Love Before Graduation

Nami, calmly wrapping up her last sip of her lunch, looked up at me slightly with slight fear. "Forgot what? " she asked furrowed brows.

I could not stop laughing as I walked out. "The water cooler. "

Her eyes followed me as I moved and then, as if she knew just the same thing, she rushes back to her lunchbox and stands up too "Ahh right! Let's go now before everybody gets there again"

As we walked away from the bench, Nami gave me a peck on the cheek. "Hurry up, " she told me. Or you would be deprived of water again.

I flicked her a look of displeasure and held steady. "Hey! Don't push me! " I honked furiously.

She laughed and smiled with a smile of mischief in her eyes. "I was just thinking.... what if you trip and run into the arms of some handsome guy? "My voice was pouring with mischief – I couldn't even stop laughing.

I stared back at him. "You get that guy. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the entire school.

"So - well, " Nami whispered, tilting her head slightly. "If it were somebody like Arin, would that really be all that bad? "

As if to mask it for a second, my breath quivered again and then I turned on a scoff. "What the fuck is that?? "

She gave me a knowing look, her smirk widening. "I don't know... I just think you've been showing a little interest in him lately, " she said.

I frowned, crossing my arms. "You're imagining things."

"Am I? " she said quizzically. "Because, you know, he's right behind us.

My body clenched, slowly, almost awkwardly, I turned my head just slowly enough to get a glance—and sure enough Arin was several steps behind, casually walking with his hands in his pocket.

Our eyes met. It was brief, but something about it made my stomach twist. He didn't smirk—he just looked at me, like he was trying to figure something out.

He then screamed out a half a second too long and with somewhat shaken vocal cords said, "I - I was here just to get water. "

I blinked with amazement at how he faltered over his own words.

Nami didn't miss a beat, by the way, she pushed me with her elbow in a smiling manner.

Oh, that 's coincidence. She was about to have water as well.

Arin glanced at me again, and then squeezed the back of his neck again. "Uh... guess we're headed the same way then. "

But all the same he move forward with a shudder something changed in his face, quite like he remembered suddenly something; his eyes flashed with slight hesitation before he screamed: "Wait... I think I forgot something. "

Before either of us could say anything about it he turned on his heel and run nearly fast up the corridor.

I stood there, watching his retreating figure, completely bewildered.

Nami whistled back with her lips, "Well that wasn't really strange at all. "

I rolled my eyes, trying not to notice that my heartbeat had picked up. "Shut up.

I didn't believe what I said, so I just nodded. And flipped quickly away so Nami wouldn't see how hot my face was.

It was nothing. Just a coincidence.

Right?

With a small shrug I moved to the water cooler. The corridor was still fairly crowded but I did find a way. I came to the water cooler and there was already someone standing there—Mir.

Mir was one of our class's most attractive girls. Her perfectly styled hair, effortless elegance and effortlessly confident personality made her stand out wherever she went. She was talking to her best friend and since I was standing quite close I couldn't help but hear them.

"You know, I've noticed Arin keeps looking at me anyway, " Mir said smugly.

Her best friend frowned. "Really? That 's interesting. I don 't think he 's very good at talking to girls.

Mir nodded earnestly, her expression thoughtful. "Very well. Even in his own group Aira is very friendly with everybody but Arin rarely talks to her.

Her best friend chuckled. "Well, he is good-looking."

Mir suddenly turned her head slightly and nudged her friend. "Look, there he is. "

And simply in response to what she said I followed her gaze. Arin was strolling along the corridor with his company with his usual calm and illegible expression.

But then- almost like it knew what weight we put on him- he glanced back.

He turned his gaze at Mir first. And a slight smile crossed his lips, smooth, confident - as though he hadn't really said a word.

Then, his gaze shifted—to me.

It was subtle and momentary, but it was clear -- his smile faded to a fraction of a second and the grin faded in the blink of an invisible thing flickering across his face. It was different than he'd ever given Mir -- there was something about it, something... panic? Tripped over?

His fingers jerked slightly at his side and for an instant, almost unnoticeable, period of time I imagined I had caught him pause.

And then - as quickly as he had looked - he turned away, stooping as his pace grew quicker.

Did he just... get flustered?

I blinked in confused confusion at what I'd just seen.

Mir was still smiling though, completely unaware of the change of temperature.

I wasn't even sure what to make of it myself. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

I stood near the water cooler my gaze

Follow arin walking away, his strides relaxed yet purposeful.

For a second it all seemed to just be he... I just watched him, watching his dark hair fall right over his eyes, the way his uniform fit him perfectly, as if he was forced into being that way... "Arin is pretty... I wonder if he has a girlfriend?? "I couldn't help but blink, thinking, "Oh that made me blink.. who am I talking to? "I didn't have time to think about it any longer, so I shook my head. Why am I even thinking about that? Before I could figure it out, a sound that reminded me of a familiar voice whispered into my head.

"Come on, the bell just rang! We better get inside before the history teacher comes, " Nami said urgently but innocently.

As I leaned over I saw her standing a few steps away waving me over with a smile.

"Or else she 'll make us also a part of history too, " I added in return with a smirk.

My heart melted in joy as Nami laughed wildly, and the lightness of his voice distracted the very doubt I had of being a bad person.

Still laughing we joined hands and ran into the classroom, casting ourselves among the numerous queues for seats among the rush of students rushing in.Nami, calmly wrapping up her last sip of her lunch, looked up at me slightly with slight fear. "Forgot what? " she asked furrowed brows.

I could not stop laughing as I walked out. "The water cooler. "

Her eyes followed me as I moved and then, as if she knew just the same thing, she rushes back to her lunchbox and stands up too "Ahh right! Let's go now before everybody gets there again"

As we walked away from the bench, Nami gave me a peck on the cheek. "Hurry up, " she told me. Or you would be deprived of water again.

I flicked her a look of displeasure and held steady. "Hey! Don't push me! " I honked furiously.

She laughed and smiled with a smile of mischief in her eyes. "I was just thinking.... what if you trip and run into the arms of some handsome guy? "My voice was pouring with mischief – I couldn't even stop laughing.

I stared back at him. "You get that guy. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the entire school.

"So - well, " Nami whispered, tilting her head slightly. "If it were somebody like Arin, would that really be all that bad? "

As if to mask it for a second, my breath quivered again and then I turned on a scoff. "What the fuck is that?? "

She gave me a knowing look, her smirk widening. "I don't know... I just think you've been showing a little interest in him lately, " she said.

I frowned, crossing my arms. "You're imagining things."

"Am I? " she said quizzically. "Because, you know, he's right behind us.

My body clenched, slowly, almost awkwardly, I turned my head just slowly enough to get a glance—and sure enough Arin was several steps behind, casually walking with his hands in his pocket.

Our eyes met. It was brief, but something about it made my stomach twist. He didn't smirk—he just looked at me, like he was trying to figure something out.

He then screamed out a half a second too long and with somewhat shaken vocal cords said, "I - I was here just to get water. "

I blinked with amazement at how he faltered over his own words.

Nami didn't miss a beat, by the way, she pushed me with her elbow in a smiling manner.

Oh, that 's coincidence. She was about to have water as well.

Arin glanced at me again, and then squeezed the back of his neck again. "Uh... guess we're headed the same way then. "

But all the same he move forward with a shudder something changed in his face, quite like he remembered suddenly something; his eyes flashed with slight hesitation before he screamed: "Wait... I think I forgot something. "

Before either of us could say anything about it he turned on his heel and run nearly fast up the corridor.

I stood there, watching his retreating figure, completely bewildered.

Nami whistled back with her lips, "Well that wasn't really strange at all. "

I rolled my eyes, trying not to notice that my heartbeat had picked up. "Shut up.

I didn't believe what I said, so I just nodded. And flipped quickly away so Nami wouldn't see how hot my face was.

It was nothing. Just a coincidence.

Right?

With a small shrug I moved to the water cooler. The corridor was still fairly crowded but I did find a way. I came to the water cooler and there was already someone standing there—Mir.

Mir was one of our class's most attractive girls. Her perfectly styled hair, effortless elegance and effortlessly confident personality made her stand out wherever she went. She was talking to her best friend and since I was standing quite close I couldn't help but hear them.

"You know, I've noticed Arin keeps looking at me anyway, " Mir said smugly.

Her best friend frowned. "Really? That 's interesting. I don 't think he 's very good at talking to girls.

Mir nodded earnestly, her expression thoughtful. "Very well. Even in his own group Aira is very friendly with everybody but Arin rarely talks to her.

Her best friend chuckled. "Well, he is good-looking."

Mir suddenly turned her head slightly and nudged her friend. "Look, there he is. "

And simply in response to what she said I followed her gaze. Arin was strolling along the corridor with his company with his usual calm and illegible expression.

But then- almost like it knew what weight we put on him- he glanced back.

He turned his gaze at Mir first. And a slight smile crossed his lips, smooth, confident - as though he hadn't really said a word.

Then, his gaze shifted—to me.

It was subtle and momentary, but it was clear -- his smile faded to a fraction of a second and the grin faded in the blink of an invisible thing flickering across his face. It was different than he'd ever given Mir -- there was something about it, something... panic? Tripped over?

His fingers jerked slightly at his side and for an instant, almost unnoticeable, period of time I imagined I had caught him pause.

And then - as quickly as he had looked - he turned away, stooping as his pace grew quicker.

Did he just... get flustered?

I blinked in confused confusion at what I'd just seen.

Mir was still smiling though, completely unaware of the change of temperature.

I wasn't even sure what to make of it myself.

I stood near the water cooler my gaze

Follow arin walking away, his strides relaxed yet purposeful.

For a second it all seemed to just be he... I just watched him, watching his dark hair fall right over his eyes, the way his uniform fit him perfectly, as if he was forced into being that way... "Arin is pretty... I wonder if he has a girlfriend?? "I couldn't help but blink, thinking, "Oh that made me blink.. who am I talking to? "I didn't have time to think about it any longer, so I shook my head. Why am I even thinking about that? Before I could figure it out, a sound that reminded me of a familiar voice whispered into my head.

"Come on, the bell just rang! We better get inside before the history teacher comes, " Nami said urgently but innocently.

As I leaned over I saw her standing a few steps away waving me over with a smile.

"Or else she 'll make us also a part of history too, " I added in return with a smirk.

My heart melted in joy as Nami laughed wildly, and the lightness of his voice distracted the very doubt I had of being a bad person.

Still laughing we joined hands and ran into the classroom, casting ourselves among the numerous queues for seats among the rush of students rushing in.