Maria Takahashi

The bell rang, signaling the start of the new school year. Maria adjusted her white nurse uniform, her hands steady, her expression calm. No one knew the storm that hid behind her soft, composed face. She walked through the school halls, nodding politely to staff and students alike. A quiet woman who everyone assumed was just there to treat scrapes and colds. But Maria’s eyes saw everything In the nurse’s office, she organized bandages and medicine, but her ears were open. Every cough, every whispered conversation, every nervous glance from the students reached her. She noticed a group of familiar faces — the ones responsible for her son’s suffering. They didn’t recognize her. They had grown arrogant, believing that time had erased the past.