Late afternoon — at the bookstore
Rayan and Liana wandered between the bookshelves.
Rayan randomly picked up books, flipping through pages with a serious yet silly expression.
Liana couldn't help but laugh at his antics.
Her laughter burst out freely, genuinely—probably the first time in days she felt this lighthearted.
Rayan glanced at her from the side.
His gaze was warm, as if noticing how rare it was to see Liana smile like this.
"You look… funny when you laugh like that, Lia," he said quietly.
Liana blushed slightly and laughed again, glancing away.
They continued walking, Rayan occasionally showing her absurd books he found, and Liana kept laughing.
Suddenly, their laughter was interrupted by a notification sound from Liana's phone.
She checked the message.
"Oh… right," she muttered, staring at the screen.
It was from her mother: Evan's project group friends were coming over to her house today.
"I completely forgot…" Liana said softly, a little flustered.
Rayan raised an eyebrow, a hint of frustration in his expression.
"So… we have to go now?"
Liana nodded.
"Yeah… sorry. I really forgot."
Rayan exhaled, lowering his head for a moment.
"Ugh… such a hassle. We were having fun too."
Liana smiled faintly, trying to reassure him.
"I'm sorry, Ray. We can come back another time."
Rayan shook his head, half annoyed, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Hmph… fine. Let's go home then."
They left the bookstore together, walking home with a mix of disappointment and warmth.
Rayan kept glancing at Liana from the side, and she smiled, knowing he cared—even if he always expressed it in his unique, slightly grumpy way.
After walking several blocks, they finally stopped in front of Liana's house.
A taxi was waiting by the gate.
Rayan and Liana stood on the sidewalk, each holding their bags.
They looked at each other, the warmth of the afternoon still lingering between them.
Liana smiled, a little shy.
"Thanks, Ray… today was… really fun."
Rayan shrugged casually, but his eyes were soft as he looked at her.
"Hah… yeah, whatever. Don't forget your group work with Evan later."
Liana let out a soft laugh.
"Yeah… yeah, I won't."
The taxi pulled up right beside them.
The driver glanced at them and gave a signal to get in.
Rayan stepped back slightly, still standing on the sidewalk.
Liana got into the taxi.
Before the door closed, Rayan gave a small, subtle smile.
"See you later, Lia."
Liana waved from the window.
"See you, Ray!"
The taxi slowly drove away, leaving Rayan on the sidewalk.
He stood for a moment, watching the taxi disappear down the street, then let out a small smile, holding back a sudden pang of longing.
Rayan turned and began walking home alone, his mind still replaying Liana's laughter from that afternoon.
Rayan walked slowly along the sidewalk, shaking his head.
"Our houses aren't even that far apart…" he muttered softly.
His random, unpredictable behavior didn't stop; he occasionally scolded someone for parking wrong, sometimes stared at a store display, and even nibbled on the leftover chocolate in his pocket.
The energy from their afternoon together with Liana still lingered—he wanted to savor every moment, even though he was already tired.
After a few minutes, he stopped in front of a food delivery spot for teens—a busy but professional place.
Rayan looked around for a moment, then put on a serious expression.
"Alright… before I'm gone… this has to get done," he whispered to himself.
He pulled out a small notebook, checking some numbers—plans to save up, to leave money for his mother.
Though his face seemed calm, inside him was a heavy determination: to make sure his mother would be taken care of when he was no longer there.
Liana entered her home, still smiling softly after the afternoon's walk.
In the kitchen, her mother was preparing some hot tea, the sweet aroma instantly making Liana feel at ease.
"Lia, your group members will be here soon. Are you ready?" her mother asked with a smile.
Liana nodded, placing her bag on a chair.
"Yes, Mom… I was just thinking about a few things on the way home, but now I'm ready," she replied softly.
She sat down for a moment, glancing out the window toward the street.
Even though the warmth of the afternoon had faded, the memory of it still lingered in her smile.
She thought briefly of Rayan, walking alone, random as always—but underneath it, always caring deeply.
Liana took a deep breath, realizing that the warmth from the afternoon had lightened her heart a little, even though the group work waiting at home was about to begin.