It's Time To Love You [GL]

"To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life."

A blonde woman in her early thirties stood at the front of the classroom, reading from the Hamlet book. Her voice was calm and steady, carrying the weight of the words. As the school bell rang, marking 12:30 in the afternoon, she lowered the book slightly and looked at her students, searching their faces for understanding.

But before she could continue, the senior students in Class 2-B began gathering their things, ready to leave for lunch. However, the foreign teacher stopped them, closed the book with a quiet but firm motion, and said.

"We're not done yet."

The students let out reluctant groans, clearly wanting to protest, but they stayed in their seats. The teacher smirked, knowing they had to stay for a couple more minutes or there would be consequences. She then went ahead and picked up a piece of chalk and turned to the board, ready to continue.

"For tomorrow's assignment, make sure that you have read and understood Shakespeare's 'Hamlet.' It will be a part of our school play for this year's festival." With a broad smile, she wrote the necessary information on the board.

The class had grown accustomed to their Shakespeare-enthusiast teacher. Discussions then start to buzz among the students. Some were hesitant about the play, while most were eager to participate. Regardless, they had no choice but to follow their teacher's lead.

"The festival is just around the corner. Deliberate among yourselves about the play, and we'll discuss it tomorrow. Got it?"

In unison, the class replied, "Yes, Ms. Collins," and bid their adviser goodbye. The class president took the lead, promising to discuss the matter after class so they could enjoy their lunch.

As students conversed and prepared to leave the classroom, one girl sat near the window at the back, observing silently. She looked out the window and watched students and some teachers enjoying their free time on the field.

'What a peaceful day to be alive,' she thought, a small smile on her lips.

Summer was approaching, and she felt the warmth on her lightly tanned skin. Usually, she'd join her volleyball team for practice, chat with friends about random topics, or discuss campus crushes like other girls would do. But not today; she chose to sit and enjoy the moment.

As she relished this serene day, a gentle breeze played with her long, silky strawberry-blonde hair. She decided to tie it into a ponytail to avoid the inconvenience of it blowing around.

She leaned against her desk and formed a makeshift pillow with her arms, resting her head facing the window. She felt incredibly comfortable, thinking,

'If only days like this could go on forever.' The strawberry-blonde girl closed her eyes, about to drift into a light nap, when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Reane, Reane... Rei," a soft voice called her name. A fellow student from her class gently shook her shoulder. Reane recognized this captivating voice but didn't move. Even though she knew this girl would be annoyed with her, she couldn't help but smile, imagining the girl's irritated expression.

Reane remained hunched over her desk, pretending to sleep since it was still lunchtime, and she intended to take advantage of the opportunity to nap. Otherwise, she'd feel even sleepier during math and chemistry, subjects she didn't particularly like.

"Rei, wake up; we're going to be late if you don't get up now," the girl said in a sweet, calming tone despite the annoyance. However, Reane wondered why they'd be late; they had no club activities, and it was still lunchtime.

Reane looked up and saw a tall, beautiful girl with shoulder-length brown hair. She was taken aback to see such a striking individual in front of her. The girl was taller than most in their age group and quite popular due to her beauty and athletic ability. Her friendly personality only added to her charm.

But this girl was on another level entirely. Reane couldn't help but stare at the sight before her.

'Talk about being blessed; is she a goddess?' Reane chuckled to herself.

The brown-haired girl noticed Reane's cute laugh and extended her hand to cup the strawberry-blonde surprised face. However, tears started to well up in Reane's eyes, and they soon streamed down her cheeks. She clutched her chest, her heart throbbing.

'Why do I feel like I missed her so much?' Reane thought as her tears refused to stop. The brown-haired girl leaned closer and asked if she was okay.

Reane wiped her tears and tried to say something but couldn't remember the girl's name. Her voice caught in her throat, refusing to come out. Panic set in as she stood up abruptly, glancing around the room—empty, except for the two of them. And then, she remembered.

But there was no way this girl should be standing in front of her. It was impossible.

She asked herself—how could this be?

'Wait, am I dead?'

Reane gazed back at the standing student in front of her, but she could barely see her face due to the ray of sunlight. She noticed the girl's mouth forming a sad smile. Suddenly, a sharp, deafening sound filled the room, and everything brightened, blinding her. Anxiety crept in, and she felt lost in a bright room, unable to see anything.

"Reane... Rei," the girl whispered as the sound faded; another loud bang brought her back to reality.