The concert hall was alive with energy, every corner packed with fans waving glow sticks and chanting Kai's name. Lights flashed across the stage, illuminating dancers in shimmering silver outfits, backup singers harmonizing perfectly, and the sea of fans wearing Kai's signature masks and shirts.
Evan adjusted his own mask and took a deep breath. As Kai, he had to be flawless. The dancers spun and leapt in perfect unison, the backup singers matched every note, and the stage crew ensured every light, smoke, and pyrotechnic was timed precisely.
The first notes rang out, and the crowd erupted. Lina, standing among the fans, felt her heart leap. The voice, that rich, melodic voice, sounded strangely familiar. Her chest tightened as every note reminded her of someone she knew. She pressed her hand to her mask, whispering, "It sounds like… Evan."
Evan's eyes scanned the crowd without breaking his rhythm, and then he saw her... Lina, right in the audience, singing along, glowing with excitement. His chest warmed at the sight; she had come. But a small pang of sadness followed. They hadn't spoken in days.
He kept singing, perfectly in tune, moving with the dancers, projecting energy into the crowd. Yet, every so often, his gaze flicked toward her. He wasn't jealous in a controlling way... just quietly aware that another person was sharing this moment with her while he felt distant from her. A strange mix of happiness, and longing tightened in his chest.
Lina's eyes shone as she sang along, completely lost in the music. Every beat, every high note reminded her of Evan's voice from the library, from karaoke, from quiet afternoons spent listening to him without thinking much of it. Her heart raced, not fully understanding why it felt so familiar and so special.
The dancers twirled and flipped with precision, the backup singers' harmonies layered beautifully behind Kai's lead, and sparks from pyrotechnics lit the stage as the first song ended. Lina clapped and cheered, still mesmerized by the voice that tugged at memories she hadn't realized were so vivid.
Evan stepped back for a moment, breathing deeply behind his mask. He smiled faintly, glad she had come, glad she was enjoying herself, but the quiet ache in him remained. He wished they had talked, that he had explained himself, that the gap of days without words hadn't existed. Yet for now, all he could do was perform... and steal occasional glances at her as she laughed and sang along, knowing that part of him was already lost in her presence.
It was Monday, Classes had just ended, and Lina was making her way out of the school hall when she spotted Evan. He saw her too and smiled, a small hopeful smile, but she ignored him. He started walking toward her, calling her name softly, but she continued past him, waving at someone behind her.
"Hey, Jayden! Wait up!" she called, completely avoiding Evan.
His chest tightened. That week had been a nightmare for him. He had tried, more times than he could count, to talk to her, to bridge the silence between them, but she had deliberately avoided him. She had been spending more time with Jayden, even outside tutoring sessions, and Evan's heart ached quietly with each passing day.
By Friday, Evan had called in sick. He lay on his bed, scrolling through pictures of Lina on his phone, heart heavy with regret. A soft knock at the door startled him.
"Come in," he called, trying to steady his voice.
The door opened, and his mother stepped in, a warm smile on her face.
"How are you doing, baby?" she asked, walking toward him.
"I'm… okay, Mom," Evan said, sitting up.
Her eyes glanced down at his phone, and she grinned knowingly. "Oh, this pretty girl… she's really sweet. What's her name again?"
Evan froze. "You… you know Lina?"
"Of course," his mom replied. "She came over last Friday asking if you were around. She said something about you having an event."
"Oh no… no, no, no," Evan groaned, running a hand through his hair.
His mother's expression shifted to concern. "Evan, what's wrong? Why are you upset?"
Evan's throat tightened, and tears began to fall. "I've been a fool, Mom… the worst."
His mother immediately pulled him into a hug. "Hey, don't say that. You're not a fool. Now tell me, what happened?"
Taking a shaky breath, Evan explained, "That girl… Lina. She was my first friend when I transferred here, and over time, I… I developed feelings for her. We became really close, and then she started tutoring this guy, and it got under my skin. I got jealous… possessive, maybe. I thought that by not speaking to her, I was protecting her, not holding her back… but now, she might never speak to me again."
His mother hugged him tighter, her voice soft but firm. "Aww, baby…" Then she gently tapped his head. "You really are a fool sometimes, you know that?"
"Heyyy!" Evan protested through a weak smile.
"Being jealous is normal when you like someone," she continued, brushing his hair back. "Maybe the possessive part isn't the best, but that doesn't mean you should cut ties with the person. Evan… if you don't fix this, you're going to regret it."
"But what if she doesn't like me back?" he whispered, eyes cast down.
His mother cupped his chin, lifting his face gently. "Then it's okay. You can't force it, and you can't change your feelings, either. But I'm really glad you finally feeling again. I'm proud of you."
Evan's lips curved into a small, relieved smile. His mother hugged him tightly again. "I love you, baby."
"I love you too, Mom," he said softly, feeling the weight in his chest ease just a little.
It was Saturday morning, and Evan couldn't focus on anything. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lina's smile, her laugh, the way she had waved at Jayden while avoiding him. He knew he couldn't keep sitting around, nursing his regret. Not after his mom had made him see reason.
He grabbed his jacket and phone, pacing around his room. "Okay, Evan… just talk to her. Be honest. Don't mess this up," he muttered to himself. His thumb hovered over her number. After a few deep breaths, he typed a short message:
"Lina… can we meet? I really need to explain."
He hesitated for a second, then hit send. Almost immediately, a reply popped up:
"Where and when?"
Evan's chest tightened at the simplicity of it. No anger, no teasing, just… a question. He typed back quickly:
"Cafeteria, in an hour. I'll be at our usual spot."
An hour later, he was sitting at the small table near the window, fingers drumming nervously against the wood. When Lina walked in, he froze for a moment. She looked… radiant. Her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, and even in her casual hoodie and jeans, she carried herself with that effortless grace that made his stomach flip.
"Hey," she said softly, sliding into the seat opposite him.
"Hey," he replied, voice catching. He cleared his throat. "Thanks for meeting me."
"You said you had something to say," she said.
"Yeah," he sighed. "My mom told me you came over last Friday."Lina crossed her arms. "Yeah. I wanted to help with the 'event', but she said you weren't around. And there was no event."
Evan said nothing. His silence hung heavy.
"Are we done here?" Lina scoffed. "I have a tutoring session with Jayden."
He looked down. She turned to leave.
"I like you," Evan said suddenly.
Lina froze. "What?"
He looked up, eyes honest and trembling. "I like you. Like, I like like you. Lina, I love you."
Her eyes widened. "You… what?"
"I've liked you since the first day I saw you," Evan continued, voice breaking. "And when I saw you with Jayden, I don't know what happened to me. I got jealous, and I thought… staying away would fix it. But it didn't. It just made me miserable."
Lina sat back down slowly, her head down, her heart racing. Silence filled the room.
"I get it," Evan said softly. "If you don't like me back or don't even want to be friends, I..."
"You fool," she interrupted, her voice cracking.
He blinked. "Lina?"
Tears streamed down her face. He rushed over, kneeling beside her. "Lina, why are you crying? I'm sorry, please... I didn't mean to hurt you, I..."
She laughed through her tears. "I hate you, you know that?"
He looked down sadly. "Yeah… even I hate me too."
She smiled faintly. "Why didn't you tell me you liked me since?"
"Because I thought you wouldn't like me back."
"Why would you think that?" Lina said, shaking her head. "You think I hang out with just anyone? Yeah, you're a Kai fan, but I wouldn't invite you to my hostel or anywhere if I didn't care."
Evan looked up at her, surprised.
"Wasn't it obvious I liked you?" she said, smiling faintly.
He stared, speechless.
"You're such a fool," she added, laughing softly. "So that's why you ignored me for weeks? Because of Jayden? You think I don't get jealous when girls are tapping your shoulders and you just keep smiling cluelessly?"
Evan chuckled. "I'm sorry, I really am. I swear."
"You know I even started eating cotton candy because of you? And licking ice cream and eating junk?"
He laughed quietly. "You did?"
She nodded. "Why would you think ignoring me was a good idea?"
"Because I'm a fool," he said honestly. "I thought it would help. It didn't."
"So you don't hate me?"
"No, never."
She smiled, eyes soft.
"I love you," he said again, gently this time.
Lina looked at him, her voice trembling. "Don't you ever ignore me again. Not for as long as you live."
"I won't," he said, leaning closer. "I..."
Before he could finish, she kissed him.
His eyes widened, but then he kissed her back. The world around them disappeared.
And for the first time in weeks, everything felt right again.