Unseen Echoes

Chapter: 4 What's wrong with jack??

As Rose was walking out of the washroom, a teacher caught her.

Teacher: "Rose, beta! Please take these books to the library for me; I have some urgent work to finish."

Rose couldn't say no. She took such a massive stack of books that her face was completely hidden; only her eyes were visible. As she stumbled through the corridor, her shoelaces suddenly came undone. Just then, she saw Jack walking toward her from the other end.

Rose’s breath caught in her throat. “Oh God! What is this? Why now? Uff! He’s coming, and I... I look like such a mess!”

Jack stopped right in front of her.

Jack: (In a calm, serious tone) "Stop."

Rose froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. Jack didn't say a word; he simply knelt down and tied her shoelaces with steady hands. Rose’s eyes were wide with shock, fixed on him in disbelief.

Jack: (Standing up, indifferent) "Go now."

Rose stood rooted to the spot for a second, then rushed to the staff room, dropped the books, and sprinted toward her class.

Rose burst into the classroom and hurried over to her friends, Lily and Will.

Rose: (Bursting with excitement) "Lily! Will! You won't believe what just happened! Jack... Jack tied my shoelaces! He actually knelt down and fixed them for me!"

She was practically glowing with happiness, unable to contain her joy. Suddenly, Jack walked into the class. Rose immediately went quiet. She sat at her chair, blushing and tucking her hair behind her ears, trying to look composed and "normal."

Just then, Jack’s friend Harry came rushing in and tripped hard, falling to the floor. The entire class looked at the commotion. As soon as Harry stood up, Jack walked over to him.

Jack: (To Harry) "Stop."

Jack knelt down and tied his friend’s shoelaces—exactly the same way he had tied Rose’s.

Jack: (Standing up) "Go now."

Rose watched the entire scene unfold, her excitement instantly turning into bitter disappointment.

Lily: (Looking at Rose with a smirk) "So, that's what happened with you, too?"

Rose: (In a low, deflated voice) "Yeah... exactly like that."

Will and Lily started laughing, but Rose’s heart sank. She finally understood that she wasn't special to him; Jack was simply a gentleman who helped everyone. There had been no hidden feelings or romantic gestures in his actions. To Jack, it was just a routine act of kindness, and he remained completely unaffected by Rose’s presence.

Rose hadn't given up yet. She convinced herself that perhaps she wasn't "noticeable" enough in Jack’s eyes yet, so she decided to change her strategy.

The next morning, Rose put extra effort into her appearance. She chose her favorite Korean-style outfit—a stylish streetwear jacket paired with carefully curated accessories, exactly the aesthetic she usually daydreamed about. She made sure to head to the library and sit at the table where Jack always studied.

As soon as Jack walked in, Rose intentionally flipped the page of her book a little too loudly and let out a soft sigh, hoping he would look her way. But Jack’s focus remained entirely on his laptop and notes.

Rose gathered her courage, leaned slightly forward, and asked, "Excuse me, Jack? Do you happen to have an extra pen? Mine just ran out."

Jack didn't even look up. He simply reached into his bag, pulled out a pen, and placed it on the table. "Here," he replied briefly, immediately returning to his work.

Rose’s heart raced. “This is the perfect chance to start a conversation,” she thought. "Thanks! By the way, the library is so crowded today, isn't it?"

Jack just let out a quiet "Hmm" and began typing a message on his phone. His entire demeanor felt as if he were trapped in a virtual bubble, one where outside voices held no significance. Rose sat there for a moment, her initial excitement slowly curdling into embarrassment. She realized that her "performance" and her outfit had absolutely no impact on him.

She eventually stood up and walked back to her own seat. As she turned to look back from a distance, she saw Jack look up, catch the eye of his friends, and burst into laughter—but that laughter wasn't for her.

“Echoes of Attention,” Rose thought to herself. The echoes of her efforts were dying within her, while Jack remained completely at peace in his world of indifference. She finally understood that no matter how loud she tried to be or how hard she tried to shine, to Jack, she was just an echo—a sound that might be heard, but one that left no trace or meaning behind.

Rose sat back at her seat after returning from the library, but her mind was still tangled in Jack’s indifference. She pulled a small mirror from her bag and checked her reflection, fixing her hair as she thought, "I am pretty, I have to admit that. But then why doesn't he ever look at me? Is there something wrong with him?"

A strange thought crossed her mind. She had noticed that Jack was always surrounded by his guy friends and never seemed to pay attention to any girl. "Could he be gay?" she wondered, feeling a mix of confusion and suspicion.

She shook her head and leaned toward her friend Lily, whispering:

Rose: "Lily, can I ask you something? What do you think... is Jack interested in guys? Like, is he gay?"

Lily’s eyes widened in shock. She stared at Rose in disbelief.

Lily: "Are you crazy? Where on earth did you get that idea? Have you lost your mind?"

Rose was about to reply when the chair behind them rattled. Both turned around to see Harry, Jack’s best friend, sitting right there. Harry leaned forward and tapped Rose on the shoulder.

Harry: (In a mischievous, low voice) "He’s not gay. I’ve known him forever."

Rose and Lily were absolutely mortified. Their faces turned beet red with embarrassment. They immediately turned back to the front, burying their faces in their books. Rose’s heart felt like it had stopped—this was beyond humiliating! Jack’s best friend had heard every single word of their private conversation.