THE UNEXPECTED CONFESSION💞

PART -2

Back in the room, Hardik's close friend Ishan was waiting for him. Ishan had heard about the confrontation from another student and was eager to hear the details straight from Hardik.

"So, what happened out there?" Ishan asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Hardik sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "Rahul saved me from those bullies."

Ishan raised an eyebrow. "That's not all, is it? Come on, spill it!"

Hardik hesitated, his cheeks turning a faint pink. "He... he called me beautiful and perfect."

Ishan's eyes widened, and he burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Hardik! That's amazing! I can't believe he said that!"

"Shut up, Ishan!" Hardik protested, his blush deepening. "It's embarrassing."

"Embarrassing? Are you kidding? The school's cricket star thinks you're beautiful! That's like every girl's dream."

"Well, I'm not a girl," Hardik muttered, feeling even more flustered.

Ishan grinned. "No, but you're still lucky. So, what else happened?"

Hardik hesitated again. "He... he kissed me on the cheek."

Ishan's jaw dropped. "No way! This is too good. You're living a fairy tale, my friend."

Hardik rolled his eyes. "It's not a fairy tale, Ishan. It's just... complicated."

"Complicated or not, it's still pretty amazing," Ishan said, clapping Hardik on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you."

Meanwhile, in the cricket team's locker room, Virat Kohli, Rahul's teammate, was giving Rahul a hard time about the whole incident.

"So, I heard you called Hardik beautiful and perfect," Virat teased, a mischievous grin on his face.

Rahul groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can we not talk about this, Virat?"

"Oh, come on! Don't be shy. It's adorable," Virat continued, clearly enjoying himself. "But seriously, why didn't you just kiss him properly?"

Rahul's face turned bright red. "Virat, I swear to God..."

Virat laughed, ducking just in time to avoid Rahul's playful punch. "Alright, alright, calm down. I'm just saying, if you like him, go for it."

"It's not that simple," Rahul muttered, sitting down on the bench.

Virat sat next to him, his tone softening. "Hey, I'm just messing with you. But seriously, if you have feelings for Hardik, you should tell him. Life's too short to keep things bottled up."

Rahul sighed. "I know, but... what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Virat shrugged. "You'll never know until you try. And from what I hear, he didn't exactly push you away, did he?"

Rahul smiled slightly, recalling the blush on Hardik's face. "No, he didn't."

"See? That's a good sign," Virat said encouragingly. "Just take it one step at a time. You've already made the first move."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rahul admitted.

Virat patted him on the back. "Of course I am. Now, let's get back to practice before coach yells at us."

As they walked out to the field, Rahul felt a renewed sense of determination. He didn't know what the future held, but he was ready to face it, one step at a time, with Hardik by his side.