Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows

I said, “Oh man, it was such a surprise! As soon as he got jolted awake, his expression changed, and he sat up straight as a pin without a word.
Seeing him like that snapped everyone else out of their daydreams. No one wanted to get in trouble. We didn’t find out until after class that they were
cousins!”
Marie burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. “His cousin sounds like a character! And his name—something unique, right? I remember
you mentioned it before. Was it King something?”
“Lord?” Jonah chimed in out of the blue.
“That's it, haha!” Marie clapped her hands with delight.
Later on, I found out that Jonah had slyly joined the parents' group chat and memorized every single classmate's name.
...

I’m not big on gadgets, so I’ve got this routine where I flip through the newspaper during breakfast.
As I grabbed the paper he handed over, the bold black headline hit me: “Shocking! High School Sweethearts Flunk Exams After Romance!”
I picked up another newspaper. Another bold headline: “Beware! A Tragic Accident Fueled by Young Love.”
I looked up.
Jonah, with a straight face, said, “See? I told you young love is no good, didn’t I?”
I pointed at the newspapers and said softly, “But “The Daily Chronicle’ stopped publishing in 2008, and “Morning News’ folded in 2015.”
He was at a loss for words. Honestly, who knew he had the knack for faking newspapers?
...
Our homeroom teacher announced a parents' meeting on Monday, themed around gratitude.
This time, I wanted Marie to come along. But she turned me down again, saying she wasn’t cut out for these things.
Jonah, on the other hand, was all in, claiming he was free as a bird. If I’d known what was coming, I'd have gone solo rather than let Jonah tag along!
At the meeting, our homeroom teacher gave a series of heartfelt speeches, setting the stage for a wave of gratitude.

Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows

Chapter 43
Under the Veil I Rule
Chapter 305
The classroom had been rearranged into a square, with parents seated and students standing right across from them.
As the music started, we sang and moved with it.
Initially, everyone felt awkward, but as the music flowed and our teacher passionately guided us, people gradually got into it, and soon enough,
parents’ eyes were glistening with emotion.
...
Everyone was wrapped up in the sentiment.
Jonah leaned back in his chair, slightly tilting his chin up, his gaze burning with a new, intense directness.
When our eyes met, his stare made me jittery, my heart thumping like crazy. I botched the gestures by accident. Given my reputation for singing off-
key, the teacher had already asked me to mime, and now, being offbeat, I felt even more out of place.
The classroom’s atmosphere hit its peak with the music, the singing around me occasionally breaking with sobs, parents' eyes brimming with tears,
and sniffles echoing all around.
I stood there awkwardly, unable to squeeze out a single tear.
Reading History