Love Before Graduation

The bell rang, like someone had brushed the dust off a dream. And just like that, we were back in the world where kids rush to grow up and forget their childhood, and where the writing on the blackboard is often clearer than life itself.

But for us, nothing felt normal anymore. We were walking toward class, but every step felt heavy, like carrying an invisible weight.

Just as we reached the door, Nami nudged me with her elbow—"Don't talk here, people will undress you with their eyes."

I didn't say anything. I just looked at Suhina. She was staring at the ground like she might find answers there. Even her shadow looked tired.

We were sixteen. At an age when a broken heart feels like the biggest tragedy, we were caught in something else entirely—a game filled with fear, silence, and something you can't see... only feel.

We were sitting in class, books were open, but our minds were shut.

The ticking clock now sounded more human—less like time passing, more like a warning.

Nami, who always had something to say, was now typing on her phone—

"Meet on the terrace after school. No excuses."

She didn't look at me, just nodded slightly—like she wasn't asking for permission, but starting a revolution.

There were three of us.

Three girls.

One secret.

And a shadow that wasn't just on the walls anymore—it was walking through our thoughts too.

The teacher was speaking, but I couldn't understand a word. My mind kept drifting to Suhina. She was just sitting there, like a doll who had started fearing her own strings.

Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

I jumped.

It was Arin.

No mischief in his eyes, no questions... just a calm kind of worry you rarely see in boys.

"You okay?"—his voice was quiet, comforting.

I lied—"Just a headache."

But he saw something else in my eyes. Then he pulled something from his bag and slid it toward me.

Chocolate.

No drama, just a little sweetness in the middle of all that darkness.

I looked at him and smiled. "Are you a doctor or just a classmate?"

He laughed softly and looked down. "Whatever I am... I listen."

Then he went back to his work like nothing happened.

But I wasn't the same anymore. Something quiet had settled inside me—sweet, but temporary.

Sometimes... it's not love, but care that touches you more deeply.

Just one chocolate... and the storm paused for a while.

But the truth is—the storm never really stops.

It just leans in and whispers—

"I'm still here. Waiting."