The alarm buzzed throughout the whole room, dragging her out from the softness of the bed. No matter how many times she waited for it to stop, it wouldn't, forcing her to blankly stare at the ceiling. The monotonous ringing filled the air, stubbornly refusing to fade. Then, a knock on the door broke through the sound, followed by a gentle voice from the other side.

  "Aya, if you won't wake up, you'll be late for school."

  It was her mother. Her tone was soft, carrying a gentleness and warmth.

  Aya sat up, stretching as a yawn escaped her lips. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, willing herself to wake up. “I’m already awake, Mom.” The words came out lazily as she stood, her gaze landing on the mirror. For a moment, she stared at her reflection, then she smiled gracefully.

  “Today is the first day of school, in other words, my debut in high school.” She paused, inhaling deeply before raising her hands and jumping with enthusiasm. “I'm going to try my best!” Her voice brimmed with excitement, filling the quiet morning air with positive vibes.

  After that, she took her time putting on her uniform, moving slowly and deliberately. She believed that first impressions will decide everything. By that, she adjusted the ribbon carefully, checking the mirror to ensure the angle was just right. Once she was satisfied, she flashed a wide smile, grabbed her bag, and opened it for one last check. She scanned through its contents, reassuring herself that everything she needed was there.

  “Everything is alright. I didn’t forget anything. I’m good to go now.”

  Yet, as she reached for the door, hesitation tugged at her. Her feet stalled, and instead of stepping out, she turned back toward the mirror to have another check—just to be sure. Her reflection stared back at her, the confidence from earlier flickering ever so slightly. She let out an awkward laugh.

  "Somehow, thinking about the first day of school is making me nervous now," she muttered. The nerves crept in, uninvited. Then, with sudden resolve, she gave her cheeks a light slap.

  "Thinking negatively won't help me make friends."

  She paused, looking into the mirror one last time before flashing herself a reassuring smile. A thumbs-up followed, sealing her determination.

  "I’ve got this."

  She left the house and walked toward the train station, on her way there, the cool morning air brushing against her skin. Her house was in Yokosuka from Kanagawa prefecture, it was two cities away from her school. To get there, she would pass through Yokohama and Kawasaki, a trip that took about an hour and fifteen minutes before reaching Tokyo, where her school was. That's why she always left earlier than everyone else.

  As she arrived at the station, she noticed there weren’t many people on the platform. She lightly touched the handrail as she walked down the stairs. “I thought even if it’s 6 a.m., the station would be full of people… but I guess I was wrong,” she mumbled to herself. She stepped inside the train and sat on the seat closest to the door, then put in her earphones, held her phone, and tapped the music icon to play Haru by Yorushika.

  The soft melody played in her ears, and her head gently leaned to one side, following the rhythm. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the song carry her away.

  The train slowed with a faint screech, then came to a stop. The doors slid open, letting in a quiet rush of footsteps. People began to fill the empty spaces. It wasn’t a crowd, but one by one, every seat was taken.

  She opened her eyes and looked around. That’s when she saw an elderly woman near the center pole, both hands gripping it tightly. Her thin arms trembled slightly with the train's motion, and her feet were set carefully, as if she was afraid of falling.

  Without a word, Aya stood up. She immediately took the earphones out of her ears and gestured to the seat she had just vacated. “Good morning, please, feel free to take my seat,” she said, her voice soft and warm, accompanied by a sincere smile.

  The elderly woman looked at her for a moment, her eyes scanning Aya from head to toe. Then, with a sharp glance, she clicked her tongue. "Just because I'm old doesn’t mean you have to feel sorry for me." Her lips twisted into a tight, displeased line, and her brows furrowed deeply, as if the thought of pity offended her.

  Aya's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected that reaction. She thought the elderly woman would appreciate the offer, but instead, it seemed to make her angry. She quickly waved her hands, trying to show it wasn’t her intention

  "I-I didn’t mean it that way," she stammered, her voice soft and apologetic. "I just thought it might be... nice to stand for a change," she added, offering a gentle smile but a sweat was flowing in her face.

  The elderly woman clicked her tongue again and completely ignored her, settling into the seat Aya had offered.

  Aya let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as she gripped the pole to steady herself, trying to push aside the awkwardness that lingered in the air. Then, she put the earphone in her ears again as she frowned.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “It’s always been like this. Whenever I try to offer a little help, people just get mad at me for no reason,” she muttered under her breath.

  The train came to a stop with a low screech. It reached Kawasaki Station. The doors slid open, and a wave of passengers poured in. Even though there were no seats left, they still filed in, filling every inch of space. Aya didn't have a choice but to step aside, shifting to the other side of the door to make room for them. The train was crowded now, packed shoulder to shoulder with strangers.

  The door slid closed, forcing the crowd to move inside. Aya, who was standing at the back, got pushed by the sudden pressure, her body now pressed against the door. She sighed, then frowned.

  Suddenly, she felt something brushing against her skirt. When she looked down, she saw a hand—and behind her, a man standing far too close. Her eyes widened in shock. She didn’t know what to do in that situation, she thought the man might have touched her skirt by accident because of how cramped the space was. She closed her eyes, sweat slowly trailing down her face.

  But then, the hand moved. It slipped under her skirt. She felt every inch of its motion, her body tense and frozen.

  Just as it was about to reach her bottom, the hand stopped. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, then she saw another hand—firm and steady—gripping the man's wrist. Her gaze followed the hand and saw a teenage boy wearing the same uniform as the boys at her school. Her breath came in short, shaky bursts as her fingers tightened around the pole beside her. Then, she heard a soft click from the man behind her.

  The boy stepped quickly behind Aya, positioning himself between her and the man. He stared at the man with sharp, unblinking eyes, his hand gripping the man’s tightly.

  “Old man, you’re already in your 40’s yet you still had the guts to grope a teenager.” he said, his voice was sharp as he frowned.

  The man frowned, sweats running in his forehead, then he forced his hand off to him and slowly walked away from them.

  Aya let out a heavy sigh, relieved that the man had finally disappeared from her sight. Yet her hands remained cold as ice, and sweat still streamed down her face.

  Then, she heard a soft sigh—from the boy who had saved her.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.

  And somehow, just hearing those words made her feel a little safer.

  Aya nodded slowly. "Y-Yes... t-thank you for saving me," she replied, her voice still trembling. She hadn’t yet regained her calm—everything that had just happened still clung to her like a glue.

  Then, she looked into his eyes.

  They were a deep, dark blue, and something about them pulled her in, quieting the noise in her head. For a moment, all her anxiety melted away.

  She felt safe.

  He stared into her eyes, then frowned.

  “If I wasn’t there, you’d definitely have been molested by now.”

  He paused, pressing his lips together.

  “Next time, you need to be more careful. We never really know what people are thinking… That’s why you have to prioritize your own safety above everything else.”

  His words struck her. Harsh as they were, they rang true.

  “S-Sorry… At first, I thought it was an accident, but then he suddenly put his hand under my skirt, and that’s when… I didn’t know what to do,” she replied, her hands trembling, lips quivering as she spoke.

  “Then scream!” he shouted, slamming his hand against the door.

  Aya flinched, startled by the sudden outburst.

  “Ask for help—even if it was an accident. Defend yourself at all costs!”

  His voice echoed through the train, drawing confused stares from the other passengers. But he didn’t seem to care.

  Aya’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be so protective—shouting, just to make her understand.

  Without realizing it, she nodded.

  Suddenly, the train came to a halt. The doors slid open with a soft chime, followed by an announcement over the speaker:

  “We have arrived in Tokyo. We are arriving on time. The doors will open on the right side. Please watch your step and be sure not to leave anything behind. Thank you for riding with us today.”

  The doors on the right side slid open. Half of the passengers stepped out in an orderly flow, blending into the crowd.

  The boy followed shortly after.

  But Aya remained still, her eyes fixed on his back. Somehow, the world around her faded. Her senses dulled, and all she could see was him—everything else was a blur of white, with only his figure sharp at the center.

  He looked back and noticed Aya still standing there, frozen in place. With a soft sigh, he gently reached out and took her hand.

  “Why are you still spacing out?” he asked. Then, his gaze softened as he glanced at her uniform. “Seeing that you’re wearing the girl’s uniform from my school...i guess we attend the same school, right?”

  Without waiting for a response, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and started walking off the train.

  “Let’s go.”

  Suddenly, in Aya’s mind, it was as if her knight in shining armor had come to her rescue. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and her eyes sparkled like the night sky. She couldn’t believe it—this kind of thing only happened in fairy tales. But here it was, happening to her in real life.