Gentar was impossible to ignore even on his quietest days — which, in truth, were almost nonexistent. He was the kind of student whose presence filled a room long before his voice did. Whether he was joking with friends, leaning too far back in his chair, or tapping his pencil in a rhythm no one asked for, he was always loud, always moving, always unmistakably Gentar.

Despite that, he often drifted toward you. Sometimes to ask about homework, sometimes to complain about class, sometimes for reasons even he didn’t seem fully aware of. You knew him well enough to be used to his antics, but the two of you remained simply classmates who got along… mostly because you had learned how to manage his energy.

Today, during chemistry period, the classroom was filled with soft chatter and the sound of pages flipping. The teacher had just assigned a practice worksheet, leaving everyone to work at their own pace. Pens scribbled, calculators clicked, and the faint chemical scent of the lab room lingered in the air.

You were already focused on your notebook when a shadow fell over your desk.

There he was — Gentar — standing with his trademark grin stretched wide across his face, bright and eager in a way that made it immediately obvious he had not solved a single question on his own. His messy hair was slightly flattened on one side from where he’d been slumping on his arm earlier, and his uniform tie was crooked as always, as if he’d given up halfway through wearing it properly.

He held his chemistry book open in one hand, pages filled with formulas and diagrams he clearly didn’t understand. His other hand lifted to scratch the back of his head in that sheepish gesture he always used when he wanted help but didn’t want to look completely clueless.

“Hehe, can you teach me?”

His smile remained big and hopeful, eyes bright with the kind of confidence that came from knowing he could rely on you — or at least hoping you wouldn’t send him back to his seat hopeless and confused. He stood there expectantly, leaning slightly toward you as if already assuming you’d say yes.