, and sighed.

Same time. Same routine. Same life.

I got up, walked lazily to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. The sound of water hitting the tiles was oddly comforting. As the steam filled the small space, I let the warm water run down my face, closing my eyes for a moment. At least here, I could be alone — no expectations, no orders, no cameras.

After a quick shower, I toweled off my hair and stood in front of the mirror. My reflection stared back at me: slightly pale skin, soft brown eyes, and hair that never stayed flat no matter how much I combed it. People said I looked gentle… but in reality, I just didn’t know how to look any other way.

I buttoned up my crisp school uniform — white shirt, navy blazer, perfectly ironed trousers — and adjusted the tie until it sat neatly. I hated creases. They made me feel messy, and if there was one thing Dad drilled into me since I could walk, it was discipline.

Grabbing my bag from the chair, I slung it over my shoulder and stepped out of my room. The faint smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen.

When I reached the dining table, Dad was there, already in his army uniform. The dark green fabric was perfectly pressed, his posture as straight as ever. He didn’t look up immediately, only sipping his coffee like it was part of some military operation.

Mom sat across from him, still in her silk robe, scrolling through her phone with perfectly manicured nails. A half-eaten piece of toast sat untouched on her plate.

“Morning,” I muttered, my voice quiet but clear.

Dad glanced at me briefly, eyes sharp and unreadable. “Eat. Then school. And remember—”

“I know,” I cut in softly, looking away, “graduate and join the army.”

He didn’t even react to my interruption, just went back to his coffee.

Mom didn’t look up from her phone. “Your uniform’s fine. Don’t slouch in pictures if the media sees you,” she said, like I was some side character in her glamorous life.

“Noted,” I replied, though she didn’t seem to hear me.

We didn’t talk much after that. We never did. They were both too busy — Dad with his ranks and soldiers, Mom with her scripts and red carpets. I was… somewhere in between, invisible most of the time.

After a quick breakfast, I slung my bag back onto my shoulder. “I’ll go,” I said.

Dad gave a short nod. Mom didn’t even glance up.

I stepped out of the house into the crisp morning air, taking a deep breath. The street was quiet, the sun still rising. Another day. Another routine.

And I didn’t know yet that this ordinary morning was the start of something… not so ordinary.

The train rocked gently as it sped along the tracks, the rhythmic clacking filling the silence. I leaned against the side of the carriage, my bag resting on my lap. Outside, the morning light painted the city in soft gold, but I wasn’t paying much attention. My mind wandered—same as every morning.

Half the passengers were buried in their phones, the other half were too sleepy to care about anything. I wasn’t much different. I scrolled through the news, read a headline about some political scandal, then closed it. The rest of the ride was… uneventful.

When the train pulled into my stop, I got off with the usual crowd of uniformed students. The short walk from the station to school was lined with convenience stores, vending machines, and the faint smell of bakery bread drifting from the corner shop.

The school gates came into view, along with clusters of students chatting before the bell. I headed straight for the building, my footsteps echoing in the hallway until I reached our classroom.

The moment I slid the door open—

“Nathaaaaan!”

A hand shot up in the air like it was hailing a taxi. Mina was grinning at me from the back row, her short bob swaying as she waved. She had that same mischievous sparkle in her eyes that usually meant trouble… or at least embarrassment for me.

Yara was next to her, her energy not as explosive but still obvious. She gave me a small nod, holding a juice box in one hand. “Morning,” she said, calm but with that knowing smirk she always seemed to have.

And then—Rue.

She was leaning against her desk, sunlight spilling across her hair, making it almost glow. Her smile wasn’t loud like Mina’s—it was softer, warmer. But it still made my chest feel a little too tight.

“Hey, Nathan,” Rue said, tilting her head slightly. “You’re early today.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice steady. “Train was on time.”

Mina leaned forward in her chair. “Whoa, big news. Nathan, the human embodiment of ‘late but present,’ arrived before Wenalin? That’s historic.”

“Wenalin’s always late,” Yara said, sipping her juice. “If she ever arrives on time, I’m calling the police.”

Rue laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand. “Be nice. She probably just overslept again.”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Overslept? She could be napping in a different timezone and still be late here.”

I pulled out my chair and sat, glancing at Rue from the corner of my eye. She caught me looking for a second and smiled again. My ears felt warm, so I quickly busied myself by taking out my notebook.

“So, Nathan,” Mina started, resting her chin in her hand, “you doing anything after school?”

“Homework,” I replied automatically.

“Boring,” Mina groaned. “You need some excitement in your life.”

“Not everyone wants to get detention as a hobby,” Yara said, side-eyeing her.

Rue chuckled again, looking between the three of us. “Maybe we can all hang out this weekend? If Wenalin’s free, that is.”

Mina perked up immediately. “Yes! Karaoke night. I’m already making the playlist in my head.”

Yara raised an eyebrow. “We all know that’s just an excuse for you to sing off-key without judgment.”

“I’ll have you know I sing beautifully,” Mina said with mock offense.

I didn’t say much, just quietly listened, but inside I was replaying Rue’s words. We can all hang out. She included me—like I wasn’t just an extra in their group.

The classroom slowly filled with more students, the chatter growing louder. But for me, the noise faded a little whenever Rue looked my way.

...----------------...

The first bell had already rung, and our homeroom teacher was taking attendance when the classroom door slid open with that familiar bang.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Wenalin said, strolling in like she owned the place.

Her tie was a little loose, hair slightly messy, and there was that faint, unbothered expression she always wore—like rules were background noise she could tune out at will. She handed the teacher a signed tardy slip without explanation, as if the reason didn’t matter.

“You’re always late,” Mina called from the back, waving her arms dramatically.

Wenalin didn’t even glance her way. “And you’re always loud,” she replied, heading to her seat.

Mina gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “You wound me, cold-hearted queen.”

“Sit down, Mina,” Yara said flatly, not even looking up from her notes.

Wenalin finally took her seat two desks behind Rue—across the aisle from Mina, which was clearly dangerous for classroom productivity. But Mina didn’t care. She leaned back in her chair, twisting around to grin at Wenalin.

“You missed the best gossip this morning,” Mina said, resting her chin on her hands.

“Not interested,” Wenalin replied without even opening her notebook.

Mina pouted dramatically. “Liar. You love my updates.”

Their banter was cut short when the teacher cleared his throat. “If you two are finished, we’ll continue.”

The rest of the morning passed in its usual blur of lectures and note-taking, though while me sneaking glances at the Rue now and then. She is always Beautiful I wanted to marry her.

By the time the lunch bell rang, Mina was already halfway to Wenalin’s desk, bento in hand.

...----------------...

“Move over,” Mina said, pulling her chair right next to Wenalin’s without asking.

“I didn’t invite you,” Wenalin replied, but she shifted her bag to make space anyway.

“See? You do care,” Mina said with a teasing grin.

The rest of us gathered around—Rue sitting across from me, Yara between us, and Wenalin and Mina locked in their own little bubble of banter.

Mina popped open her bento box, pulling out a piece of tamagoyaki and holding it up toward Wenalin. “Say ahh—”

“I can feed myself,” Wenalin muttered, but took the bite anyway, chewing calmly as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Rue leaned toward me, smiling. “They’ve been like that since first year. Mina never gives up.”

“Does Wenalin… not mind?” I asked quietly.

Rue shrugged. “If she really minded, Mina wouldn’t still be breathing.”

Across the table, Mina was now stealing bites from Wenalin’s lunch. “Yours tastes better. What’s your secret?”

“Not sharing with you,” Wenalin replied, but then slid a piece of grilled chicken into Mina’s bento without looking at her.

Mina grinned triumphantly. “See, you do like me.”

Yara smirked, sipping her juice. “Can you two flirt somewhere else? I’m trying to eat in peace.”

Rue laughed softly, shaking her head. “This group is never peaceful.”

We kept eating, conversations bouncing from random memes Mina had found to Rue’s story about a stray cat that followed her last weekend. Wenalin barely spoke, but whenever she did, it was either to shut down Mina’s teasing or add a perfectly timed sarcastic comment that had us all laughing.

Halfway through lunch, Rue set down her chopsticks. “Hey, are you guys busy after school today?”

“Depends,” Mina said through a mouthful of rice.

“On what?” Yara asked.

Rue twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “We have that group project for history class, remember? I was thinking we could start it today—at my house. My mom’s making snacks.”

“Sold,” Mina said immediately.

“Wait,” Yara said. “Are you sure about hosting us? We can be… loud.”

Rue smiled. “That’s fine. I’d rather get it done together than have everyone send half-hearted notes online.”

Mina jabbed her chopsticks toward Wenalin. “You’re coming too. No excuses.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Wenalin replied.

“Good,” Mina said, satisfied.

Rue turned to me. “What about you, Nathan? You in?”

I blush she is inviting me to her house?!!!I hesitated for a second, but her expectant smile made the answer obvious. “Yeah. I’ll come.”

“Perfect,” Rue said, her eyes lighting up.

When the lunch bell rang again, we packed up our bentos and headed back to our seats. Mina still lingered by Wenalin, fixing her collar even though Wenalin swatted her hands away.

As the afternoon classes began, I found myself already thinking about after school. A simple project meeting at Rue’s house shouldn’t Damn it's first time that I can go thier house … but for some reason, my chest felt a little lighter than it had that morning.

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