When the Stars Forgot Us

It had been raining since morning. Not the kind of rain that made people run for shelter. Just a quiet, endless drizzle tapping against the classroom windows. Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound was almost calming. Almost. “Good morning, everyone.” The classroom slowly fell silent. Their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Anderson, walked in carrying a stack of papers. “Before we begin, I have someone I’d like you to meet.” Immediately, whispers filled the room. “A transfer student?” “Seriously?” “Is it a guy?” “Probably.” Mrs. Anderson smiled. “Come in.” The classroom door opened. A boy stepped inside. He wore the same school uniform as everyone else, but somehow, he looked different. His black hair was slightly messy, his expression unreadable, and his posture relaxed enough to make it seem like he had no reason to be nervous. He stood beside the teacher. “This is Alden Arka Wijaya. He’ll be joining our class from today.” Several girls exchanged glances. One of them whispered, “He’s cute.” Another quickly replied, “And he looks rich.” Alden ignored them. “Introduce yourself,” Mrs. Anderson said. He looked at the class. “Hi.” Silence. Mrs. Anderson blinked. “That’s it?” Alden nodded. A few students laughed. He didn't. Mrs. Anderson sighed. “Alright. Short introduction, then.” She looked around the classroom. “There’s only one empty seat left.” Her eyes stopped at the back. “Elara.” A girl sitting near the window looked up from her notebook. “Yes?” “Would you mind if Alden sits beside you?” Elara stared at the empty chair next to her. Then at Alden. Then back at the chair. “Why me?” The classroom erupted in laughter. “Elara!” “Don't scare the new guy!” “Good luck, bro!” Elara rolled her eyes. “Can you all shut up?” Mrs. Anderson laughed. “Just let him sit there.” Alden walked toward the back. Elara quickly moved her books to make room. He sat down. Neither of them spoke. For the first few seconds, Elara tried to ignore him. She failed. She glanced sideways. Alden was already opening his textbook. No nervousness. No curiosity. No attempt to make conversation. Nothing. Elara frowned. “You're really quiet.” Alden didn't look at her. “I'm aware.” She raised an eyebrow. “That's your response?” “What response do you want?” “I don't know. Something normal?” He finally looked at her. “Like what?” Elara stared at him. Then sighed. “Never mind.” Alden turned back to his book. Elara muttered under her breath, “Definitely annoying.” --- The lesson began. Mrs. Anderson started writing equations across the board. Everyone began copying them. Everyone except Alden. Elara noticed. She leaned closer. “You're not taking notes?” “I don't need to.” She frowned. “You already know this?” “Yes.” “You sound pretty confident.” “I am.” Elara stared at him. “Wow.” Alden glanced at her. “What?” “Nothing.” She turned back to her notebook. Saying he's annoying is probably not enough. Ten minutes later, Elara stole another glance. Alden was still staring at the board. Calm. Focused. Almost annoyingly perfect. She quietly whispered, “Do you ever smile?” He looked at her. “Why?” “Just asking.” “I smile.” “When?” “When there's a reason.” Elara scoffed. “That's depressing.” Alden's lips twitched. Just slightly. Elara noticed. “Wait.” He looked at her. “Was that a smile?” “No.” “It was!” “It wasn't.” “You literally smiled.” Alden turned back to the board. Elara grinned. “Got you.” For some reason, she felt strangely pleased. --- The bell rang at noon. Lunch break. The classroom immediately came alive. Students rushed toward the cafeteria while others gathered in small groups. Elara stayed behind to organize her books. She picked up her notebook. A small drawing slipped from between the pages and fell onto the floor. Before she could reach it, Alden picked it up. He looked at it. A night sky. A crescent moon. And dozens of tiny stars. Elara immediately snatched it from his hand. “Hey!” Alden blinked. “I was just picking it up.” “You looked at it.” “Because it was in my hand.” “You still looked.” He raised an eyebrow. “It's just a drawing.” Elara held the notebook against her chest. “It's private.” Alden nodded. “Okay.” He didn't ask anything else. For some reason, that surprised her. Most people would have asked. Did you draw that? Why stars? Are you an artist? But Alden simply let it go. Elara looked at him. “You really aren't curious?” “About what?” “The drawing.” He shrugged. “You'll tell me if you want me to know.” Elara stared at him. That answer was unexpectedly considerate. She looked down at the drawing. “I like stars.” “Why?” She smiled faintly. “Because they're beautiful even though we can't reach them.” Alden was silent. Elara laughed awkwardly. “That sounded cheesy, didn't it?” “A little.” She lightly hit his arm. “Hey!” And then— Alden smiled. This time, she saw it clearly. It was small. Almost invisible. But it was real. Elara froze. For some reason, her heart skipped. Just once. She quickly looked away. Okay. That was weird. --- School ended at four. The rain was still falling. Elara stood beneath the school entrance, staring at the gray sky. She searched through her bag. Nothing. She checked again. Still nothing. “Oh, you've got to be kidding me.” She had forgotten her umbrella. Students slowly disappeared through the gates. Some were picked up by their parents. Others ran through the rain. Elara stayed where she was. Then someone stopped beside her. A black umbrella opened above them. Alden. “You're still here?” Elara looked at him. “I forgot my umbrella.” He nodded. “Where do you live?” She pointed down the street. “About fifteen minutes that way.” Alden looked in the same direction. “That's my way too.” He started walking. Elara hesitated. “Wait.” He looked back. “What?” “You're inviting me?” Alden stared at her for a second. “Do you want to stand here all afternoon?” She smiled. “Fair point.” She stepped under the umbrella. They began walking. For the first minute, neither of them said anything. Only the sound of rain filled the silence. Then Elara noticed something. Alden was holding the umbrella toward her. His own shoulder was getting wet. She frowned. “Hey.” “Hm?” “You're getting soaked.” “I'm fine.” “You can move the umbrella.” “You'll get wet.” “So?” “So I don't want you to.” Elara went quiet. She looked ahead. Her cheeks felt strangely warm. After a moment, she smiled. “You know…” Alden glanced at her. “You're not as annoying as I thought.” “It's been one day.” “I know.” “You might change your mind tomorrow.” Elara laughed. “Maybe.” They continued walking beneath the rain. Neither of them knew it yet. Neither of them could have imagined it. But that ordinary walk home would become one of the memories they would both carry for years. Because sometimes, love doesn't begin with fireworks. Sometimes, it begins quietly. With a stranger. A borrowed umbrella. And a girl sitting beside the boy she thought she would never like. And sometimes… the person who enters your life as a stranger is the same person you spend years trying to find again.