𝑨𝒂𝒅𝒉𝒂 𝑰𝒔𝒉𝒒

"I think I'm in love with Faris," Melantha whispered, her cheeks turning pink as she sat next to Kritiz under the shade of an old oak tree. She twirled the end of her dupatta nervously.

Kritiz's heart sank, but he smiled, trying to mask the sadness in his eyes. "Faris, huh?" he said, looking away and pretending to focus on the kids playing in the distance. "What's so special about him, anyway?"

Melantha grinned. "I don't know. He's grumpy, but there's something about him... the way he smiled the other day made me feel like I couldn't breathe."

Kritiz swallowed hard, his chest tightening. "I bet he doesn't even notice half the things you do." He let out a forced chuckle. "You always fall for the difficult ones."

She nudged him playfully. "What can I say? It's exciting."

Kritiz's voice softened. "Maybe... one day you'll notice someone who's been there all along."

Melantha laughed, oblivious to the weight of his words. "Yeah, maybe."

★★★

Six years later, at a high school reunion.

"Kritiz!" she exclaimed, rushing toward him. "It's been ages!"

He smiled, but it wasn't the easy, playful grin she remembered. There was something deeper, something unresolved. "Yeah, it has," he replied, his voice steady yet carrying the weight of years of unspoken feelings.

After a moment of silence, Kritiz finally took a breath, leaning against a wall, eyes locked on Melantha, "You know, I never stopped thinking about you."

Melantha blinked taken aback, but playfully asks, "Is that your way of asking if I'm still single?"

Kritiz smirks, "Maybe it's my way of saying I wouldn't mind changing that."

★★★

"Remember when you caught me falling off that stool during Teacher's Day?" Rufina teased, nudging him with her elbow.

Kyren smirked, his usual quiet demeanor making the moment even more meaningful. "Yeah. You've been falling for me ever since."

Rufina's laughter filled the room, and for a second, it was like nothing had changed.