After finishing their waffles, neither Mikha nor Aiah seemed eager to part ways just yet. The city buzzed gently around them, the distant sound of traffic and the chatter of passersby filling the air.
The day faded into early evening.
"Do you have anywhere you need to be?" Mikha asked casually, though a part of her hoped Aiah would say no.
"Not really," Aiah replied, smiling. "I was planning to just jog and head home earlier, but this is better."
Mikha grinned. "Good. Let’s keep walking then."
They strolled along the quiet streets, their conversation flowing effortlessly. They talked about everything and nothing: favorite childhood memories, places they wanted to visit, and even their most embarrassing moments in school.
"I can’t believe you actually tripped over a chalkboard eraser," Aiah said, laughing as Mikha recounted a particularly clumsy moment from her high school days.
Mikha groaned, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Hey, in my defense, it was on the floor where it shouldn’t have been! And it was dark. I was cleaning up after a school event."
"Still," Aiah teased, grinning widely, "an eraser, Mikha. That’s, like, the least threatening thing to trip over."
"Okay, okay, laugh it up," Mikha said, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her own smile. "But at least I didn’t accidentally kick a soccer ball into my teacher’s face during PE."
Aiah froze, her playful expression turning to one of mock indignation. "You did not just bring that up."
"Oh, I absolutely did," Mikha said, crossing her arms triumphantly. "And if I remember correctly, you had to do extra laps because of it."
Aiah groaned, burying her face in her hands as Mikha burst into laughter. "You’re never letting me live that down, are you?"
"Not a chance," Mikha said, still chuckling.
As their laughter died down, Aiah glanced at Mikha, her expression softening. "You know, it’s nice to laugh like this. I feel like I haven’t had a good laugh in a while."
Mikha met her gaze, her smile lingering. "Well, I’m glad I could help. But next time, remind me to carry an eraser around, just in case you need another reason to laugh."
"Seriously.." Aiah rolled her eyes but smiled warmly.
Mikha hesitated for a moment before replying, "Maybe we should do this more often, then."
Aiah looked at her, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Maybe.." she muttered, as they continued their lighthearted banter into the night.
As they walked side by side, Aiah hadn’t realized just how much closer she and Mikha had gotten, both physically and emotionally.
Mikha’s presence was almost like a magnet. They kept on seeing eachother randomly, on unexpected day.
But as much as Aiah enjoyed their growing connection, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered caution.
Mikha was known for being a flirtatious troublemaker, the type who turned heads and left a trail of admirers in her wake.
Aiah glanced at Mikha, who was animatedly describing something, her gestures lively and her eyes shining.
She couldn’t help but wonder if this newfound closeness was a good thing or a path leading to inevitable misery.
Mikha suddenly noticed Aiah’s thoughtful silence and stopped mid-sentence. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, tilting her head, concern flickering across her face.
