The next day felt… different.
I didn't know why.
Maybe it was the way my heart kept expecting something.
Or someone.
---
Classes went by slowly, like time itself was dragging.
I tried to focus.
I really did.
But every time the door opened, my eyes would automatically lift.
Just in case.
Just in case it was him.
---
After lunch, we had library period.
It was one of the quietest places in school.
Rows of books. Soft footsteps. Whispered voices.
I liked it.
But today, even the silence felt strange.
Lily went to pick a book from another section, leaving me alone at the table.
I sighed and opened a random book, pretending to read.
But my mind wasn't on the words.
It was somewhere else.
---
A few minutes later, I looked up absentmindedly.
Through the glass window beside the library, I could see the corridor outside.
Students passing by.
Talking.
Walking.
Everything looked normal.
And then—
Him.
Ethan.
He was walking past the library, probably heading toward the washroom.
My heart skipped instantly.
I tried to act normal, turning slightly toward the window as if I was just looking outside.
But in reality—
I was watching him.
Carefully.
Quietly.
---
And then suddenly—
He looked up.
Straight at me.
For a moment, everything froze.
Our eyes met through the glass window.
Clear.
Unexpected.
Real.
My heart started racing.
I quickly turned my head away, pretending I had just been looking outside.
But it was too late.
He had already seen me.
---
I stared at the book in front of me, but I couldn't read a single word.
Why did that feel so intense?
It was just a look.
Just a moment.
But it didn't feel small.
Not at all.
---
When Lily came back, she sat down beside me.
"You look weird," she said.
"I'm fine," I replied quickly.
But inside—
I wasn't.
Because that moment kept replaying in my mind.
Again and again.
The way he looked at me.
The way our eyes met.
And the way I looked away.
---
And somehow…
It felt like we were getting a little closer.
Without even saying a word.
---
Days passed just like that.
But something inside me had changed.
My feelings for him…
They were growing.
Stronger than before.
More real than I wanted them to be.
---
One evening, while we were walking toward the mess, I finally spoke.
"Lily…" I said softly.
"Hmm?"
"Should I tell him?" I asked nervously. "That I like him…"
She stopped and looked at me properly.
"If you really like him… then yes, you should."
---
But fear instantly filled my mind.
"What if he rejects me?"
"What if he already has a girlfriend?"
"What if all of this is just coincidence… all those times our eyes met?"
I felt nervous just saying it out loud.
"I don't even know what to do…"
---
Lily sighed softly.
"Aria, whatever you want to do… do it now."
I looked at her.
"You don't have much time."
"What do you mean?"
"It's his last year," she said. "After this, he'll pass out and leave."
That word—
Leave.
It hit me hard.
---
"A few months… maybe less," she continued.
"And if you don't tell him… you'll regret it later."
I went silent.
Because deep down—
I knew she was right.
---
If he leaves…
And I never say anything…
I'll always wonder what could have happened.
---
"It's better to face rejection than regret," Lily said gently.
Her words stayed with me.
---
I took a deep breath.
"Yeah… you're right."
Because one day, he will leave.
And if I don't say anything now—
I might never get another chance.
---
But even after realizing that…
The fear didn't disappear.
What if he rejects me?
What if everything changes?
---
"I'm really scared…" I admitted quietly.
And for the first time—
I understood something clearly.
This wasn't just a small crush anymore.
Because now…
Losing him felt like something I wasn't ready for.