I'm in Love with My Enemy : A MaColet's Journey

06

The days leading up to the debate passed quickly. Colet and Maloi were more focused than ever, pouring all their energy into perfecting their arguments. But no matter how hard they tried to stay on track, the growing tension between them was impossible to ignore. Every glance, every touch seemed to carry more meaning than before, and Colet found it harder and harder to keep her emotions in check.

By the time the weekend rolled around, Colet was exhausted—both from the intensity of the preparation and from the emotional whirlwind swirling inside her. She knew she couldn't keep pretending that everything was the same as it had always been. Something had shifted between her and Maloi, and it was becoming harder to ignore.

On Sunday afternoon, Colet decided to clear her head with a walk around the neighborhood. The sky was overcast, and there was a faint smell of rain in the air, but she didn't mind. The cool breeze helped calm her nerves as she wandered through the quiet streets, lost in thought.

She was halfway through the park when she heard a voice calling her name. Turning around, she saw Maloi jogging toward her, wearing a hoodie and looking slightly out of breath. Colet's heart skipped a beat as Maloi reached her, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Hey," Maloi said, catching her breath. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Hey," Colet replied, surprised to see Maloi outside of their usual school setting. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Maloi teased lightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Just needed some air, I guess."

Colet nodded, feeling a little awkward now that Maloi was standing so close. They had spent so much time together lately, but this felt different. There was no debate to focus on, no task to distract them. It was just the two of them, alone in the park, with nothing but their unspoken feelings hanging in the air.

They started walking together, neither of them saying much at first. The silence was comfortable, but there was a tension simmering beneath the surface—one that Colet knew they couldn't ignore forever.

As they reached a small gazebo in the center of the park, the first drops of rain began to fall, pattering softly against the ground. Colet glanced up at the darkening sky, then turned to Maloi.

"We should probably head back," Colet suggested, but Maloi didn't move. Instead, she looked at Colet with an intensity that made Colet's heart race.

"Colet," Maloi said quietly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. "There's something I need to say."

Colet felt her breath catch in her throat. She had been dreading this moment, but also longing for it—wanting to know what was really going on between them, but terrified of what it might mean.

"I've been trying to figure this out," Maloi continued, taking a step closer to Colet. "I've spent so much time seeing you as my rival, as someone I had to compete against. But now... I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like there's more between us than just that."

Colet's heart was pounding in her chest as she stared at Maloi, the rain falling harder now, soaking them both. She knew exactly what Maloi was talking about—she had felt it too, that shift, that pull between them that had nothing to do with competition and everything to do with something deeper.

"I feel it too," Colet admitted, her voice shaking with emotion. "I've been trying to ignore it, but... I can't anymore."

Maloi took another step closer, so close now that Colet could see the droplets of rain clinging to her lashes, the way her dark eyes searched Colet's face for some kind of reassurance.

"I don't know what this means," Maloi said softly. "But I don't want to pretend it's not there anymore."

Colet swallowed hard, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. She had never expected this, never thought that the person she had spent years competing against could become someone she cared about in a way that went beyond rivalry. But here they were, standing in the rain, with nothing but honesty between them.

"I don't know what it means either," Colet whispered. "But I'm willing to find out."

For a moment, they just stood there, the rain pouring down around them, soaking their clothes and hair. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that small, quiet space.

And then, without thinking, Colet reached out and took Maloi's hand. It was a small gesture, but it felt like a monumental step—one that neither of them could take back.

Maloi looked down at their intertwined hands, then back up at Colet, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I guess we'll figure it out together."

Colet smiled back, her heart finally starting to calm as she realized that maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something new—something that neither of them had expected, but both of them were willing to explore.

As they walked back through the rain, hand in hand, Colet couldn't help but feel like the walls between them had finally started to crumble. And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was fighting against Maloi anymore. Instead, they were walking side by side—ready to face whatever came next, together.