Indhu's POV
The morning sun spilled into the school corridors, but the air felt different. Not the usual chatter — this was full-on exam tension. The quarterly exam timetable had just been announced, and V5 was scattered across different classrooms.
Honestly? I didn't even care about the timetable at first. I was more worried that my snacks were over at home. Priorities.
Charlotte and I stood together, flipping through the timetable sheet.
"Great," she groaned, "we're in the same room. At least I'll have moral support."
I chuckled. "Moral support, or just someone to make faces at when the questions are impossible?"
Meanwhile, Shweta and Rohan were assigned to another classroom. From what I could see, they were pretending to study but mostly whispering and exchanging dramatic expressions.
"This is unfair," Shweta whispered to Rohan, loud enough for us to hear later. "We'll only get to see them during breaks."
Rohan smirked. "Exactly… more time to plan our 'strategic distraction' during the exam."
Shweta giggled.
Typical.
Aditya, on the other hand, was seated alone in a completely different classroom. I could see him from across the corridor earlier — already absorbed in his notes. His pen moved quickly, focused as always. But once or twice, I noticed his eyes drift toward the empty seat beside him — the one where I usually sit.
I told myself I probably imagined that.
Later in the morning, Charlotte, Shweta, and I huddled near a window to discuss study plans.
"Honestly," I sighed, "I feel like I need a schedule for my schedule. Everything is so mixed up."
Charlotte nodded dramatically. "Yeah, and I keep forgetting which subject comes first. History? Science? Math?"
Shweta, being the responsible one, said, "We just need to focus. Half an hour per chapter, review mistakes from last exams, and maybe… a little fun break."
I smiled. "Fun break… like sharing silly study notes?"
She nodded. "Exactly. Or imagining what Aditya is doing right now — probably writing notes in perfect handwriting while secretly glancing at the clock for his best friend."
Charlotte blinked. "Wait… what?"
I laughed quickly. "I mean… I'm just saying… people can multitask, right?"
Shweta gave me that knowing grin, and Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"V5. Always dramatic. Even during exams."
The morning crawled by.
Half-day exams meant we couldn't really interact with Aditya or Rohan until lunch. And for some reason, that separation made everything feel slightly off.
I caught myself thinking about Aditya more than I should have. His calm face. His focused silence. The way he always seemed distant but somehow present at the same time.
Why was I even overthinking this during exams?
At lunch, we finally regrouped near the benches outside.
Rohan nudged Shweta. "So… did you survive the morning without plotting?"
She winked. "Barely. But Indhu, how's your 'perfect Aditya observation skills' going?"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop smiling. "Fine. He's… studying. As usual."
Right on cue, Aditya joined us, holding his lunch box. He gave us a small smile and sat down quietly, not mentioning the earlier teasing at all.
I nudged Charlotte softly. "See? He's totally normal. Calm. Not even noticing our little theories about him."
Charlotte whispered back, "Or pretending he's not noticing. Classic Aditya move."
Shweta laughed. "Come on, let's just eat. Exams are stressful enough. We don't need extra tension."
We settled down under the trees, sharing snacks and teasing each other lightly. For a moment, the exam stress faded.
I glanced at Aditya again. He was quietly jotting something in his notebook — probably revising, because of course he was.
I smiled to myself.
Even when we were separated by classrooms, half-day schedules, and exam pressure, V5 still felt… whole.
I overheard Rohan whisper to Shweta, "We need to make a plan for after exams. Something fun. Reward ourselves."
She nodded. "Definitely. But first, survive the morning. Then conquer the afternoon."
I laughed softly.
Exams might bring chaos. Timetables might scatter us.
But our bond?
Unbroken.