The Smile He Always Wears
900 Words
CHAPTER 18
The next morning, Christopher Reyes arrived at school smiling.
Of course he did.
He walked through the academy gates dramatically waving at students like a celebrity returning from war.
“Good morning, beautiful people!”
Several students laughed while greeting him back.
Meanwhile Leanne stared at him suspiciously from nearby.
Why does he look extra energetic today?
Chris immediately spotted her and gasped dramatically.
“LEA.”
“…Why are you yelling at eight in the morning?”
“To express friendship.”
“That sounds fake.”
Chris grinned brightly before suddenly appearing beside her.
Way too close.
Again.
Leanne sighed.
“You have no sense of personal space.”
“I sacrificed it for emotional connection.”
“That sentence physically hurts me.”
Chris laughed loudly.
And honestly?
Anyone looking at him right now would think he was perfectly fine.
Bright.
Playful.
Carefree.
Just normal Chris.
But for some reason—
Leanne noticed something slightly off today.
Tiny.
Almost impossible to explain.
His smile stayed too long sometimes.
And every time conversations quieted down—
His expression faded for just a second before returning immediately.
Like he kept forgetting to hold it up.
Weird.
Very weird.
Then suddenly Chris leaned dramatically against her shoulder.
“I’m dying.”
“There it is,” Leanne said immediately.
“There what is?”
“The real you.”
Chris gasped.
“My reputation.”
“You’re lazy before first period.”
“I’m exhausted emotionally.”
“You say that every day.”
“Because every day is emotionally exhausting.”
Leanne rolled her eyes.
But quietly—
She noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Did he even sleep properly?
Before she could ask—
Carl suddenly approached from behind carrying coffee.
And immediately frowned after seeing Chris.
“…You slept late again.”
Chris looked offended.
“Why are you attacking me this early?”
“You look terrible.”
“That’s so mean.”
Carl handed him coffee anyway.
Chris accepted it instantly.
“…I forgive you.”
Leanne watched them carefully.
Carl narrowed his eyes slightly afterward.
“You okay?”
The question sounded casual.
Simple.
But Chris froze almost invisibly.
Then immediately smiled again.
“Obviously.”
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Carl stared at him for another second.
Then sighed quietly.
“…Right.”
And somehow—
That tiny interaction made Leanne’s chest feel strange.
Because for one second—
Chris looked tired.
Not physically.
Just…
Tired.
Then instantly—
He became loud again.
“ANYWAY,” Chris announced dramatically, “Lea still owes me emotional compensation.”
Leanne blinked.
“…For what now?”
“You held hands with Ren.”
Ren nearly dropped his book nearby.
Kai looked deeply exhausted already.
Carl rubbed his forehead.
And suddenly the weird atmosphere disappeared again beneath Chris’s chaos.
Like always.
---
Later that afternoon, the literature clubroom felt peaceful.
Kai baked pastries near the corner kitchen.
Ren quietly read while working on homework.
Carl reviewed student council documents.
And Chris—
Chris laid upside down across the couch dramatically.
Leanne stared at him.
“…How are you comfortable like that?”
“I’ve transcended human limitations.”
“That explains nothing.”
Chris grinned lazily while looking toward the ceiling.
Leanne sat beside the couch while reviewing notes quietly.
Then after a few minutes—
“…Lea.”
“Hm?”
Chris looked toward her upside down.
“If I disappeared for like three years, would you miss me?”
Leanne blinked.
“…What kind of question is that?”
“A genius question.”
“No. It’s weird.”
Chris laughed softly.
“But answer.”
Leanne stared at him suspiciously.
Why does that sound strangely serious?
Then quietly—
“…Yeah,” she admitted. “I’d miss you.”
Chris froze slightly.
Only for a second.
Then he smiled again.
Big.
Bright.
Almost too bright.
“Aww. You’re emotionally attached to me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Chris laughed again.
But somehow—
Leanne noticed the way his eyes softened afterward.
Like her answer mattered more than she realized.
Then Kai suddenly placed fresh strawberry pastries onto the table nearby.
Chris immediately sat upright.
“MY CHILDREN.”
“They’re pastries,” Kai answered flatly.
“They’re family.”
Leanne laughed softly while watching Chris happily grab one.
And honestly?
It was hard imagining him sad.
Hard imagining him lonely.
Because Chris always filled every room with noise and warmth so naturally.
Like sunlight.
Like happiness itself.
But suddenly—
Leanne remembered something Carl said before.
> “Even when people ignored him, he still smiled anyway.”
Her chest tightened slightly.
Ignored him?
The thought stayed inside her head longer than expected.
Meanwhile Chris happily bit into the pastry before suddenly looking toward Leanne again.
“…Why are you staring at me today?”
Leanne blinked.
“…I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Maybe your face is just distracting.”
Chris gasped dramatically.
“Are you flirting with me?”
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I hate this conversation.”
Chris burst into laughter again.
And just like that—
The strange heaviness disappeared once more beneath his smile.
But somehow—
Leanne still couldn’t stop wondering.
How much of Christopher Reyes was real—
And how much was simply the smile he always wore?
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