Mehrin stepped out to buy vegetables, leaving Owen alone at home, absorbed in his video game. The house was quiet until the sharp ring of the doorbell broke the silence.
"Who is it?" Owen called out.
The doorbell rang again.
Annoyed, Owen stood up and opened the door. Jonathan stood there—Mehrin's old college friend.
"What do you want?" Owen asked coldly.
"Where's Mehrin?" Jonathan replied, already trying to step inside.
Owen blocked his way.
"Mom isn't home."
Jonathan paused, then forced a small smile.
"Oh… no problem. It's Mehrin's birthday today. I brought these gifts for her. Please give them to her."
Owen looked at the boxes and scoffed.
"Wow. You're still friends, huh?"
Without another word, Owen shut the door. He placed the gifts in the kitchen and walked away. Jonathan stood outside for a moment, disappointed, then slowly turned to leave.
On the way, fate brought him face-to-face with Mehrin.
Jonathan hurried toward her.
"Hey! How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you?" Mehrin replied.
"All good. Happy Birthday, Mehrin."
"Thank you," she smiled softly. "Come on, let's go home."
Jonathan shook his head.
"I just came from your house, but Owen said you weren't there."
Mehrin's smile faded. A quiet sadness filled her heart. Why didn't Owen ask him to stay? she wondered.
"Hm…" she murmured.
"Let's go somewhere and celebrate your birthday," Jonathan suggested.
"You know Owen can't stay away from me," she said gently.
"And he can't see you with anyone else either," Jonathan replied, with a painful honesty.
"I'm sorry," Mehrin whispered.
"It's okay," he said softly. "Don't feel bad. Enjoy your day."
"Thank you."
Mehrin returned home and went straight to the kitchen to put away the vegetables. That's when she noticed four neatly wrapped gifts on the counter. Curious, she walked closer and read the note.
From Jonathan.
Her hands trembled slightly as she opened the first gift. Inside was a cake made entirely of fruits, along with a small letter.
> I didn't want to harm your health, so I made this myself. Otherwise, you know I can easily buy a cake.
— Your friend, Jonathan.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She opened the second gift. It was filled with dark chocolates and another small note.
> I still remember—you love dark chocolate.
Her smile lingered.
The third gift contained several books, along with a simple message.
> Keep growing your knowledge.
She smiled again, this time with warmth and nostalgia.
Just then, Owen walked into the kitchen to drink water. Mehrin quickly tried to hide the gifts.
"Don't overreact," Owen said calmly. "I'm the one who kept Jonathan's gifts here."
Mehrin opened the fourth gift. Inside was a photo album—filled with memories from their college days.
Without a word, she carried all the gifts to her room and placed them inside a special cupboard—a cupboard that held Jonathan's gifts from every year.
---
Scene Shift
Jonathan sat alone at home after lunch and walked into his room. His eyes fell on a framed college group photo placed near his bed. Four friends stood together, all looking at the camera—except Jonathan. His eyes were fixed on Mehrin.
A soft smile crossed his face.
He picked up a college book and opened it, but as he went to place it back in the cupboard, a photograph slipped out. In it, Oliver and Mehrin sat together, smiling.
Jonathan's expression darkened.
In anger, he tore Oliver's picture apart.