Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

17. The Beauty I Never Noticed Before

I stood up, excusing myself from the circle under the guise of wanting to explore a bit. But in reality, my mind was preoccupied with finding her. My feet took me down one of the small trails by the river, past some bushes and tall grass. After a few minutes of walking, I paused as I spotted her. Sarah was crouched down, completely engrossed in playing with a kitten, her lips pursed as she whistled a soft tune. She looked peaceful, away from the chaos of the group, just quietly enjoying the moment.

I took a step toward her, but as I got closer, my foot crunched on a dry leaf, startling both Sarah and the kitten. The little creature darted off into the bushes, and she glanced up at me, her face caught between surprise and frustration.

"Sorry," I said quickly, feeling bad for scaring away her tiny companion. "Didn't mean to sneak up on you."

She sighed but didn't seem too upset.

"What are you doing here? And did you just... whistle?" I asked, my eyes wide with surprise.

She turned to me, a playful smirk on her face. "You mean this?" she asked, and then, as if it were the easiest thing in the world, she started whistling again, effortlessly producing a clear, melodious sound.

I watched her in amazement and tried to mimic her, but all that came out was a puff of air. She stifled a laugh and said, "It takes practice."

She patiently showed me how to position my tongue and lips, guiding me through the steps. I followed her instructions, trying over and over. After what felt like an eternity of failed attempts, I finally managed to make a small, shrill whistle. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

Sarah chuckled, "Nice job."

I grinned back. "You're a good teacher. No wonder the rest of the class sticks to you like glue during exams."

She raised an eyebrow and said with mock seriousness, "Actually, I was saying 'nice job' to me for teaching you so accurately."

I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress a smile. "Whatever," I said with a little annoyance.

The moment felt easy, light, and heartwarming.

Sarah tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowing in curiosity. "Why are you here?" she asked, her tone light but curious. "Everyone's still playing the game. Why did you leave?"

The wind picked up a little, gently blowing her silky, straight hair into her eyes. She casually tucked it behind her ears. I noticed something I hadn't paid attention to before. While other girls wore their hair down for occasions like this, Sarah always had hers in a practical ponytail. No flashy clothes either, just a plain sweatshirt and jeans. Not trying to stand out, still there was a quiet beauty in her simplicity.

"We could be friends," I said, almost impulsively. She looked up, surprised, her eyes searching mine as if trying to understand what I meant.
I backtracked. "Can't we?" I asked, a little softer this time.

She hesitated for a moment, her expression unreadable, but then she slowly extended her hand toward me.

I took her hand for a handshake, feeling the warmth of her palm. And with this, I was a step closer to her.

Vicky suddenly popped up beside me, she excused herself and disappeared into the throng of classmates.
"Dude, did you hear what I said?" he asked, his voice full of excitement, but I was too distracted to process anything he said. My eyes were still fixed on Sarah. I barely registered his words. She was always the go-to person during exams, the one people flocked to for notes, homework, and last-minute clarification. Once the exams were done, no one seemed to care whether she was there or not.

Kiera approached me. "Come on, why don't you join the game?" she asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

I shrugged her off, not really in the mood. "Not feeling it."

She didn't press further, but before she walked away, I called out, "Why don't you get Sarah to join? She's sitting all alone over there."

She glanced in the direction I was looking, then shrugged. "Sarah's not into these games," she said nonchalantly.

She must be lonely, I thought, watching her from a distance. And that day I pitied her.