She burst through the school doors, running like someone possessed. Her breath came in sharp gasps, but she didn't slow down. Her thoughts were a storm—Yona, the danger, the way he looked at Lena. Her feet barely touched the ground as she charged through the courtyard, her eyes fixed ahead.
Then—bam!—she slammed hard with someone.
She hadn't seen him. A boy, about her age, was suddenly in front of her, and they both crashed to the ground. The world spun for a second, students gasping around them. But Mia didn't even look at him. Her eyes were blind to anything but her mission.
She scrambled to her feet, barely mumbling an apology, and took off again, her breath hitching, her mind screaming one name:
Yona.
The boy stayed where he was, stunned. He propped himself up on his elbows, eyes fixed on her shrinking figure as she disappeared beyond the school gates. Something in her had struck him—something raw, urgent, almost beautiful in its desperation.
Before he could fully gather his thoughts, a soft voice called out.
"Um… hey."
He turned slowly.
A girl stood there, blushing furiously, her friend nudging her forward with an encouraging smile. In her hand, a pink envelope—carefully folded, probably sprayed with perfume—trembled slightly.
"I… I wanted to give you this," she said, holding it out.
The boy's gaze dropped to the letter. He took it, stared at it for a second. But he didn't look at her—not even once. Without a word, he turned and walked away, his eyes still chasing the path the other girl had taken.
The girl stood frozen, her heart dropping.
Her friend rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The girl clutched the unopened letter, her lips trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
"It's okay," her friend whispered gently, her own eyes fixed on the boy walking away.
"A boy like him… you should just leave him. He doesn't deserve you."
------------------------
Yona stood at the school gate, surrounded by Lena and her friends. His heart pounded as he watched her, unable to believe she had finally invited him to join them. After all this time, was this the moment he had been waiting for?
Just as they were about to leave, footsteps echoed behind him.
"No, please don't go!"
A desperate voice called out, and before he could react, a small hand grabbed the back of his shirt.
Mia.
She clung to him, her grip tight, her breath shaky.
"Please don't go with her," she begged, her voice breaking.
Yona's brows furrowed, and he tried to pull away.
"Mia, let go."
But she wouldn't. Her fingers dug into the fabric, holding on as if letting go would mean losing him forever.
"I beg you… don't go with her," she sobbed.
His face darkened with frustration.
"Mia, stop this , what the hell are you doing ? "
He pushed her away, his anger flashing as he turned back to Lena—only to find her watching the scene unfold, her expression twisted in annoyance.
He clenched his fists, embarrassed. He had waited so long for this moment, and now Mia was ruining it.
Lena stepped closer now, arms folded, her tone biting. "Seriously?" she said, glaring down at Mia. "Are we really doing this scene? In front of everyone?"
Mia looked at her, but her words caught in her throat.
But before he could take another step, she ran after him again, her body trembling.
This time, she didn't just grab his arm.
She wrapped her arms around him.
Holding onto him like he was the last thing keeping her from breaking.
Her voice cracked as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"I beg you… don't go with her. Please. I want to see you every morning. I don't want to be in a world without you… I don't want you to disappear, Yona. Please…"
"Oh, wow," Lena muttered with a cold laugh. "That's cute. Really. Cry a little harder—maybe we'll all forget how fake this is."
Yona's face turned red, half from confusion, half from embarrassment. He turned to Mia, frustrated.
"Why now? Why are you doing this here, Mia?"
" she is deceiving you " Mia cried, the words ripping from her like a wound torn open. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him—her face pressed to his shoulder, her body trembling.
Yona stood frozen.
His body stiffened at the feeling of her warmth, at the sound of her breaking right in front of him. It was the first time he had ever seen her like this—so fragile, so full of emotions he had never noticed before.
Slowly, he pulled her away, just enough to see her face.
Lena scoffed behind them, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, that's enough," she snapped, stepping forward.
"Are you seriously listening to this? To her? She's obviously having some kind of breakdown."
Yona stood still—tense, caught between the girl holding onto him and the one he'd been chasing for so long.
Lena's voice pressed on, sharper now.
"Come on, Yona. Let her cry. Let her scream. But don't waste our time on this drama."
He looked down at Mia, her tears soaking into his shirt. Her arms were warm. Her words still rang in his ears.
He tried to pull away—but couldn't. His arms hovered awkwardly at his sides, unsure of what to do, what to feel.
Lena's eyes narrowed.
"Unbelievable," she spat.
"If you're going to choose this… mess, then just say it already."
He looked up at her.
Then back at Mia.
Mia's eyes, glistening with tears, held something he had never seen before.
He gazed deep into them,searching for the truth behind her words, for the source of the emotions that spilled from her so freely.
And there, in her trembling gaze, he saw it.
Eternal love.
A love so deep it had been buried beneath years of his blindness, hidden behind every stolen glance, every unnoticed smile. It had always been there, waiting for him to finally see it.
His breath caught.
"W…why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
"I don't deserve this. There's nothing about me that any girl could love… but you? You are… beyond that."
Mia's lips trembled.
She lifted her gaze to him, her heart bleeding through her eyes.
Then she whispered—
"Don't go with her… she planned to kill you."
Silence...
Yona's entire body stiffened. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?"
Mia gripped his hands tighter, her voice urgent. "I overheard them, Yona. This isn't real. Lena doesn't like you. They're planning something horrible."
His breath hitched. He turned, staring at Lena. She stood there, arms crossed, her face unreadable.
Mia pulled on his hand. "Please… come with me."
His mind spun. His heart pounded.
He had wanted Lena for so long. He had chased after her, dreaming of this moment.
But now…
Now, the only thing he could hear was Mia's voice.
The only thing he could see were her tear-filled eyes, holding an eternal love that he had been too blind to notice.
And without thinking, without fully understanding why—
He gripped Mia's hand back.
Then, without a word, he turned his back on Lena.
-------------------------
Yona walked in silence, his grip still firm around Mia's hand. He wasn't sure why he hadn't let go yet. Maybe it was the trembling in her fingers, or maybe it was the echo of her words still running through his mind.
She planned to kill you.
The world around him felt distant, muffled, like he was underwater. His whole life, he had wanted to be noticed by Lena. He had dreamed of standing beside her, of being part of her world. And yet, in the moment he was finally given that chance, everything had shattered.
Mia led him away from the school, her breath uneven, still shaken from everything that had just happened. She glanced at him nervously, waiting for him to say something. But he didn't.
Finally, when they reached a quiet spot near an empty park, she stopped walking.
"Yona…" she whispered, hesitating.
Slowly, he let go of her hand, staring at the ground.
"Tell me everything."
Mia took a deep breath, her hands tightening into fists.
"I heard them in the bathroom. Lena's friends… they were laughing, talking about how easy it was to lure you in. They said you'd believe anything as long as it came from her."
Yona felt a sharp sting in his chest.
Mia swallowed hard before continuing.
"They weren't just planning to humiliate you, Yona. They were planning something worse. They said they'd take you somewhere isolated… make sure you 'never come back.'"
His stomach twisted.
"That doesn't make sense…"
Mia stepped closer, her voice urgent.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I swear on everything I have, it's the truth."
Yona clenched his jaw, his mind racing.
Was he really that much of a fool? Had he been so blinded by his feelings that he had walked straight into danger?
But the worst part , the part that hurt more than anything, was knowing Mia had seen everything from the start. And he had ignored her. Over and over again.
"I…" His voice faltered.
Mia watched him carefully, her heart aching for him.
He looked so lost. So broken.
Without thinking, she reached out, placing a hand over his.
"Yona, I don't care if you hate me for stopping you. I don't care if you still love her." Her voice trembled. "I just… I just couldn't let you go."
He lifted his head, meeting her gaze.
That love, eternal, unwavering, was still there in her eyes. Even after all the times he had ignored her, even after all the times he had chosen Lena over her.
Yona's throat tightened.
"Why?" he whispered, almost to himself. "Why do you care so much?"
Mia gave a sad smile, tears pooling in her eyes. "Because… I see you, Yona. I always have."
The words struck something deep inside him.
He had spent so much time chasing after someone who barely saw him. But all along, Mia had been right there—seeing him in ways no one else ever had.
And for the first time, he truly saw her back.
Yona exhaled shakily, running a hand through his damp hair. "I don't know what to do now."
Mia hesitated, then reached for his hand again. "You don't have to know right now," she whispered. "Just… don't go back to her."
He stared at their intertwined fingers, feeling the warmth of her touch. Then, slowly, he nodded.
For the first time in a long time, he turned away from the past.
And for the first time, he walked toward the one who had always been waiting.
To be continue .....