As time kept passing, everything seemed to move incredibly fast. I am now in 10th grade. The past three years have been very tough for my family. Slowly, we have learned to live with the pain of losing my father, but even now, I still remember him almost every day. In the end, nothing remains except memories.
Pushing everything aside, I became busy with my regular life again. This year is my board exam, and since I didn't get a good GPA last year, I've been feeling very anxious about it.
One day, during the tiffin period, we went to the canteen. After chatting and finishing our snacks, we were heading back when Elmon suddenly held my hand and pulled me aside. What he said next felt like another shock in my life. In that moment, it felt like all the feelings I had been carrying inside me disappeared.
Elmon told me that he has liked Minsu for a long time. He had been wanting to tell her but never found the right opportunity. Since he is quite introverted, he didn't have the courage to confess directly. So, he asked me to tell Minsu about his feelings.
For a few seconds, I was completely silent. Then, with a small smile, I said,
"Of course, I'll help you. Just tell me what I need to do. But before that, we need to know if Minsu feels the same way about you. If you suddenly confess, it might ruin your friendship."
Hearing this, Elmon agreed and said,
"Then try to find out first if she likes someone or not."
Later, I shared everything with Kavin. I asked him,
"Can you help me with this?"
He replied,
"Of course! But what do we have to do?"
I stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. Then Kavin suddenly said,
"I have an idea. We can play a Truth or Dare game. If Minsu likes someone, we might find out through that."
I smiled and said,
"That's actually a good idea. Next weekend, we're planning to go to the beach. We can play the game there while chatting. Maybe everyone will open up about their feelings."
Then I added,
"And I have some good news too. Our childhood friend Nick—whom we call Piko—is coming next weekend."
Kavin got excited and said,
"Perfect! Then let's go with this plan."
After finishing our conversation, we all went back home.
As soon as I entered my house, I closed my room door and started crying. I kept telling myself,
"It was just one-sided… Everyone has their own feelings, and I have to respect Elmon's feelings too."
All I wanted was for Minsu to accept him… and for them to be happy.
After wiping my tears, I freshened up and did some homework. Later, my mother called me for dinner. Seeing my face, she asked,
"What happened?"
I forced a small smile and said,
"Nothing… I'm just stressed about the upcoming board exam. And… I was thinking about Dad."
She gently comforted me and said,
"Don't worry. Focus on your studies. Your father is watching you from above. His dream is for you and your brother to study well and build a good future."
To be continue...?!