The Moon Shines when the Sun Isn't Around

Part 6

The next day at school, Oreo walked into class with a knot in her stomach. She didn't know what to expect. Would King ignore her? Would he be mad? Or worse, would he act like nothing had happened, brushing it off like he always did?

As she made her way to her desk, her eyes darted around the room. King wasn't there yet. She let out a small breath of relief, glad for the extra time to think. The gift card and snacks were still in her bag, and every time she thought about them, her chest tightened with guilt.

She sat down, pretending to focus on her notebook, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying the scene from yesterday. What if King didn't show up? What if he was so upset that he decided to avoid her? She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. King wasn't like that... right?

A few minutes later, the door creaked open, and she felt the familiar presence before she even saw him. King walked in, casual as ever, but there was something different in the way he moved today—slower, more reserved. He glanced her way briefly, and their eyes met for just a second before he looked away and walked toward a seat across the room.

He wasn't sitting by her.

Oreo's heart sank. She had hoped—no, expected—that things might go back to normal after a day, but seeing him take a seat on the opposite side of the classroom stung. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus on her notebook. But the words on the page blurred as her mind raced.

She felt a pit growing in her stomach, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She thought about the note again, about how he had tried to make peace with her, and how she had stuffed it in her bag without a second thought. Now, it felt like the weight of that unopened gesture was crushing her.

Class went on as usual, but there was a strange tension in the air. King didn't make any jokes, didn't lean over to whisper something funny. He didn't even glance her way. Oreo kept stealing glances at him, waiting for any sign that he might speak up, crack a smile, do something to signal that things were okay between them. But he didn't.

---

By the time the bell rang, Oreo was on edge. She packed up her things slowly, waiting for the room to empty out so she could talk to King. She couldn't let it end like this, with things so weird between them. As the last few students filtered out, she finally built up the nerve and approached him.

King was gathering his stuff, his back turned to her. Oreo hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat.

**Oreo:** "King... can we talk?"

He didn't turn around immediately. When he finally did, his face was calm, but there was something guarded in his expression, something that made Oreo's chest tighten with regret.

**King:** "What's up?"

His voice was neutral, almost too casual. It was a far cry from his usual teasing tone, and it made Oreo feel worse.

She shifted her weight, suddenly unsure of what to say. The words she had planned felt inadequate now that she was face-to-face with him. She opened her mouth, then closed it, feeling the weight of the silence between them.

**Oreo:** "I... I'm sorry." 
She blurted it out, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes darted to the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

King raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything right away. He leaned back slightly, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied her.

**King:** "For what?"

Oreo's heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she forced herself to look up at him. His face was unreadable, and that made it even harder for her to continue.