GrandView High

~TWELVE💙~

ILHAM'S POV

I was never the nosy type.

Okay, maybe that was a lie. I was nosy when it mattered. And right now? It mattered.

Something was up with Riri and Kamil. I didn't know what, but it was definitely something.

At first, I thought I was imagining things. Maybe I was overanalyzing, seeing tension where there was none. But then the signs started piling up. Kamil watching Riri when he thought no one was looking. Riri changing the subject every time his name came up. Awkward silences when they were in the same room together.

And then there was that argument. A second one.

I had walked into class after school, expecting to grab my notes and leave for the library. But then I saw them—Kamil and Riri, in Emerald class, standing close together, voices low but urgent.

I was too far away to hear the words, but I felt it. The tension between them was so thick it was practically suffocating. Riri's hands were clenched at her sides, Kamil's brows furrowed like he was trying to hold something in.

It wasn't a casual argument. It was something else.

That moment had been living in my head rent-free ever since.

The next day at lunch, I was sitting with Aasiyah when it just slipped out.

"I think Riri and Kamil are hiding something."

Aasiyah, in the middle of sipping her juice box, glanced at me. "What?"

I leaned in. "I saw them arguing the other day for the second time. In class. It was... intense."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"They were whisper-fighting," I whispered dramatically. "Like those deep, emotional movie scenes where one of them says we can't do this anymore and the other one looks heartbroken?"

Her eyes widened. "Wait, you actually heard what they were saying?"

"Not really, but it looked serious." I frowned. "And now they're both acting weird."

Aasiyah's brows furrowed. "Weird how?"

"Riri avoids talking about him, and Kamil..." I paused, thinking. "Kamil's just moody. More than usual."

Aasiyah hummed. "Interesting."

I nodded. "Very."

She leaned back. "So, are we solving this mystery or what?"

I grinned. "Obviously."

~~~~~~

Before I could dive any deeper into my investigation, swim practice took over my life.

The swim competition was two weeks away, and Coach Bello had decided that we were not allowed to rest. At all.

"Again!" he barked as we finished another lap.

I groaned, dragging myself to the pool edge. My arms felt like noodles. My lungs were screaming. I wanted to die.

Riri pulled herself up beside me, panting. "If he makes us do one more butterfly lap, I'm quitting."

I snorted. "Be so for real right now."

She slumped her shoulders and pouted.

We were both exhausted, but our friendly competition kept us going. We had always been close in speed, but lately, it was like we were pushing each other harder.