At first, living alone in Rosalake, a city in the country of Phiaty, had seemed to Cher like the purest form of freedom. The city hardly ever slept. The yellow glow of streetlights spilled onto the sidewalks, and the sounds of conversation rising from restaurants never ceased, even in the wee hours of the night. People, music, laughter… Everything was constantly in motion.

But as time went on, Cher began to realize that she could feel alone even in the midst of the crowd. The days were starting to blend together. School, short walks around the city, heading home in the evening… And then the same cycle all over again.

After a while, she started going to one of Rosalake’s most famous and largest libraries to pass the time. The area where the library was located was one of the liveliest parts of the city. There were small restaurants, street markets, and especially famous eateries where the scent of grilled food wafted through the air. A few streets further on, the waterfront stretched out; in the evenings, the city lights shimmered on the water’s surface, and as the wind played with the gentle waves, the view was quite beautiful. That’s why Rosalake was such a beloved city. Its population was neither overly crowded nor too quiet.

Cher also attended Rosalake High School, the largest and most well-known school in Rosalake. The school was large and impressive; with its wide hallways, high-ceilinged entrance hall, and students constantly on the move, it was a very lively place.

Cher had stood out from the very first week she started school. As one of the most beautiful and glamorous girls in school, she had quickly become popular. At first, she had a small group of friends, but over time that group had fallen apart. Arguments, drifting apart, new people… Everything had changed quickly. During this time, a few relationships had begun and ended.

But despite all this, Cher was still just a seventeen-year-old girl.

It had been eight months since she’d started living in Rosalake.

Then she met Kaye Sang.

Most people at school called her simply Kaye. The tips of his jet-black hair were red, and the color became even more pronounced when the light hit it. Her light brown eyes had a calm yet striking gaze. His style was also quite casual; he usually wore cargo pants and loose-fitting tops.

There was no denying he was attractive.

Cher and Kaye had been flirting for a while. Between hallway chats, short walks during breaks, and texting, they eventually decided to take things to the next level.

Now they were a couple.

That day seemed like an ordinary Monday. Their afternoon classes were canceled. A few students were wandering the hallways, and the sound of teachers speaking could be heard from some classrooms, but parts of the school were almost completely silent.

Cher and Kaye had left the classroom together.

After walking down the hallway for a while, Kaye opened a random door. Inside was a small janitor’s closet. There were detergents on the shelves, buckets on the floor, and mops leaning against the wall. A faint scent of cleaning products lingered in the air.

Kaye closed the door behind him.

Then she locked it.

Since the room was small, the distance between them was already short.

Kaye was quite tall compared to Cher. He sat down on the empty chair in the room and leaned back slightly. He spread his legs comfortably. After fiddling with the phone in his hand for a moment, he slipped it into the back pocket of his cargo pants.

He turned his gaze toward Cher.

His expression was calm. It was almost completely neutral, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath the surface.

“So, what are we going to do now?”

Kaye leaned forward a bit more, resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes were still on Cher.

A small smile formed at the corners of his lips.

“Well… there’s no class. No one’s coming here.”

he gestured briefly toward the door.

Then he looked at Cher again.

“It’s just the two of us.”