EIRA POV
Adrain!!! Where are you?? Why haven't I seen you all morning? Not in lectures… not anywhere. I still can't believe what I said to you yesterday. But today… today, I'll make everything right.
I just hope you like the gift I bought. It took me two whole hours to decide what to get you.
"Eira, will you eat something?" Tessy's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pressing her palm against my forehead.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
"Fine? Really? You were lost in lecture, and now you've just been staring at your food for half an hour." Her eyes searched mine, full of concern.
I opened my mouth to answer—then froze.
Adrain.
He was passing by the canteen door.
"Sorry, Tessy, I need to go." I snatched up my bag and bolted.
"Eira!!!" she shouted after me. "Eira!"
But I didn't stop. My legs carried me faster.
"Adrain! Wait!" I called, breathless. But he didn't. He didn't even turn.
Finally, I ran ahead and blocked his path. "Hi, Adrain…" My voice came out small, shaky.
"Adrain, I want to say—"
"I don't have time for you." His voice was sharp, cutting me like glass.
He stepped sideways, but I blocked him again.
"Let me go, Eira," he said coldly, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
"No!!!" I snapped, my voice trembling but firm. "Today, I won't get scared. Because I know you. I know you can't hurt anyone."
At that, his eyes finally met mine. A flicker of something unreadable passed through them.
"Adrain, I want to say thank you. For what you did."
"I'm sorry… for behaving like I did. For never understanding you."
"You're a good person, Adrain. I know you are."
My hands shook as I pulled the little bag from behind me. "I… I bought this for you. I hope you like it."
I held it out. My heart was pounding so loud I thought the whole world could hear it. He stared at me blankly, expressionless. Seconds stretched into forever. Then finally—he took it.
Relief surged through me. He accepted. Thank God, he accepted.
But before I could breathe—
"Hey!!! Friends, come here!" His voice boomed, startling me.
I blinked at him in confusion. Why was he calling everyone? What was happening? Students stopped in their tracks, curious eyes turning toward us. Some circled closer.
And then his voice rang out again, cruel and mocking.
"So, friends… Miss Eira Banes thinks I helped her friend for her."
He smirked, his words laced with venom.
"She thinks everything I do… I do for her."
The crowd chuckled. My stomach dropped.
"Wait—don't tell me…" He leaned forward, grinning wide. "Don't tell me you actually think I love you?"
Laughter erupted around us.
"She's so desperate for my attention," he sneered. "She even bought me a gift."
The ground beneath me felt like it was breaking apart. My fingers trembled as I held my gaze low. No, Eira. Don't cry. Don't let him see.
"So, let's open it!!!" he announced, pulling the little box from the bag.
"Friends! Look—it's a locket!"
His face twisted with disgust. "I can't believe someone would give me such a cheap locket."
The students roared with laughter.
"How much did this cost? A hundred bucks?" He scoffed.
"Well… I guess I do believe in charity." He tossed money at me, bills fluttering to the ground.
"Sorry, dear. I'm not impressed." His words stabbed deeper than any blade as he flung the locket high into the air.
The sound of laughter grew deafening. My chest caved in. My lungs burned. I couldn't— I just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Try something up to my standard," he whispered in my ear as I turned to leave, his voice like poison.
My heart shattered. My lips quivered as I forced the words out. "You… today you h-hurt me. Congratulations."
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I let him see it. Let him see what he had done. For a fraction of a second, his eyes darkened.
Then he shoved me aside and walked away.
And I broke.EIRA POV
Adrain!!! Where are you?? Why haven't I seen you all morning? Not in lectures… not anywhere. I still can't believe what I said to you yesterday. But today… today, I'll make everything right.
I just hope you like the gift I bought. It took me two whole hours to decide what to get you.
"Eira, will you eat something?" Tessy's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pressing her palm against my forehead.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
"Fine? Really? You were lost in lecture, and now you've just been staring at your food for half an hour." Her eyes searched mine, full of concern.
I opened my mouth to answer—then froze.
Adrain.
He was passing by the canteen door.
"Sorry, Tessy, I need to go." I snatched up my bag and bolted.
"Eira!!!" she shouted after me. "Eira!"
But I didn't stop. My legs carried me faster.
"Adrain! Wait!" I called, breathless. But he didn't. He didn't even turn.
Finally, I ran ahead and blocked his path. "Hi, Adrain…" My voice came out small, shaky.
"Adrain, I want to say—"
"I don't have time for you." His voice was sharp, cutting me like glass.
He stepped sideways, but I blocked him again.
"Let me go, Eira," he said coldly, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
"No!!!" I snapped, my voice trembling but firm. "Today, I won't get scared. Because I know you. I know you can't hurt anyone."
At that, his eyes finally met mine. A flicker of something unreadable passed through them.
"Adrain, I want to say thank you. For what you did."
"I'm sorry… for behaving like I did. For never understanding you."
"You're a good person, Adrain. I know you are."
My hands shook as I pulled the little bag from behind me. "I… I bought this for you. I hope you like it."
I held it out. My heart was pounding so loud I thought the whole world could hear it. He stared at me blankly, expressionless. Seconds stretched into forever. Then finally—he took it.
Relief surged through me. He accepted. Thank God, he accepted.
But before I could breathe—
"Hey!!! Friends, come here!" His voice boomed, startling me.
I blinked at him in confusion. Why was he calling everyone? What was happening? Students stopped in their tracks, curious eyes turning toward us. Some circled closer.
And then his voice rang out again, cruel and mocking.
"So, friends… Miss Eira Banes thinks I helped her friend for her."
He smirked, his words laced with venom.
"She thinks everything I do… I do for her."
The crowd chuckled. My stomach dropped.
"Wait—don't tell me…" He leaned forward, grinning wide. "Don't tell me you actually think I love you?"
Laughter erupted around us.
"She's so desperate for my attention," he sneered. "She even bought me a gift."
The ground beneath me felt like it was breaking apart. My fingers trembled as I held my gaze low. No, Eira. Don't cry. Don't let him see.
"So, let's open it!!!" he announced, pulling the little box from the bag.
"Friends! Look—it's a locket!"
His face twisted with disgust. "I can't believe someone would give me such a cheap locket."
The students roared with laughter.
"How much did this cost? A hundred bucks?" He scoffed.
"Well… I guess I do believe in charity." He tossed money at me, bills fluttering to the ground.
"Sorry, dear. I'm not impressed." His words stabbed deeper than any blade as he flung the locket high into the air.
The sound of laughter grew deafening. My chest caved in. My lungs burned. I couldn't— I just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Try something up to my standard," he whispered in my ear as I turned to leave, his voice like poison.
My heart shattered. My lips quivered as I forced the words out. "You… today you h-hurt me. Congratulations."
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I let him see it. Let him see what he had done. For a fraction of a second, his eyes darkened.
Then he shoved me aside and walked away.
And I broke.