How i met the quiet boy on the bus

Shared Silence

The following afternoon, the skies over General Trias were heavy with the promise of rain. Miyako found herself walking to the old wing again, a small bag in her hand. This time, she wasn't just following curiosity—she was following a plan.

Rald was already there, silently watching the calico cat eat. He tensed as soon as he heard her footsteps, but he didn't run. Instead, he watched warily from behind his mask as Miyako stopped a polite distance away.

"I thought she might like this," Miyako said quietly, pulling out a small, soft cat toy—a little mouse stuffed with catnip. She placed it gently on the floor near the cat. The cat paused its meal, sniffed the air, and immediately began nudging the toy with its head, a soft purr rumbling in the quiet hall.

Miyako glanced at Rald. He was staring at the cat, then at the toy, then finally—very briefly—at her. His eyes held a question, but also a flicker of something softer than suspicion.

"It's okay," she said, answering the look he hadn't voiced. "I like cats, too."

A long, quiet moment passed, filled only by the sound of rain beginning to patter against the hallway's high windows and the cat's contented purring. Rald shifted slightly, then reached into his own bag. He pulled out a small, clean towel and laid it down near the cat, creating a dry, soft spot for it to rest.

It was a small gesture, but it felt like a conversation. Without a single word, they had just cared for the cat together.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of after-school hours, they both stood. Rald gave her one last, lingering look—less guarded than before—before he turned to leave. This time, he didn't hurry away. He walked slowly, and for a few steps, Miyako walked beside him in a comfortable, shared silence, before they parted ways at the corridor's fork.

That night, Miyako realized she hadn't spent a single moment wondering about the handsome face beneath the mask. She was too busy thinking about the quiet boy who carried a towel in his bag for a stray cat, and the peaceful silence they had shared.