BETWEEN HEARTS

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Each day that passed between Kaner Kandemir and Alparslan Eymenoğlu only deepened the confusion in Kaner's mind. Alparslan's friendly approach was shaking Kaner's confidence, yet at the same time, it was drawing him closer.

"Does he only see me as a friend, or is there something more?"

This question grew larger inside him with each passing day.

The next day, after school, Kaner and Alparslan met at a park in the city. The air was slightly chilly, and the leaves on the trees had started to turn yellow. Determined not to mess things up that day, Kaner did his best to keep everything together. But it seemed like bad luck wasn't going to leave him alone.

With a smile, Alparslan said, "Do you think something will go wrong today? I'm starting to get curious myself."

Kaner laughed at the joke, but inside, he was praying, "Please, not today." Just walking beside Alparslan and keeping everything normal felt like a major victory. The conversation flowed smoothly, the jokes were easy. But Kaner's mind was still stuck on his feelings. He could no longer hide his attraction to Alparslan when he looked at him.

At one point, they paused. Alparslan sat down on the grass and turned to invite Kaner to join him. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a soft yellow hue across the scene. Kaner sat down too, but he kept avoiding eye contact, trying to suppress the excitement within him. Then, out of nowhere, Alparslan became serious.

"Kaner, I spend so much time with you, but I still know so little about you."

Kaner's heart began to race. He wanted to search for hidden meaning in those words, but he couldn't bring himself to meet Alparslan's gaze. How could he explain the complex world inside him?

With a light chuckle, he shrugged and said, "I'm just a clumsy guy. Nothing much to tell."

Alparslan furrowed his brow. "No, that's not the most important thing about you. I really want to know who you are."

Kaner's face flushed. Alparslan's directness made him even more uncomfortable. In that moment, a battle began inside him—whether to reveal his feelings or not. "What if Alparslan only wants to stay friends? What if telling him ruins everything?"

Kaner stammered, "I... I don't know. I guess I hide myself sometimes."

Alparslan, locking eyes with Kaner, leaned in a little closer.

"You don't have to hide, you know that, right?"

Kaner's heart raced even faster. Words hovered on his lips, but he couldn't bring himself to speak them. With Alparslan so close, it was becoming harder and harder to conceal his feelings. The big secret inside him was just about to burst out. For a moment, silence took over.

Just as Kaner was about to say something, a dog suddenly barked and dashed past them, causing Kaner to jump up in surprise and fall onto Alparslan. In trying to catch him, Alparslan unintentionally ended up embracing him. The warmth of their bodies intertwined, and the pounding of their hearts echoed in their ears. When Kaner opened his eyes, he found himself inches away from Alparslan's face. His whole body burned with heat. Their lips were only a few centimeters apart, and he could feel Alparslan's breath on his skin. He swallowed hard. As they lay there laughing, Kaner felt both relieved and even more stressed. Such a serious moment had suddenly turned into something comical.

Alparslan laughed and helped Kaner up. "I think you're having one of your clumsiest days!"

Kaner burst out laughing too. "This has to be a sign," he thought. Just when everything was about to be laid bare, bad luck had intervened once again. Maybe there was a right time for everything. They might not have reached that moment yet, but at least Kaner felt like his true self while laughing alongside Alparslan.

As they both got up from the ground, Alparslan looked at Kaner and placed a hand on his shoulder.

With a soft smile, he winked and said, "No matter what happens, being with you is fun."

As Kaner tried to decipher the meaning behind those words, he could feel the sincerity in Alparslan's face. Maybe the right time was just around the corner, or maybe everything was already the way it was meant to be. Amidst all the uncertainty, Kaner knew one thing for sure: being with Alparslan Eymenoğlu made him feel less alone and more like his true self.