The medical camp continued.
Busy.
Structured.
Normal.
At least—
That's how it looked.
Anaya tried to focus on her work.
Students.
Attendance.
Coordination.
Anything but—
Him.
But somehow—
Her eyes kept drifting.
Unintentionally.
And that's when she noticed.
Near the far end of the corridor—
Reyansh stood with one of the teachers.
The math teacher.
Strict.
Reserved.
Someone who barely smiled.
And yet—
She was smiling.
Not just politely.
But openly.
Talking.
Engaged.
And Reyansh—
Was smiling back.
Not his professional smile.
Not the calm, measured one.
But something lighter.
Easier.
Anaya's steps slowed.
Her gaze fixed on them.
"…what?"
The math teacher leaned slightly forward, saying something.
Reyansh nodded.
Responded.
And she laughed softly.
Anaya blinked.
"…since when does she laugh like that?"
Something inside her shifted.
Small.
But noticeable.
She looked away.
Immediately.
"…why am I even noticing this?"
It shouldn't matter.
Right?
He was talking.
Just talking.
Work.
Reports.
Nothing else.
And yet—
Her chest felt…
Strange.
Not heavy.
Not painful.
Just—
Unsettled.
"…this is stupid."
She picked up a file, pretending to read it.
But her focus—
Gone.
Her mind kept going back.
To that smile.
That ease.
"…he smiles like that with others too."
The thought came quickly.
Almost defensively.
Of course he does.
Why wouldn't he?
She pressed her lips together slightly.
"…then why does it feel different?"
Her fingers tightened around the paper.
Because the way he talked to her—
The way he looked at her—
Had felt…
Different.
Or maybe—
She had just imagined it.
"…yeah."
That had to be it.
She looked up again.
Without meaning to.
They were still there.
Still talking.
Still—
Smiling.
Something inside her twisted slightly.
"…okay, I don't like that."
The realization came sudden.
Unfiltered.
And it surprised her.
Because since when—
Did she care?
"Ma'am?"
She blinked, snapping back again.
"Yes?"
A student stood in front of her.
Asking something.
She answered automatically.
But her thoughts—
Still there.
Across the corridor—
Reyansh finally stepped away.
Conversation over.
His eyes moved instinctively.
Searching.
And found her.
Standing there.
Quiet.
A little too quiet.
He frowned slightly.
"…what happened?"
He walked toward her.
Without thinking.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
She looked up at him.
And for a second—
She almost said it.
Why were you smiling like that?
But that sounded—
Ridiculous.
So instead—
"Yeah," she said.
Too quickly.
He didn't believe it.
"Anaya."
That tone again.
Soft.
But firm.
"…what?"
"You look bothered."
Her breath hitched slightly.
"I'm not."
A pause.
Then—
"…you were busy."
He frowned.
"I still am."
She nodded.
"…yeah. With everyone."
The words slipped out.
Before she could stop them.
Silence.
Reyansh's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…everyone?"
Anaya immediately looked away.
"…I mean work."
Too late.
Because now—
He understood.
A faint shift in his expression.
Not obvious.
But there.
"…oh."
The realization settled.
Slow.
But clear.
And unexpectedly—
Something in him…
Lightened.
"…you noticed."
He didn't smile.
Not openly.
But his tone softened slightly.
"That was about reports," he said.
Anaya nodded.
"I know."
Another pause.
"But you were smiling."
There it was.
Small.
Quiet.
But honest.
Reyansh looked at her for a second longer.
Then—
"…so?"
Her head snapped up.
"…so?"
He stepped a little closer.
Not too much.
Just enough.
"I smile when I talk," he said calmly.
She frowned slightly.
"…not like that."
Silence.
And then—
That faintest hint of a smile appeared again.
"…like what?"
Her cheeks warmed instantly.
"I don't know."
She looked away again.
Frustrated.
At him.
At herself.
"…forget it."
She turned slightly—
But he spoke again.
"I don't talk like that with everyone."
She stopped.
Slowly—
Turned back.
Their eyes met.
"And you would know the difference?" he added quietly.
Her breath caught.
Because—
She did.
Even if she didn't want to admit it.
A soft silence settled again.
This time—
Different.
Charged.
"…you're overthinking," he said finally.
But the way he said it—
Didn't dismiss her.
It acknowledged her.
And somehow—
That made it worse.
Because now—
She couldn't ignore it anymore.
That feeling.
That small, irrational—
Very real feeling.
Jealousy.
The rest of the day didn't go the same.
At least—
Not for them.
Reyansh returned to work.
Students.
Reports.
Checkups.
Everything continued as it should.
But something had shifted.
Because now—
He was aware.
Aware of the way she had looked at him.
Aware of the pause in her voice.
Aware of that one word—
"everyone."
And strangely—
It stayed with him.
"…jealous?"
The thought crossed his mind.
And didn't leave.
Not in a mocking way.
Not even fully certain.
But enough.
He found himself looking for her again.
More than before.
Across the corridor.
Near the staff desk.
By the classroom door.
And every time—
She was there.
But not really.
Because now—
She avoided his eyes.
Subtle.
But clear.
She turned away too quickly.
Focused too hard on her work.
Didn't linger.
Didn't pause.
"…what's she doing?"
He frowned slightly.
Because this—
This wasn't what he expected.
He had stepped closer.
But she—
Had taken a step back.
Later—
He caught her alone.
Near the staircase.
"Anaya."
She stopped.
But didn't turn immediately.
"…yes?"
Her tone—
Normal.
Too normal.
That confirmed it.
"Are you avoiding me?"
Straight.
No hesitation.
She turned now.
Brows pulling together slightly.
"…what? No."
A lie.
And both of them knew it.
"You are."
"I'm not," she insisted, a little firmer this time.
A pause.
Then—
"I'm just busy."
Reyansh took a step closer.
Not aggressive.
But deliberate.
"So am I."
Her breath caught slightly.
"And I still talk to you," he added.
That—
That hit.
She looked away.
"…that's different."
"How?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Because she didn't know how to explain something—
She didn't fully understand herself.
"…it just is."
Silence.
Reyansh studied her for a moment.
Trying to read what she wasn't saying.
And then—
He softened.
Just slightly.
"Is this about earlier?"
Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides.
"…no."
Another lie.
He exhaled quietly.
"You didn't like it."
That made her look at him again.
"…what?"
"The way I was talking to her."
Direct.
Unavoidable.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Silence.
Because now—
There was nowhere to hide.
"…you're assuming things," she said finally.
"And you're denying them."
The words were calm.
Not accusing.
But they still landed.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"…I just don't like things that don't make sense."
That was the closest she could get to the truth.
Reyansh's gaze softened again.
"And this doesn't?"
She shook her head slightly.
"…no."
A pause.
"Then ask."
Her breath stilled.
"…what?"
"If something doesn't make sense," he said quietly, "ask me."
That sounded simple.
Too simple.
But it wasn't.
Because asking meant—
Facing whatever answer came.
And she wasn't sure she was ready for that.
"…it's nothing," she said again.
Reyansh watched her for a second longer.
Then—
He stepped even closer.
Not enough to invade her space.
But enough—
To make her aware of him.
"It's not nothing," he said quietly.
Her breath hitched.
Because now—
It felt too close.
Too real.
"…why do you care?" she asked suddenly.
The question slipped out.
Unexpected.
Raw.
Reyansh froze.
Because that—
That was the question.
The one he didn't have a safe answer for.
"…because I do," he said finally.
No explanation.
No justification.
Just truth.
And somehow—
That made everything worse.
Anaya looked at him.
Really looked this time.
Because that answer—
Wasn't casual.
Wasn't light.
It meant something.
Something she wasn't ready to name yet.
Her heart felt unsteady again.
"…I need to go," she said quietly.
And before he could say anything—
She stepped back.
Then turned.
Walking away.
Reyansh didn't stop her.
Didn't follow.
But his gaze stayed on her.
Because now—
He understood something clearly.
He wasn't the only one feeling this.
She was too.
Even if she didn't realize it yet.
And that—
Made him step closer again.
Even when he knew—
It might push her further away.