Ojasubi waved excitedly from the front row, holding seats for us. Without wasting a second, the three of us dashed toward her, squeezing past other students to claim our spots. As soon as we sat down, Nami let out a satisfied sigh.
"Finally! Now we can actually enjoy the event." She stretched her arms, grinning.
Suhina, however, wasn't as enthusiastic. She folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Yeah… but first, we have to sit through the principal's speech."
I groaned, leaning back in my seat. "Ugh, how much longer is this bald old man going to bore us?" My voice was laced with exhaustion as I slumped against the chair, barely able to keep my eyes open.
Nami, who had been laughing a moment ago, suddenly turned towards me with a concerned look. "Are you okay?" Her tone was softer than usual, almost hesitant, as if she sensed something was off.
For a brief moment, I considered telling her—about Rei, about the turmoil churning inside me. But instead, I just forced a smile and nodded. "Of course, I am. Now, let's just focus on enjoying the performances."
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't push me either. The hall lights dimmed, the music started, and for a while, I let myself get lost in the rhythm, hoping it would drown out the thoughts I wasn't ready to face.
A boy stood on the stage, his voice pouring emotion into a love song. The melody wrapped around me, tugging at something deep inside. My thoughts drifted away from the crowd, away from the bright stage lights, and into a quiet corner of my mind where a single question lingered—was love really like this? Was it as beautiful, as painful, as overwhelming as people said?
Without thinking, I turned to Nami. "Nami," I called out softly.
She looked at me, slightly surprised. "Yeah? What is it?"
I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What do you think love is?"
She blinked at me, confused. Then, making a funny face, she shrugged. "You should ask Suhina. She's the one in love."
I turned to Suhina, who was quietly watching the performance. "Suhina, do you know?"
She shook her head, her voice calm. "No!"Maybe love is something that exists in your heart before you even realize it. Or maybe… even when it doesn't exist, the heart still claims it as its own.""
Nami smirked suddenly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Love is exactly what Suhina feels for Tenzin," she teased, nudging Suhina playfully.
At this, Suhina's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. "Shut up, Nami!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
Nami just laughed, clearly enjoying the reaction. Then, she turned back to me, tilting her head. "Alright then, you tell us—what is love?"
Her question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Because the truth was—I didn't know either.
"Maybe love is something that exists in your heart before you even realize it. Or maybe… even when it doesn't exist, the heart still claims it as its own."
The words slipped from my lips without thought, as if they had always been there, waiting to be spoken.
For a moment, there was silence. Neither Nami nor Suhina said anything. They simply let my words settle in the air, blending into the soft echoes of the love song still playing on stage. Instead of responding, we all turned our attention back to the performance, losing ourselves in the melody.
But my mind was elsewhere.
As the event ended and the crowd slowly dispersed, we gathered our things and stepped out of the school gates. The evening air was cool, carrying the distant laughter of students still lingering behind. Just as I was about to leave with Nami and Suhina, my eyes caught sight of him—Rei.
He stood near the entrance, surrounded by a few of his classmates, but for a brief second, our eyes met.
And in that moment, a thought crossed my mind.
I turned away, ready to walk ahead.
But just then, Rei glanced back at me one last time. He didn't say anything, didn't call out my name. He only smiled—a small, fleeting smile, one that held neither regret nor sadness. And then, he turned and walked away.
I watched him disappear into the crowd, and for the first time, I felt something shift within me.
Some bonds, I realized, are meant to remain unnamed—unlabeled, unchained by expectations. And maybe… that's exactly how they are supposed to be.
As I turned to leave, a sudden realization struck me.
"Oh my God! Yaar, I left my book in the classroom!" I gasped, stopping in my tracks. My eyes widened in panic as I turned to Nami.
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Seriously? You actually brought a book on a day like this?" she teased, shaking her head in disbelief.
I pouted, playfully scrunching my nose at her. "Bitch!" I shot back, sticking out my tongue.
She burst into laughter. "Haha, you're impossible, Aira."
Just then, Suhina, who had been watching us, sighed dramatically and gave us a disapproving look. She tilted her chin slightly, looking at me as if I had committed an unforgivable crime.
"Listen, I'm not going back with you. You two can deal with your own mess." She huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
Nami and I exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter again. Typical Suhina—forever acting like a queen who couldn't be bothered with trivial matters.
As Nami and I walked toward the classroom, she sighed in relief and smirked.
"Well, at least we got rid of Suhina. She always acts so high and mighty for no reason." Nami rolled her eyes dramatically, stretching her arms behind her head.
I chuckled. It was true—Suhina had her moments of unnecessary attitude, but that was just how she was.
By now, the school was almost deserted. The once-bustling corridors were eerily quiet, with only a faint echo of distant chatter from the few students and staff who still lingered. The empty halls felt unfamiliar, stripped of the usual energy that filled them during the day.