At a certain school, a typical day unfolds as a lecturer writes her lesson on the board for her students.

  From time to time, she pauses to expin the content, ensuring her students understand. Meanwhile, the students diligently take notes, writing down key points in their notebooks.

  Suddenly, the sound of the school bell rings, signaling the end of the css.

  Hearing the bell, the lecturer stops her expnation, selects a student, hands them an eraser, and instructs them to wipe the board clean.

  “Don’t forget to turn in your assignment after the weekend, understand?”

  Hearing their lecturer’s reminder, the students responded in unison.

  “Good, now you may all go.”

  With that dismissal, the students began packing up their things, preparing to leave the cssroom.

  I quickly shoved my notebook and pen into my bag, ready to head home. With school over for the day and the weekend ahead—meaning no csses tomorrow—I felt relieved.

  After tidying up my belongings, I stepped out of the room, pulling my phone from my pocket and turning on my mobile data.

  Ting Ting Ting

  A flood of notifications filled my screen. Opening my messenger app, I checked my group chat:

  [ Jadel: Hey, anyone up for karaoke? ]

  [ Gabby: Count me in~ ]

  [ Cherrie: Jadel, I'm outside your cssroom. ]

  [ Jadel: @Gabby Let’s meet at the back entrance. ]

  [ Jadel: @Cherrie Okay. ]

  [ Rodney: Yoo.. I’ll be there. ]

  [ Deq: Prof’s still not done yet. ]

  [ Deq: I’ll be te. ]

  [ Jadel: No problem~ we’ll wait for everyone. ]

  [ Me: Don’t count me out, bruh~ ]

  [ Cherrie: @Cedric Where are you? ]

  [ Me: Just got out of my room, I’ll meet you guys soon. ]

  [ Cherrie: Okay.. waiting <3 ]

  [ Gabby: Is it okay to come without a partner, guys? ]

  [ Rodney: No one told me we needed to bring one xD ]

  [ Jadel: By the way, I brought my boyfriend too, just letting you all know. ]

  [ Jadel: Stop overthinking @Gabby, just come along! ]

  As the chat buzzed with pyful banter, I turned off my phone and headed toward the meeting spot.

  Cherrie and I were still in the process of getting to know each other, but we were already close—so much so that everyone around us knew we had feelings for each other. Lately, she had been showing hers openly, without hesitation.

  ??

  An hour had passed, and we had all finally gathered. Some of our group members couldn’t make it, saying they had other pns.

  Now outside the school, we walked along the roadside, chatting about various interesting topics—current trends, school life, and even compining about how tough some of our teachers could be.

  Of course, I was walking beside Cherrie, engaged in our own conversation. She shared stories about her day, and I listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with my thoughts. Every now and then, our friends would tease us about how close we were, but we didn’t mind. At this point, it was clear to everyone that it was only a matter of time before we officially became a couple.

  Since our destination wasn’t far from the school, we decided to walk. The conversations continued, but by now, no one was paying attention to anything else—they were just enjoying the moment.

  "It's right there."

  "Oh, finally! We're here."

  "Hey, be careful! What are you doing crossing the road like that?"

  "Come on, there aren’t that many cars passing by."

  "Safety first! There’s a pedestrian ne over there."

  "What?! We still have to take a detour? How troublesome."

  "You’re the troublesome one! It’s better to be safe."

  "What, are you a scaredy-cat?"

  "Shut up, idiot. If anyone’s gonna get themselves killed one day, I bet it’ll be you."

  "Screw you, man! I’ll probably live longer than you, I guarantee it."

  "Can you two just shut up? We’re already here."

  The two who were bickering were so used to arguing that their intense banter felt completely normal to us. They were like a cat and a dog—constantly at each other’s throats, but in a way that was still amusing.

  We took the pedestrian ne for safety, though the "cat" compined the whole time, grumbling about how boring it was. Meanwhile, the "dog" was swearing at him again, and soon enough, they were back to their usual pointless bickering.

  As we crossed, making sure the cars had stopped for us, a sudden, bring truck horn shattered the moment.

  Honk! Hoooonk!

  Startled, we all turned toward the source of the noise. A truck, not far from our destination, was speeding toward us—its brakes seemingly failing. The lined-up cars that had been waiting for us to cross quickly moved out of the way, realizing the danger. Without hesitation, we too sprang into action, breaking into a run.

  We managed to reach a safe distance just as the speeding truck charged forward. Some cars that couldn’t move out of the way in time were hit head-on.

  Crash! Bang!

  A deafening crash echoed through the air, followed by frantic shouts from all directions. The scene before us was devastating, and for a brief moment, we stood frozen, watching it unfold. Anxiety, panic, confusion, fear, and even a strange sense of thrill filled the air, emotions swirling among those witnessing the accident—whether from afar or up close.

  Then, as if jolted back to reality, we snapped out of our daze, overwhelmed with relief that we had survived.

  The truck had finally come to a stop, and moments ter, its door swung open. The driver quickly jumped out—not alone—accompanied by others who rushed toward the car they had crashed into. Onlookers gathered, some watching in shock, others pulling out their phones to record the incident for social media.

  The truck driver, despite being responsible for the accident, wasted no time checking on the car’s driver. When they opened the door, a bloodied figure was revealed. The truck driver looked visibly shaken but immediately checked for signs of life. Within seconds, he called out for help.

  With the road now at a standstill, all vehicles had halted, leaving the scene frozen in the aftermath of the collision.

  As the truck driver and his companions secured the injured person, everyone around quickly took action. Thankfully, only one person had been severely injured—he was the only one hit at point-bnk range. The other vehicles that reacted swiftly, especially those near the pedestrian crossing, managed to escape unharmed.

  But then, without warning, the crashed vehicle suddenly burst into fmes.

  Panic spread instantly. People scrambled for safety, taking cover wherever they could. Those closest to the burning car quickly backed away as the fire consumed the vehicle in an instant. It was likely that the gas tank had been damaged and accidentally ignited.

  Without hesitation, we too rushed for cover. I instinctively pushed Cherrie against a nearby wall, shielding her for protection.

  A few moments passed, and I cautiously peeked out to assess the situation. Cherrie tugged on my uniform, her hands trembling as she whispered for me not to be reckless. I could feel her fear—and I understood it, because I was shaking too. But curiosity got the better of me, compelling me to take another look.

  The car was still engulfed in fmes, and now the fire had spread to the truck as well. From our position on the roadside, we remained hidden behind the wall, watching the chaos unfold.

  Despite the fear, a strange sense of excitement and adrenaline coursed through me. I pulled out my phone, tapped the record button, and began filming.

  Then—without warning—an explosion erupted from the truck.

  I had assumed that since the car had been burning for a while without exploding, it might not happen at all. That careless assumption became my downfall.

  In an instant, everything went bck.