Love Before Graduation

I took a deep breath and pushed my scooty forward. Even after leaving the alley, Arin's words kept repeating in my mind—

"Let's see."

The way he looked at me—so intense, like he'd already decided I was guilty. My heart was racing, but I gripped the handlebars, trying not to show it.

It was a quiet summer evening, but inside, I was all over the place. The ride home didn't take long, but at every turn, I kept thinking about the crazy stuff that happened today—Nami pulling away, Arin's eyes looking right through me, and that weird blame just hanging in the air.

You're the one who told.

Did he really think that?

I rolled into the gate of my house, and before I could even park, my mom's voice came flying at me.

"Late again? Every day you have a new excuse! Do you even care about studying?"

I didn't say anything. I could've told her I was with my friends or that my mind was all over the place, but I just didn't have the energy. Her yelling only made the guilt inside me worse.

I dropped my bag on the sofa and slowly walked to my room without replying.

Books were waiting on my desk. I opened one, but the words were all blurry. They didn't make any sense.

Nami thinks I betrayed him. Arin's upset too. Why is everyone against me?

The pages just sat there, and I couldn't focus.

I gave up. I grabbed my phone and hovered over Nami's name before pressing call. My chest felt tight with every ring—once, twice, three times—then the call connected.

"Aira?"

Nami's voice broke the silence. It sounded unsure.

For a second, I just held the phone, not saying anything. A part of me wanted to let it ring longer, make her feel ignored like I did all day. But I couldn't do that. I answered.

"Why are you crying?"

Nami's voice was sharp, kind of annoyed.

I wiped my face with my hoodie sleeve, hiding the tears she couldn't even see.

"I'm not crying," I mumbled, knowing damn well I was.

Yeah, that was a lie. A weak one. Even I could hear it in my voice.

She sighed loudly. "Aira... I'm sorry, okay? I was just really upset. It felt like you were taking her side. For a second, I thought—how could you? You're my best friend."

I bit my lip and gripped the phone so tight it actually started to hurt.

"It wasn't like that," I whispered, even though I wasn't sure she'd believe me.

There was a pause. Then she said softer— "Fine, fine. I get it. I'm sorry, idiot. Now stop crying."

I let out a shaky breath and gave a small, weak laugh. "I'm sorry too... kaan pakad kar sorry."

She huffed. I could almost see her smirking. "You better be. And stop overthinking everything. I'm not mad anymore."

I felt a bit better. The tight feeling in my stomach started to ease. "Promise?"

"Promise, dummy. You think I can stay mad at you forever?"

I pouted. "You ignored me all day."

"Okay, fine! I was mad. Just a little."

The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable anymore. It felt... peaceful.

I took a deep breath, my fingers shaking a little as I held the phone tighter.

"Nami... listen."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"No matter what happens... just don't leave me, okay? When you're not around, everything feels... empty."

It went quiet.

My heart dropped—did she hang up? But then she spoke again, softly.

"Aira..."

That wasn't enough for me. I kept going, my voice shaky.

"Maybe our friendship is just a bond to you... but for me, it's like my whole life. Just... don't leave, okay?"

There was another pause. Then she sighed—it sounded part annoyed, part amused. And then she laughed, that familiar laugh I love.

"Idiot. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. That tight, heavy feeling in my chest finally started to ease up. "Promise?"

"Yes, promise."

That word felt like something strong I could hold on to in the dark.

Her voice got softer, not teasing anymore. ""You're really important to me too, Aira. I don't know what got into me today. I'm really, really sorry."

I wiped my eyes and gave a small smile. "It's okay."

There was a short pause.

"Alright, I'm hanging up now... unless you wanna say something cheesy before I go?" And don't you dare cry anymore." Her voice had that playful warning, but I could hear the care in it too.

I laughed softly. "Yeah, okay."

Just when I thought it was over, she came back with that sharp tone. "Oh, and about Arin—tomorrow, I want all the details. What exactly happened?"

I sighed. Of course, she wouldn't let that go.

"Hmm," I mumbled.

Click. The call ended.

I looked at the screen for a while before putting my phone down. My chest still ached, but it was a little less painful now.

Tonight was heavy—Arin's words still echoed, and Mom's yelling still hurt—but Nami was still here.

For now, that was enough.

I dragged myself to bed and flopped down on the soft sheets without changing my clothes. I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts spinning—Nami's promise played over and over in my head, warm and comforting, but Arin's voice was still there, cold and accusing.

You're the one who told.

Did he really believe that? What did he mean by "Let's see"?

My eyes started to close, my thoughts getting messy. The day felt way too heavy, but Nami's words—I'm not going anywhere—kept playing in my head like a soft echo.

Little by little, my breathing slowed, and as everything around me faded out, I fell asleep—still wondering, still holding on to hope.