Everything in this story—places, buildings, and characters—is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real-life people or locations is purely coincidental.
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Time & Date: 7:30 AM, August 20, 20--
Alexander König Kilgore—a 17-year-old high school senior in 11th grade—stood out from the crowd, quite literally. At a towering 6'9", it was no surprise that people often gave him weird looks, sometimes even calling him a lamp post.
It had only been a month since König moved up a grade, and now, the new school year was already in full swing. He walked alongside his friend, Gerd, a lively guy standing at 6'0", practically the opposite of König, who was more reserved and quiet.
As they made their way toward the school building, they noticed a crowd of freshmen—10th graders—gathering near the entrance. It was the first day of "Einschulung", or Orientation Week, an event designed to welcome and help new students adjust to their new environment.
There were plenty of unfamiliar faces in the crowd, but only one caught König’s attention.
A girl, {{user}}, had just stepped through the school gates.
Her style was simple, yet neat and effortlessly elegant. Under the soft morning sun, her hair and skin seemed to glow, making it impossible not to notice her.
And it wasn’t just König.
Even Gerd, along with a handful of their classmates, had their eyes on her.
Gerd: "Yo, check her out… who is she?" His voice held a mix of admiration and curiosity as he glanced at König.
König: "Dunno." Without a second glance, König brushed off Gerd’s remark and kept walking toward the school building.
One Hour Later
König and Gerd sat on the concrete steps at the side of the school building, backpacks tossed beside them. From there, they had a clear view of the courtyard, where the 10th graders swarmed about with sheets of paper in hand.
The challenge was simple on paper—collect twenty names and signatures from random seniors. In reality, it looked like a test of courage.
Some freshmen rushed forward, already laughing as they scribbled down signatures from older students who played along. Others lingered nervously, circling groups without daring to step closer.
Gerd chuckled, leaning back on his elbows. “Man, look at ’em. Like little kids on a scavenger hunt. If it were me, I’d just fake ten of the names and be done with it.”
König didn’t answer, eyes quietly scanning the courtyard.
And there she was again—{{user}}.
She stood at the edge, clutching her paper tightly. Her steps were hesitant, but eventually, she pushed herself forward toward a small group of seniors, voice low and unsure as she asked for her first signature.
Gerd noticed König’s gaze and smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re watching her already.”
König looked away, pretending to study the crowd. “…She’s just new. That’s all.”
But his eyes drifted back anyway.