Mahiru stood near the entrance of Sam's college, clutching the small box of chocolates tightly. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst.
She had planned this confidently last night—just walk up to him, hand him the chocolates, and wish him a happy Valentine's Week. Simple.
But now, standing here, she felt frozen.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to step forward but stopped immediately when she spotted Sam walking out of the building.
Her grip on the chocolate box tightened. Seeing him made her even more nervous. Would he be surprised? Would he be happy? Or would he think this was embarrassing?
Sam, oblivious to her presence, casually scanned his surroundings, probably looking for his friends. Then, as if sensing something, his eyes landed on her.
He blinked.
For a second, he didn't react. Then, his eyes widened in shock.
Mahiru panicked.
Before she could even decide whether to run or stay, Sam was already walking toward her, his pace quickening. As he reached her, he looked around cautiously, checking if anyone was watching them.
"You…" He seemed at a loss for words. "What are you doing here?"
Mahiru hesitated for a second before extending the box toward him. "I… I wanted to give you this."
Sam stared at the chocolates in her hands. Then at her.
"You…" His voice was softer this time. "You came all the way here… for me?"
Mahiru lowered her gaze, feeling her face heat up. "W-Well… it's Valentine's Week, and I thought… I mean, I wanted to…"
Before she could finish, a loud voice interrupted them.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Sam flinched as his friends suddenly appeared, surrounding them in a flash.
"So this is her?!" One of them pointed at Mahiru, grinning. "The one from the ferris wheel? The reason you've been acting all different lately?"
Mahiru's eyes widened in shock. Sam looked equally panicked.
Another friend nudged Sam with a teasing smirk. "Damn, man! No wonder you've been spacing out so much! You never told us you had such a cute girlfriend!"
Sam's face turned completely red. "I-I didn't—! She's not—!"
Mahiru wasn't sure whose face was hotter—hers or his.
One of the guys turned to her with a friendly smile. "You must be Mahiru, right? I'm Alex. These idiots are Jay and Ryan."
Mahiru nodded shyly. "N-Nice to meet you…"
"Man, this is a big moment!" Jay threw his arm around Sam's shoulder. "Our boy here finally got a girl, and he didn't even tell us! This calls for a celebration!"
Ryan nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We're heading to the canteen. You have to come with us, Mahiru!"
Mahiru hesitated. "Eh? N-No, I shouldn't intrude—"
"Intrude?!" Alex waved a hand. "You're the reason we're celebrating! You have to come!"
Sam turned to her, still flustered. "You… don't have to if you're uncomfortable…"
She looked at him. His expression was a mix of embarrassment and hope.
With a deep breath, she smiled softly. "Okay… I'll come."
His friends cheered, dragging them toward the canteen as Sam sighed in defeat.
Mahiru giggled at his reaction.
Somehow, this was turning out much more chaotic than she expected.
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