The class was finally over.
Ravie sat on his chair for a few seconds after the. The room was loud. Chairs moved. Bags closed. Students laughed and talked about food, plans, and rest. Ravie did not join them. He felt tired in a quiet way, not the kind that came from work, but from thinking too much.
The classroom was on the second floor of the department building. The walls were yellow, and green. The windows were open, and warm air came inside. Outside, the sun was already low. The day was ending.
Ravie slowly placed his notebook inside his bag. He checked if his pen was there, then zipped the bag closed. He stood up and walked out of the room with calm steps.
The hallway was long and bright. Many students walked past him. Some were in groups. Some were alone, like him. Footsteps echoed on the floor. The smell of food came from somewhere below. Ravie looked straight ahead and kept walking.
He felt free, but also heavy.
This day was normal. Too normal. That sometimes made him uneasy.
He walked down the stairs and reached the ground floor. The main door of the building was open wide. Outside, the university yard was full of life. Students sat on benches. Some talked loudly. Some studied. Some just rested.
Ravie stepped outside.
The sun touched his face, warm and soft. He closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath. This was his favorite time of day. Not too bright. Not too dark. Just enough light to breathe.
He walked across the yard toward the gate. The sound of the city slowly grew louder. Cars passed by. People talked. Vendors called out to students.
Outside the gate, tricycles were lined up. They waited for passengers. The drivers talked to each other or looked at their phones. Some smoked. Some stared at the road.
Ravie walked toward one of the tricycles near the end of the line. It looked old but clean. The driver was quiet, an older man with kind eyes.
Ravie stopped beside the tricycle.
"Can you take me home?" Ravie asked.
The driver nodded. "Yes, get in."
Ravie sat inside. The seat was hard, but he did not mind. He placed his bag beside him and leaned back.
The tricycle did not move yet.
The driver was waiting.
Ravie looked outside. More students came out of the gate. Some waved at friends. Some ran to catch rides. Some stood and waited, just like him.
Time passed slowly.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
The air felt warmer. Ravie wiped his hands on his pants. He did not know why he felt nervous. He told himself he was just tired.
Fifteen minutes.
The street felt louder now. Another tricycle left. Another one filled up. Ravie stayed where he was.
Twenty minutes.
The driver looked back at him. "We still need one more," the driver said.
Ravie nodded. "It's okay."
He looked down at his hands. His fingers moved without meaning. He tried to think of something else. Dinner. Homework. Sleep.
Then he felt it.
A strange pull in his chest.
Ravie looked up.
Someone was walking toward the tricycle.
The boy walked slowly, like he was unsure. His steps were careful. His head was slightly down, but his eyes looked forward.
Ravie felt his breath stop.
It was Dave.
Dave looked older. His hair is shorter now. His shoulders looked wider. He wore a simple shirt and jeans. Nothing special. But to Ravie, he felt too familiar.
Too close.
Dave stopped a few steps away from the tricycle.
Their eyes met.
The world seemed to slow down.
Ravie felt his heart beat hard against his chest. His ears rang. The noise of the street faded. All he could see was Dave standing there.
Dave froze.
His face changed. Surprise came first. Then shock. Then something deeper. Something unreadable.
Dave did not move.
Ravie did not move.
The space between them felt heavy. Thick with memories.
The driver cleared his throat. "Are you riding?" the driver asked Dave.
Dave did not answer right away.
He looked at Ravie again. His eyes searched Ravie's face, like he was trying to understand if this was real.
Ravie swallowed.
He wanted to look away, but he could not. His body felt stiff. His chest felt tight. He remembered too much in one second.
Late nights. Soft laughter.
Promises whispered in quiet places. And then silence.
Dave took a small step forward, then stopped.
He hesitated.
Ravie noticed it right away.
Dave's hands clenched into fists. His jaw tightened. His eyes dropped to the ground.
He knew. Dave knew it was Ravie.
The ex.
The person he once loved. The person he left.
The driver waited, confused. "Are you riding or not?"
Dave opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Ravie felt pain rise slowly in his chest. Not sharp. Just deep and heavy. The kind that never really leaves.
He had prepared himself for many things in life. Exams. Failure. Being alone.
But not this. Not seeing Dave again like this.
In a tricycle.
After twenty minutes of waiting. After thinking the day was normal.
Dave took a breath.
"I'm sorry," Dave said softly, not looking at the driver. His voice was low. Almost broken.
Ravie's fingers curled. Dave took a step back.
"I'll take another one," Dave said.
The driver shrugged. "Alright."
Dave turned around.
For a second, Ravie thought Dave would look back. That he would say something. Anything.
But Dave did not.
He walked away.
Each step felt like it echoed inside Ravie's chest.
The tricycle finally moved. The engine started. The street passed by.
Ravie stayed silent.
He stared at the road ahead, but he saw nothing. His mind replayed the moment again and again. Dave's face. His hesitation. His choice to walk away.
Just like before.
Ravie pressed his lips together. He told himself he was fine. But his heart said otherwise.
The greatest love always leaves the greatest hurt.