A whisper.

College started, it wasn't anything special really.

Days passed, and I slowly adjusted to classes. Though what was truly hard to adjust to was my new dorm life, having a female roommate took me a while to come to terms with.

There was nothing really that had caught my attention during the days that had passed, hell even that weird senior I had run into before was nowhere to be seen. I was able to make some friends, though I could tell our companionship wouldn't last. The only thing connecting us was the fact that we were all freshmen and that we had similar sections, so I found it awkward whenever I would spend my time talking with them.

Maybe I was the problem, as I could see some of them comfortably spending hours in the other company, but I simply couldn't imagine it with myself.

And, soon enough, our midterms approached us.

"Yo, Avery, that seat taken?" The boy spoke, his left hand raised in greeting, as he glanced at the empty seat beside me.

"Nope, go ahead."

"Alright, thanks!" He placed the bag of plastic he had been carrying with his right hand on top of the table in front of us, and stretched.

Zakariya Usama, another freshman. He was one of the few people I had 'made friends' with, though compared to the others I could feel a closer connection to him, as I sensed that he too had seen the others as nothing but superficial friends.

I wonder if he had seen me the same.

He pulled out a cartoon chocolate milk, a cheese croissant, and a cola-flavoured lollipop.

"You went through the effort to go and get lunch from outside?" I said. While 'outside' was still part of the campus, the only grocery store on campus was on the other end of the campus compared to the cafeteria where we were at at the moment.

"Of course, I have told you this multiple times, Avery, the cafeteria is nothing more than a scam!" He said as he plucked the cartoon box with a straw.

While I could see where he was coming from, I still didn't care that much. Maybe it's the difference in our budgets?

"Even then, it sure is crowded in here... I can't believe they are still in business with such prices." Zakariya said. I gave a glance around the room, and his words were true. The cafeteria was packed. Maybe that's why he had asked to sit next to me. Not finding another seat? I shouldn't dwell on it.

As the cafeteria was crowded, it was noisy as well, but having gotten used to it, the sounds didn't take long to turn into nothing more but white noise.

I turned my attention towards my phone, I had already finished my food, so I thought to spend the rest of the break I had on social media.

"Hey, you should be studying instead, Avery. Our midterms are closer than you think!" Zakariya gave me a scolding, his mouth stuffed with a cheese croissant.

"True, but completely unmotivated at the moment," I said brushing his criticism away.

"Then get motivated! Otherwise, we would both be failing,"

Zakariya was bad at studying, especially when it came to focusing in class, so he had picked up a habit of relying on me teaching him everything in our private time. Something I hadn't not agreed on, but was pushed into somehow.

"Sure man, whatever," I said,

"But it sure is crowded in here." He moved his eyes around the crowded cafeteria, and soon it had fallen onto a certain duo. "Ohh, isn't that your roommate?"

I slightly lifted my gaze, and, unable to miss her, she sat overwhelming the crowd around her—a smile on her face, giggling away among the crowds of many. I could sense the rhythm of her humming ring in my head, a grin forming due to it.

While our first encounter might have given the impression of an outgoing maiden who stands atop the world. I had soon come to see her true self, as her roommate, she couldn't hide it forever. She would spend her days in self-loathing, she didn't care about herself or her looks and cursed herself daily.

But, she would always hide it. The moment she noticed me, a fake smile formed. The moment she steps out, a fake attitude forms. The moment she is approached, a fake persona is taken.

I do not know what she had been through before arriving here, but I was none of it, and she planned me to stay that way.

But... soon enough, a true smile had once appeared on her face. Though I would be lying to say I didn't feel regret for not being the one to form it, I was still glad she too was able to grin from time to time.

The reason for her smile was right there.

"And, the guy who is always around her..." Zakariya said.

My gaze slightly moved to her right, and there he was, Teodor Gavril. I do not know when exactly, but he had come to get acquainted with her. It was due to him that she had begun to beam so often.

Other than sharing the same English section, I did not know Teodor. Well, he was a sophomore, that was something I also knew...

"You think they going out?" Zakariya said with hostility.

"Don't know, don't care." I returned my gaze to my phone.

"Man, you sure are boring," Zakariya said, munching on his croissant again, "but really, I don't see what you two see in her... She looks like the next girl over."

I glanced over once again.

Her charming black hair, her radiating emeralds, and her overwhelming smile.

I wondered if it was due to knowing how weak, delicate, and fragile she truly was. was it due to that, that she so enchanted me?

I could sense Zakariya's intense stare, so I brought back my attention to my phone.

"I'm still rooting for you, buddy," he said with a smirk.

"Please, don't,"

Later that day.

I had long finished my lectures for the day, but I tended to wander around campus aimlessly.

As the clock approached 11 pm I decided it was about time I had head back to my dorm room.

Despite it being my room, I had picked up the habit of knocking before entering, as I would hate to inconvenience my roommate. I wondered if that had made me a pushover.

No answer was given, waiting a minute I turned the doorknob. Surprisingly it had been open, usually when I find no answer it was due to her not being at that dorm, so the door would be locked.

I walk in and I find them there. My roommate and Teoder rest on her bed, both of them laid, stomach down.

"Oh hi, Avery." She welcomed me with a smile before turning her attention back to where it was originally.

Teodor acknowledged me for a second and then joined her once again.

They were both watching some kind of TV drama at 11 pm while the lights were turned off. Though I can't deny the amazing vibe that would make, I was still taken aback by the boldness of them both, her especially.

Though, this was better than coming to see her force herself to act like all's well, and...

 I'm glad I didn't have to see anything that would scar me at least...

I had planned to spend the time until midnight laying on my bed browsing the internet but under the current predicament, I decided to instead waste it on the terrace.

Sliding the glass framed door closed behind me, I take a seat on the plastic chair we had brought some time ago.

With a voice low enough that I could make sure she couldn't hear, I mimicked her humming.

"Hey, Teodor left. You can come back in if you want." I was suddenly interrupted.

I hadn't heard the frame slide open, so I was slightly shocked.

She walked towards the handrails and rested her elbows on them.

Ignoring the world around her, she intently stared at the ocean of stars.

Throwing my phone into my pocket, I joined her.

I'm not as surprised as when I had first arrived here, but this sea of stars was truly something that I would've never even imagined in the city.

As if someone had spilled glitter all over the galaxy, little and big sparkles lit up the night as the ocean's waves filled its silence.

I wondered, just what was it that I had wanted.

...

I arrived early securing a seat in the back, as usual, so that I could pull out my phone.

It was English after all, and I just couldn't get motivated about it.

I had somehow done well during our first quiz, so I had found myself some confidence to ignore class.

Zakariya had taken the seat in front of me, and would ever so often throw a snarky comment.

"Ignoring class? tsk tsk." He would say, definitely bored himself.

On the opposite side of the class sat Teodor, he didn't look like he cared about class any more than I did, looking as if doodling on his notepad. I wondered if that's how someone repeating a course should be acting.

The class soon finished, and I put my phone away ready to move out. Zakariya sat staring at his notepad, despite it being empty.

"What are you staring at so hard?" I said intrigued.

"O-Oh n-nothing really..." He jumped in place, it looked like I had taken him out of a state of deep thought.

Was the lecture that engaging?

"I was just wondering... This feels too normal... you know?" Zakariya spoke as he packed up.

"Yeah," I said. I wondered what he was referencing, but I doubted that he had the same thought as me. After all, I was the only one, or that's what I was told.

That day, as I lay on my top bed, I stared at a certain contact on my phone.

When I first arrived, he had initiated contact, and even indirectly offered to help me find the truth behind Naojimi Kashimo, but we haven't talked since. I closed my phone before I had done anything unnecessary, after all even if I had contacted him, what would I have said? I had found nothing, nor had I anything to ask.

I sighed deeply as I went to sleep.

Resting on one of the many benches within the campus. Zakariya, Amets, and I sat speaking about nothing in particular. Amets was one of the many people I had seen as nothing more than a "Now friend." I had understood that our connection wouldn't last and that we only occupied the other's time as that was what was convenient. I was more than sure, that when given the chance, Amets would move to a more comfortable and like-minded group within a heartbeat.

And I was no better.

"Don't you get jealous at all looking at them?" Amets said. He had beaten Zakariya to the punch, as he too had been looking at the duo from afar.

As she smiled, Teodor sat next to her, probably the reason behind her smile.

I do not know what kind of idea Amets and Zakariya had picked, but I had no eyes for her. I didn't wish to spend my life with her, nor did I wish to go out with her. After all, I had confirmed as such with myself the moment I felt nothing when I saw them together.

It wasn't that I was empty, it was simply that the way I saw her wasn't as such.

"Don't even try teasing him, this guy acts as if he's made of ice," Zakariya spoke as he poked me.

"It's just that I have told you guys multiple times, that I do not see her that way," I repeated my thoughts to them.

"Sssssuuurrrreeee!" Zakariya wrapped his arm around my neck.

"Bro, do you even see yourself? How can you convince me you don't when you are grinning so openly." Amets said.

I quickly lose my grin as I become aware of it, I had been unconsciously doing so.

"You sure are one unconvincing fellow." 

I had failed to get my point across once again.

Entering class, I hadn't studied, to be honest.

I was too confident, and couldn't get myself to start.

As I took my seat, I wondered who would be occupying the surrounding ones.

As more and more of my colleagues flowed in, eventually the class had been filled except for the seat on my right, and as it would go the only person who had still yet to come was none other than him.

As he stepped into the class, the last one in, Teodor sat to my right.

We merely exchanged glances, nothing more, and soon the professor distributed the papers.

"Any attempts of cheating will be heavily punished, even if it's nothing but my suspicion, I will still act. So better keep to yourself." The professor said as he distributed the papers.

As soon As I had gotten my paper, I had started writing away.

First the mcq questions, then the True or False, and finally the exemplification paragraph.

with 30 minutes to spare, I finished and put the lid on my pen. I hadn't wanted to turn my paper in yet, as I saw that Zakariya was still writing. I didn't want to sit and wait outside the hall by myself awkwardly so I decided to wait inside.

The professor had threatened quite thoroughly before the exam, but he had been doing nothing but staring at his phone while on his desk the whole time. I could hear whispers here and there, I wondered if he had decided to ignore them, or had not heard them at all.

Taking notice of that, my neighbor decided to take his chance.

"Hey, question 3 of the multiple choices," Teodor whispered to me.

I wondered if I should've ignored him.

I had nothing against Teodor, nor had I wished for him to antagonize me for something so pitiful.

So, giving a glance at the camera that sat at one of the room's corners, I whispered back "A".

??? 

I never knew... I never knew it would come to this.

Who knew that all I had to do was whisper A to find myself in such a situation?

To expose the true darkness behind this organization, to come to take my first step toward the truth behind Naojimi Kashimo's case, and all it had done was leave me with more questions.

Teodor sat lifeless in front of me.

As I took a step towards him, he crawled back in fear.

"I-I'm sorry, P-please don't touch her! I-I've already done as you've wanted!!!" He crawled towards me and then took hold of my legs.

"Calm down Teodor, I can't do anything now that you've played along. You and she will be safe." I lowered my gaze towards him.

"N-No! You're lying! I can tell! The way you are looking at me, the way you are speaking, the way you are seeing right through me! You do not even acknowledge that I'm here in front of you, don't you?! Just how do you want me to trust such a dead, inanimate, face!"

Within such a lifeless, empty, gray, withering room. I couldn't pity the man below me, as the reason he had fallen into such a state, was nothing but the fault of his own selfish actions.