Morning came like any other day. The sun rose. Students filled the school grounds.
Voices echoed through the hallways. Everything felt normal. Too normal.
Liam sat in his usual seat, his gaze fixed on the window beside him. The sky was clear.
Bright. Peaceful. It didn't match how he felt. "…So this is what it's like," he thought quietly.
To know the truth. To see something you weren't meant to see. To understand… without anyone telling you.
"Hey, Liam!" He blinked. Mark dropped into the seat beside him, as casual as ever.
"You look like you didn't sleep," Mark said, stretching his arms. "…Maybe I didn't," Liam replied calmly.
Mark chuckled. "What, still thinking about the festival?" Liam paused for a second. "…Something like that."
He didn't look at him. Didn't want to. Because now. Every time he saw Mark. He saw more than just a friend.
He saw the truth. A secret. And somehow… That made everything feel distant. "Good morning, everyone!"
Mandy's voice filled the room. Liam's hand tightened slightly on his desk. He didn't turn.
Didn't look. Not this time. "…Why am I avoiding her?" he thought. The answer was obvious.
Because if he looked. He might remember everything again. Her smile. Her voice.
The way she rejected him gently… And what he saw after. "Liam?" He froze.
That voice. "…Yeah?" he answered without turning. "I need the attendance sheet," Mandy said.
Her tone was the same as always. Calm. Polite. Normal. As if nothing had changed.
As if she wasn't hiding anything. "…Here," he said, handing it back without meeting her eyes. Their fingers brushed slightly.
He pulled away immediately. Too quickly. Mandy noticed. Her hand lingered for just a second longer than necessary.
"…Thanks," she said softly. But Liam didn't respond. He just looked back at the window.
Like she wasn't there. A small silence formed between them. Unnoticed by everyone else.
But not by her. Classes continued. Lessons passed. Time moved forward like it always did.
But something was different. Liam didn't laugh with his friends. Didn't join conversations. Didn't even glance toward Mandy.
He was there. But not really there. "…He's acting weird," one classmate whispered.
"Yeah, since yesterday." Mandy heard it. And she couldn't deny it.
She had noticed it too. More than anyone else. Lunch break. Students gathered in groups, filling the classroom with noise again.
Liam stayed in his seat. Alone. That wasn't like him. "…Liam," Mandy called softly.
He didn't respond immediately. "…What is it?" he asked after a pause. She walked closer.
"Are you okay?" Simple question. But it carried something more. Concern.
Liam looked up at her for the first time that day. Their eyes met. And for a moment.
Everything felt the same again. But only for a moment. "…I'm fine," he said. Too quick.
Too simple. Mandy frowned slightly. "You don't look fine." "…I said I'm fine."
His tone wasn't angry. Just… closed. Distant. Mandy was taken aback. He had never spoken to her like that before.
"…Did I do something?" she asked quietly. Liam's expression froze for a second. That question. If only she knew.
"…No," he said. And that was the truth. She didn't do anything wrong. She just… loved someone else.
"…Then why are you acting like this?" Liam looked away again. "…I'm just tired."
A lie this time. Mandy didn't move. Didn't speak.
Because she knew. That wasn't the real reason. But she didn't know what the real reason was.
"…Alright," she said softly. And stepped back. Returning to her seat. But her thoughts didn't return to normal.
They stayed with him. After school. Liam packed his things quickly.
No delays. No staying behind. He stood up and walked out of the classroom without looking back.
"…Liam," Mandy called. But he didn't stop. Didn't turn.
Didn't answer. He just kept walking. And disappeared into the hallway. Mandy stood there.
Watching the empty doorway. Her chest felt… strange. Tight.
Uncomfortable. "…Why does this feel like this?" she whispered. She placed a hand lightly on her chest.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. But she didn't understand it.
Not yet.
Meanwhile, outside the school gates, Liam walked alone. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the ground.
Everything looked the same. But he felt different. "…This is better," he told himself.
Keeping distance. Not expecting anything. Not hoping for anything.
"…Yeah." He nodded slightly. As if convincing himself. "…This is enough."
But deep inside. Something still hurt. And he knew. It wouldn't disappear that easily.
Not yet.