The school corridor felt longer than usual.
Every step echoed too loudly in her ears as she walked beside him, the familiar comfort between them strangely fragile. They weren't arguing. They weren't upset. But something had shifted—something quiet, like a pause in a song where the music doesn't return right away.
She kept stealing glances at him.
His hands were in his pockets, shoulders relaxed, but his eyes looked far away, as if he were thinking about something he wasn't ready to share yet. That alone made her chest feel tight.
"Are you tired?" she asked softly.
He blinked, surprised, then smiled—small, careful. "A little. Just thinking."
She nodded, pretending that was enough. But she knew him better than that now. When he thought like this, it meant something mattered.
They reached the school gate, and for a moment neither of them moved.
The afternoon sun painted everything warm gold, and she wished she could freeze time right there—before words complicated things.
"I'll walk you home," he said.
"You don't have to," she replied quickly, then regretted how fast the words came out.
He laughed lightly. "I want to."
That made her smile despite herself.
They walked in comfortable silence, their steps syncing naturally, like they always did. A breeze passed between them, carrying the scent of dust and flowers, and she felt oddly nostalgic, even though nothing was ending. At least… she hoped nothing was.
When they reached her street, she stopped.
"This is me."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
There it was again. That pause.
She turned to face him fully. "You've been acting weird today."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Weird?"
"Distant," she corrected gently. "Did I do something?"
His eyes widened immediately. "No. Never. It's not you."
"Then what is it?"
He opened his mouth—then closed it. His gaze dropped to the ground, and for a moment she thought he wouldn't answer at all.
"I'm just… scared," he admitted quietly.
Her heart skipped. "Scared of what?"
"Of messing this up," he said. "Of saying the wrong thing. Of wanting more than I'm allowed to."
She stared at him, her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her heart.
"More than you're allowed to?" she repeated.
He finally looked at her then, eyes honest and vulnerable. "I like you. A lot. And sometimes I don't know if I'm holding back because it's right… or because I'm afraid."
The world felt too quiet.
She stepped closer without thinking. "You don't have to be afraid with me."
He smiled sadly. "I want to believe that."
She reached out and gently took his hand. His fingers stiffened in surprise before curling around hers, warm and reassuring.
"Look at me," she said.
He did.
"I'm not going anywhere," she continued. "And if we mess up sometimes… we'll fix it. Together."
His grip tightened slightly, like he was anchoring himself to her words.
"You always know what to say," he murmured.
"That's not true," she laughed softly. "I'm just honest."
He chuckled, then grew quiet again, but this time the silence felt lighter.
"I was thinking," he said slowly, "maybe this weekend… we could go somewhere. Just us. No school. No noise."
Her eyes lit up. "Like where?"
He shrugged. "Anywhere you want."
She smiled—bright, real, and unguarded. The kind of smile he loved most.
"Then I'll think about it," she said teasingly.
"Hey," he protested. "That's unfair."
She laughed and squeezed his hand before letting go. "Go home before it gets dark."
He nodded, taking a step back. "Text me when you get inside."
"I will."
He turned to leave, then paused and looked over his shoulder. "You know… I really like the way you smile."
Her cheeks warmed. "Then keep giving me reasons to."
Their eyes met one last time before he walked away.
She stood there longer than she meant to, watching his figure disappear down the road, her heart full and uneasy all at once.
That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her phone buzzed.
A message from him.
Can I ask you something… honestly?
She sat up, fingers hovering over the screen.
Of course.
The typing bubble appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Her heart beat faster as she waited.