Notes He Never Needed
CHAPTER 1: Ash
It was a typical Monday morning, filled with the same boring routine. Wake up at 5 a.m., brush my teeth, take a shower, and get ready for school.
School. I hated school — but my friends and him, aka the love of my life, were the real motivation.
As always, I was late.
My friends were already waiting for me in the school cafeteria. After breakfast, we headed toward our classroom. Luckily, we were all in the same section. My group was the weirdest one in class, but the fun fact was — we were also the most needed.
Not to brag, but the five of us were the toppers of our class. Our group was known as “The Quirked Five.”
There was Noah, Mira, Danny, Michel, and me — Ash.
We all settled into our seats, and I already knew today was going to be miserable. Our seating arrangement was being changed, which meant we’d all be separated. Even with the distraction, my eyes were searching for him.
Minh — aka the love of my life.
He was Vietnamese, and he had the slightest accent when he spoke. He was incredibly smart. Honestly, we should have been rivals. Ever since he joined the school, he had stolen my place as the first rank in class. But I didn’t mind — because I fell for him the moment he stepped into the classroom.
That’s why it felt strange that he was late today. Minh was usually the first one to arrive.
Just as the bell was about to ring, he entered the class. In that moment, everything slowed down for me. He looked breathless, like he had rushed all the way here, strands of hair falling out of place. That alone was enough to make my throat go dry.
I know I’m exaggerating — but who doesn’t when they’re in love?
Unfortunately, he wasn’t sitting next to me. Still, from where he was seated, I had a clear view of him — and that was enough.
The first four lectures were boring as hell. As if that wasn’t enough, we had two continuous math periods afterward. From today onward, until next month, we would be following a flip teaching method. The teacher would pair weaker students with those who could solve problems well.
Most of us weren’t bad at math — but practice was practice.
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I noticed Minh walking up to the teacher. And yes, my eyes were always on him, so I caught every little detail. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but it looked serious. After checking the list and verifying something, the teacher began announcing the pairs.
“Noah and Leo.
Michel and Alex.
Danny and Lily.
Mira and Jack.
Rose and Sofie.
Sarah and Jasmine…”
She kept going — until she reached the one pair I wasn’t ready for.
“Last pair of the class — Ash and Minh.”
I was confused. Not because I was paired with him — but because why I was paired with him. Minh was better at math than me. Honestly, way better. I assumed he’d be the tutor.
But when I looked at the list, his name wasn’t under the tutor column.
Mine was.
I went up to the teacher to confirm, hoping it was a mistake.
It wasn’t.
Soon, the bell rang for dispersal. Everyone started packing their bags and leaving, but I was still stuck wondering — what exactly was I supposed to teach Minh?
He was about to leave too when I finally gathered the courage to stop him.
“Um… hey, Minh,” I said hesitantly. “About the flip teaching… what is it that you need help with?”
He shrugged, clearly uninterested, and turned to leave.
I grabbed his arm — more out of frustration than confidence.
“Minh,” I said firmly. “I’m asking you again. What am I supposed to teach you tomorrow so I can come prepared?”
He finally looked at me.
“The topic we recently learned,” he replied simply.
His hand slipped out of my grip, and without another word, he walked out of the classroom — leaving me standing there with more questions than answers.
