Heartstrings Unraveled

Chapter 1: Feelings were Destined

Chapter 1: Feelings were Destined.

Sario used to think love never existed, like it didn't feel real to him. Whenever he was with a girl, he didn't feel those "sparks" that people usually described. To him, love seemed like a concept made up in stories and movies, something that was always out of reach. He had gone through the motions of dating, holding hands, and sharing moments that should have felt special, but there was always something missing. The warmth, the excitement, the undeniable connection—none of it was there for him. It was as if he was watching a movie of his own life, detached and unaffected by the emotions that were supposed to make his heart race. He just assures himself and says:

"Maybe she's not the one."

Sario had been saying that all his life, yearning and hoping that he'd find his 'one true love'. But the only thing the world had given him was a spit in the face, leaving him to grapple with the bitter taste of disappointment and the gnawing ache of unfulfilled dreams. He has always been one for believing in fantasies and happy endings where the main character of all stories found their 'one true love' in the end, yet reality seemed more determined than ever to mock his optimism at every turn.

Ultimately, he'd slowly stopped dreaming for his non-existent 'one true love' since he was sick of being a desperate, hopeless-romantic who only ever cared about love or some foolish love-fantasy. The woman of his dreams just didn't exist, so why the hell should he search if it'll just leave him wandering around in circles; like an endless cycle.

Sario lets out a deep breath, his shoulders relaxed and not so stiff anymore. It was just an average school day for him - dull and boring like it always is, but school kind of saved him from boredom half of the time. The only reason why he had mixed feelings about school was because he could see Elnio everyday and talk about the most random things out of the blue. Elnio is his childhood friend and best friend in the entire world, he wouldn't choose anyone over him! They have been friends for over a decade now and are still inseparable ever since they were young. When Sario needed someone to talk to, he would always welcome him with open arms. Sometimes, he'd rant to him about love or whatever problems he had in which Elnio gave the best advice despite not being the best at it from what he says, but Sario would beg to differ.

He was making his way to school, his shoes gently pressing down against the concrete sidewalk. Each step he took, gradually closing the distance between him and the school building. His eyes were wandering around the streets, taking in the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere around him. It was just Sario and his empty thoughts alone when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Sario, hey! Wait up!" A cheerful voice calls out.

From what he knows, the voice sounded more like a guy's than a girl's voice, but why the hell would it be a girl? He wasn't really that close with any of the girls in his class since whenever he would talk to them, the conversation would be awkward and extremely forced. The person was running, their footsteps were getting closer and audible the second. Their breathing was short and somewhat ragged. Sario could tell that they were getting close, he turned around to look at the person, his face lit up brighter than any luminous light that could ever exist when he saw who it was, his heart beating rapidly inside his chest.

"Ah, hey, Elnio!" Sario greeted happily, a smile playing on his lips. "What's up, man?"

"Well, nothing really," Elnio answered with a small chuckle, returning the black-haired boy's smile. "I'm surprised to see that you're not counting how many friends you had or something." He teased, his voice laced with a hint of playfulness.

Elnio is really casual yet still full of energy at the same time. He's really kind and friendly towards Sario and mostly everyone, his smile always radiating pure energy that made him really attractive in some way that even himself couldn't resist whenever he smiled at him. Though, he gets pretty annoyed and irritated easily and could go off as sassy or just really angry overall. If there was one thing that could describe Elnio it would be the fact that his smile was as bright as the sun. He is skinnier than most of us yet his cheeks are also a little chubby which makes him look so cute - just like a red panda.