The classroom slowly emptied as the final bell rang. Students packed their bags, chatting about the festival, laughing like nothing had changed.
But for Mandy. Something felt off. Her eyes drifted toward Liam's seat.
Empty. "…He left again," she whispered. It had been like this since yesterday. No waiting.
No talking. No small moments. Just distance. She tightened her grip on her pen slightly.
"…Why does it bother me so much?" She didn't understand it. Liam had always been there.
Not loud. Not demanding. But always present. Someone she could rely on without thinking.
And now, he felt far away. Too far. "…Mandy?" She blinked. Mark stood beside her desk.
"You're spacing out," he said. "…Am I?" she replied quietly. Mark frowned slightly.
"You've been like that since this morning." Mandy looked away. "…It's nothing." But it wasn't nothing.
Mark followed her gaze. Toward Liam's empty seat. "…Is this about him?" Mandy hesitated.
"…I don't know," she admitted softly. Mark leaned against the desk beside her. "He's been acting weird," he said.
"Not just to you. To everyone." "…I know." Silence fell between them. Mark crossed his arms. "Did something happen?"
Mandy shook her head slowly. "No… not that I know of." That was the problem. She didn't know.
And not knowing. Felt worse than anything. "…Maybe he's just tired," Mark said. "…Maybe," Mandy replied.
But deep inside. She knew that wasn't it. Because when Liam said "I'm fine" earlier.
It didn't sound real. Later that day. Mandy walked through the school hallway alone.
The sunlight from the windows cast long shadows across the floor. Everything felt quiet again.
Just like yesterday. Her steps slowed as she reached the staircase. The same place.
The same spot where. She unconsciously stopped. "…Why do I feel like something happened here?"
A strange feeling lingered in her chest. Like a memory she couldn't reach. She shook her head lightly.
"…I'm overthinking." But even as she said it. She couldn't shake the feeling.
Meanwhile. Liam walked home alone. The sky was painted in shades of orange and gold. The sunset stretched endlessly ahead of him.
Normally, he would have enjoyed this view. But today. He barely noticed it. "…I thought it would feel better," he said quietly.
Keeping his distance. Staying away. Not getting involved. That was supposed to make things easier.
But instead. It just felt… empty. He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"…What did I expect?" That everything would suddenly be okay? That he could just forget everything overnight?
"…Yeah, right." He let out a small, humorless laugh. Feelings didn't work like that.
They didn't disappear just because you decided they should. They stayed. Quiet.
Hidden. But still there. Liam stopped walking for a moment.
His mind drifted back. To the festival. To his confession.
To her answer. "I don't feel the same way." And then. To what he saw after.
Her hand in Mark's. "…That's enough," he muttered. He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. No more thinking about it.
No more going back. "…Just move forward." That was all he could do now. Even if it was slow. Even if it hurt.
He started walking again. One step at a time. Back at school. Mandy stood by the window, staring outside.
The sky was turning darker now. Students were leaving one by one. "…Why does it feel like I lost something?"
The thought slipped into her mind before she could stop it. She pressed her hand lightly against the glass. Cold. "…That doesn't make sense."
She still had everything. Her position. Her responsibilities. Her relationship with Mark.
So why . Why did it feel like something was missing? Her eyes lowered slightly.
"…Liam…" She whispered his name without realizing it. And that was the moment.
Something inside her shifted. Not clearly. Not completely. But enough.
To make her realize. That whatever was changing between them… It wasn't something small.
And it wasn't something she could ignore.