Meoww, Travelers! Welcome to Voice of Rain (Therapy Mode: ON)
Before we continue, I have a question for you.
Do you believe in destiny?
And do you believe that people don’t meet just by coincidence, that there’s always a reason behind it?
To be honest, I’m just as confused as most of you. But the truth is, there are moments in life that feel like miracles, things that happen so unexpectedly that they make you wonder if luck and fate really exist.
Anyway, let’s leave this topic for now…
My name is Sam, and I’m in 10th grade.
Summer vacation had come to an end, and from Monday, school was reopening.
But this summer? It wasn’t like the others.
The story is about last month, when our final exams of the 9th class were about to end.
Everyone in the class was talking about what they would do during their summer holidays, their plans, their trips, their excitement.
But honestly?
I never cared about such conversations.
I’ve never liked making plans. In fact, I find planning completely useless.
Because tell me, do you really know what’s going to happen next in your life?
No.
Making plans only creates expectations, and expectations? They lead to disappointment when things don’t turn out the way you hoped. And when expectations break, all that’s left is sadness.
That’s why I don’t plan anything. Talking about the future is pointless.
The only thing that actually matters right now for me is focusing on our last exam
By the way, I usually prefer being alone, but somehow, I ended up in a friend group.
I never actually joined it. They just added me.
One day, they created a group chat and added me without even asking me. Since then, we’ve been calling each other ‘friends’ though honestly, none of us really knows why this group exists.
But whatever, let me introduce my so-called friends –
Dev – The so-called ‘leader’ of our group. And when I say ‘so-called,’ I mean he gave himself the title, because none of us actually agreed to it. And considering our group has no purpose, the fact that we even need a leader is just… stupid.
Alex – The most handsome guy among us. He’s always there to help everyone and is super supportive, especially when it comes to girls. Maybe that’s why all the girls in our class are his ‘friends.’
Or, well… maybe they just keep him around to get their work done. But let’s not get into that.
Nike – Now, the biggest mystery of our group: Why is he even here?
Nick is crazy, impulsive, and honestly, kind of an idiot. He once set off fireworks outside the principal’s office and put a cup of salt in our teacher’s lunch.’
Because of his madness, he spends most of his time standing outside the classroom as punishment.
And then… there’s me.
A guy who doesn’t want this group but can’t do anything
Anyway, let’s continue
That day, a teacher entered our classroom and said;
“Saint International High School is organizing a debate competition! If anyone wants to participate, submit your name and fees by the last day of exams. This is one of the biggest high school debate competitions in the country, with multiple levels. Students from different schools will compete, and the event will last for five days. If you’re interested, contact me.”
The moment I heard the word “competition,” I immediately lost interest.
I hate competitions. I don’t like the idea of proving myself, the pressure, the expectations, none of it.
But my friends? They were super excited.
Alex turned to me immediately, his face lit up with excitement.
“Hey! So, are you ready to go with us?”
I didn’t even look up.
“No. I’m not interested.”
“What? Why?! It’s gonna be so much fun!” – Alex said loudly.
(Actually, before anyone could go, there was going to be a school-level elimination round. Only those who passed it would be eligible to compete. But apart from participants, some students would also go as the managing team; they wouldn’t perform, but they’d be part of the event.)
And since Alex is our class monitor, he was already selected to go.
But let’s be honest, he didn’t care about the debate. He just wanted to go and have fun.
And somehow… I had a feeling that this “fun trip” was about to pull me into something I never saw coming.
Would I get dragged into this competition despite not wanting to go?
Would this so-called “fun event” turn into something else entirely?
I didn’t know it back then… but this was just the beginning of something stranger than I had ever imagined.
Dev and Nick walked up to us and said—
“Yeah, I’m thinking of participating too. What about you guys?” Dev asked.
“Me too! I’m gonna participate,” Nick added.
“Are you serious, Nick?” Alex looked at him, surprised.
“Are you really planning to compete?” Dev raised an eyebrow.
“No, no, not like that! I don’t want to participate, but I’ll come with you guys and help everyone,” Nick said casually.
Dev smirked. “I don’t think you’ll even make it to the management team with your past record.”
“Stop teasing him. If he wants to go, let him,” I said, brushing it off.
Alex turned to me. “And what about you, Sam? Why aren’t you coming?”
“Because I don’t want to,” I replied instantly, not even thinking about it.
“Oh, come on, what’s the point of going without you? This group feels incomplete without you. And anyway, next year is gonna be super busy with 10th grade. This is our last chance to make some good memories,” Dev insisted.
“Exactly! At least participate in the school round. Whether you go or not will depend on fate, but you should at least give it a shot,” Alex added.
“Yeah! It’ll be more fun if we’re all together,” Nick said excitedly.
I smirked. “First, make sure you even get selected. That’s the hardest task here.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll handle it. Now, you tell me, are you participating?” Nick pressed.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “Alright, alright, I’ll participate in the school round.”
Just then, the bell rang.
Everyone started packing their bags, chatting and laughing as they left the school. Since it was exam season, school hours had been extended, and we were finally dismissed at 6 PM.
As usual, the moment we stepped outside, students flooded the road like a giant swarm. And you know, sometimes I wonder, am I just another face in the crowd? Is this how life is supposed to be?
Well, since my house is far from school, I took the bus every day. Luckily, I got the last window seat, my favorite place after school. As the bus started moving, the noise and chaos of students faded into the background, and I found myself lost in thought.
Next year is going to be tough. I need to score well in my exams to get into a good college. Otherwise, I’ll just be another part of this endless cycle. And then maybe, my kids will end up studying in the same school, following the same path. Sometimes, it feels like a never-ending loop. But I want to break free. I just don’t know how yet.
That’s why I never wanted to waste time on unnecessary competitions. I had planned to use this holiday to prepare for the next year. But for my friends, I could at least give the school-level debate a shot. Not like I’ll get selected anyway, so I’ll automatically be out.
These were the thoughts running through my head when I suddenly realized my stop had arrived. I got off the bus and started walking home.
The city was as busy as ever, with traffic jams, people rushing everywhere. But then, I saw a few kids playing outside their houses, their faces lit up with pure joy. For a moment, their laughter gave me a strange sense of relaxation. They were so unaware of the harshness of the world.
And in that moment, my emotions flipped, one second I felt happy, the next I felt sad.
When I reached home, I was so tired that I went straight to my room, lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
The day after…
I don’t know what woke me up at 4 AM.
Maybe it was the silence.
Maybe the guilt.
Or maybe… that exam pressure was hitting differently today.
Whatever it was, I didn’t overwhelm it.
I got up.
It was the last exam of my 9th class. The final one.
And somehow, I was already wide awake, no alarms needed.
I picked up my books. Studied in complete silence. No noise, no rush, just me and the books.
By 7 AM, I had revised everything.
And after that?
I was just sitting.
Alone.
On that old wooden chair, leaning back, letting my mind drift.
And where does it go?
Straight to the debate competition.
Why now?
I shook my head. Not the time.
Snapped out of it, grabbed my bag, and started packing.
Right then, Grandma walked in.
“Oh! You’re already up? I came to wake you. Well, now that you’re awake, come have breakfast, son. You skipped dinner last night, too.”
Her voice, soft but loaded with love.
“I’m coming, grandma,” I replied.
No more overthinking. I sat down and ate something, finally.
Then, I left for school.
At the bus stop, I stood like every other day, but inside, something felt off.
Not wrong… just different.
Reached school. Still had one hour before the exam.
Some students were cramming like crazy. Others?
Laughing, gossiping, planning holidays like they’ve already got what they wanted, I sat on a bench and opened my book.
One last read. Then the bell rang.
Time froze, and sped up at the same time.
You know what’s weird about exams?
The way three hours disappear like three minutes.
You enter that hall… and boom. It’s over.
My paper went well. But even after that, I felt strange.
Like something was stuck in my head.
Unsettled.
A weight I couldn’t name.
After the paper, the group gathered.
Everyone was hyped, full of analysis. “How was the paper?”, “Was your examiner strict?”, “ etc.”.
Typical exam banter.
Then Dev looked at us and dropped the real question.
“So… everyone ready to register?”
Everyone nodded. Excited.
Except me.
But I had promised them.
So I walked with them. Straight to the office.
Wrote my name.
Done.
Then came the plot twist.
Alex and Nick? Already selected.
Not to perform
But as part of the management team.
Wait, Nick?!
The person who can’t manage his pencil box?
Now managing us in the event?
Anyway… I laughed, but I was actually happy for him.
The competition was in two days.
And just to spice things up,
We’d get the topic 15 minutes before we speak.
No prep. No script.
Just you, your brain, and a mic.
After the registration, we went home.
And I don’t know why, but the moment I sat on my bed that night…
the debate topic, my dad, the promises, the guilt…
Everything started coming back, like a wave. And those waves take me into a deep sleep
(Turn the page please )