"Aira… Aira… Aira…"
( My friend's voice pulled me out of my daze, but my mind was still stuck on the basketball court—replaying everything like a movie I couldn't pause.)
- Luka's arms around me.
- The sudden hug.
- The way people stared.
- Their whispers, their curious gazes, the muffled conversations I couldn't quite hear but somehow felt.
All of it kept looping in my head, again and again.
"Aira?" Mila said, louder this time. "Are you even listening to us?"
I blinked and finally looked at her. "Y-yeah…
I am," I said quickly. "W-what is it?"
Ava sighed, folding her arms. "Dude, you're clearly not listening. What happened?"
I huffed and looked away. "It's nothing, guys. Seriously."
( Rhea studied me quietly. She was never the curious type—never pushed, never pried.)
[ That's why it startled me when she spoke.]
"Aira," she said softly, her eyes searching my face. "Tell us. What happened?"
[And just like that, my chest tightened.]
(I sighed, my shoulders dropping, and finally told them what had been spinning in my head all this time.)
When I finished speaking—
- Ava covered her mouth.
- Mila's jaw dropped in shock.
- And Rhea's eyes widened.
Yeah. I expected this reaction.
( I had dumped everything on them at once—every thought, every confusing feeling.)
Mila was the first to speak. "I knew it," she said, pointing dramatically. "He likes her."
Ava smirked. "I told you, Mila. He doesn't just tease her—those are love teases."
Mila gasped. "You think so, Ava? You think he loves her too?"
Ava crossed her arms confidently. "Of course. I told you Mila He's head over heels for her."
Mila's lips curled into a teasing smile. "So… someone got herself a lover."
Ava nudged me playfully. "Yeah, right. Someone definitely has a lover."
I groaned and sighed. "Stop it, you guys."
Then I frowned, realization hitting me. "Wait—when did you two start talking about me and Luka?" I looked at Ava. "And you—when you said all that to Mila about Luka and me… when did that happen?"
The smiles on their faces only grew wider.Ava smirked and leaned closer. "When you're not around, we like to play matchmaker with whatever we see in front of us—and voilà," she waved her hand dramatically, "it's you and Luka, darling. I want to see you two dating."
Mila nodded way too seriously. "Of course he's perfect for you. Good-looking, tall, handsome—"
"And don't forget his physique,"
Ava cut in. "That man looks like he was sculpted by the universe itself."
Mila sighed dreamily. "God, it's heaven."
Both of them burst out laughing.
I groaned. "You guys are impossible."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "Impossible? Or accurate?"
Mila grinned. "Come on, Aira. The way he looks at you? Even a blind person could feel that tension."
"And the way you blush," Ava added, poking my cheek, "girl, that's not normal behavior."
"I do not blush!" I protested weakly.
Mila laughed. "You're blushing right now."
Ava clapped her hands. "So when's the confession? Or should we start planning your wedding already?"
"Stop!" I covered my face, completely mortified.
They only laughed harder.
( But Rhea, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. Her voice was calm, serious—nothing like Mila and Ava's teasing.)
"Attraction and love aren't the same thing," she said softly.
The room went quiet.
Mila stopped smiling. Ava blinked and looked at her.
Rhea met my eyes. "Attraction is loud. It's butterflies, blushing, excitement. It's someone making your heart race for a moment."
She paused, then continued, slower. "But love is quieter. It stays. It comforts you even when you're not laughing. Even when you're angry. Even when you don't understand it."
I swallowed.
Rhea looked away, as if she hadn't meant to say that much. "Sometimes we confuse the two… especially when both exist at the same time."
No one teased after that.
( I forced a small smile, pretending her words hadn't hit something deep inside me. But they stayed—lodged somewhere in my chest.)
Attraction is loud. Love is quiet.
For a moment, Luka's smile flashed in my mind.
And right after that—
Rylan's silence.
(Rhea finished speaking, and for a second, none of us said anything.)
Then Mila suddenly clapped her hands. "Ooo, yeah—you're right, Rhea. Sooo… let's go. Next class."
( I nodded, grateful for the escape, and we all headed toward the main building. Ava peeled off toward another wing of the university, while Mila, Rhea, and I walked together toward ours.)
[ No one teased me after that.]
( Rhea's words had shifted something—like a truth quietly settling into place. Love stays till your last breath, she had said. Attraction is just a moment, like the weather—always changing.)
( That thought followed me through the halls, through lectures, through the rest of the day.)
( So today, the driver came to pick me up after classes.
Usually, Mom comes herself. But today, she had gone to attend Noah's parents–teachers meeting. The driver said nothing as I slid into the back seat, and I didn't speak either.)
( The entire ride home, I sat like a statue—my eyes fixed on the window, watching buildings blur past while my thoughts stayed painfully still.)
Or maybe… too loud.
( By the time we reached home, my mind still hadn't quieted. It kept circling back to the same question, over and over again.)
How will I face Luka tomorrow?
- What would I say when he came to pick me up like always?
- Would he smile like nothing had happened?
( I stepped out of the car, but even as I entered the house, my thoughts refused to follow me inside.But now, I didn't know how I'd face him tomorrow.)
( After the basketball incident, I had started avoiding him. When he waved at me in class, I looked away. When he smiled, I pretended not to notice. It wasn't because I didn't care—it was because I cared too much.)
Rumors had already started spreading.
- That we were dating.
- That we were sleeping together.
- That I was that kind of girl.
( People always needed someone to blame, someone to talk about. And I didn't want Luka to get hurt because of me—because of whispers that weren't true.
So I created distance.)
( I knew it hurt him. I could see it in his eyes. But I believed it would hurt him more if the rumors grew louder.)
Lost in these thoughts, I stepped into the house—
And collided straight into someone.
( I would've fallen if a strong hand hadn't caught my arm, steadying me instantly. My breath hitched as I looked up.)
Rylan.
- Too close.
- Too familiar.
- And annoyingly… always handsome.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
( And then, like a whisper carried from somewhere deep inside me, Rhea's voice echoed in my mind—)
{ Attraction is loud. Love is quiet. Love stays.}
My heart skipped.
"Are you okay?" Rylan asks.
( His eyes say more than his words ever could—quiet concern, careful and restrained.)
I hesitate before answering. "Y-yeah… I'm okay."
( I straighten myself and take a few steps back, putting distance between us.)
"Aira," he says again, softer this time. "You don't look fine. Did something happen?" Are you okey?.
I force a small smile and nod. "I'm okay. Really. And… you?"
[ It's the first question I've asked him since that morning in the kitchen.]
He exhales slowly. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"Okay," I whisper. "I'm going to my room."
He nods.
As I place my foot on the first stair, his voice stops me.
"Aira."
I freeze and turn back. "What is it, Rylan?"
He opens his mouth, then closes it again. "Ah… nothing. Go. Get some rest."
With that, he turns and walks out of the house.
( For a moment, I wonder if I should stop him. Ask him what he really wanted to say. Ask why his voice sounded like that—half-broken, half-held back.)
But I don't.
( I turn around and climb the stairs, each step heavier than the last. When I reach my room, I collapse onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.)
( Today felt exhausting. Like God was playing a cruel game—watching my life tangle itself into knots and enjoying the chaos.)
- And somehow… I was starting to feel it.
- Just like that, the day ends—the worst one yet.
I closed my eyes, knowing one truth I didn't want to accept—
nothing in my life was breaking by accident anymore.