Enoh slowly blinked his eyes open, his vision hazy, his head pounding. When he realized he wasn't in his own bedroom, he jerked upright, alarmed.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, clutching his throbbing head.
He staggered out of the room and into a small but cozy kitchen—where he found Zhaira busy stirring something in a mug.
"Oh, you're finally awake," she said, relieved. "I'm making you some coffee."
Enoh's expression hardened at once. "What am I doing here?" he asked, his tone low and serious.
Zhaira straightened, suddenly nervous. "Uhm… well, I found you passed out last night. You were completely drunk, so I brought you here. You were in no condition to walk home."
"Tch." He scoffed. "So you dragged me here while I was unconscious? How am I supposed to know I can trust you? For all I know, you could've done anything to me while I was helpless."
Zhaira's jaw dropped. "Excuse me? I helped you, and that's the first thing you think of?" She crossed her arms, annoyed. "A simple 'thank you' wouldn't hurt, you know."
"Did I ever ask you to help me?" he fired back. "And why would I thank you when you still owe me for stepping on my foot yesterday?"
"You started it!" she snapped. "If you just knew how to say sorry, I wouldn't have stepped on you! You're the one with an attitude problem!"
"Tsk." He turned away and began walking toward the door, but the moment he took a step, his knees buckled. A wave of dizziness washed over him.
Zhaira instinctively reached for him, supporting him by the arm. "Hey! Don't force yourself. Sit down first." She guided him back to a chair. "Drink your coffee or milk—whatever helps your dizziness. I also have medicine."
Enoh didn't reply. He simply sat there, reluctantly letting her fuss over him—because he didn't have the strength to fight back.
.....
Later…
Zhaira walked through the school hallway with Sena and Miriam when she finally gathered the courage to ask, "Guys… who is Cali?"
"Cali Caspian?" Sena replied. "She was our classmate last year. Ever since first year, she's always been top of the class. But last year her grades suddenly dropped, so she moved to Section B."
"Oh, I see…" Zhaira murmured.
"And rumor has it," Miriam added in a whisper, "that she's Enoh's ex-girlfriend. But Cali denied it. People say they hid their relationship."
Sena leaned closer. "And the gossip says Enoh is the reason her grades fell."
"Huh? Enoh?" Zhaira repeated, surprised
They all stopped walking when they noticed Enoh standing ahead of them—silent, expression dark. He must've heard everything.
He walked past them without a word, but the look he gave was sharp enough to cut.Zhaira watched him leave, unease creeping into her chest.
So… was it Cali? The reason you got drunk? she whispered to herself.
.....
A few hours later…
Zhaira was crossing the school's soccer field, lost in thought, when a sudden shout echoed:
"Miss! Watch out!!"
Before she could react—THUD!—the soccer ball hit her squarely on the head. She dropped to the ground with a groan.
"Ow… that hurts…" she whimpered, rubbing her head.
A boy ran toward her. "Miss, are you okay? I'm so sorry!"
Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up—he was the transferee from the other section.
"O-Oh… I'm fine," she stammered, getting to her feet.
He offered his hand. "I'm Azrael. You are?"
"Zhaira," she said, shaking his hand softly.
"Hey, Azrael! Enough with the flirting!" one of his teammates shouted from across the field, and she could hear their laughter echoing behind him, teasing and playful.
Azrael chuckled, giving her a playful wink before jogging back, while his friends continued teasing him.
Flustered, Zhaira turned away—only to spot Enoh in the distance, following a girl.
Curiosity—and something she refused to name—pushed her to follow quietly behind them.
.....
Zhaira hid behind a tree, watching quietly.
"Please, Cali… give me one more chance…" Enoh pleaded, his voice breaking as he knelt before her.
"I'm sorry, Enoh, but we can't be together anymore," Cali said firmly, once again turning her back on him.
Even after Cali walked away, Enoh remained kneeling, his head bowed in despair. Zhaira was about to leave when the sudden buzz of a bee startled her.
"S-Sorry…" she muttered, realizing Enoh had noticed her.
He ignored her apology, walking instead to sit beneath the tree, shoulders slumped, the weight of his heartbreak heavy in his posture.
"Am I really that bad?" he asked suddenly, voice tinged with sadness.
Zhaira sat beside him, careful not to irritate him.
"Well… you can be a bit grumpy," she said softly, "but I know you're not a bad person."
Enoh shook his head, sadness etched across his features.
"Then why did she leave me? Did I ruin her life somehow?" he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek.
Zhaira noticed his tears, and her heart ached. She gently said, "She just didn't see your worth… that's all."
Without warning, Enoh rested his head on her shoulder and began to cry quietly. Zhaira startled for a moment, taken aback by his sudden vulnerability. Then, slowly and gently, she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the tension in his shoulders, the silent ache in his chest, and all she could do was be there—offering comfort in the only way she knew how.
.....
The next day, Zhaira was eating lunch with her friends when Enoh approached.
"May I… sit with you?" he asked shyly.
Sena and Miriam gawked in surprise, but Zhaira smiled warmly.
"Sure," she replied.
He sat beside her, and in that moment, Zhaira saw a different side of him—the real Enoh. He was talkative, funny, full of life. Nothing like the aloof, distant boy she had first met.
"You've got something on your face," Enoh said, grabbing a tissue to wipe her mouth gently.
"Ayiieeehh!" Sena and Miriam teased and giggled.
Zhaira felt herself blush, and Enoh chuckled at her reaction.
She couldn't help but smile back, her heart warming at the sight of his carefree laughter. For the first time, she wished things could always be this simple, this happy.
Until they slowly noticed the quiet yearning growing within them—the silent wish that these days would never end and that they would never have to be apart. What they shared was no longer just friendship. There was something deeper, something more… a feeling blossoming in their hearts that, no matter how much they tried to deny it, could not remain hidden forever.
One afternoon, they sat together in the school field, gazing at the sky as the afternoon sun cast golden hues across the grass.
"Do you believe in the saying 'two is better than one'? That there's a reason we were born—to eventually meet the person fate has chosen for us?" Zhaira asked quietly, her voice soft against the breeze.
Enoh lay back on the grass, looking up at the clouds.
"Maybe you're right," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe there's a purpose to why we live, why we feel joy and pain… why we hurt and love."
Zhaira turned to him, heart racing at the intensity in his voice.
"Then maybe Cali and I weren't meant for each other," he admitted.
He stood, his eyes locking on hers, and spoke with quiet sincerity: "Thank you… for coming into my life."
Before she could process his words, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Zhaira froze, caught between surprise, exhilaration, and fear. Her heart pounded, emotions colliding—happiness, nervousness, and a trembling fear that this moment might be fleeting.
Yes... They were both in love—there was no denying it anymore. Each day, their feelings had grown stronger, deeper, until they could no longer ignore the truth. And today, at long last, they admitted it to each other: they loved one another, fully and completely, and all they wanted was to be together.