2020, February
Suddenly, everything started changing. A new town, a new home, new places, a new car, new people—everything except school.
Sitting on the armrest by the window, she gazed at the moon, lost in thought. How long until they took her back to that haunting house? It wasn't the first time she had left it, only to return again. That place had never felt like home. In the past months, she had grown unbearably silent, speaking only to the heavens—though she never expected an answer. "Just two weeks," she told herself. "They'll take me back soon." Deep inside, she had no hope left.
Two weeks passed, and no one came to take her back. She wasn't eager to return, yet she longed for it in a way she couldn't explain. Every time she left that house, that town, something inside her would awaken. She would begin to feel, hope, and dream again. However, it never lasted. They always forced her back. And each time, everything she had built within herself crumbled to dust. No one noticed her pain, no one saw the silent collapse. She had learned too well how to hide it. Maybe that's why she wanted to go back quickly—before she had time to feel too much, before new hopes could take root. Before it would hurt all over again.
She was waiting for danger, heartbreak, and pain. But they never came—and that scared her even more. Looking up at the sky, she whispered, "God, please… don't give me love if you're only going to take it away in the end. I don't want it."
2020, March
Almost a month had passed since she moved to the new place. To her surprise, she loved it—the house, the neighborhood, the family. Strangely, this unfamiliar place felt more like home than anywhere else. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she belonged. Day by day, she began to open up again, like a flower reaching for the sun. She was healing. Maybe changing everything had been exactly what she needed to bloom again.
Her mother suggested switching schools too, but she refused. She felt too comfortable where she was—too safe to leave.
One day, she started noticing a very familiar face from her past. It was that boy—the one she had met two years ago in the gym. She didn't know why she had never paid attention to him before, but suddenly, he seemed to be everywhere. A thought crossed her mind: What if I start counting how many times I see him in a day? It became a little game, something that made her school days more amusing. Weeks passed, and before she knew it, it had turned into a habit.
Then, one day, she realized what had changed in just a month. She had started feeling again and for the first time in a long while, those emotions were mostly positive. She would smile for no reason, wake up early, dress beautifully, try new hairstyles, eat well, listen to music, and be more social. Even school felt interesting. Looking back at everything, she laughed. She felt happiness. And then, she told herself, "I will allow myself to be happy and have fun. I don't want my past to ruin my present."
And just like that, she started living in the moment.
The school was shut down, and all students switched to online learning. It made her a little sad—just when she had finally started enjoying school. And maybe… because she wouldn't have the chance to see him.
Months later…
After the school closed, she embarked on a new journey—the first time she truly understood what it felt like to have a family. Together with them, she traveled, discovering new places, learning new languages, and uncovering hidden talents and hobbies within herself. She also made new friends, with whom she spent every day. Even when they couldn't meet in person due to being in different places, they would talk on the phone day and night.
She had always been a day girl, afraid of the night, but during this period, nights became warm and comforting. She spent them playing games with her brothers and friends, having movie nights, swimming in the pool, and hanging out. Every night before falling asleep, she would lie in bed, gazing at the moon and stars from her window, whispering to them until sleep took over. Mornings greeted her with the sight of names written on her ceiling—her friend's name, song lyrics, and drawings of her favorite things and people. She had finally decorated her room, filling it with life—Lego sets, pictures, bookshelves, musical instruments, a huge work table, and her cozy bed. It wasthe first time, she changed something in her room—it was now bright and colorful. Before, it had always been cold and dark.
She had gone through so much that she almost forgot about the boy from school.
2020, September
School reopened, giving students the option to continue online or return to in-person classes. Her school held "open days" to introduce the new rules. That morning, as she woke up, a thought crossed her mind—Will I see him today? At school, she attended the meeting, though she found it far from interesting. In truth, she was preoccupied—too busy scanning the crowd for him. And then, finally, she spotted him. He had grown taller, broader—more mature. A warmth spread through her as she saw him after all these months.
That night, while browsing the school forum where events were posted, she suddenly stumbled upon an old photo of him with his friends. Without thinking, she let out a loud scream and jumped in excitement, completely taken aback by her own reaction. Her grandmother, startled by the outburst, shook her head and said, "This girl is going crazy," which only made her laugh harder. It was the first picture of him she had ever owned.
She wanted to return to school, but her mother had other plans. They were about to travel again, and just like that, attending school was no longer an option.
2020, November
She came back home, and started attending her school. Visiting school, after half year, she felt that most people changed and school system too. But online school helped her a lot, even if she was at home, she studied hard, because what she was learning was entertaining to her. She loved studying and was proud of herself. Because She was asked to conduct lessons instead of teachers for her classmates. She found friends at school too.
What about that boy? He officially became a part of basketball team. He was participating in sport competitions and winning.
What about her? She was attending some of his games, cheering for his team and collecting his photos [after every game, there would be posted team photos on school form].
One day she decided to draw him, she already had his photo, but she wanted to picture him with her hands. She went to drawing classes and directly asked her teacher to teach her how to draw a person, because she wanted to draw someone. And month passed, and she a bit by bit learned how to draw a person.
2020, December
December 10th, she was in a hurry to see him after hearing that all the basketball players had been asked to gather in the gym. But her friends were taking too long to move. She ran ahead, urging them to hurry, afraid she would miss him. While looking back and shouting at her friends, she suddenly bumped into someone. She was about to apologize when she looked up and saw him. She had been chasing after him, and now—somehow—she had caught him. Instead of saying anything, they both just laughed. Then, without another word, they walked off in different directions. On her way home, she couldn't stop smiling. She felt like the main character in a K-drama.
That night, she finally decided to draw him. She spent hours working on the portrait, and in the end, she succeeded.
December 28th, she went to a shopping mall to buy him a New Year's gift. She chose a piece of carved wood from a tree, featuring a deer. She picked the deer specifically because he was a basketball player, and to her, a deer symbolized speed, agility, and great jumps. But in the end… she never gave it to him.
New Year came, 2021
Life went on—nothing new, just peacefulness and living in the moment. However, she started noticing that he had several female friends in his group, and there was one girl he spent most of his time with. Since they studied in different groups, she didn't know if they were dating or not.
Over the years, she had never really looked into his life—she only knew his name. But sometimes, she found herself comparing herself to those girls. They were pretty and elegant. She had never thought of herself as unattractive—after all, her mother was a beautiful woman, and she had inherited her features. However, beauty was never her priority; she had always valued intelligence more.
Yet, one thing bothered her—her height. She was only 5'2, while he was the tallest guy in his group, and most of the girls around him were tall too. She started paying attention to conversations about how tall guys preferred tall girls, how they looked better together, and how it was "more comfortable" for them. That thought began to weigh on her.
She started feeling insecure about her height and even tried exercises to grow taller, but they didn't help. It made her sad. A question lingered in her mind: What if he won't accept me?
2021, May
She was feeling a bit tired and decided to switch back to online schooling. After leaving school, she reflected on everything, and the first thing she did was burn the drawing of him. She felt like she was becoming too soft, losing focus on her studies and career.
Education, knowledge, and her future had always been her top priorities—far more important than the feelings she had for him. She told herself she needed a break—to step back, concentrate on herself, and focus on her goals.
But letting go wasn't easy. No matter how much she tried to push him out of her mind, it felt like he had become a part of her life. Thinking about him had turned into a habit—one she couldn't seem to break.
2021, September
A new school year began—her final year of middle school. But this time, she was the one refusing to attend. She wanted to continue studying online, but the school didn't allow it. Frustrated with the principal's decision, she felt as if her best days had been taken from her.
Over the past few months, she had made some of her happiest memories with the people closest to her. And, for the first time in a long while, she had managed to stop thinking about him. She had focused entirely on herself, and even after school started, she no longer chased after him like before. She stopped collecting his photos, deleted the old ones, and no longer attended his games.
Still, she couldn't help but glance at him when their groups crossed paths during breaks. He wasn't completely out of her mind, but she knew she had bigger things to focus on—her exams were approaching, and they mattered more than anything else.
2021, December
She was satisfied with her life like never before. She thought she had everything and everyone she wanted (well, almost everyone). She didn't want anything to change.
But one day, she received bad news. The elders had decided to take her back to that terrifying house from her childhood. The people she had waited for in February 2020 had finally come.
Her first reaction was laughter—loud, uncontrollable laughter that made everyone around her feel uneasy. Then came the resistance. She fought with everything she had, making a scene in front of everyone, screaming at the elders at home and even in the streets. She didn't care about her image anymore. She was willing to do anything to stay. She begged, she bargained—offering whatever she could to keep her home safe. But no one listened. It didn't matter that she was literally screaming about how that town would destroy her again. She was just 15—a young teenager with no voice, no right to decide where she wanted to live. And the elders cared only about their own interests.
December 17th, people packed up her belongings, preparing to move her out. She didn't care. She just sat on her bed, staring into nothing. The pain felt familiar, as if she had already lived through this once before. They took her things, loading them into the car. She sat by the window, watching her world being taken away, and suddenly, the tears began to fall. It was over. She knew she would have to leave too.
She turned to look at her room—now empty, except for her bed and the drawings on the ceiling. Seeing them made her heart ache even more. It might have seemed strange, but before leaving, she kissed every wall and her bed. And just like that, she walked away from the most cherished part of her life. Just like that, her home and her world shattered. Just like that, she lost something inside her—a part of herself.
Sitting in the car, she watched the streets she used to walk, the places where she had made precious memories with the people she loved. She had spent 673 days there—almost two years—but it had felt like an eternity of happiness. Then, she entered that town—the one that had haunted her childhood. When they were still far from the house, she asked to be dropped off. She chose to walk, dragging out the time, wandering in circles through the streets. But in the end, she had no choice. She was forced to step inside that house. People welcomed her with smiles, but she knew the truth. She knew those people, that house… they would consume her. She was terrified. She felt trapped. Her mind was screaming—RUN. But she couldn't. She was stuck.
And then, she remembered something. Two years ago, she had whispered a desperate prayer: "God, please… don't give me love if you're only going to take it away in the end. I don't want it."
Now, standing in the place she feared most, she let out a bitter laugh.
"Really? Is this what you wanted? To break my heart again? But this time, even worse? I begged you back then. Why did you give me this pain again? Please… save me. I'm begging you. Please don't leave me here. I'm scared. I just want to go home."
The End of a New Beginning
*Nouveau Départ means "New Beginning" in French. It was given this name intentionally because the female lead was learning French in 2020.