Love Before Graduation

The morning air was crisp as I stepped into the school grounds, my bag slung over one shoulder. As expected, Nami was already waiting for me, arms crossed, an exasperated look on her face.

The moment she saw me, she wasted no time.

"Subh came to me earlier," she said, her tone laced with disbelief. "He's serious. He's actually going to propose to Suhina."

I let out a sigh. "Let him. What can we even do?"

We were still talking when a sudden commotion erupted in the classroom. A murmur spread through the students like wildfire, heads turning, whispers filling the air.

Frowning, I followed the noise, and my eyes widened at the sight before me.

Right there, in front of everyone, Subh was down on one knee, looking up at Suhina with nervous determination.

"I really like you, Suhina," he said, his voice steady despite the weight of the moment.

For a second, the whole room seemed to hold its breath.

Then, Suhina scoffed. Loudly.

"Are you out of your mind, Subh?" she snapped, her voice dripping with irritation.

The class erupted into hushed gasps, everyone watching with rapt attention.

"How could you even think that I'd like you?" she sneered, tilting her head arrogantly. "Look at yourself... and then look at me."

Her words were sharp, merciless. She didn't just reject him—she humiliated him.

Without another glance, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Subh kneeling there, frozen in place.

For a moment, he didn't move. He just stared after her, as if willing her to turn back. But she never did.

Then, slowly, he stood up, his shoulders sinking under the weight of silent heartbreak.

The teacher walked in a moment later, snapping everyone out of their trance. Students scrambled to their seats, whispers still rippling through the room.

Subh sat down at his desk, his usual energy completely drained. He didn't say a word, didn't react to the murmurs around him.

It was as if, in that one moment, his entire world had shattred .

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Subh. No matter how much we had warned him, watching someone get crushed like that wasn't easy.

"I told him," Nami muttered, glancing in his direction.

"What could we have done?" I sighed. "We tried to talk sense into him, but at least now he knows better."

Nami scoffed, shaking her head. "Suhina is so cruel. She could have let him down gently."

"Yeah," I smirked. "But then how would she get the attention she loves so much?"

Nami snorted, but our conversation ended as the teacher began the lesson.

The classroom settled into routine, but my mind... it had other plans.

Despite myself, my gaze kept drifting toward Arin.

He was writing something in his notebook, his brow furrowed slightly in concentration. But every now and then, I noticed the way his hand slowed, how his fingers tapped idly against the desk as boredom crept in. He would stop, sigh, and glance around as if searching for an escape from the monotony.

Then there were the moments with his friends. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I watched as he leaned back, laughing at something one of them said. The casual ease in his posture, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners—it was annoyingly captivating.

And then, just as quickly, their playfulness would spiral into chaos. Someone would shove another, a mock fight breaking out between them, hands grabbing at shoulders, playful smacks landing.

But the moment the teacher's gaze swept across the room, Arin transformed.

Back straight, eyes focused, the picture of an ideal student.

I nearly laughed out loud.

How effortlessly he played both roles—the troublemaker and the model student.

And yet, despite everything, there was something about him that made it impossible to look away.