Chasing Tomorrow

chapter 4

The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across Raya's room. She woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside, the usual quiet of Sunday morning settling in. Today wasn't as carefree as the day before. It was time to get serious-her exams were approaching fast, and there was no time for distractions.

Raya stretched and yawned, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She dragged herself out of bed and headed straight to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Her parents were already up, talking quietly over breakfast. Her mother smiled at her as she entered. "Good morning, sweetheart. Ready for the day?"

"Morning, Mom. Yeah, I'm going to study today," Raya said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She glanced at her mother and then at her father, who was reading the newspaper at the table.

"How's the studying going?" her father asked, looking over the rim of his glasses.

"Good. I'll catch up today. I need to focus," she replied, her voice steady but determined.

Her father nodded, not saying much more. Raya appreciated the peace between them, even if things weren't always perfect. Her mom set a plate of toast in front of her. "You've got this, darling. Just don't forget to take breaks."

Raya smiled at her mom, grateful for the encouragement. "Thanks, Mom."

After a light breakfast, Raya sat down at her desk to begin studying. She pulled out her textbooks, making sure to set her phone aside to avoid distractions. Her first task was completing the long list of assignments she had been putting off. She sighed, knowing it would be a long day, but she was ready to tackle it head-on.

As she worked through her assignments, her phone buzzed with a message. It was Jake.

"Hey, can I come over and help you study? We'll get more done together."

Raya smiled at the message. Jake always knew how to make things feel less stressful. She quickly typed a reply.

"Sure, come over in an hour. I'll be working on math problems."

---

An hour later, Jake arrived at her house. He was carrying his backpack and a notebook, ready to dive into the day's study session. Raya led him upstairs to her room, where she had already set up a space for them to work.

"So, what's the plan?" Jake asked, setting his bag down on the floor.

"I'll go through some math problems, and you can help me with the ones I don't get," she explained, pointing to the open textbook on her desk.

Jake nodded and took a seat beside her. They worked in silence for a while, with Raya solving problems and Jake offering occasional help when she got stuck. Despite the seriousness of the work, there was an easy camaraderie between them, and Raya couldn't help but enjoy the simplicity of just being with him.

At lunchtime, they took a break to grab a bite to eat. Raya's parents had prepared a simple meal-rice, curry, and some vegetables. They sat down at the table together, chatting casually as they ate.

"Raya tells me you're helping her with math," her mom said, looking at Jake with a warm smile. "You must be a good student yourself."

Jake grinned, his eyes sparkling. "I try my best. But honestly, Raya is the one who makes it easy. She's really smart."

Raya rolled her eyes playfully. "Stop flattering me," she said, but she couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips.

After lunch, Jake and Raya returned to her room to continue studying. The afternoon passed quickly, filled with more math problems, notes, and the occasional light-hearted conversation. But as the evening approached, something shifted between them.

As they were packing up their things, preparing to call it a day, Jake looked at Raya, his expression playful yet soft.

"You know," he said, a teasing tone in his voice, "I think you owe me a reward for helping you so much today."

Raya raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this was going. "What do you mean?"

Jake leaned in, his gaze lingering on hers for a moment too long. "A little thank-you wouldn't hurt." Before Raya could react, he leaned forward and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

Raya froze, her heart beating loudly in her chest. She wasn't sure how to respond. Jake pulled back almost immediately, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he said, his voice suddenly serious. "I didn't mean to make things weird."

Raya blinked, her thoughts swirling. She didn't know why, but a strange warmth spread through her. "It's okay, Jake," she said, trying to sound casual. "It was just... unexpected."

Jake gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Raya nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't know what to make of it-part of her felt confused, but another part of her couldn't deny that there was something comforting about the moment. She pushed it aside for now, trying to focus on the next steps.

After Jake left, Raya returned to her desk, but her mind was far from studying. She kept thinking about the kiss, about the way her heart had raced, about the way it felt like everything had shifted, even if only a little.

It was stupid, she thought, shaking her head as she tried to focus. It was just a friendly kiss. It doesn't mean anything.

But despite telling herself that, she couldn't shake the feeling.

That night, as she lay in bed, her thoughts drifted back to Jake. The conversation they'd had earlier, the way he looked at her-there was something in his eyes that made her heart flutter. She sighed, trying to push the thoughts out of her head.

It's nothing, she told herself, closing her eyes. Just another day. Tomorrow will be fine.

As sleep took over, Raya couldn't help but wonder if some things in life weren't meant to be figured out right away-maybe, just maybe, it was okay to let them unfold in their own time.