"Is this the last time I'll ask you this—do you like me or not?"
Rei's voice was firm yet uncertain, his dark eyes searching mine for an answer. We were sitting side by side on the school bus, just like always, but today felt different. There was a weight in the air, a finality in his words that made my heart race.
I stayed silent, gripping the edge of my seat, my thoughts tangled in chaos. Did I like him? Did I not? My heart and mind were at war, a storm raging inside me. For months, he had been a constant in my life, orbiting around me like a restless moon, always there—waiting. And now, he wanted an answer.
"No," the word left my lips, barely above a whisper.
I stood up as the bus came to a halt, avoiding his gaze, and stepped down onto the pavement. My legs felt heavy, as if they carried the weight of something I couldn't quite name. As the bus doors closed behind me, I knew I had just severed a thread connecting us—one he had been holding onto for six long months.
Six months ago, Rei had walked into my life, and since then, he had never left my side. He was the first boy who had ever given me so much attention, the first to make my heart flutter in ways I didn't understand. He was relentless—confessing his feelings time and again, always with that same unwavering determination.
"My heart only beats for you. I've been waiting for you all my life," he had told me once.
It was during a lunch break in the canteen, when I was sitting alone, lost in my own world. His words had sent a strange warmth through me, something close to happiness—but even then, I hadn't been able to believe him.
Rei was in 12th grade, two years ahead of me. I was only in 9th. Maybe that's why I hesitated. Maybe that's why I never gave him the answer he wanted.
I remember thinking back then, "Maybe this is the moment when life finally offers us happiness on a silver platter."
But today, on his last day at school, I had turned him down in clear, unforgiving words. My heart ached, yet deep inside, I knew I had made the right choice.
I wanted to stay with him. I wanted to hold on.
But something inside me told me I wasn't meant to.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even realize when I reached my classroom. The weight of my decision still lingered in my chest, but before I could dwell on it any longer, a familiar voice called out to me.
"Aira! Hurry up and come here! Where have you been?"
I looked up to see Nami, my best friend, crouched on the floor near the entrance of our classroom. She was busy creating a rangoli, her brows furrowed in concentration.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "You? Making a rangoli?" I teased, walking towards her. "You can't even draw a straight line!"
Nami shot me a glare, clearly unimpressed. "Shut up! I was waiting for you! Help me out, will you? Everyone else is busy preparing for the function." She pouted, sitting cross-legged on the ground, her hands already stained with colored powder.
I smirked, shaking my head as I crouched beside her. "Where are Ojasubi and Suhina?" I asked, glancing around.
She gestured towards the classroom. "They're inside, finishing up the decorations."
I nodded and sat down beside her, rolling up my sleeves. The entire school was buzzing with excitement for Annual Day. Students were running around, setting up decorations, arranging chairs, and rehearsing performances. The air was thick with the scent of fresh flowers and paint, mixed with the faint aroma of snacks from the canteen.
As I helped Nami fill in the rangoli design, I wanted to tell her everything—about Rei, about what had just happened on the bus, about the storm raging inside me. But I couldn't. The words wouldn't come out.
So instead, I just smiled and let myself get lost in the colors, pushing the turmoil deep inside where no one could see.
"Woohoo! The dance performance is starting—hurry up!"