Love Before Graduation

The courtyard had emptied, the buzz of the showdown fading into echoes. Long shadows stretched across the stones as the sun dipped low.

I caught Arin's gaze—just a flicker, sharp and unreadable—before he turned and slipped back into the building, swallowed by the classroom's hum like nothing had happened.

I let out a slow breath, shaking off the weight of his look, and followed.

Inside, the room thrummed with chatter, but my head was still snagged on the gate—Suhina's crash, Arin's quiet blade of a voice.

A familiar drawl yanked me out of it.

"Aira, you good?"

I turned to find Subh looming by my desk, a family friend with a knack for bad timing.

"Fine," I said, arching a brow. "What do you want?"

He sighed, all theatrical flair. "Why do you always think I'm after something?"

"Because you are," Nami cut in, smirking without lifting her eyes from her doodling.

Subh glared. "Like you're any better."

"Touché." Her grin widened. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I folded my arms. "Spit it out, Subh. What's the deal?"

He fidgeted, flipping his notebook pages like they held his script. Then, eyes dodging mine, he mumbled, "You know I like Suhina."

I snorted. "And she's glued to Tenzin."

Nami leaned back, voice thick with mock pity. "If you're here to play her knight, save it."

"Come on, Nami," he snapped. "Just... back off her, alright? Give her space to figure things out, and then—" He stopped, jaw tight.

"Then what?" we said in sync, leaning in.

A goofy grin broke across his face. "I'm gonna propose."

I stared, then laughed—short, incredulous. "She's drooling over Tenzin, Subh. You get that, right?"

"I'm trying," he huffed, standing straighter. "And maybe if you two eased up on her, I'd have a shot."

He spun on his heel and stalked off, leaving us gawking after him.

Nami huffed, arms crossing. "Has he lost it? Chasing her? She's a walking disaster."

My gaze drifted to Arin, a few rows up, hunched over his notebook. His pen moved steady, unfazed—like he hadn't just torched Suhina's game in front of everyone.

A strange ache coiled in my chest.

"Love doesn't chase beauty," I murmured, half to myself. "It hunts ruin."

Nami caught my stare and whacked my shoulder. "Don't you dare."

I rolled my eyes, but the truth gnawed at me—I wasn't sure I could stop.